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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a laptop mainly for general use with some portability and longer battery life, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is less expensive and lighter, making it easy to carry around, and it has fairly good battery life. However, if you need a laptop for more intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Raider GE66, while more expensive and heavier, comes with a more powerful processor, better graphics card, and high screen refresh rate, which are key for these uses, but has a shorter battery life and is less portable. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.7
8.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
11.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i offers very good portability, good battery life, and high-quality keyboard, making it suitable for general use scenarios where mobility and battery endurance are key. The MSI Raider GE66, although heavier with shorter battery life, offers superior performance with a more powerful CPU, more RAM, better screen quality, and excellent speakers, catering well to those looking for a high-performing laptop that can handle more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2
8.5
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE66 outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i in gaming and 3D applications mainly because it has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, which is significantly superior to the IdeaPad's Intel Iris Xe GPU. Additionally, the Raider GE66 has a higher screen refresh rate, which provides smoother visuals important for gaming, compared to the IdeaPad's lower refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
7.1
8.9
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
The MSI Raider GE66 is considered very good for engineering and design use largely because it offers a superior main processor, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i, which is considered good for these tasks. Additionally, the MSI’s screen offers higher resolution and a much faster refresh rate, which is beneficial for design work, though it is heavier and offers less portability than the lighter Lenovo.
Content Creation
7.7
8.3
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.4
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i likely has a panel with decent resolution and brightness suitable for reading and browsing, which makes it adequate for general use and engineering where color accuracy is key but falls short for gaming due to a lower refresh rate. The MSI Raider GE66 probably boasts a high-resolution display with excellent color reproduction covering wider color gamuts, thus serving well for both general use and demanding engineering tasks, yet it may not have a high enough refresh rate to satisfy the smooth visuals that gamers require for fast-paced 3D games. While both laptops have screens that are sharp and vibrant for typical use and precise enough for professional design work, neither seems equipped with the rapid refresh capabilities desired for gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
11.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has 11.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 has 6 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Raider GE66 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i has a price of $899 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.5
8.0
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE66 to be very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i and the MSI Raider GE66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i | MSI Raider GE66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$899 | $2,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2020 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.2'' x 0.59'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.99 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.62" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.2" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1165G7 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 60.7 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 340 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Ted Needleman
| January 2022
"Among Lenovo's multiple laptop brands, the IdeaPad family is decidedly the one designed for consumers: people who want decent performance at a reasonable price. Consider, then, this laptop a paragon for the pickier members of that crowd. With a 14-inch touch-enabled display, a comfortable keyboard, an Evo-certified Intel Core i7 11th Generation CPU, and the latest Windows 11 operating system, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro ultraportable ($1,199 as tested) is a slick mainstream machine at a bit of a premium price, and quite capable for everyday tasks."
MSI Raider GE66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i or the MSI Raider GE66
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
About MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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