The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro offers a larger screen with a higher resolution and aspect ratio, which might make it better for productivity and entertainment. However, it is somewhat more expensive and heavier, potentially making it less portable than the MSI GP66 Leopard. The Legion's newer AMD processor and RTX 4070 GPU could provide an edge in performance for 3D, machine learning, and gaming. On the other hand, the GP66 Leopard is more affordable, slightly lighter, has an Intel processor, and a high-performance RTX 3080 GPU, but comes with a smaller and lower resolution screen. For extensive gaming sessions, the Lenovo's battery might not last as long as the MSI's, but for demanding engineering tasks, the Lenovo may outperform the MSI. Consider your balance of price, screen needs, portability, and performance requirements when choosing. 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 Legion Pro 5
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
7.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5, with its newer Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and higher 165 Hz screen refresh rate, provides excellent performance for gaming and 3D applications, pushing it ahead of the MSI GP66 Leopard, which, despite having a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080, offers a lower screen refresh rate at 144 Hz, impacting the fluidity in fast-paced gaming and 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
7.9/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 stands out for engineering and design use due to its higher-resolution screen and more advanced AMD Ryzen CPU, boosting performance for such tasks. Meanwhile, the MSI GP66 Leopard still offers capable engineering performance with its Intel CPU and robust Nvidia graphics, but has lower screen resolution and storage compared to the Lenovo, which may be less ideal for detailed design work.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
7.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering general use, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5's screen likely offers higher resolution and brightness, providing crisper text and more vibrant images, while the MSI GP66 Leopard's screen provides a satisfactory visual experience but with slightly less emphasis on these factors. For engineering and design tasks, the Lenovo's display probably covers a wider range of colors, allowing for more accurate color work, whereas the MSI's spectrum, while adequate, might not be as comprehensive. However, in gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is pivotal, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are essential for fluid and responsive visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
3.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 5 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is appreciated for general use due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality, sizable screen with good color coverage, which enhances multitasking and media consumption, albeit with less portability and average battery life. Alternatively, the MSI GP66 Leopard offers solid performance with its Intel CPU and superior GPU for more intense tasks, along with better portability and longer battery life, but compromises with a smaller, lower-resolution screen which might not be as suitable for tasks requiring ample screen real estate and sharpness.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.4/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for content creation.
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.
Software Development
7.6/10
7.2/10
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for software development.
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.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,320
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a price of $1,320 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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How the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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