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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 7 is less expensive and offers good performance for general use and gaming, suitable for someone who needs a quality laptop without spending at the high end. Meanwhile, the MSI GE66 Raider costs more but comes with a stronger processor, better GPU, and more RAM, making it ideal for the most demanding tasks like intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering software. The Raider also has a higher resolution screen which is beneficial for detailed work, but both laptops have a similar battery life which may not last a full workday without charging. The Legion is marginally heavier but both are large and not extremely portable. Choose the Raider for maximum performance or the Legion for a more budget-friendly but still capable option. 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 7
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.8
8.6
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 7, equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, offers solid performance for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI GE66 Raider steps up with a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, which could provide even more rendering power for those applications despite a slightly lower refresh rate. The Legion 7 uses AMD CPUs and the Raider uses Intel, with each having differing strengths; screen quality also varies somewhat, with the Legion having a wider aspect ratio and the Raider boasting a higher resolution for sharper image quality.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is very good.
The MSI GE66 Raider outshines the Lenovo Legion 7 for engineering and design thanks to its more powerful Intel i9 processor and superior RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, paired with double the RAM, which significantly boosts its capacity to handle demanding engineering software and complex design tasks. Both have high-quality screens, but the GE66 Raider boasts a higher resolution and denser pixel count, enhancing visual fidelity for design work; however, the Legion 7 is slightly more portable and quieter in operation.
Software Development
7.6
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Screen Quality
8.3
8.2
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI GE66 Raider both have high resolution and brightness, coupled with quality panels, making them ideal for general use and engineering where clear, vibrant displays are necessary. Their wide color gamuts ensure accurate color representation for professional design tasks. However, their lower refresh rates, despite good resolution and panel type, make them less optimal for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother visuals.
Cost
$1,500
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GE66 Raider to be very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion 7 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior general use performance with a more powerful processor and double the RAM compared to the Lenovo Legion 7, which may make it better for multitasking and demanding applications. However, the Legion 7 might be more portable due to its slightly better battery life and comparable weight, though battery duration can vary based on usage.
Content Creation
7.9
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GE66 Raider to be very good for content creation, while the Lenovo Legion 7 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.
Battery
6.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion 7 to have good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI GE66 Raider both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Lenovo Legion 7 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 7 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.5 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.27" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 469 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
MSI GE66 Raider
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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 Legion 7 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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