For intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Lenovo Legion 7i Pro offers superior performance due to its more powerful processor and graphics card, coupled with more RAM and higher-resolution, faster-refreshing display. However, it's costlier and less portable with a heavier build. If you seek a balance between performance, portability, and affordability, the MSI GP66 Leopard is less expensive, slightly lighter, and still capable for gaming and general use, despite having an older processor, less RAM, and a lower-resolution screen. Both laptops share similar battery life and are not particularly suited for long use without a power source. 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 7i
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
The MSI GP66 Leopard has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i.
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion 7i Pro surpasses the MSI GP66 Leopard in general use due to its superior CPU, double the RAM, and a higher-quality screen, contributing to better multitasking, smoother performance, and sharper visuals. However, both have similar battery life, and while the Legion 7i Pro is less portable due to being heavier and larger, it offers a better keyboard and significantly excels in screen color reproduction.
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
7.8/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
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 7i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i comes with a higher-tier Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a 240Hz screen refresh rate making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI GP66 Leopard, despite having a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080, has a lower 144Hz refresh rate which is good but not as smooth for fast-paced gaming and detailed 3D work. Additionally, the Lenovo's superior CPU contributes to its overall better performance for complex tasks when compared to the MSI's CPU.
Engineering and Design
9.3/10
7.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is equipped with a high-end CPU and GPU combination along with substantial RAM, which ensures smooth performance in demanding engineering applications and the screen quality is superior for those who need precise visual details. The MSI GP66 Leopard, while also having a solid CPU and GPU, offers a balance of performance and portability for users who frequently move around, plus the keyboard and speaker quality are noteworthy, though its operating noise is higher when under heavy load.
Content Creation
8.5/10
7.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is very good for content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Software Development
8.2/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is very good for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
8.7/10
7.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i boasts high resolution and brightness, along with an excellent panel type, making it superb for everyday activities and detail-oriented tasks such as photo editing or graphic design due to its ability to represent colors accurately. Its screen, however, falls short in refresh rate, which is critical for gaming and 3D work where fluid motion is key. Meanwhile, the MSI GP66 Leopard also offers a good combination of resolution and brightness for daily tasks, and while its color representation is satisfactory for design, the lower refresh rate similarly hampers its effectiveness for gaming and animation.
Cost
$2,499
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a price of $2,499 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
"Passionate gamers who want to play demanding modern titles with maximum details and don't mind spending the moolah will find the Lenovo Legion 7 Pro to be the right choice. The bright, sharp, and color-accurate 16:10 QHD 240 Hz display makes for an immersive viewing experience. The hardware is housed in a stylish chassis that feels premium and scores well in terms of workmanship and stability. Other aspects such as sound quality, input devices, and connectivity also seem to be near-perfect."
"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 7i 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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