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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value superior build quality, a better screen, and top-tier performance, especially for tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, or gaming, and don't mind the higher price, the Lenovo Legion 9i may be worth the investment for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for something more cost-effective that still offers good performance for general use and gaming, and you prioritize a more portable option, the MSI GP66 Leopard could be a better fit. Keep in mind that the latter may have shorter battery life and a less premium feel compared to the Lenovo Legion 9i. 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 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class 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 9i.
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.5
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
682.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out with its top-of-the-line CPU and abundant RAM that contribute to exceptional performance for a range of tasks, complemented by a high-quality Mini LED screen; however, it is less portable and has shorter battery life than some alternatives. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard offers good general use capabilities with a decent CPU and RAM, alongside a fair quality IPS display, and while it is slightly more portable with a longer battery life, its performance and screen quality do not match those of the Legion 9i.
Gaming and AI
9.2
7.8
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
3200 x 2000
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 9i is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i stands out for gaming and 3D tasks with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which results in smoother visuals during fast-paced scenes, whereas the MSI GP66 Leopard comes with the still capable but less powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a lower screen refresh rate. Both laptops have quality CPUs and screens, but the Lenovo's superior GPU and refresh rate make it better suited for very demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
9.6
7.9
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 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion 9i is more suited for engineering and design due to its higher-end CPU and GPU, more RAM, larger and higher-resolution Mini LED screen, which offers enhanced brightness and color accuracy. In contrast, while the MSI GP66 Leopard can handle engineering tasks with its capable CPU and GPU, its RAM is less, and the IPS screen has a lower resolution and color coverage, making it less ideal for precision work that benefits from detailed visuals.
Content Creation
8.7
7.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
8.3
7.2
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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
9.7
7.5
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
682.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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 9i's display stands out for general use and engineering with its high resolution and bright panel that offers vivid colors and wide color coverage, which is crucial for detail-oriented tasks and color accuracy in design work. However, its lower refresh rate makes fast-paced visuals in gaming and 3D applications less smooth compared to screens designed for these purposes. The MSI GP66 Leopard provides a balance with decent resolution and color reproduction for daily tasks and engineering software, but like the Legion, its refresh rate is not optimized for the high-speed rendering demanded by gamers and 3D professionals.
Battery
3.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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.
Cost
$3,420
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion 9i has a price of $3,420 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Lenovo Legion 9i both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Lenovo Legion 9i and MSI GP66 Leopard 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 9i and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 9i | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,420 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.64 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.93" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13980HX | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 682 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 9i
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
MSI GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"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 9i 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.
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