The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is generally less expensive and may appeal if budget is a concern, meanwhile, the MSI Raider GE66 is more costly but comes with higher-end specifications that are advantageous for more demanding tasks like gaming or 3D modeling. If you prioritize portability and longer battery life for everyday use, the Lenovo may serve you well, while the MSI might be preferred for its performance in intensive tasks, despite being slightly heavier and having a shorter battery life. 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 Slim 5
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE66.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
Very good for general use
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
7.6/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good.
The MSI Raider GE66 outshines the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use with a higher-resolution screen, greater RAM for multitasking, and a more powerful CPU, which facilitate smooth operation in demanding scenarios. Although the Lenovo is lighter with a longer battery life, making it more portable, the MSI's superior screen and performance capabilities offer a tradeoff for its slightly lower portability and battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
8.5/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5, with its capable GPU and good screen refresh rate, offers a solid gaming and 3D experience while also being more portable and less expensive than some alternatives. The MSI Raider GE66, however, includes a top-tier GPU and higher screen refresh rate for smoother graphics and better performance in demanding gaming and 3D applications, catering to users who give priority to these aspects and are less concerned about budget and portability.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the MSI Raider GE66 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 stands out for engineering and design thanks to its AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, providing substantial power for demanding tasks, coupled with ample RAM and a quality IPS screen. Meanwhile, the MSI Raider GE66 ups the ante with an even higher-end Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, larger RAM capacity, and a higher resolution screen, making it a formidable option for engineering and design applications where maximum performance is crucial.
Content Creation
7.5/10
8.3/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
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 Legion Slim 5 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
7.4/10
8.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.2/10
8.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5's panel type, resolution, and brightness provide a pleasant visual experience, but the MSI Raider GE66 offers even better display characteristics, making colors richer and text sharper. For engineering and design tasks, the MSI Raider GE66 excels due to its broader color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation critical for detailed work, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good screen quality but falls short of the MSI in color accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial, both the Lenovo and MSI laptops have poorer screen quality, with lower refresh rates that might not deliver the smooth visuals desired by gamers or professionals working with fast-moving 3D graphics.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
"The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 acknowledges that a gaming laptop doesn’t have to be as thick as possible and can still ensure adequate cooling when the muscles need flexing. To this end, in the Slim 5 Gen 8, it finds a neat balance of refined, trimmed-down design that still lets its internals cruise (even above their max power ratings). Lenovo then added in some high-end build quality with an altogether excellent keyboard that’s useful for both work and play."
"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 Slim 5 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.
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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