Understanding your preference for a less expensive option like the Lenovo Legion Slim 5, consider that it offers a decent balance of performance thanks to its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, which are well-suited for general use and some gaming. The Lenovo also has respectable battery life and a 16:10 display which is great for productivity tasks. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66, while more expensive, features a high-refresh-rate screen for smooth visuals in gaming and a more powerful Intel processor paired with an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, excellent for demanding tasks and intensive work like 3D modeling or machine learning. It's also quite portable due to its lighter weight. So, if your primary concerns are budget and a solid all-around performance, the Lenovo is a strong option; if you require high performance for gaming or professional applications and value portability, and are willing to invest more, the MSI may justify its cost. 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
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2/10
8.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, both the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and the MSI Stealth GS66 offer panels with sufficient resolution and brightness, providing clear and vivid displays that meet everyday needs. For engineering and design, they both offer good color accuracy and a wide color gamut, ensuring that professionals see precise and true-to-life colors for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates result in less fluid motion, making them less suitable for fast-paced visuals that benefit from higher refresh rates.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,799
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 boasts a capable AMD Ryzen processor and solid RAM, paired with good screen quality and battery life, making it well-suited for general tasks and some gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS66 showcases a high-refresh-rate screen and superior graphics card with an Intel CPU, which is great for smoother visuals and multitasking, but it comes with slightly less battery life and portability when compared to the Lenovo.
Gaming and AI
7.7/10
7.8/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 features a powerful GPU and high screen refresh rate, making it adept for smooth gaming and 3D rendering, while the MSI Stealth GS66 also offers a similar high-quality GPU and refresh rate, ensuring crisp and fluid visuals during game play and 3D tasks. While both laptops have capable CPUs and good screen quality, their standout GPU performance and refresh rates are what really enhance gaming and 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.2/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.7/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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
7.4/10
7.5/10
8.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and Lenovo Legion Slim 5 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.
Give feedback
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How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
"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 Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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