The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is generally less expensive and offers a balance of performance and portability with considerable battery life and a higher resolution screen. However, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while slightly more expensive, provides superior graphics performance with a high-end GPU, which is beneficial for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, but has a shorter battery life and a standard HD screen. 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 5i
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.4/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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
7.8/10
7.2/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is somewhat better.
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
8.0/10
7.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
343.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i 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 Slim 5i offers a bright, high-resolution display that makes images and text crisp and easy to read for general use, and its color gamut coverage ensures accurate color representation for engineering and design tasks. However, its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial for a better experience. On the other hand, while the MSI GP66 Leopard also delivers a clear and vivid screen for everyday tasks and professional design work with good color range, it similarly lacks a high refresh rate, which diminishes its performance for 3D tasks and gaming where fluid visuals are key.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has 7 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,055
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i has a price of $1,055 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i offers greater storage and a higher resolution, larger display with better screen quality, which are important for general use, while also providing a decent battery life for moderate portability. The MSI GP66 Leopard, with its powerful CPU and high-quality RAM, delivers strong performance suited for heavy tasks but has a shorter battery life and is slightly less portable, although its heat management and operating noise are highly rated, making it comfortable for extended use.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
7.8/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
7.9/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo Legion Slim 5i to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo Legion Slim 5i stands out for engineering and design use due to its more advanced CPU, a higher screen resolution for finer detail, and a more capable GPU which is newer compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard. While both have solid RAM capacity, the Legion's greater storage and superior screen quality give it the edge, although the MSI GP66 Leopard, with its potent GPU and robust build quality, remains competitive especially if one prioritizes a quieter operating noise and better heat management.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Lenovo Legion Slim 5i both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i and the MSI GP66 Leopard 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 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 Slim 5i 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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