If you prioritize high-end gaming performance and have a bigger budget, the MSI GE66 Raider offers a more powerful GPU and CPU as well as a higher resolution display, which handles demanding tasks and games more smoothly; however, it comes at a higher cost and a slightly lower portability score due to its weight. On the other hand, if you prefer a more cost-effective option for general use and casual gaming, the Lenovo LOQ 16 offers a lower price with sufficient performance for everyday tasks and some light engineering applications, alongside better battery life. Keep in mind the Lenovo model has fewer RAM and storage than the MSI, but it is also lighter, making it easier to carry around. Both lack touchscreen but are engineered with gaming in mind, with the MSI model more explicitly targeting gamers with features like RGB keyboard lighting. 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 LOQ 16
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has no clear advantages over the MSI GE66 Raider.
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
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
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
329.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The Lenovo LOQ 16, with its decent processor and ample RAM, offers a balance for general use, and its larger battery ensures longer unplugged utility, but its screen and graphics card are less equipped for high-resolution content. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider, with its top-tier processor and substantial RAM, exceeds in performance and screen quality, making it a superior choice for demanding tasks, although its high-end features make it less portable and affect battery life when compared to the Lenovo.
Gaming and AI
7.5/10
8.6/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 offers solid gaming and 3D performance with a faster screen refresh rate, yet its GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4050, while good, is less powerful than the MSI GE66 Raider's top-tier Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU. Although the GE66 Raider's screen refresh rate is slightly lower, its exceptional GPU and higher screen resolution contribute to its superior performance in gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.9/10
9.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
7.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior CPU, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the Lenovo LOQ 16, making it more suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks; additionally, it has a higher resolution and more color-accurate screen. Despite the Lenovo being lighter and thus more portable, its specs, including the processor and graphics capabilities, are less suited for intensive workloads that require high computational power and graphical performance.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 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
7.5/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 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
8.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Lenovo LOQ 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo LOQ 16's display, with its resolution and brightness, provides a clear and vivid image ideal for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate doesn't suit fast-paced gaming which demands smooth motion. The MSI GE66 Raider, with similar resolution and brightness, ensures sharp and vibrant visuals for both general and specialized engineering applications, while also delivering a wide color gamut that enhances color accuracy crucial for design tasks. However, its display falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate that isn't high enough for the most fluid gaming experience.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider and Lenovo LOQ 16 both have only fair portability, though the MSI GE66 Raider has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$740
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has a price of $740 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
"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 LOQ 16 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
130,395
Recommendations made
28,253
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.