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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 with its lower price, lighter weight, and smaller screen is more portable and ideal for general use or business tasks, plus it has great keyboard quality and a long battery life, making it suitable for travel and work on the go. On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider, while more expensive and heavier, offers greater performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming due to its more powerful processor, graphics card, and higher resolution display with a faster refresh rate, but has a shorter battery life which could limit mobility. 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 ThinkPad Z13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
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
Key differences
General Use
7.8
8.4
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its lower weight and smaller screen, is more portable and has a longer battery life, making it a solid choice for general use especially for those on the move, while its adequate RAM and CPU are suitable for everyday tasks. The MSI GE66 Raider, on the other hand, offers a larger, higher quality display with better color coverage and resolution, more RAM, and a more powerful CPU, which makes it very good for general use that may include more demanding applications, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.3
8.6
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior gaming and 3D performance with its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a screen capable of a 120Hz refresh rate, making it excellent for fast-paced gaming visuals, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's AMD Radeon 680M GPU and 60Hz screen refresh rate provide more modest gaming capabilities, rendering it fair for gaming experiences that are less graphically demanding.
Engineering and Design
7.3
9.1
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.9/10
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 ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, integrated AMD graphics, and high-quality IPS display, is suitably equipped for engineering and design tasks that demand good performance and screen clarity. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider steps up with a more powerful Intel i9 processor, double the RAM at 32GB, a top-tier Nvidia RTX GPU, and a higher resolution screen, making it excellent for more resource-intensive engineering and design applications, but its increased weight and size make it less portable.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
6.8/10
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 ThinkPad Z13 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
7.7
8.4
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
7.0
8.2
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 provides a balance of resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, whereas the MSI GE66 Raider, with its higher resolution and brightness, ensures a clearer and more vivid display. In engineering and design, both laptops offer decent color accuracy important for detailed work, yet the Lenovo may fall behind the MSI if color gamuts coverage is comparatively less comprehensive. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the MSI's higher refresh rate offers smoother visuals which is more beneficial, but both laptops don't meet the mark due to their lower refresh rates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 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
Excellent
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI GE66 Raider 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 ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51.5 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 379 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.1/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | September 2022
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"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 ThinkPad Z13 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.
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