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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 typically costs less and is more portable with longer battery life, which is ideal for general use, notably for business purposes. It has a higher resolution touchscreen and a premium keyboard. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS66 carries a heftier price tag but provides significantly better performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It also delivers superior gaming experience, due in part to a more powerful GPU and a high refresh rate screen, though it sacrifices battery life and is heavier, making it less convenient for travel. 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
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.8
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, equipped with an AMD Radeon GPU and a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz, provides adequate performance for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Stealth GS66 with a more powerful Nvidia RTX GPU and a much higher refresh rate of 360Hz offers enhanced visuals and smoother gameplay, making it better suited for gaming and 3D-intensive tasks. The ThinkPad's GPU and refresh rate are suited for casual gaming, but the Stealth's superior GPU and refresh rate prioritize a high-quality gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.2
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD processor and integrated Radeon graphics, is designed as a premium business laptop that can handle engineering and design tasks efficiently, bolstered by its high-quality IPS display and various features that support productivity. In contrast, the MSI Stealth GS66 steps up with a more powerful Intel processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics, making it very suitable for more demanding engineering design tasks and even intensive gaming, though it's heavier and doesn't last as long on a single charge compared to the ThinkPad.
Screen Quality
7.0
8.1
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
379.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for software development, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Stealth GS66 offer displays with high resolution and brightness, making text clear and vibrant, which is essential for reading and everyday tasks. Engineers and designers would appreciate their wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation required for professional design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can't deliver the smooth visuals and quick response times demanded by fast-paced games and dynamic 3D content.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 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
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,000
$1,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
379.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Stealth GS66 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.8
7.7
6.8/10
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Stealth GS66 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
7.7
7.5
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and MSI Stealth GS66 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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How the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $1,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.78 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.59" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.86" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51.5 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 379 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
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 Stealth GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"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 ThinkPad Z13 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.
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