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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, being somewhat less expensive, offers an excellent balance for general and engineering use, with a high-resolution OLED touchscreen suited for tasks requiring color accuracy and detail. It's lighter but has lower battery life and gaming capability compared to the MSI GE66 Raider. The Raider, although more expensive and heavier, boasts a more powerful processor and top-tier graphics card, making it ideal for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, along with a higher refresh rate for smooth visuals. Consider the Z16 for portability and business use or the Raider for maximum performance in gaming and demanding tasks. 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 Z16
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.7
8.6
4.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with an AMD RX 6500M GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, is good for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI GE66 Raider outperforms it with a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a faster 120Hz refresh rate, making it excellent for gaming and 3D content.
Engineering and Design
8.4
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
4.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is well-suited for engineering and design with its AMD CPU and GPU providing strong performance, a high-resolution OLED touchscreen for vivid screen quality, and a lightweight design enhancing portability; however, the MSI GE66 Raider, with its more powerful Intel CPU and top-tier Nvidia GPU, is excellent for engineering, offering superior graphics processing power and a high-refresh-rate screen at the expense of higher weight and lesser portability.
Screen Quality
8.5
8.2
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
393.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with its high resolution and brightness, offers a sharp and vivid display ideal for productivity and general use, while its wide color gamut ensures accurate colors beneficial for engineering and design professionals. The MSI GE66 Raider also boasts a similar high-quality display that excels in general use and is beneficial for detailed engineering and design work due to its accurate color representation. However, both laptops' screens have lower refresh rates, making them less suitable for gaming or 3D applications where smooth motion is key.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,120
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a price of $1,120 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.6
8.4
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
393.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and MSI GE66 Raider are both very good for general use.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out in general use with its high-resolution OLED screen, ample RAM, and a significant amount of storage, alongside excellent keyboard quality and a relatively lightweight design for better portability; however, it has average battery life.
Content Creation
8.5
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and MSI GE66 Raider are both very 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
8.2
8.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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.
Build Quality
8.0
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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 Z16 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,120 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.27 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.95" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 393 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.9/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
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 Z16 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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