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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is more expensive and offers superior performance for general use and color-sensitive work, with a high-resolution OLED touchscreen, long battery life, and the premium build of a business laptop. It's also equipped with ample storage and RAM. However, if gaming or 3D work is your focus, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while less pricey and heavier, has a stronger GPU, a high refresh rate screen, and features such as hardware ray tracing and DLSS. The Lenovo is more portable and has a better keyboard, but the MSI excels with its 3D performance and is more suited for intensive gaming and engineering 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
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
General Use
8.6
7.5
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
393.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a superior screen with higher resolution and OLED technology, more RAM, and a larger storage capacity, making it very suitable for a variety of general use tasks, whereas the MSI GP66 Leopard, while offering a high-performance graphics card and a high refresh rate screen, compensates with less RAM and lower screen resolution, making it more tailored towards gaming but still good for general use. Additionally, the ThinkPad Z16 scores better in battery life and portability, providing an advantage for users who prioritize mobility and longer use on a single charge.
Gaming and AI
6.7
7.8
4.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is equipped with an AMD RX 6500M GPU and an OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, while the MSI GP66 Leopard boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and an IPS screen with a higher refresh rate of 144Hz, making it more suitable for fast-paced gaming and intensive 3D applications. Both laptops have quality displays and capable CPUs, but the MSI is likely to deliver greater gaming performance due to its superior graphics card and faster screen.
Content Creation
8.5
7.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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
8.2
7.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
8.5
7.5
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
393.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 boasts a display with higher resolution and brightness, making it sharper and easier to view in various lighting conditions which is essential for typical daily tasks, while its wider color gamuts ensure accurate color reproduction crucial for engineering and design work. The MSI GP66 Leopard has a respectable display that handles day-to-day tasks well and supports decent color representation for professional work, but falls short for gaming due to its lower refresh rate, which means less smooth visuals in fast-paced games. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, despite its superior color accuracy and resolution, doesn't prioritize the high refresh rate that gamers typically look for, resulting in less fluid motion during gameplay.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 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.
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 GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,120
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a price of $1,120 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.4
7.9
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is highly regarded for engineering and design because it has a powerful AMD Ryzen processor, a large amount of RAM, a high-quality OLED screen with superior color accuracy, and a capable AMD GPU, all of which are essential for demanding tasks and detailed visual work.
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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 GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,120 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
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 i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 72 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 393 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"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 ThinkPad Z16 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.
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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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