The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior performance, with a top-tier processor and graphics card, making it an excellent choice for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. However, it's pricier, heavier, and has shorter battery life, which impacts its portability. Conversely, the MSI GF65 Thin is more affordable and lighter, easier to carry around, and sufficient for general use and moderate gaming, but it won't perform as well with demanding software, and its screen and speakers are less impressive compared to the Raider. Choose the Raider for peak performance or the Thin for better value and 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 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 battery life
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
6.5/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
347.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider delivers a more robust user experience for general use due to its substantially more powerful CPU, ample RAM, and superior screen quality, providing sharper images and more accurate colors, which justify its lesser portability and shorter battery life compared to the MSI GF65 Thin. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin offers a balance between performance and cost, with fair CPU, enough RAM for basic tasks, and a satisfactory full HD screen while being more lightweight and portable, but it falls short in screen resolution and overall performance.
Gaming and AI
8.6/10
6.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider excels in gaming and 3D applications because it includes a more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, and a screen with a high refresh rate. In comparison, the MSI GF65 Thin is less suited for these tasks as it is equipped with a less capable GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3060, and while its screen also has a high refresh rate, the overall screen quality and performance are not on par with the GE66 Raider.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
6.7/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider outshines the MSI GF65 Thin for engineering and design because it packs a higher performance CPU, more memory and storage, a more powerful GPU, and a superior quality, higher resolution screen, which are all very important for such tasks. While the GF65 Thin is lighter and thus more portable, with a less prominent speaker and keyboard quality, its lower screen resolution, less memory, and a less powerful CPU and GPU make it less optimal for demanding engineering applications despite being quieter in operation.
Content Creation
8.4/10
6.8/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.4/10
6.3/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.2/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
347.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MSI GE66 Raider's superior screen quality for general use and engineering tasks is due to its higher resolution, brightness, and wider color gamut coverage, which ensure crisp, vivid visuals and accurate color representation critical for detail-oriented work. However, its poor performance for Gaming and 3D is likely because it lacks a high refresh rate, making it less suitable for the smooth visual experience expected in fast-paced games and 3D rendering. Conversely, the MSI GF65 Thin's fair screen quality across general use and engineering is likely hindered by lower brightness and a narrower color gamut, although it might share the same drawback for Gaming and 3D due to an inadequate refresh rate.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
6.7/10
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,199
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI GE66 Raider has a price of $3,199 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
"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."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the MSI GE66 Raider or the MSI GF65 Thin
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.
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