Considering the MSI GE66 Raider versus the Razer Blade 17, note that the Raider is usually less expensive and offers comparable performance with its high-end components. The Raider has a smaller 15.6-inch screen, which may make it more portable than the Razer's larger 17.3-inch display, yet it is slightly heavier. Both laptops are equipped with potent processors and identical high-end graphics cards, ensuring robust performance for gaming, 3D work, and other intensive tasks. The Raider has a marginally larger battery, which could imply longer use between charges. However, the Razer Blade 17's thinner design may appeal to those looking for a sleeker laptop, and it has a slightly faster screen refresh rate, which could be a deciding factor for competitive gamers. Your choice largely depends on your preference for screen size, portability, and budget. 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
Good battery life
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
Excellent speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2/10
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
347.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The MSI GE66 Raider and the Razer Blade 17 have high resolution and bright displays that make text and images sharp and easy to see, meeting general use demands. For engineering and design, both laptops cover a wide range of colors, ensuring accuracy for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and quick responsiveness.
Cost
$3,199
$4,300
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI GE66 Raider has a price of $3,199 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
The Razer Blade 17 and MSI GE66 Raider are both very good for general use.
The MSI GE66 Raider is equipped with a powerful CPU and abundant RAM, along with a high-quality screen, making it very good for general use; however, its heavier weight and larger size may impede its portability and it offers only moderate battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.6/10
8.6/10
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 and MSI GE66 Raider are both very good for gaming and AI.
The MSI GE66 Raider and Razer Blade 17 are excellent for gaming and 3D due to their powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards, with the latter also boasting a higher screen refresh rate conducive to smoother visuals. While both laptops have high-quality screens and robust CPUs, the Razer's added screen refresh rate advantage may offer a more fluid visual gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
9.1/10
9.1/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 and MSI GE66 Raider are both excellent for engineering and design.
The MSI GE66 Raider and Razer Blade 17 are both excellent for engineering and design due to their high-end CPUs, substantial RAM, and powerful GPUs that handle complex tasks effectively. They also offer high-quality screens with crisp resolution, but differ in portability and subtle variances in keyboard and speaker quality, with the Raider being slightly less portable and the Blade offering marginally better speakers.
Content Creation
8.4/10
8.5/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 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
8.4/10
8.5/10
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 and MSI GE66 Raider 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
6.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 17 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
Fair
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI GE66 Raider and Razer Blade 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
8.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider and Razer Blade 17 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI GE66 Raider and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the MSI GE66 Raider or the Razer Blade 17
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.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
97,395
Recommendations made
21,103
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.