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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI GE66 Raider is better for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming due to its more powerful processor and GPU, but it's less portable and more expensive. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is more affordable and portable, with good battery life for general use and professional tasks, but it won't perform as well in heavy computational workloads. If high performance is crucial and cost is not a primary concern, the MSI GE66 Raider is the better option. On the other hand, if you need something for everyday tasks, easily transportable, and more budget-friendly, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is suitable. 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
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.4
7.8
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
347.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
8.6
6.4
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is only fair.
The MSI GE66 Raider excels in gaming and 3D tasks due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a screen with a high refresh rate of 120Hz, providing smooth visuals and exceptional graphics performance. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, with its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, offers sufficient capability for less demanding gaming and 3D applications but cannot match the MSI's superior graphical processing and smoother gameplay experience.
Engineering and Design
9.1
7.5
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
9.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers superior performance for engineering and design due to its high-end CPU, ample RAM, advanced GPU, and high-quality display with excellent color coverage and resolution, but it's less portable and has higher operating noise. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, while more portable and with quieter operation, provides good but lesser performance as it has a lower-tier CPU, less RAM, an integrated GPU which is less robust for demanding tasks, and a lower resolution display, albeit with good color accuracy.
Content Creation
8.4
7.8
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
8.4
7.7
9.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
8.2
7.2
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
347.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the MSI GE66 Raider's screen offers vibrant colors and sharp images due to its high resolution and bright display, making it very suitable for daily tasks and media consumption. Its display covers a wide spectrum of colors, making it highly suitable for engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Raider's lower refresh rate may not provide the smoothest experience, which is why its screen quality is considered poor for these uses despite good resolution and color quality.
Battery
6.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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
Excellent
15.6in
SIZE
13.3in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has excellent portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.6
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,199
$1,000
$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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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How the MSI GE66 Raider and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GE66 Raider | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,199 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | 11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.25 lbs | 2.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.51" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900HK | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 347 nits | 336 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.3/10 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 4 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the MSI GE66 Raider or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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 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.
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