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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI GF63 Thin is lower-priced, more portable due to its lower weight, and offers a solid performance for general use and gaming despite being an older model. It has satisfactory battery life, but if you need a machine with high performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while pricier and less portable because of its greater weight, includes a much more powerful processor and graphics card, a better screen refresh rate, and improved color coverage, making it especially suitable for intensive gaming and professional creative work. 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 GF63 Thin
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.0
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
249.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
4.2 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF63 Thin is equipped with a less powerful CPU and half the memory of the MSI GP66 Leopard, leading to a fair performance for general use compared to the good rating of the Leopard, which benefits from a significantly more robust CPU and memory setup. The GF63 does have a slight edge in portability owing to its lighter weight, but its inferior screen brightness and color coverage, paired with a shorter battery life, substantiate its fair general use evaluation against the GP66 Leopard's better display and marginally longer battery endurance.
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.8
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
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 MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GP66 Leopard delivers better gaming and 3D performance than the MSI GF63 Thin primarily because it houses a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU compared to the GF63's Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q, and it also offers a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, superior to the GF63's 60 Hz, providing smoother visuals in fast-paced games. Additionally, the GP66's advanced GPU is more capable of handling complex 3D tasks and gaming at higher settings, while its higher refresh rate makes it more suitable for competitive gaming where fast and fluid motion is key.
Engineering and Design
6.0
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF63 Thin has an older and less powerful Intel i5 processor, a lower-end Nvidia GTX GPU, and half the RAM compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard, which features a newer high-performance Intel i7 processor, a top-tier Nvidia RTX GPU, and double the RAM, making it more suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks.
Content Creation
6.0
7.4
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 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
6.0
7.2
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 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
6.1
7.5
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
249.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI GF63 Thin's fair screen quality for general use springs from its modest resolution and brightness, which suffice for everyday tasks but don't stand out. For engineering and design, the same display's fair rating is due to its limited color gamut, which doesn't fully satisfy professionals' need for color accuracy. However, its poor performance for gaming and 3D is linked to a lower refresh rate, which hinders smooth, responsive visuals that gamers and 3D applications usually demand.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GF63 Thin has good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$599
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI GF63 Thin has a price of $599 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Battery
4.2 Hours
5.0 Hours
The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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.
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How the MSI GF63 Thin and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GF63 Thin | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$599 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2019 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.1 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-10300H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.25 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 249 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
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 MSI GF63 Thin or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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