The MSI GF65 Thin is less expensive and lighter, making it more portable, but it has half the RAM and a less powerful processor and graphics card compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard. The GF65 Thin will handle general computing tasks well and is suitable for gaming, but if you need higher performance for intensive 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the GP66 Leopard, with its stronger CPU and GPU, is a better fit even though it's heavier and less portable. 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 GF65 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
6.5/10
7.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
4.5 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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8/10
7.8/10
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF65 Thin has a less powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card and a lesser screen brightness, which makes it only fair for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI GP66 Leopard comes with a more advanced Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card and a brighter screen, offering better performance and visual quality, thus making it good for those purposes.
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
7.9/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
6.1/10
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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
6.8/10
7.4/10
4.6/10
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 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
6.3/10
7.2/10
4.6/10
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 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
6.8/10
7.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When selecting the MSI GF65 Thin, you'll find it adequate for everyday tasks due to its satisfactory resolution and brightness, but it may lack the vibrancy and broad color spectrum that engineering and design professionals need, and with a lower refresh rate, it won't deliver the smooth visuals avid gamers or 3D designers seek. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard offers improved color accuracy and a wider color gamut which benefits precision work in engineering and design, while still maintaining clarity and visibility for routine use, but like the GF65, it falls short for gaming and 3D purposes due to a less-than-ideal refresh rate. Ultimately, neither is the best fit for gaming or 3D rendering where fast refresh rates are crucial to keep up with rapid on-screen action and provide a fluid experience.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.7/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,100
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI GF65 Thin has a price of $1,100 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
"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."
"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 GF65 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.
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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