Selecting between the MSI GF65 Thin and the MSI Raider GE66 depends on what you prioritize. If you're looking for higher performance in tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering and are willing to invest more, the Raider GE66 with its more powerful processor, better graphics card, and greater RAM would be a suitable choice, although it is heavier and might have shorter battery life. However, if affordability and portability are more important, the GF65 Thin offers a good balance for general usage and gaming with decent battery life, but has less power and lower screen resolution than the Raider GE66. Both have good build quality with the GE66 being slightly better, and while both are suitable for intense gaming, the GE66 excels in this area. 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 Raider GE66
Very good for general use
Very good 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
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF65 Thin is fair for general use because it has more basic specifications such as a moderate CPU and memory configuration, a standard screen resolution, and lower storage capacity, which while adequate for everyday tasks might not offer the most responsive or visually impressive experience. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, thanks to its high-end CPU, abundant memory, superior screen quality with higher resolution and color accuracy, as well as better battery life and speaker quality, providing a more powerful and immersive user experience but at the expense of portability due to increased weight and larger battery.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
8.5/10
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
8.9/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI Raider GE66 offers superior performance for engineering and design tasks due to its more advanced CPU, significantly higher RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the MSI GF65 Thin. Additionally, the Raider GE66 has a higher resolution and more color-accurate screen, which is crucial for design work, although it is less portable and might produce more operating noise than the GF65 Thin.
Content Creation
6.8/10
8.3/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 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
6.3/10
8.0/10
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
6.8/10
8.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI GF65 Thin offers adequate sharpness and brightness for tasks like browsing and video streaming, but it has limited color range and lower brightness that might not satisfy precise design work or offer the vibrant visuals expected in high-end gaming. The MSI Raider GE66 boasts a high-resolution, bright display with wide color coverage that's excellent for accurately rendering designs and providing a crisp, enjoyable experience for everyday tasks, though its refresh rate isn’t suited for the smoothest gaming or 3D rendering. Both laptops, while suitable for their own scenarios, are less ideal for gaming and 3D work due to their lower refresh rates which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness in fast-paced environments.
Battery
4.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 has 6 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
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 Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.7/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 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
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI GF65 Thin has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
"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 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."
Get a great deal on the MSI GF65 Thin or the MSI Raider GE66
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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