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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI GP66 Leopard is less expensive and offers solid performance for general use, 3D/machine learning, and engineering. It has a smaller screen and lower resolution but is lighter, enhancing its portability. The Razer Blade 17, on the other hand, is pricier but provides a larger, higher-resolution display and significant performance gains, particularly for 3D and machine learning tasks. Its larger battery capacity might not result in much improved battery life due to its more powerful components. The Razer Blade 17 is slightly more portable despite its larger screen and is built with a higher-quality finish. Both feature RGB backlit keyboards but only the Razer has a 4K display, making it better for color-intensive work. If cost is a concern and you favor a balance between performance and portability, the MSI GP66 Leopard is the better option, whereas the Razer Blade 17 is for those who need top-tier performance and have a higher 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 GP66 Leopard
- The MSI GP66 Leopard has no clear advantages over the Razer Blade 17.
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
- 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
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
362.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Razer Blade 17 surpasses the MSI GP66 Leopard in general use mainly due to a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior screen quality with higher resolution and brightness, which contribute to more vivid colors and sharper images. However, it is less portable due to a larger screen size and slightly heavier weight, and both models offer similar battery life which is on the lower side, meaning frequent charging may be necessary for extended use.
Gaming and AI
7.8
8.6
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Razer Blade 17 stands out in gaming and 3D over the MSI GP66 Leopard due to its superior GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, compared to the Leopard's RTX 3080, and a higher-quality display with a 4K resolution. Both laptops have similar screen refresh rates, which are very important for gaming; however, the Blade 17 also benefits from a more powerful CPU and overall better screen quality, making it more suitable for the most demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.9
9.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Razer Blade 17 excels over the MSI GP66 Leopard for engineering and design tasks due to its more advanced CPU, double the RAM, superior GPU, and higher resolution screen, which directly cater to intensive processing needs and high-detail visual work. While the MSI GP66 Leopard offers a solid foundation with its capable CPU, adequate RAM, and strong GPU, it is outmatched by the Razer's specs; however, both machines face similar limitations in portability and battery life.
Content Creation
7.4
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.2
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.5
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
362.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
In general use, the MSI GP66 Leopard and Razer Blade 17 offer crisp visuals and brightness, but the Razer takes the lead due to a higher resolution that makes texts and images sharper. For engineering and design tasks, both laptops display a wide range of colors, but the Razer stands out with more precise color reproduction critical for professional work. However, in gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both laptops fall short, as they do not offer the high refresh rates that are crucial for a fluid visual experience.
Cost
$1,400
$4,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a price of $1,400 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The MSI GP66 Leopard has 5 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 GP66 Leopard and Razer Blade 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0
8.5
The Razer Blade 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI GP66 Leopard and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GP66 Leopard | Razer Blade 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $4,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.25 lbs | 6.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.09" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.51" | 10.24" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 65 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 362 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.9/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
Razer Blade 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"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 GP66 Leopard 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.
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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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