The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a premium build, a high-resolution Mini LED screen, and a longer battery life, making it well-suited for professional creative work or general use, especially for MacOS enthusiasts. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 has a powerful Nvidia GPU and is better suited for gaming or 3D work; it also runs Windows and is less expensive than the MacBook Pro, though it offers shorter battery life and a standard IPS display. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
The MSI Pulse GL66 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
7.3/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) stands out for its superior CPU and RAM for multitasking, a high-quality mini LED screen with greater brightness and color accuracy, and long battery life suited for extended use, but it's less portable due to its size and weight. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, with its competent but not as powerful CPU and lower RAM, adequate screen quality for everyday tasks, and good gaming-oriented hardware, offers better portability and higher heat management under load but falls short on battery life for all-day use.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is superior for engineering and design tasks due to its robust CPU and GPU that are specifically optimized for such workloads, alongside its high-resolution Mini LED screen which offers exceptional color accuracy and brightness levels, providing a more detailed and vibrant visual experience. The MSI Pulse GL66, while offering a capable Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU for engineering and design, has a standard IPS display with lower resolution and color accuracy, but gains an edge in portability and with its inclusion of a number pad on the keyboard.
Content Creation
8.8/10
7.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
8.9/10
7.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
9.4/10
6.8/10
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers a high resolution and bright display that enhances everyday tasks, while its wide color gamut supports professional-level color work required in engineering and design, but its standard refresh rate is less ideal for 3D applications that benefit from smoother motion. The MSI Pulse GL66 provides decent resolution and brightness for everyday use and sufficient color accuracy for engineering tasks but lacks the higher refresh rate needed for optimal gaming and 3D experiences. Users who prioritize display quality for creative work or general use may lean towards the MacBook Pro, whereas those focused on gaming or 3D might find the MSI's screen lacking.
Battery
17.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
Good
16.2in
SIZE
15.6in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
The MSI Pulse GL66 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) are both good for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16, with its high-quality screen and powerful GPU, excels in 3D rendering tasks; however, it's less suited for gaming due to incompatibility with many popular games. The MSI Pulse GL66, on the other hand, offers a high screen refresh rate and robust GPU performance that gamers require, making it a strong choice for both gaming and 3D applications.
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How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the MSI Pulse GL66
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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