When selecting between the ASUS Vivobook 15 and the MSI Pulse GL66, consider the following tradeoffs: If a lower price and decent battery life for everyday tasks such as web browsing, office work, and media consumption are priorities, the ASUS Vivobook 15 may appeal to you. It has moderate storage and memory, adequate for general use and its build is relatively lightweight, making it easy to carry around. On the other hand, if you need higher performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Pulse GL66 is superior with a more powerful processor, high-end graphics, a larger, faster storage, and double the memory. However, it's pricier, heavier, and has a shorter battery life, which affects portability. Both laptops have a 15.6-inch display, but the MSI offers a higher refresh rate, which is beneficial for fast-paced gaming or smooth video playback. 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 ASUS Vivobook 15
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
While the ASUS Vivobook 15 offers satisfactory daily performance with decent portability and longer battery life, it may fall short with a less powerful CPU and limited RAM compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which provides superior performance through a more robust CPU and double the memory, making it more suitable for demanding tasks but slightly less convenient for mobility due to its greater weight and shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
7.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
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
6.1/10
7.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with a basic Intel i3 processor and integrated UHD graphics, making it serviceable for light engineering and design tasks, but its lower RAM and storage capacity, along with a less powerful GPU, limits its performance for more intensive applications.
Content Creation
6.4/10
7.2/10
5.8/10
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 Pulse GL66 is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 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
6.5/10
7.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 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
6.3/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have displays that offer adequate resolution and brightness for tasks like web browsing and document editing, which is why they're fine for general use. However, for engineering and design where precise colors are critical, their color gamut coverage doesn't meet the high standards needed for professional color work. When it comes to 3D applications, the moderate importance of resolution and panel type is addressed, but the lower refresh rates of these laptops' screens do not provide the optimal smooth visuals desired for high-speed gaming or 3D rendering.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has 6 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
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook 15 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the ASUS Vivobook 15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$530
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has a price of $530 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
"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 ASUS Vivobook 15 or the MSI Pulse GL66
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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