The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is significantly cheaper and more portable, suitable for general use with moderate battery life; it's less capable for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. The MSI Pulse GL66 is more expensive but offers superior performance for engineering, 3D/machine learning tasks, and gaming, although it is heavier and has shorter battery life. The MSI also has better keyboard quality, stronger build and heat management. Choose the ASUS if price and portability are your priority and you do light computing. Opt for the MSI if you need high performance for demanding applications and can handle less portability and higher cost. 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 Go 14
Very good portability
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
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.2/10
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 offers modest performance suitable for everyday activities with its mid-range processor and adequate memory, but the MSI Pulse GL66 delivers considerably more power with its high-end CPU and double the memory, better suiting it for more demanding tasks and multitasking. While the Vivobook Go provides longer battery life and is lighter for easier portability, the Pulse GL66 stands out with a higher quality keyboard, better heat management, and stronger graphics performance, making it more apt for users with intense usage needs, despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
7.2/10
3.5/10
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
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14's lower-end AMD Radeon 610M GPU and standard 60Hz screen refresh rate make it less suitable for gaming and 3D applications compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which boasts a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a faster 144Hz refresh rate, offering smoother visuals and better handling of demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.9/10
7.5/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
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 Go 14 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14, with a lower-tier AMD Ryzen 3 CPU, integrated AMD Radeon graphics, less RAM, and a less color-accurate screen, lacks the power and visual fidelity needed for demanding engineering and design work. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66, boasting a high-end Intel i7 CPU, powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, more RAM, and a higher refresh rate screen, provides the robust performance and detailed visuals essential for such intensive tasks.
Content Creation
6.5/10
7.2/10
4.1/10
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 Go 14 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
6.4/10
7.0/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 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
6.2/10
6.8/10
14.0in
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 Go 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 and the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, their fair screen quality suggests that they have adequate resolution and brightness, but possibly not top-tier panels. For engineering and design work, fair screen quality implies they cover a reasonable range of colors, but they might not reach the higher standards of color accuracy and gamut required by professionals in that field. Lastly, their poor screen quality for gaming and 3D may result from lower refresh rates, which can hinder the smoothness of motion and detailed graphics that are crucial for these activities.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has 7 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.4/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$450
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has a price of $450 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
"The lack of a backlit keyboard in this price segment shouldn't sway the buyer the other way. However, it still comes down to user preference. The Vivobook Go 14 is a decent laptop in an extremely competitive price segment. A few omissions are a part of the balancing to reach the price segment. The Asus Vivobook Go 14 is a rare find when it comes to the price to performance ratio."
"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 Go 14 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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