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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a larger screen, more storage, and better battery life, suitable for productivity and multitasking. Its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 make it capable for general use and some engineering applications, but it is heavier, reducing portability. The MSI Pulse GL66, on the other hand, has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card, which is ideal for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks. It also has a higher refresh rate screen for smoother visuals. Its Intel i7 processor is competent for engineering tasks but has less storage and battery life compared to the ASUS, yet it is lighter and more portable. 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 Zenbook Pro 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 boasts advantages like a larger and sharper screen, more RAM for multitasking, and significantly longer battery life—factors that enhance its usability for general tasks; however, it is a bit heavier which slightly reduces its portability.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is suited for engineering and design given its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and large RAM, along with its high-quality screen that covers a wide range of the color spectrum, which is essential for precision in design work. The MSI Pulse GL66, although slightly less portable, offers a superior NVIDIA RTX GPU performance for engineering simulations and graphics-intensive tasks, and a high refresh rate screen which could be beneficial for fast-paced design scenarios. Both have quality keyboards and are reasonably quiet, but the ASUS has a better speaker quality, which could enhance the overall design experience.
Content Creation
8.2
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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
7.9
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is somewhat better.
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
7.2
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 affords vibrant images and clear text for everyday tasks, thanks to its high resolution and brightness, which benefit general activities and precision tasks like engineering. Its broader color gamuts cater well to professionals in design, ensuring accurate color reproduction. However, its lower refresh rate may not satisfy gamers or those involved in 3D work, who need smoother motion and rapid screen updates for an optimal experience.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 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.
Cost
$1,500
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.2
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to be good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers gaming and 3D capabilities with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, which is suitable for casual gaming, accompanied by a good screen quality; however, it's less ideal for high-paced games where higher refresh rates matter, like in the MSI Pulse GL66 that features a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a high refresh rate screen, catering well to fast-action gameplay and intensive 3D tasks despite having a lesser CPU and screen resolution compared to the Zenbook.
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
7.4
The MSI Pulse GL66 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI Pulse GL66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"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 Zenbook Pro 17 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.
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