If you primarily use your laptop for general tasks like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, the HP 14" Laptop with its longer battery life and lighter design will be more suitable, especially if you value portability and are budget-conscious. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 is better suited for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning owing to its more powerful graphics card and processor. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable and more expensive. Both laptops have similar screen sizes and resolutions, but the MSI offers a higher refresh rate useful for fast-paced gaming. 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 HP 14" Laptop
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 overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.7/10
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
265.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
8.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for general use, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 14" Laptop offers moderate performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and 8GB of RAM, which together with its lightweight design and longer battery life, make it suitable for on-the-go usage and general tasks, but it may not handle more intensive applications as effectively. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 features a more powerful Intel i7 CPU and double the RAM, alongside a high-quality graphics card, enabling superior performance for more demanding applications, but this comes at the cost of heavier weight and shorter battery life, making it less portable but more suited for advanced tasks like gaming or creative work.
Gaming and AI
5.8/10
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
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 14" Laptop is poor.
The HP 14" Laptop has an integrated GPU that's less powerful than MSI Pulse GL66's dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070, and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, lower than the MSI's 144Hz, making the latter better for smooth gaming and 3D performance. Additionally, the MSI has a higher quality CPU, which further enhances gaming and 3D capabilities, although screen quality is comparable as both use an IPS panel with the same resolution.
Engineering and Design
6.0/10
7.5/10
4.6/10
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 HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 14" Laptop, with its mid-tier AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and integrated Vega 7 GPU, can handle engineering tasks but might struggle with more demanding design work, and its screen offers decent quality. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 is equipped with a high-end Intel i7 CPU and powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, better suited for rigorous engineering applications and complex design tasks, and it features a superior screen with higher refresh rates, although it is heavier and less portable.
Screen Quality
6.3/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
265.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen than the HP 14" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the HP and MSI laptops may not stand out since their screen quality is fair due to average resolution, panel type, and brightness; these factors contribute significantly to the comfort and clarity of everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and video playback. In engineering and design, the importance of accurate colors means that the fair screen quality of both laptops reflects their limited color gamut coverage, which may not display the full spectrum of colors needed by professionals in these fields. For gaming and 3D applications, the poor screen quality on both laptops is primarily because of their lower refresh rates, which can result in less smooth visuals, although the resolution and panel type also contribute to the overall experience.
Battery
8.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP 14" Laptop has 8.5 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP 14" Laptop has very good portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.4/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality, while the HP 14" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP 14" Laptop has a price of $418 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
The MSI Pulse GL66 and HP 14" Laptop are both good for content creation.
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
6.8/10
7.0/10
4.6/10
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to be good for software development, while the HP 14" Laptop 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.
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How the HP 14" Laptop and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"This feels like an ideal laptop for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a laptop and isn’t too bothered by things like build quality or construction. It’s a laptop that will be used to pay bills, keep track of expenses, do some online shopping, and will be tucked away in a spare bedroom/home office. It’s an appliance designed to do a job without fuss. It’s not a premium experience—the materials do feel a little cheap, the display won’t exactly wow you, and the battery life is nothing to write home about, especially if you’ve used more expensive devices. But overall it’s not too shabby, especially for the price."
"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 HP 14" Laptop or the MSI Pulse GL66
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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