If you prioritize a budget-friendly option with decent performance for everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing, the HP 15" Laptop with its lower price point could be the right choice, although it has less storage, a less powerful processor, and graphics than the higher-end MSI Creator Z16P. On the other hand, if your work involves intensive 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering software, the MSI Creator Z16P with its superior performance capabilities and features like a higher resolution and touch-enabled display, as well as a more powerful processor and dedicated graphics card, is likely to be more suitable despite its higher cost and heavier build which impacts portability. Both laptops run Windows and offer similar screen sizes, but the MSI provides a better battery capacity and premium features tailored for creative professionals. 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 15" Laptop
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.7/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for general use, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop with an Intel i3 processor and 8 GB of RAM is suitable for everyday tasks, but its lower screen brightness and color coverage make it fair for general use; whereas the MSI Creator Z16P, with a more powerful i9 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a high-resolution, color-accurate touch display, offers a smoother and richer experience, justifying its good rating for general use, though it is less portable and has slightly shorter battery life. The HP prioritizes portability and battery life over performance and screen quality, while the MSI offers top-tier performance and screen quality at the expense of portability and battery longevity.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
7.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 15" Laptop is poor.
The HP 15" Laptop has an integrated Intel UHD Graphics card and a standard screen refresh rate typical for general use laptops, while the MSI Creator Z16P boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, which significantly enhance gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
8.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop has a basic processor and graphics unit, suitable for light engineering tasks, while the MSI Creator Z16P comes with a high-end CPU and powerful dedicated graphics card, catering to more intensive engineering and design work. Additionally, the MSI Creator Z16P sports a higher resolution and color-accurate display, which is crucial for design accuracy, but it is heavier and less portable than the more compact HP 15" Laptop.
Content Creation
6.9/10
7.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for content creation, while the HP 15" Laptop 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
6.7/10
7.6/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for software development, while the HP 15" 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.
Screen Quality
6.3/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the HP 15" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP 15" Laptop likely has a decent resolution and brightness for everyday tasks but lacks the color accuracy necessary for professional engineering and design work. The MSI Creator Z16P boasts high-resolution, bright displays with extensive color coverage, catering well to engineers and creatives needing precision in their visuals. However, both laptops apparently fall short for 3D applications and gaming due to the refresh rate not being high enough for the smooth visuals those activities typically require.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP 15" Laptop and MSI Creator Z16P both have good portability, though the HP 15" Laptop has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the HP 15" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$378
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP 15" Laptop has a price of $378 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
"Chances are high that the HP 15 is one of the first laptops to pop up when you search for an inexpensive notebook. Indeed, its price tag is very tempting for many, and of course, this is the reason for its popularity. However, the HP 15" suffers from poor performance due to low power consumption. On the bright side, one of the good things about it is the port selection. On the inside, this includes two SODIMM slots for memory, an M.2 PCIe x4 slot for storage, and a SATA drive bay. However, the TN panel, and mediocre input devices are not ideal."
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the HP 15" Laptop or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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