The HP 15" Laptop is more budget-friendly and lighter, making it easy to carry, with longer battery life suitable for general use like internet browsing and office applications. However, the MSI Pulse GL66, while more expensive and heavier, offers greater performance due to its superior processor and graphics card, making it ideal for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. The MSI also has a higher screen refresh rate which is beneficial for fast-paced visual content. If portability and cost are your main concerns, opt for the HP, but if performance and gaming are priorities, the MSI is the better choice. 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 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
6.7/10
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
6.0/10
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 HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop has a less powerful CPU and less RAM than the MSI Pulse GL66, which can affect multitasking and overall performance for demanding applications. Additionally, while both laptops have similar screen sizes and IPS displays for viewing quality, the MSI offers better graphics capabilities, more storage, and superior build and keyboard quality, making it more suited for intensive tasks despite being less portable and having a shorter battery life than the HP.
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
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 15" Laptop is poor.
The HP 15" Laptop comes with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics, which is less powerful compared to the MSI Pulse GL66's dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card, resulting in the latter providing better gaming and 3D performance. Additionally, the MSI Pulse GL66 has a higher screen refresh rate, which makes for smoother visuals in fast-paced games compared to the HP's standard refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
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 HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop has a lower-tier Intel i3 processor and integrated graphics which makes it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which is equipped with a high-performance Intel i7 processor and a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, providing better computation and graphics handling capabilities.
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 HP 15" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the HP and MSI laptops may not provide the most vibrant display or sharpest resolution, impacting how enjoyable it is to view content or read text. In engineering and design, their color gamut might fall short, meaning professionals may not see accurate representations of their work. For 3D purposes and gaming, the lack of high refresh rates on the HP and MSI can lead to less smooth visuals and potentially hinder the gaming experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP 15" Laptop 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 HP 15" Laptop and MSI Pulse GL66 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
7.4/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 has 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
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP 15" Laptop has a price of $378 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to be 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
7.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
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 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.
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How the HP 15" Laptop and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 15" 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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