The HP 15" Laptop is a budget-friendly option, suitable for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing. It is lighter and has a longer battery life, which makes it more portable. However, its performance in intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications is limited due to its processor, RAM, and integrated graphics. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17 is a high-end, more expensive laptop with a much more powerful processor, ample RAM, and a top-tier graphics card, making it excellent for gaming, 3D modeling, and advanced computing tasks. It has a larger, higher-quality display, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, reducing its portability. 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 portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.7/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the HP 15" Laptop is poor.
The MSI Stealth 17 offers superior gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its high-end Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card and a screen with a high refresh rate of 240Hz, compared to the HP 15" Laptop's much less powerful integrated Intel UHD graphics and a standard 60Hz screen. While the MSI's advanced GPU and faster refresh rate enhance visual fluidity and detail in games, the HP, with its basic GPU and lower screen refresh rate, is better suited for less demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
9.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 15" Laptop is limited by its lower-tier processor, less RAM, and a basic integrated graphics unit, making it fair for engineering and design tasks that are less demanding, whereas the MSI Stealth 17 stands out with its high-end processor, abundant RAM, and a powerful dedicated graphics card, suited for the most intensive engineering applications and design work. While the MSI has superior screen quality, the tradeoff comes in the form of reduced portability due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
6.9/10
8.8/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very 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
8.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very 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
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 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, the HP's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness, but it doesn't excel, while the MSI Stealth 17 provides a sharper, brighter display enhancing overall visual quality. For engineering and design, the MSI outshines the HP in delivering wider color ranges, ensuring more accurate color representation which is crucial for professional design work. However, both laptops fall short for 3D and gaming, as they lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering, despite reasonable resolution and panel type.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP 15" Laptop has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The HP 15" Laptop has a price of $378 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"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 Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the HP 15" Laptop or the MSI Stealth 17
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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