The HP 15" Laptop is a budget-friendly option suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, and streaming, with moderate storage and battery life, plus it's lightweight for better portability. The MSI Stealth GS66 is a premium laptop with advanced performance capabilities due to its faster processor and high-end graphics card, making it ideal for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering software, and it features a high refresh rate display for smoother visuals. The MSI has a heftier build and will cost more, but offers a significant performance boost for demanding applications. If you prioritize power and are willing to invest, the MSI Stealth GS66 is the choice; but if you want to save money and need a laptop for basic use, the HP 15" will suffice. 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 Stealth GS66
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
7.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for general use, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The MSI Stealth GS66 outshines the HP 15" Laptop for general use as it has a superior CPU and double the RAM, ensuring a smoother and faster user experience, along with a higher-quality screen for better visual fidelity, although it is slightly less portable and has a shorter battery life. However, the HP offers a fair balance of portability and battery life, which may appeal to those prioritizing longer use away from power sources over top-tier performance and display quality.
Gaming and AI
5.9/10
7.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 15" Laptop is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
6.2/10
8.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 15" Laptop is only fair.
The MSI Stealth GS66 surpasses the HP 15" Laptop in CPU and GPU power, essential for demanding engineering and design tasks, offering a high-end processor and advanced graphics card, whereas the HP's processor and integrated graphics are less capable. Additionally, the MSI has a higher quality display and double the memory, which are crucial for productivity in design software, though its portability is slightly compromised due to a heavier build and slightly lower battery life compared to the HP.
Content Creation
6.9/10
7.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
7.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
8.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 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 laptop's screen is suitable for general use where resolution and brightness are enough to provide clear visuals, but it's not designed for the color accuracy needed in engineering and design tasks. On the other hand, the MSI's screen provides sharper details and accurate color representation important for professional design work, but both lack high refresh rates which are crucial for a smooth gaming experience and 3D rendering. Therefore, while the MSI excels in screen performance for design and casual use, neither machine is optimized for high-end gaming or 3D applications where screen responsiveness is key.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,718
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The HP 15" Laptop has a price of $378 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,718.
"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 GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the HP 15" Laptop or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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