For general use, the HP 17" Laptop is more affordable and offers decent performance with a larger screen, which is great for productivity and media consumption. However, the MSI Raider GE66, while more expensive, delivers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, gaming, and other intensive tasks due to its high-end processor and graphics card. The MSI also features a higher resolution and more color-accurate display, but with a smaller screen size, and offers a longer battery life despite its more powerful hardware. The HP is lighter, making it more portable, but if you need top-tier performance and can handle a bit more weight, 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 17" Laptop
Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
8.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
287.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the HP 17" Laptop is good.
The MSI Raider GE66 outshines the HP 17" Laptop in general use due to its superior processing power from a higher-tier CPU, double the RAM, and more advanced GPU, which translates into better performance for a diverse set of tasks. Additionally, the MSI boasts a higher-resolution and higher-refresh-rate screen, contributing to crisper visuals, though with a slight trade-off in battery life and portability due to its substantial hardware.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
8.5/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop's gaming and 3D capabilities are limited by its integrated AMD GPU and standard screen refresh rate, whereas the MSI Raider GE66 excels in these areas with its powerful Nvidia dedicated GPU and a much higher refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and better performance for demanding games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
6.8/10
8.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop is geared more towards general-use engineering and design with its competent AMD CPU and integrated graphics, larger screen, and good portability due to lighter weight, making it more suitable for less intensive applications and easier to carry around. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE66 provides superior performance for demanding engineering tasks with a higher-end Intel CPU, dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics, a higher resolution screen, and a higher screen refresh rate, but it is heavier and less portable, making it better suited for intensive design work where power takes precedence over mobility.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.3/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for content creation, while the HP 17" Laptop is good.
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
7.1/10
8.0/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for software development, while the HP 17" Laptop is good.
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
6.6/10
8.4/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP 17" Laptop's average resolution and brightness may suffice for everyday tasks like browsing and word processing, making it adequate for general use, but its limited color range might not render the precision needed for engineering and design work. The MSI Raider GE66, with its high-resolution and bright display, enhances both general use and the intricacies required in design, offering richer colors that are crucial for professional editing and CAD work. However, both laptops may disappoint gamers and 3D designers due to their lower refresh rates, which are essential for smooth visuals and rendering fast-paced action.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 has very good build quality, while the HP 17" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$850
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 has 6 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP 17" Laptop to have good portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP 17" Laptop and the MSI Raider GE66 compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the HP 17" Laptop or the MSI Raider GE66
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,795
Recommendations made
21,623
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.