If performance is your top priority, especially for 3D rendering, machine learning, or intensive gaming, you will find the MSI Stealth GS66 excels, offering robust specs including a high-powered Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, making it well-suited for demanding applications. However, its premium price reflects this high performance. In contrast, the HP 17" Laptop is significantly more affordable, but with lower performance capabilities. It sports a larger screen, which is beneficial for multitasking and general productivity, but it has an integrated AMD graphics, less suited for gaming or intensive graphical tasks. Both have similar battery life but the HP is slightly lighter, improving portability. The MSI Stealth GS66 has a higher quality keyboard, and its display is better for fast motion, making it a better fit if you're also considering screen quality and typing experience. 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
The HP 17" Laptop has no clear advantages over the MSI Stealth GS66.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
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
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
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
6.8/10
8.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS66 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP 17" Laptop is only fair.
The MSI Stealth GS66 edges ahead of the HP 17" Laptop for engineering and design use thanks to its more powerful Intel processor and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, offering superior performance for demanding tasks; meanwhile, the HP 17" with its AMD Ryzen processor and integrated graphics holds its own but is better suited for less intensive tasks and offers a larger screen which might benefit design work but at the expense of portability and top-end performance. While both have equal RAM, the MSI Stealth also has a higher refresh rate and better color coverage making it more suitable for detailed graphics work; moreover, the MSI Stealth provides added features such as a backlit keyboard, multiple USB-C ports including Thunderbolt, and superior build quality which may justify its less portability compared to the slightly lighter and thinner HP 17".
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth GS66 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.6/10
8.1/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the HP 17" Laptop for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the HP's larger screen offers ample workspace but its average resolution and brightness may not be as crisp and vibrant as the MSI Stealth GS66, which offers a smaller but higher resolution display with better brightness, resulting in a clearer and more comfortable viewing experience. When it comes to engineering and design, the MSI excels because of its superior color accuracy and range, rendering images and projects with a fidelity crucial for precise work, while the HP may fall short for professional color work despite its functional display. As for 3D applications and gaming, the MSI's disadvantage lies in its lower refresh rate which impacts the smoothness of fast-moving visuals and can be a drawback for high-speed gaming, even though its resolution and panel type are satisfactory; the HP is less suitable due to its lower performance in these key areas.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,718
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,718.
The MSI Stealth GS66 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for general use.
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.
Software Development
7.1/10
7.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 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 and HP 17" Laptop are both good for software development.
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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 has 5.5 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
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 and HP 17" Laptop both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the HP 17" Laptop and the MSI Stealth GS66 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 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 17" 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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