If you're seeking value for everyday tasks like web browsing and office applications, the HP 250 G10 could serve you well and save you money. However, if you need high performance for activities like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI GP66 Leopard justifies its higher price with much stronger capabilities, though it will be heavier and may have shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. Choose the HP for budget-friendly, basic needs and the MSI if you require power for specialized tasks and don't mind the trade-off in portability and cost. 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 250 G10
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.3/10
7.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for general use, while the HP 250 G10 is only fair.
The HP 250 G10 is equipped with a basic CPU and UHD graphics, making it adequate for everyday tasks, but its TN screen and low resolution may not provide the best viewing experience, although it excels in portability with a longer battery life and lighter weight.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
7.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the HP 250 G10 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
5.8/10
7.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for engineering and design, while the HP 250 G10 is poor.
The HP 250 G10 is equipped with a basic Intel N200 processor and Intel UHD Graphics, which may struggle with the demands of engineering and design software, and its lower-quality TN screen won't display colors as accurately as needed for design work.
Content Creation
6.2/10
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for content creation, while the HP 250 G10 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
6.4/10
7.2/10
3.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for software development, while the HP 250 G10 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
5.3/10
7.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the HP 250 G10 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP 250 G10's screen may not provide the crispness and brightness desired for everyday tasks, with lower resolution affecting text clarity and image detail, leaving it lackluster for both productivity and entertainment. Its subpar coverage of color gamuts makes it less ideal for engineering and design, where precise color representation is critical. The MSI GP66 Leopard, although offering a high-quality display for daily use and professional creative work with better color accuracy, falls short for 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate that can't deliver the smooth visuals preferred in fast-paced gaming or real-time rendering.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP 250 G10 has good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the HP 250 G10 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$349
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP 250 G10 has a price of $349 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
"The HP 250 G10 is a decent budget device that surprises us with its high CPU frequencies under load. Still, our configuration has a Core i5-1335U which doesn’t require significant cooling, if choose a 28W P-series processor, maybe the situation with the clocks could be different. If you want to play some casual game after work, a memory in dual-channel is a must because it increases greatly the iGPU performance."
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the HP 250 G10 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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
100,095
Recommendations made
21,688
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.