The HP EliteBook 845 G9 offers better battery life and portability, which is ideal for professionals often on the move and require a durable, business-oriented machine. It performs well for general use and its screen quality is suited for work with a decent color coverage. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, with its more powerful processor and higher-end graphics card, is tailored for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering software. This machine sacrifices battery life and is heavier, making it less portable than the HP, but it excels in performance for demanding tasks. If your priority is gaming or demanding graphic tasks, you will appreciate the MSI's capabilities; for business use and regular multitasking, the HP could be a better fit. 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 EliteBook 845 G9
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
Good for gaming and AI
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.2/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP EliteBook 845 G9 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.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.0/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the HP EliteBook 845 G9 is somewhat better.
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
7.1/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 likely offers superior visual clarity and color accuracy with its high-resolution display and broad color coverage, which benefits general use and detailed engineering work but falls short on the high refresh rates needed for smooth 3D gaming and animation. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, while providing decent resolution and panel quality for everyday tasks and professional design, may not adequately represent the full color spectrum required for precision work or offer the fastest refresh rates for gaming. Both laptops, due to their suboptimal gaming features, could lead to a less immersive experience when running graphics-intensive games or 3D simulations.
Battery
12.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has very good portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0/10
7.4/10
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has very good build quality, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$740
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 has a price of $740 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 is well suited for general use due to its combination of capable CPU, sufficient RAM for multitasking, high-quality IPS screen with good color coverage, light weight for portability, and long battery life for extended use without recharging. The MSI Pulse GL66, on the other hand, also offers a robust CPU and equivalent RAM, but it stands out with a higher refresh rate display suitable for smoother visuals, a dedicated GPU for graphics-intensive tasks, and effective heat management, although it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, which impacts portability. Both laptops are equipped with a solid-state drive, backlit keyboard, and quality speakers, but the EliteBook 845 G9 has a slight edge in portability and battery, while the GL66 leans more towards performance with some trade-off in battery life and weight.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.5/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 and HP EliteBook 845 G9 are both good for engineering and design.
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 is favored for engineering and design due to its premium business features and a high-quality IPS screen with excellent color coverage, making it suitable for precise design work, while the MSI Pulse GL66 offers a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU and higher refresh rate display, catering to both design and gaming requirements with robust graphics handling capabilities; however, the EliteBook may offer better portability and a quieter operating experience. Both laptops come equipped with solid CPU and RAM for multitasking and complex tasks, but you'll experience tradeoffs between the EliteBook's business orientation and the GL66's gaming-oriented features.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.2/10
6.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP EliteBook 845 G9 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for content creation.
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.
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How the HP EliteBook 845 G9 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"The high-end version of the HP EliteBook 845 G9 with a Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS, 32GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD packs a lot of power, but is still quiet and cool enough to operate in noise-sensitive environments. Quiet, cool and drawing on a massive 40 watts from the APU at the same time, however, is not possible. The 14-incher only has a single-fan solution and it only just manages to keep an near unthrottled Ryzen 9 in check."
"The MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the HP EliteBook 845 G9 or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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