If you're looking for a more cost-effective laptop, the HP Envy 17 is significantly less expensive than the MSI GP66 Leopard and offers a larger screen and a longer battery life for general use. However, if you need a laptop for more demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI, with its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card, will deliver better performance, although this comes with a higher price and a slightly shorter battery life. 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 Envy 17
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
7.8/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Envy 17 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
7.4/10
7.9/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and HP Envy 17 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI GP66 Leopard is somewhat better.
The HP Envy 17 suits engineering and design due to its high-resolution IPS display and capable Intel CPU with integrated graphics, balanced for multi-threaded applications and presentations. The MSI GP66 Leopard, with its powerful Nvidia GPU and high-refresh rate screen, is designed for engineering tasks that require graphic-intensive software and fast renderings, alongside a sturdy build and efficient cooling system. Both laptops come with ample RAM for multitasking, but consider the Envy for regular portability and the GP66 Leopard for its superior gaming-grade components, including a more responsive keyboard and better heat management, albeit with more operational noise.
Screen Quality
6.8/10
7.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
329.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The HP Envy 17 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The HP Envy 17 has a high-resolution display and good brightness, making it suitable for tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video playback which are common in general use. Its color gamut coverage ensures accurate color representation for professionals in engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for fast-paced 3D applications and gaming. Similarly, the MSI GP66 Leopard provides crisp visuals for everyday tasks and adequate color fidelity for creative work, but gamers and 3D designers may find its refresh rate lacking for smooth motion and responsiveness.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The HP Envy 17 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the HP Envy 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Envy 17 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The HP Envy 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.4/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Envy 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Software Development
7.5/10
7.2/10
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Envy 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.4 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Envy 17 to have good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the HP Envy 17 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."
"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 Envy 17 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.
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