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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HP Omen 17 offers a larger screen, higher screen resolution, greater storage capacity, and a more powerful graphics card, making it better suited for intensive gaming and demanding engineering applications, but it's heavier and larger, reducing portability. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 is lighter and more compact, enhancing portability, but has a smaller screen, lower resolution, less storage, and a less powerful graphics card which still handles most tasks well but might struggle with more demanding applications. 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 Omen 17
- Very good for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.3
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Omen 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use, though the HP Omen 17 is somewhat better.
The HP Omen 17 offers a larger and higher resolution screen, more powerful CPU and GPU, and greater storage, which makes it suitable for more demanding tasks, but it is less portable and has a lower battery life compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which is lighter, more compact, and offers better battery life, making it more suitable for on-the-go use despite less impressive performance and storage capacity.
Gaming and AI
9.0
7.2
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The HP Omen 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The HP Omen 17 stands out in gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful graphics card, the Nvidia RTX 4080, alongside a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, compared to the MSI Pulse GL66 which houses the Nvidia RTX 3070 with a 144Hz screen. While both have quality IPS displays, the Omen's larger screen and higher resolution enhance visual experience, making it very good for such tasks, even though the Pulse GL66 is also capable but not to the same extent due to its slightly lower specs in these key areas.
Engineering and Design
8.8
7.5
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The HP Omen 17 offers a more advanced CPU and GPU, greater resolution, and a larger screen, making it very suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks where visual clarity and rendering power are crucial. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 is lighter and somewhat more portable, with a respectable CPU and GPU, but its screen quality and resolution are lower, making it suitable but less optimal for detailed engineering and design work compared to the HP Omen 17.
Content Creation
8.0
7.2
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Omen 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
7.7
7.0
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Omen 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the HP Omen 17 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
7.9
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The HP Omen 17 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The HP Omen 17 delivers vibrant and sharp visuals suitable for general use due to its higher resolution and brightness, which offer clear and vivid images for daily tasks and media consumption. For engineering and design applications, its wider color gamuts ensure accurate color representation, a crucial factor for professionals who require precision in color-critical work. However, for gaming and 3D tasks where motion clarity and fluidity is key, its lower refresh rate can result in less smooth gameplay compared to displays with higher refresh rates, making it less ideal for fast-paced, graphics-heavy activities.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the HP Omen 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,099
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The HP Omen 17 has a price of $2,099 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
Battery
3.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP Omen 17 has 3.5 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The HP Omen 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the HP Omen 17 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Omen 17 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,099 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.3'' x 1.06'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.17 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.64" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.32" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700HX | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 83 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
HP Omen 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marc Herter | September 2022
"The HP Omen 17 (2022) gaming laptop has a stylish case and hardware with lots of potential. The HP Omen 17 is a fairly unobtrusive gaming laptop. A material combination of plastic and metal gives the case a high stability and a quality surface feel. The unspectacular design is pleasing and is hardly indicative of the laptop's high performance potential. The Intel Core i7-12700H in particular is able to perform well once again. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is also strong in the gaming notebook. Demanding games run smoothly in Full HD resolution. The HP Omen 17 is a good gaming laptop that delivers partly excellent performance. But even at this performance level, cheaper alternatives are available."
MSI Pulse GL66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"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 Omen 17 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.
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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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