The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a lower midrange price and is generally less expensive than the MSI Pulse GL66. It provides a balance of performance and value with ample storage and memory, suitable for typical use and multitasking. Its battery life is adequate for general use without frequent recharging. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, while pricier, delivers superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its high-end graphics card and more powerful processor. It also has a higher-quality build and better heat management, but with the tradeoff of shorter battery life and increased weight, making it less portable. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
7.2/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has an integrated AMD Vega GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60Hz, which are adequate for casual gaming but may fall short for demanding 3D applications and fast-paced games; the MSI Pulse GL66, on the other hand, features the more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 along with a higher 144Hz refresh rate, culminating in enhanced gaming performance and smoother visuals suited to more intensive gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
7.5/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a mid-range CPU and integrated graphics, making it adequate for some engineering and design tasks but lacking the power for intensive workloads, while its screen quality fares well with good color and brightness. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 boasts a higher-end CPU and a powerful dedicated GPU, offering superior performance necessary for demanding engineering applications, though this comes with a tradeoff in increased weight and slightly lower screen brightness.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 and the MSI Pulse GL66 have screens that offer adequate resolution and brightness, but without top-tier panel technology, the visual experience won't be as vibrant or crisp as premium models. Engineering and design professionals may find the color reproduction on these screens acceptable, but they lack the wide color gamuts essential for the most accurate color work. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the lower refresh rates of these laptops mean less fluid motion and potentially more screen tearing, which can compromise the immersive experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.0/10
7.4/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$741
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has a price of $741 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Pulse GL66 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
7.4/10
7.2/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Software Development
7.3/10
7.0/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
12.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and MSI Pulse GL66 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.
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How the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" or the MSI Pulse GL66
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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