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Updated January 12, 2024·
For those watching their budget and who need a laptop for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing or streaming, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is a good choice, as it costs significantly less while providing adequate performance for general use. However, if you need higher performance for intensive tasks such as 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Pulse GL66 is better equipped with a powerful processor and high-end graphics card, but it is considerably more expensive. The MSI also has a higher quality display, both in terms of resolution and color accuracy, making it suitable for tasks where visual detail is important. Additionally, while the Lenovo offers longer battery life, the MSI has a more robust cooling system which can be important for long periods of intense usage. In terms of portability, both have similar screen sizes, but the MSI is slightly heavier and thicker due to its more powerful components. 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 3 15"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the MSI Pulse GL66.
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.2
7.3
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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.
Gaming and AI
5.8
7.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1366 x 768
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 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" with its Intel UHD Xe G4 graphics and lower screen refresh rate is not suited for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the MSI Pulse GL66 is equipped with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for such demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
5.8
7.5
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a basic i3 processor, integrated graphics, and a lower-quality TN screen, making it less suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 offers a high-performance i7 processor, a powerful dedicated RTX GPU, and a sharper IPS display, which are better for such intensive workloads despite being less portable and louder under load.
Content Creation
6.3
7.2
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" 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
6.3
7.0
4.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" 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
5.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3's screen might not provide the sharpness and clarity you'd prefer for everyday tasks due to its lower resolution and brightness, which can result in a less vibrant display. When considering engineering and design work, the screen's limited color coverage may not accurately represent a wide spectrum of colors, which is vital for precise visual work. Although the MSI Pulse GL66 offers a somewhat better display for daily use and professional tasks, its lower refresh rate could hinder the smoothness needed in fast-paced gaming or when working with motion graphics and 3D modeling.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
7.4
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$360
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a price of $360 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$360 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.75 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.26" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.98" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-1115G4 | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 35 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 9.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | February 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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.
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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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