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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is somewhat more expensive and has better performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering due to its superior GPU and newer processor. The larger display with a higher resolution and wider color coverage suits design and multimedia work, but it has shorter battery life and is heavier, reducing portability. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 is somewhat less expensive, lighter, and offers longer battery life, which is good for general use and moderate gaming. It still performs well but is not as equipped as the Legion for demanding tasks. 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 Legion Pro 5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4
7.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 stands out for gaming and 3D tasks largely because it has a Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165, which offers smoother visuals and potentially better graphic performance than the MSI Pulse GL66, which is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3070 and a lower refresh rate of 144. While both have quality IPS screens, the Legion Pro 5's higher resolution and refresh rate make it more suited to very demanding graphical tasks, despite its higher weight which affects portability compared to the lighter GL66.
Engineering and Design
8.5
7.5
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for engineering and design because it has a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, which together with high screen resolution and color accuracy, make it suitable for intensive tasks. The MSI Pulse GL66, while still capable for these tasks with a competent Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU, offers a lower screen resolution and less color coverage, but it is lighter and thus more portable.
Content Creation
7.8
7.2
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is somewhat better.
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
7.6
7.0
9.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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
8.0
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
340.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 offers a display with higher resolution and brightness which makes it ideal for general use and intricate tasks like engineering and design where clarity is paramount, and it likely has a wider color gamut supporting more accurate color representation. The MSI Pulse GL66, although also offering a fair display for general use and engineering, may not have the same level of brightness or color accuracy, making it less optimal than the Lenovo for these specific tasks. However, both laptops are not suited for gaming or 3D applications due to lower refresh rates which do not support the smooth visuals required for these activities.
Cost
$1,130
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a price of $1,130 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
340.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5, with its robust CPU and ample RAM, suits general use with efficient multitasking and crisp screen quality, though it's less portable and has a shorter battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 offers similar CPU and RAM advantages for smooth performance, better portability, and longer battery life, but may not match the Legion's display quality.
Battery
3.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to have good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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 Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 5 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,130 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.6 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.31" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.25" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX | 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 | 80 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 340 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.6/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 4 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion Pro 5
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | July 2023
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
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 Legion Pro 5 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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