If you're prioritizing budget and newer technology, the Lenovo Legion 5 15" may suit you since it's often less expensive and comes with a more recent graphics card. However, the MSI Pulse GL66, although slightly more expensive, features an Intel processor which some may prefer for specific tasks. You should also consider differences in weight and battery life, where the Lenovo tends to be heavier but may have a longer battery life. It's essential to select a laptop that aligns with your demands for performance, budget, and features such as display quality, processing power, and brand loyalty to either AMD or Intel-based systems. 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 5 15"
Very good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
Good portability
Very good speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
7.2/10
9.5/10
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
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo Legion 5 15" is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" with its Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz is great for gaming and 3D applications, offering fluid visuals and capable graphics performance. Meanwhile, the MSI Pulse GL66 also provides a solid gaming and 3D experience with its Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, but has a slightly lower refresh rate at 144Hz, leading to marginally less smooth imagery compared to the Lenovo.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.5/10
8.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" stands out for engineering and design due to its higher-resolution screen and more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU when compared to MSI Pulse GL66's lower-resolution screen and Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, which contributes to better visual clarity and rendering capabilities. While both laptops are equipped with ample RAM and capable CPUs for such tasks, the Lenovo's slight edge in these core specifications, paired with a superior screen, enhances its suitability for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
6.8/10
15.6in
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 Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a vibrant and sharp display for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, the Lenovo Legion 5 could be a better choice because it has a brighter screen and higher resolution compared to the MSI Pulse GL66. However, for engineering and design work where accurate colors are crucial, the Lenovo Legion 5 might still lead due to a wider color gamut coverage, even though both laptops don't excel in this aspect. On the other hand, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smooth motion, neither laptop is ideal as they both have lower refresh rates, which can hinder the gaming experience.
Cost
$999
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a price of $999 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is equipped with a newer CPU, better GPU, and a higher resolution display which enhances screen quality, making it a robust choice for various tasks, while the MSI Pulse GL66 offers similar amounts of RAM and storage but may have slightly less battery life and a lower screen resolution which is still sufficient for general use. Both laptops offer ample port space and solid build, but the Legion's newer hardware gives it an edge in performance, while the GL66's lighter weight adds a slight advantage in portability.
Content Creation
7.4/10
7.2/10
8.0/10
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 Lenovo Legion 5 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
8.0/10
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 Lenovo Legion 5 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.
Battery
4.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 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
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.3 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 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Lenovo Legion 5 15" and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
"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 5 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
131,595
Recommendations made
28,513
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.