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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Lenovo Legion 7 offers a larger, higher resolution display with a faster refresh rate which is better for gaming and detailed engineering work, but it's heavier and has shorter battery life compared to the MSI Pulse GL66. The Legion also has more USB-C ports, potentially benefiting users needing to connect multiple peripherals. Both have the same processor and graphics card, providing similar performance in general use, 3D and machine learning, and engineering tasks. The MSI is more portable, due to its lighter weight and slightly smaller screen. Your choice should hinge on whether portability or screen size and quality is more important for your needs. 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 7
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- The MSI Pulse GL66 has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Legion 7.
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
469.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo Legion 7 is appreciated for general use due to its higher screen resolution and brightness, providing better visual quality, alongside ample storage and a robust CPU and RAM setup that can handle multitasking efficiently. The MSI Pulse GL66, while lighter and thus more portable, has a slightly lower quality display and lesser built-in storage, but matches the Legion in CPU and RAM, making it also suitable for various tasks. Both laptops offer good keyboards and heat management, with the Legion 7 offering slightly longer battery life, impacting their general usability favorably.
Gaming and AI
7.8
7.2
8.4/10
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 7 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Lenovo Legion 7 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Lenovo Legion 7 excels in engineering and design with a higher-resolution screen and significantly brighter display, which enhances visual clarity, alongside more storage capacity out of the box compared to the MSI Pulse GL66. While both laptops have capable CPUs and GPUs, the Legion 7's larger and higher quality screen and additional storage make it very good for these tasks, yet it is heavier and thicker, impacting portability when compared to the GL66.
Content Creation
7.9
7.2
7.4/10
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 7 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for content creation, though the Lenovo Legion 7 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
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 7 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo Legion 7 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
8.3
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
469.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 7 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 display for tasks like web browsing, movie watching, or document editing, the Lenovo Legion 7's higher resolution and brighter screen offer a more pleasing experience compared to the MSI Pulse GL66. For engineering and design work that demands accurate color representation, the Legion 7 again stands out with better coverage of professional color spaces, ensuring that designs and photos are displayed with greater fidelity. However, for gaming or working with 3D applications where fluid motion is crucial, neither laptop excels due to lower refresh rates, although the MSI Pulse GL66's fair screen attributes are balanced enough for casual gaming or entry-level 3D work.
Battery
6.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo Legion 7 has 6.5 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
8.5
7.4
The Lenovo Legion 7 has very good build quality, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo Legion 7 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Pulse GL66 and Lenovo Legion 7 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Lenovo Legion 7 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo Legion 7 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10.3'' x 0.86'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.5 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.01" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.27" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5800H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 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 | 469 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 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 | 9/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo Legion 7
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2022
"The Lenovo Legion 7 is a fast 16-inch gamer with 165 Hz display. The new Lenovo Legion 7 is a very good gaming notebook that, despite its comparatively compact compact 16-inch case, does not have to do without the most powerful components. Thanks to good cooling, no compromises are made in terms of performance. Both the Core i9-12900HX and the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti perform at a very high level."
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 7 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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