The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is geared towards professional and engineering needs, with higher-resolution screen, more extensive color coverage, and a premium build that suits business environments. Its larger battery suggests longer usage without charging, but it's heavier, making it less portable. The MSI Pulse GL66, on the other hand, appeals to those seeking balance between work and gaming with a higher refresh rate screen, RGB keyboard, and high-performance graphics card. Despite lower battery life, it's lighter, favors gaming, and has a more gaming-centric design, but its display isn't as optimized for color-sensitive tasks. Consider the P16 for demanding work tasks requiring detailed visuals and the GL66 for a more versatile machine that can handle gaming and general use comfortably. 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 ThinkPad P16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
Good for gaming and AI
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
7.3/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
569.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
7.5/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 excels in engineering and design due to its powerful CPU, sizable RAM, specialized GPU, and premium screen quality, coupled with a large high-resolution display that appeals to professionals needing detailed visuals for complex tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, while offering a solid CPU and ample RAM for engineering tasks, comes with a more gaming-oriented GPU and a lower resolution screen, and although it's more portable and has a better gaming look, it doesn't match the ThinkPad P16's performance in professional design work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.2/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
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
8.4/10
7.0/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is very good for software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
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
8.2/10
6.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
569.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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 clear and sharp display with vibrant colors for everyday tasks and professional design work, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 offers superior screen resolution and brightness, along with a wider color gamut, ensuring precise color replication. The MSI Pulse GL66 provides an adequate display for general and design purposes, but it might not offer the same level of detail and color accuracy. Neither laptop is ideal for gaming and 3D modeling, as their screens lack the high refresh rate desired for smooth and responsive visuals in these applications.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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
Poor
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
6.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.2in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is only fair.
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 sports an Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU and a screen with a 60 Hz refresh rate, making it well-suited for 3D tasks, whereas the MSI Pulse GL66 features a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a 144 Hz refresh rate display, offering superior performance and smoother visuals in gaming. The ThinkPad P16 has advantages in CPU performance and screen resolution, indicative of its prowess in engineering applications, while the MSI GL66 prioritizes graphical power and fast screen response over display fidelity.
Cost
$1,449
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a price of $1,449 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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How the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
"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 ThinkPad P16 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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