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Updated January 12, 2024·
Choosing between the Lenovo V15 and the MSI Pulse GL66 revolves around your needs and budget considerations. The Lenovo V15 is more budget-friendly and offers ample performance for everyday tasks, making it a strong contender if you primarily use your laptop for activities like web browsing, document editing, and casual entertainment. On the other hand, if you're interested in more demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D modeling, or video editing, the MSI Pulse GL66 provides a significant performance boost with its powerful processor and graphics card, although it comes with a higher price tag. The trade-off for the MSI's better performance is not only cost but also reduced battery life and increased weight, which diminishes portability. Conversely, the Lenovo is lighter and may offer longer battery life, suited for those who are on the move and may not have regular access to power outlets. 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 V15
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.1
7.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo V15 is only fair.
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
6.3
7.5
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo V15 is only fair.
The Lenovo V15's AMD Ryzen CPU and integrated Vega graphics are sufficient for engineering and design, but the MSI Pulse GL66's superior Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU handle more demanding tasks better, with a higher quality IPS screen also contributing to a better visual experience. While the V15 offers more storage and a higher portability score, the GL66's advantages in processing and graphics, along with a very good quality keyboard and better heat management, make it more suited for intensive engineering and design work.
Screen Quality
5.4
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
231.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen than the Lenovo V15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Lenovo V15's display may disappoint due to its low resolution and dimness, which can make text and images less sharp and colors less vibrant during everyday tasks. For engineering and design, its lack of wide color gamut support means that colors might not be as accurate or consistent as professionals need. The MSI Pulse GL66, while slightly better for general use due to fair resolution and brightness, still falls short for gaming and 3D because it doesn't offer the high refresh rates required for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Lenovo V15 has 8 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Lenovo V15 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the Lenovo V15 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.7
7.4
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality, while the Lenovo V15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$579
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Lenovo V15 has a price of $579 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
231.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 and Lenovo V15 are both good for general use.
The Lenovo V15 is lauded for general use because of its combination of ample storage capacity, solid performance from its AMD Ryzen CPU and integrated graphics for everyday tasks, lightweight design contributing to its portability, and excellent battery life that can handle a typical day's use. Conversely, the MSI Pulse GL66 is similarly commended as it also features competent performance facets owing to its higher-tier Intel CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU, enabling more demanding tasks while offering a superior display quality, but with the tradeoff of a bulkier frame and a shorter battery lifespan.
Content Creation
7.3
7.2
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo V15 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
7.1
7.0
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo V15 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.
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How the Lenovo V15 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Lenovo V15 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$579 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.3'' x 0.78'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.75 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.1" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.3" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 1 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 38 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 231 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.7/10 | 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 | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 4.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 480p | 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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Lenovo V15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | April 2022
"The strengths of the Lenovo V15 G2 AMD lie in its expandability of the RAM and allowing you to use two SSDs, in its performance that goes beyond everyday applications thanks to AMD's hexa-core CPU and Vega-7 iGPU, in its good keyboard, and its relatively robust case. In addition, the battery life of the office laptop is also acceptable, and the device stays cool and relatively quiet."
MSI Pulse GL66
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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 V15 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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