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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Gram 17 stands out for its light weight and long battery life, making it ideal for users who value portability and do not require intensive graphical processing. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 boasts a powerful graphics card and a higher refresh rate screen, catered towards users who need strong performance for 3D applications, machine learning, gaming, or engineering tasks. However, the MSI laptop will be heavier and may have shorter battery life compared to the LG Gram 17. Both laptops offer strong general-use performance with similar processor capabilities. Choose the LG for portability or the MSI for high-performance 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 LG Gram 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
353.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The LG Gram 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The LG Gram 17 stands out for general use due to its larger screen with higher resolution, more RAM for smoother multitasking, and a much longer battery life, paired with its exceptional portability. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66, while offering solid general use capabilities with a powerful CPU and dedicated GPU suitable for gaming, is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.2
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
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 LG Gram 17 is only fair.
The LG Gram 17, with its Intel Iris Xe graphics, is suitable for light gaming and 3D tasks but may not handle intensive gaming as well as the MSI Pulse GL66, which has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card ideal for demanding gaming and 3D rendering. Additionally, the MSI Pulse GL66's higher screen refresh rate will provide a smoother visual experience during fast-paced gaming compared to the LG Gram 17's standard refresh rate.
Content Creation
8.4
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 17 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
8.2
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The LG Gram 17 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
7.4
6.8
17.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
353.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The LG Gram 17 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The LG Gram 17's screen offers high resolution, which enhances detail and clarity, making it suitable for general, engineering, and design use where such precision is appreciated, along with ample brightness which aids in visibility under various lighting conditions. However, its standard refresh rate limits its ability to smoothly display fast-moving images, thus being less ideal for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from higher refresh rates. The MSI Pulse GL66, while fair for general use and engineering with decent color representation, doesn't stand out in any specific area, including gaming, due to a lack of high refresh rate and superior color gamuts needed for more specialized tasks.
Battery
11.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The LG Gram 17 has 11 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
17.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The LG Gram 17 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the LG Gram 17 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,100
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The LG Gram 17 has a price of $2,100 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Gram 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The LG Gram 17 with its higher-resolution screen and more RAM is ideal for design tasks that require detailed visuals and complex multitasking, while its lower weight makes it more portable. Conversely, the MSI Pulse GL66, equipped with a more powerful GPU and a high refresh rate screen, suits engineering tasks that demand intensive graphics processing, but it is heavier and therefore less portable.
Build Quality
7.0
7.4
The MSI Pulse GL66 and LG Gram 17 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 LG Gram 17 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Gram 17 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,100 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.98 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.91" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.19" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 353 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 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 | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
LG Gram 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"The LG Gram 17 is a light office laptop with a large display and great battery life. The newest incarnation of the Gram 17 can be classified as a model update. LG uses the predecessor's compact, light magnesium case along with an identical port configuration (including 2x Thunderbolt 4) and keyboard. Changes can be found in the hardware. With the Gram 17 (2022), LG offers a light (approx. 1,350 g), mobile work device - and finally with a matte display."
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 LG Gram 17 or the MSI Pulse GL66
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, 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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