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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 13, being lighter and with a higher portability score, suits someone who prioritizes mobility and a better battery life for everyday tasks. It's less expensive, but with moderate performance in graphics and processor power, it's suited for general use rather than intensive tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, with a powerful GPU like the Nvidia RTX 3070 and a robust processor, excels at demanding applications such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. However, it is heavier and has a lower battery life, making it less portable and more expensive. If your main focus is on gaming or engineering software, the MSI would serve you better despite being less travel-friendly. 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 Ultra 13
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- 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
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The MSI Pulse GL66 is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks than the LG Ultra 13 because it has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which delivers smoother visuals and can handle more graphically demanding games. In contrast, the LG Ultra 13, with its integrated AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Vega 7 graphics and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, offers a fair experience, focused more on general use and less intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.6
7.5
4.7/10
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 LG Ultra 13 is only fair.
The MSI Pulse GL66 outperforms the LG Ultra 13 for engineering and design use primarily because it has a more powerful Intel CPU and a dedicated Nvidia GPU, which are crucial for intensive tasks like 3D modeling and simulations, whereas the LG has an AMD CPU with integrated graphics, which is less suited for such demanding work. Additionally, the MSI features a larger screen but is less portable and heavier than the LG, which while more mobile with a smaller screen, compromises on the sheer performance needed for engineering applications.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The LG Ultra 13 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the LG Ultra 13's screen has higher resolution and brightness, making text and images clearer and more vibrant compared to the MSI Pulse GL66. In engineering and design, the LG Ultra 13 offers better color accuracy due to its wider color gamuts, which is crucial for tasks requiring color precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the LG's lower refresh rate results in less smooth motion rendering than what a gaming-specialized laptop, with a high-refresh-rate screen, would provide.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The LG Ultra 13 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
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The LG Ultra 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$529
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The LG Ultra 13 has a price of $529 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.2
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 and LG Ultra 13 are both good for general use.
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.
Content Creation
7.2
7.2
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Ultra 13 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
7.2
7.0
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The LG Ultra 13 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The LG Ultra 13 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.
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How the LG Ultra 13 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 13 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$529 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.1'' x 0.6'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.16 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.08" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.14" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | 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
LG Ultra 13
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | April 2017
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
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 Ultra 13 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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