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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its lower price, is more suitable for general use and offers better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, making it a good choice for on-the-go usage. It also has a touchscreen, which can be appealing for interactive tasks. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, while more expensive, provides superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, courtesy of its high-end graphics card and better screen refresh rate. It is also better equipped for engineering use due to its powerful processor and larger screen but comes at the cost of reduced battery life and heavier weight. 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
- Excellent portability
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0
7.2
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is equipped with an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, which offers modest performance for gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI Pulse GL66 includes a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, providing a more powerful and smoother gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
6.5
7.5
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is only fair.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its Intel i5 processor and integrated graphics, is less suited for demanding engineering and design tasks compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which boasts a higher-end Intel i7 processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics card for better performance in computationally intensive applications.
Screen Quality
6.9
6.8
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
401.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, with its higher resolution and brighter display, offers a clearer and more vibrant experience for both general usage and detailed engineering tasks, which benefits from accurate color representation. However, it doesn't have a high refresh rate which is crucial for 3D applications and gaming, leading to less fluid motion. The MSI Pulse GL66, while offering fair resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and some design work, also lacks the high refresh rate, making it less ideal for gaming and 3D work where smooth visuals are key.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
Excellent
Good
12.4in
SIZE
15.6in
2.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has excellent portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$774
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 has a price of $774 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.0
7.3
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
401.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
245.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 are both good for general use.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is designed to be more portable with its smaller screen and lower weight but has lesser RAM and a less powerful CPU than the MSI Pulse GL66, influencing its fair rating for general use. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66, despite being heavier and having a shorter battery life, is equipped with a more powerful CPU, more RAM, and a larger screen with higher resolution, leading to its good rating for general use.
Content Creation
7.1
7.2
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Pulse GL66 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.0
7.0
4.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1536 x 1024
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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
7.8
7.4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 | MSI Pulse GL66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$774 | $1,399 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 11'' x 8.1'' x 0.62'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.48 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 10.95" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.12" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1135G7 | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 53 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 12.4" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1536 x 1024 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 401 nits | 245 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 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
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | August 2022
"The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 review is a compact companion with old hardware. The Surface Laptop Go 2 shows some weaknesses. Microsoft didn't really develop the second generation of the Surface Laptop Go 2 any further but has only equipped it with a slightly more powerful Core i5 processor. However, the performance still remains at a fairly low level overall, but for many users, it definitely should still be sufficient for everyday tasks."
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 Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 or the MSI Pulse GL66
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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