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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI Pulse GL66 offers better performance for intensive gaming and engineering tasks due to its powerful graphics card, making it suitable for demanding 3D modeling and gaming. It tends to be a bit more expensive and less portable, with shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 excels in general use and professional environments with its higher quality display and longer battery life, while also being more portable and slightly less expensive. It, however, might not handle intensive gaming or engineering tasks as well as the GL66 due to its integrated graphics. Choose the GL66 for performance-demanding tasks or the Prestige 16 for better portability, battery life, and for general professional use. 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 MSI Pulse GL66
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16
- 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
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
245.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16, with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, a higher resolution and brighter screen, and longer battery life, is better equipped for general use than the MSI Pulse GL66, which, although suitable, has a lower-end CPU, half the RAM, a less vibrant screen, and shorter battery life. However, the MSI Pulse GL66's dedicated graphics make it more suitable for gaming and other graphic-intensive tasks, even as its bulkier and heavier construction makes it less portable than the sleeker MSI Prestige 16.
Gaming and AI
7.2
6.7
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 is only fair.
The MSI Pulse GL66 is preferable for gaming and 3D applications because it has a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 144Hz, ensuring smooth visuals in action-packed scenes. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 16, although newer and with a higher screen resolution, uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which may not provide the same level of gaming performance or frame rates as the dedicated GPU in the GL66.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a robust CPU, RAM, and GPU capabilities, along with a high-quality screen, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks; however, the MSI Prestige 16 takes it a step further with very high-end CPU, RAM, GPU performance, and superior screen quality, positioning it better for demanding engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
7.2
8.3
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 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
7.0
8.1
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 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
6.8
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
245.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI Pulse GL66's screen may not offer the vibrant colors and sharpness desired for tasks like engineering and design due to its limited color gamut, and its slower refresh rate can detract from high-speed gaming, where fluid motion is key. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 delivers a much higher resolution and color accuracy, providing vivid imagery crucial for professional design workflows, but its lower refresh rate could diminish the smoothness in gaming and 3D applications. For users with everyday computing needs, both have adequate brightness and resolution, but the Prestige's superior display offers a more pleasant viewing experience.
Battery
4.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 16 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good portability, though the MSI Prestige 16 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,399
$1,611
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a price of $1,399 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The MSI Pulse GL66 and MSI Prestige 16 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 MSI Pulse GL66 and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 | MSI Prestige 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,399 | $1,611 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 4.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 245 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
MSI Prestige 16
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Make Use Of
Paul Antill | June 2023
"The MSI Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the MSI Pulse GL66 or the MSI Prestige 16
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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