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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI Pulse GL66 is a more budget-friendly option with decent performance for general use and gaming. It offers a more portable design and good battery life, making it suitable for those on the move. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78 is a high-end laptop that costs more but provides top-notch performance for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning tasks, and engineering work. It features a more powerful processor, superior graphics, and a larger, high-refresh-rate screen with better resolution, but is heavier and less portable. If portability and budget are key, go for the Pulse GL66; if performance is paramount and budget is less of a concern, the Raider GE78 is the superior choice. 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 portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
245.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for general use due to a solid CPU and ample RAM, as well as a high-quality screen, while maintaining relative portability and decent battery life. The MSI Raider GE78, on the other hand, offers very good general use performance with an even more powerful CPU, additional RAM, and a superior screen, at the expense of being less portable and having a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.2
9.5
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Pulse GL66, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, is well-suited for gaming and 3D applications; however, the MSI Raider GE78 surpasses it with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card and a higher refresh rate of 240Hz, delivering superior performance for the most demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5
9.4
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Pulse GL66 is a solid option for engineering and design with its i7 processor, RTX 3070 GPU, and a decent screen resolution, which all contribute to good performance in demanding tasks, albeit it is less advanced compared to the MSI Raider GE78. The Raider GE78, on the other hand, provides superior processing power with an i9 processor, a more robust RTX 4090 GPU, and a higher screen resolution for more detailed visuals, making it excellent for engineering and design work, but it is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
7.2
8.8
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.5
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
245.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 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 has a resolution sufficient for general tasks and engineering work but lacks the color range needed for professional design, and its lower refresh rate hinders smooth visuals vital for gaming and 3D applications. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78 boasts a higher-quality display with vivid colors and sharp resolution that benefits both everyday users and design professionals, yet falls short for gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that doesn't align with those high-paced visual demands. This is why the Raider GE78 is preferred for general and design purposes, while neither laptop is ideal for gaming or 3D modeling where refresh rates are crucial.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,399
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a price of $1,399 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the MSI Pulse GL66 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,399 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 245 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the MSI Pulse GL66 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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