The MSI Pulse GL66 is a more budget-friendly option, offering solid general use and gaming performance with a mid-range processor and graphics card. It's lighter, making it more portable, yet it has a smaller screen and lower battery capacity than the MSI Stealth GS77. Meanwhile, the Stealth GS77 commands a higher price but provides enhanced performance with a higher-end processor and graphics card, superior for intensive 3D, machine learning, and engineering tasks. It boasts a larger, higher-resolution display with better color accuracy, making it optimal for creative professionals despite being heavier and less convenient to carry around. Both have backlit keyboards and are gaming-capable, but if long battery life and a more compact design are important, consider the GL66; otherwise, for top-tier performance and a premium display, the GS77 is the way to go. 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 Stealth GS77
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
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
245.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS77 outperforms the MSI Pulse GL66 in general use primarily because it has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a higher quality screen with better resolution and color accuracy, all contributing to smoother multitasking and better viewing experience. However, the Pulse GL66 is lighter with better portability, but it falls short of the Stealth GS77 in terms of battery life, which is crucial for longer usage away from a power source.
Gaming and AI
7.2/10
7.9/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Stealth GS77 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS77 excels in engineering and design use due to its higher RAM capacity, more powerful GPU, and superior screen quality, which includes a higher resolution and greater coverage of color spaces, enhancing visual detail and accuracy. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66, while competent with substantial RAM and a capable GPU, has a lower-resolution screen and less color space coverage, making it less ideal for the most demanding tasks despite being lighter and somewhat more portable.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
7.0/10
8.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
6.8/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
245.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 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 offers a balance between resolution and brightness suitable for everyday tasks and engineering work but falls short for gaming due to a lower refresh rate. The MSI Stealth GS77, with its higher resolution and brightness, provides a crisp and vivid display for both daily use and professional design needs, along with a wide color gamut ensuring accuracy for creative work. However, like the GL66, the Stealth GS77 does not cater to the high refresh rate preferences of gamers and 3D designers, potentially leading to less fluid motion on-screen.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
$2,499
$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 Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
"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."
"The MSI Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the MSI Pulse GL66 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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.
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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