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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The MSI Pulse GL66 is more portable and less expensive, with good general use and gaming capabilities, suitable if you prioritize mobility and cost-saving. In contrast, the MSI Vector GP76 offers better performance for engineering, 3D, and machine learning tasks because of its more powerful components, larger screen, and higher refresh rate, but it's less portable and pricier, suitable if you need top performance and larger visual real estate. Both have RGB backlit keyboards, hardware ray tracing support, and similar battery life, but the GP76 excels with a higher screen refresh rate and double the storage and RAM of the GL66. 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
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Vector GP76
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
7.3
8.0
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
245.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
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.
Gaming and AI
7.2
8.4
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Vector GP76, featuring a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 360, is especially suited for high-frame-rate gaming and demanding 3D tasks compared to the MSI Pulse GL66 with its Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and 144 refresh rate. While both laptops have high-quality IPS screens, the Vector GP76's improved GPU and screen capabilities offer a noticeable enhancement for graphically intensive applications.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Vector GP76 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Vector GP76 has a more advanced CPU, double the RAM, a superior version of the GPU, and a display with a higher screen refresh rate compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, making it more suitable for demanding engineering and design work, though it's heavier and less portable. Despite the GL66 being more portable and having a smaller screen which could be advantageous for some users, the GP76 offers a larger screen and significantly enhanced performance, which are essential for complex tasks, but may come at a higher price and reduced ease of transportation.
Content Creation
7.2
8.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Vector GP76 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
7.6
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Vector GP76 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the MSI Vector GP76 is somewhat better.
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
7.9
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
245.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
264.0 nits
The MSI Vector GP76 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the Vector GP76's higher resolution and brightness provide a clearer and more vibrant display compared to the lower resolution and brightness of the Pulse GL66, which still offers adequate visuals for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, the Vector GP76's screen covers a wider range of color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color reproduction, which is critical for these fields, while the Pulse GL66 has lesser color coverage, making it less ideal for color-sensitive work. However, both fall short for gaming and 3D applications as their refresh rates are not high enough for the smooth visuals demanded by these tasks, despite the Vector GP76 offering somewhat better resolution and panel type.
Portability
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.3 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability, while the MSI Vector GP76 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Vector GP76 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
$1,760
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a price of $1,399 and the MSI Vector GP76 costs $1,760.
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Key similarities
Battery
4.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 hours of battery life. The MSI Vector GP76 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.
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How the MSI Pulse GL66 and the MSI Vector GP76 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 | MSI Vector GP76 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,399 | $1,760 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2021 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.94'' | 15.6'' x 11.2'' x 1.02'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.63 lbs | 6.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 15.63" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.2" | 11.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-11800H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4 Hours | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 53 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 245 nits | 264 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 Vector GP76
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | May 2022
"The MSI Vector GP76 12UGS is a gaming laptop on speed. The advantages are clear: The Vector GP76 is a real gamer with its 360 Hz display and super-fast response times. In addition, the Core i7-12700H has double the power of the CPU in its predecessor and another highlight is the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti with a real power consumption of 150 watts. This places the device in the top range of our database. The Vector can also operate rather quietly, offers a full sound range, improved battery runtimes, a key-configurable RGB keyboard, a very stable chassis and good upgrade options. Moreover, the display produces a nice, rich and clear picture."
Get a great deal on the MSI Pulse GL66 or the MSI Vector GP76
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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