The MSI Pulse GL66 is less expensive than the Razer Blade 14 (2023) and it might be a good choice if you want a larger screen and solid gaming performance without spending as much. However, the Razer Blade 14 (2023) offers a more portable form factor with a lighter weight, higher screen resolution, and significantly better battery life. The Razer also has a faster refresh rate which is great for fast-paced gaming, and it has more updated components with better overall performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering work. Consider the Razer if you need top performance and portability, and the MSI for budget-conscious gaming. 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
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Razer Blade 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
245.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
560.0 nits
4.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The MSI Pulse GL66, while offering a solid CPU and ample RAM, falls behind the Razer Blade 14 (2023) mainly in screen quality, with a lower resolution and brightness, impacting its overall assessment for general use. Additionally, the Razer Blade 14 tops the MSI with a significantly better battery life and higher portability owing to its lighter weight and compact size, enhancing its suitability for general use beyond just performance metrics.
Gaming and AI
7.2/10
8.4/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Razer Blade 14 outshines the MSI Pulse GL66 for gaming and 3D tasks, primarily due to the Razer's more advanced GPU, which goes a long way in delivering better graphics and smoother gameplay. Additionally, the Razer Blade 14 boasts a higher screen refresh rate, which contributes to a more fluid visual experience during high-speed gaming or 3D modeling, although both laptops have high-quality CPUs and screens for a good gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
7.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is better equipped for engineering and design tasks due to its higher resolution screen with a greater pixel density and advanced CPU and GPU, which are crucial for heavy workloads and detailed visual tasks; the MSI Pulse GL66, although offering a capable CPU and GPU combination, falls short in screen sharpness and overall computing power.
Content Creation
7.2/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
7.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for software development, though the Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
6.8/10
8.9/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
245.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
560.0 nits
The Razer Blade 14 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MSI Pulse GL66's screen may appear less sharp or vibrant due to a lower resolution or brightness compared to the Razer Blade 14, which boasts a more vivid display essential for activities like browsing and watching videos. In engineering and design, the Razer Blade 14 is likely to present colors more accurately with wider color gamuts, making it preferable for tasks requiring precise color work like photo editing or CAD. However, both models fall short for 3D gaming, as a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth gameplay, and neither is optimal in this regard despite their respective resolutions and panel types.
Battery
4.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 14 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
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) has very good portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
$2,400
$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 Razer Blade 14 (2023) costs $2,400.
"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."
"After making a huge splash with the original 2021 model, it's expected that the 2022 refresh would be more of a minor update to an already impressive machine. It adds a higher resolution webcam (720p to 1080p), faster CPU (Ryzen 9 5900HX to Ryzen 9 6900HX), faster GPU (RTX 3070/3080 to 3070/3080 Ti), faster RAM (DDR4-3200 to DDR5-4800), faster M.2 SSD support (PCIe3 x4 to PCIe4 x4), newer WLAN module (Killer AX1690i to Qualcomm WCN685x), and a MUX switch for the new integrated Radeon 680M GPU. It's indubitably an upgrade especially in terms of single-thread processor performance."
Get a great deal on the MSI Pulse GL66 or the Razer Blade 14 (2023)
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.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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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