MSI Pulse GL66 11UX / Crosshair 15 A11U 15.6" Gaming Laptop (11th, 2021)
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Product Overview
MSI Pulse GL66 11UX is an entry-level 15.6-inch gaming laptop. It is also available in a different design but with the same characteristics as Crosshair 15 A11UX. They are successors to the GL65 Leopard from 2020 but differ in features and specifications from the GP66 Leopard this year.
Like the 17.3-inch Pulse GL76 / Crosshair 17, the Pulse GL66 / Crosshair 15 is powered by up to Core i7 Tiger Lake chips combined with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series graphics up to RTX 3060.
Unfortunately, MSI has mised on the spec list, leaving the Pulse GL66 / Crosshair 15 with just WiFi 6, USB 3.2 Gen1, and PCIe Gen3 and without any Thunderbolt port. Its battery is also just over 50Wh in capacity, while the chassis is not particularly thin
Nevertheless, the new laptop is endowed with a new QHD display option. This IPS panel refreshes at 165Hz and covers 100% of DCI-P3 color space.
Alongside the new GL66, MSI also refreshed its entire gaming laptop lineup with the new Tiger Lake processors.
Ratings
What we found**
Pros
- Excellent 1080p gaming performance
- Good battery life
- Good keyboard backlighting
Cons
- Not the cheapest RTX 30-series gaming laptop
What external reviewers found***
External score 64% (not directly comparable across industries)
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Great webcam
- Excellent 1080p gaming performance
- Good battery life
- Decent keyboard and touchpad
Cons
- No physical privacy shutter
- No keyboard backlighting
- Battery life could be better
Price Comparison
Specifications
| FHD | QHD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Connectivity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ports | 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen1 + 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 + 1x USB 2.0 + 1x HDMI + 1x RJ45 (1Gbps) + 1x Audio combo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wireless Connectivity | WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery | Capacity | 53 Wh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Camera | Front | IR HD type (30fps@720p) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colors | Titanium Gray | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speakers | Stereo Speakers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dimensions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Depth | 259 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Height | 23.95 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Size | Width | 359 mm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 2.2 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Display | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Diagonal | 15.6 inch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Display Type | IPS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gamut | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Refresh Rate | 144 Hz | 165 Hz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Resolution | FHD (1920x1080) or QHD (2560x1440) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Function | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audio | Nahimic 3 Audio Enhancer, High-Resolution Audio ready | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chipset | Intel HM570 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6, or RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyboard Backlight | RGB Backlight Keyboard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating System | Windows 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Processor | Up to 11th-gen Intel Core i7 Tiger Lake | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Capacity | 2x slots, Max 64GB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memory | Type | DDR4 3200 MHz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Supply | 150 or 180 W adapter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Storage | 2x NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | 2021-05 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Launch Comparison
Clear List
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External Reviews
pcmag[1]
Reviewer score 62% MSI's GL66 Pulse churns out smooth 1080p gaming frame rates and looks every bit as a gaming laptop should. It wasn't enough to catch the Legion 5 Pro, but its newer "Tiger Lake-H" chip and two extra processing cores propelled it far ahead of the Predator Helios 300. You can find many better midrange gaming rigs to choose from.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Excellent 1080p gaming performance
- Good battery life
- Decent keyboard and touchpad
Cons
- No keyboard backlighting
techradar[2]
Reviewer score 65% MSI Pulse GL66 doesn't come with a lot of bloat, which is good since it can go either way at this price point. Perennial offender McAfee is an issue with its obnoxious pop-ups via desktop notifications. The 720p (30 fps) webcam is pretty standard as far as laptop webcams go. Since this laptop will likely live on your desk, setting the system to ultra performance is really the only way to go.
Find the original article here.
Pros
- Great gaming performance
- Good battery life
- Great webcam
Cons
- Battery life could be better
- No physical privacy shutter
User Reviews
Comments
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References
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These key takeaways ("pros" and "cons") and summaries are identified from third-party reviews. They may differ from the original texts.
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