Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarMSI Pulse GL66 review: Is the i9-12900H improving the RTX-3060 gaming laptop or only making it more expensive?
Last year, the Pulse gaming series was newly introduced with the two GL66 and GL76 models, and this year comes the update to Alder Lake. Since we did not test the devices last year, the test of this series is new for us. We review the 15-inch GL66 in its second iteration with an RTX 3060 and Core i9-12900H that is available for about 1,900 Euros (~$2057).
We already tested the combination of Alder Lake and RTX 3060 in the Alienware x14 (14 inch) and Asus TUF Gaming F15. As additional comparison devices, we use other 15-inch gaming laptops with the same GPU such as the Schenker XMG Apex 15, the Lenovo Legion S7, and the Alienware m15 R5.
Possible Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.7 % | 04/2022 | MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 25 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 87.2 % | 03/2022 | Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 24.95 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.7 % | 03/2022 | Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 1.8 kg | 14.5 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 84.4 % | 11/2021 | Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS R7 5800H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 29 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 87.9 % | 11/2021 | Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE R9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2 kg | 18.9 mm | 15.60" | 3840x2160 | |
| 84.7 % | 06/2021 | Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition R7 5800H, GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 22.85 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case
Only the display lid of the Pulse is made of metal and the rest of the laptop is made from plastic. This makes the lid fairly resistant to warping. Its maximum opening angle is almost 180 degrees. The two hinges on the sides do a good job, but since due to its metal construction the lid isn't particularly light, it can accidentally open up completely when you move the laptop, particularly if it is opened up more than two thirds of the way.
A notch in the base allows you to open the laptop easily with one hand. While the base is also fairly stable, attempts of warping it can also produce some creaking noises at times.
The keyboard is slightly recessed, so the palm rests are minimally elevated. The case bottom is made of thin plastic and covered by many large, honeycomb-like structures, some of which are fan vents. The exhaust air exits on the back and on the left side towards the back.
The design is targeted towards gamers without being overly ornamented. The silver-gray top prominently displays the Porsche-like shield logo with the dragon, and the base and bottom are kept in a dark black. The workmanship appears to be good, and we did not notice any uneven gaps.
Except for the larger Alienware m5, most of the laptops in our test field have about the same length and width. The thickness of the MSI places it in the middle of the field. However, MSI's specified thickness of 23.4 mm (~0.92 in) is more likely to refer to the thinnest place, and the laptop measures more like 25 mm (~0.98 in) towards the back.
The Legion S7 and Alienware x14 show that gaming laptops can also be slimmer, but both the XMG Apex and the TUG Gaming F15 are thicker. In terms of the weight, the MSI is one of the heavier models and only the Alienware m5 is even heavier.
Equipment
Only the most necessary connections are present but nothing more. There are four USB ports in total, with one of them in the USB-C format. Unfortunately, that is also only 3.2 Gen 1, which is almost the same as USB 3.0 (5Gb/s). Thunderbolt is lacking, just as an SD card reader. One of the three USB-A ports even only supports the 2.0 speed, which is not up to the current standards anymore.
But what is worse, is that the USB-C port did not work properly. Our external SSD in an M.2 case constantly re-announced itself in the USB-C port. While the light of the SSD remained turned on consistently, the OS continuously kept registering and deregistering it. A restart also didn't help, and we had to switch to using a USB-C-to-A adapter. After that, the problem didn't happen anymore. We encountered the same problem with the MSI Katana, but the Asus TUF Gaming F17 or ROG Strix Scar that we are also testing at the same time did not have the problem. Perhaps our USB-C plug cannot be inserted deep enough into the MSI ports.
The distribution of the ports is also less than optimal. Most of the ports are on the right side, including the HDMI port with its potentially large plugs and stiff cables. This is an annoyance for right-handed users. In addition, the ports are placed fairly close to each other, particularly the two USB-A ports on the left side, which is otherwise empty of connections.
We should also mention that the power plug doesn't fit very tightly. During our test, it happened several times that it slipped out half-way without us noticing.
Communication
The Pulse connects to the WLAN via an Intel AX201 module. Its potential isn't fully used, and the transfer rates are at the bottom end in our comparison.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (49.8 - 1775, n=324) | |
| Average of class Gaming (450 - 1580, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (136 - 1743, n=324) | |
| Average of class Gaming (90 - 1700, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
Webcam
A standard 720p webcam is used. For years, there haven't really been any major upgrades in many laptops in this area, whether this is related to Corona shortages or not. But at least the color deviations remain within limits.
Security
The Pulse doesn't have much to offer for security purists, and there is neither a fingerprint sensor nor a Kensington connection. However, TPM 2.0 is of course included.
Accessories and Warranty
Other than a few "cool" stickers and the 240-Watt power supply, MSI doesn't include anything else worth mention with the laptop. The warranty covers 24 months of pick-up & return service.
Maintenance
MSI hides one of the screws behind a sticker. Our test unit is a loaner provided by the Cyberport shop, so we did not want to damage the sticker seal to open the device. However, according to MSI the device can also be opened by the customer for maintenance tasks. As long as this is done "professionally," the warranty of the device should not be affected.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard shows a great similarity to other MSI laptops such as the Katana series. The layout appears well-arranged, but with its keys being close together and some of them also very small, it also looks a bit crammed. Particularly the F keys and even more the number pad that is squeezed in next to them turned out very small.
As typical for MSI, the Fn key is placed on the right instead of the left side, but it can switch functions with the Windows key on the left. The arrow keys also house special functions such as turning on the fan boost, turning off the display, or superimposing crosshairs.
The key labeling is easy to read and uses a futuristic font style that is probably supposed to attract gamers.
While there is a short stroke, the feedback is okay, allowing you to type easily and quickly. The keyboard doesn't bend annoyingly under pressure, and the typing noise is moderate.
While there is a keyboard illumination, it only has a single zone. You can adjust the color and many other settings in the MSI Center.
Touchpad
The touchpad doesn't look very large at about 10.5 x 6.5 cm (~4.1 x 2.6 in). While the surface is smooth, fingers can already stick a bit when they are only slightly wet. Multi-touch inputs still work very well.
The integrated mouse keys have a clear, very short, and crisp pressure point. They are slightly louder than the keyboard, but not to an extent that is particularly annoying.
Display
MSI uses a matte Full-HD IPS display with 144 Hz from AU Optronics. MSI already used this model last year, for example in the GF65 Thin. A large disadvantage of the panel is particularly its weak brightness of less than 250 nits. The brightness distribution is still within acceptable limits at 86%.
At least the black value is low and the contrast high, but at only 58% sRGB, the color space coverage turns out weak. The response times are also rather weak for a gaming laptop.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there are any other display options. At least the 17-inch Pulse offers a panel with 360 Hz, and hopefully that is also brighter.
While there is some screen bleeding at the top edge on the left, it is hardly noticeable.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 247 cd/m²
Contrast: 1908:1 (Black: 0.13 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.14 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 3.14
ΔE Greyscale 1.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
40.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.49
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK AU Optronics B156HAN08.4 (AUOAF90), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM TL156VDXP0101, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 SHP154D, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS LG Philips LGD0625 (LP156WFG-SPB3), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE CSOT T3 MNF601EA1-6, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60 | Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition B156HAN, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 69% | 114% | 64% | 110% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 39 | 66.4 70% | 99.6 155% | 64.5 65% | 85.2 118% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 58.4 | 97 66% | 100 71% | 95.9 64% | 98.8 69% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 40.3 | 68.5 70% | 87.6 117% | 65.8 63% | 98.2 144% | |
| Response Times | 70% | 74% | 60% | 31% | 80% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38.8 ? | 5.6 ? 86% | 9.6 ? 75% | 15 61% | 31.6 ? 19% | 4 ? 90% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 28 ? | 12.8 ? 54% | 7.6 ? 73% | 11.6 59% | 16 ? 43% | 8.4 ? 70% |
| PWM Frequency | ||||||
| Screen | -3% | -24% | -40% | 30% | -12% | |
| Brightness middle | 248 | 353.7 43% | 434 75% | 393 58% | 607 145% | 329 33% |
| Brightness | 245 | 340 39% | 411 68% | 353 44% | 605 147% | 321 31% |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 89 3% | 89 3% | 83 -3% | 93 8% | 92 7% |
| Black Level * | 0.13 | 0.34 -162% | 0.25 -92% | 0.47 -262% | 0.41 -215% | 0.27 -108% |
| Contrast | 1908 | 1040 -45% | 1736 -9% | 836 -56% | 1480 -22% | 1219 -36% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.14 | 1.74 45% | 3 4% | 2.84 10% | 0.84 73% | 2.78 11% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.82 | 3.63 38% | 7.1 -22% | 7.15 -23% | 3.02 48% | 4.88 16% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 3.14 | 0.5 84% | 0.7 78% | 0.67 79% | 0.69 78% | 1.63 48% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.2 | 2.1 -75% | 5.1 -325% | 3.73 -211% | 1.1 8% | 2.5 -108% |
| Gamma | 2.49 88% | 2.3 96% | 2.19 100% | 2.53 87% | 2.131 103% | 2.106 104% |
| CCT | 6468 100% | 6257 104% | 6204 105% | 7312 89% | 6648 98% | 6201 105% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 76 | |||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99 | |||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 45% /
23% | 55% /
19% | 28% /
-4% | 57% /
47% | 34% /
5% |
* ... smaller is better
At least the panel is already well calibrated in the state of delivery. The deviation in the grayscale is only 1.2. Accordingly, you can hardly get any improvements anymore by a manual calibration.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 13.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 65 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 38.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 20.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 50 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19035 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoors, particularly the low brightness will make things difficult, so seeking out less bright surroundings becomes therefore mandatory.
Even if IPS displays generally have fairly stable viewing angles, you can still notice a significant reduction in brightness when looking at our test unit from extreme viewing angles.
Performance
With its combination of an Intel Core i9-12900H and RTX 3060, the Pulse is clearly targeted for gamers. In addition, there are 16 GB of RAM, with MSI still using DDR4-RAM here. While costing about 1900 Euros (~$2057), the device still belongs to the lower midrange segment.
Test Conditions
For the best benchmark results, we select the "Extreme Performance" mode in the MSI software. In the Advanced Settings, we use the Standard.
Users should get familiar with the MSI Center, since in addition to setting the fan profiles, you can also check the system for updates, configure the keyboard illumination, and adjust general settings and many more here. Of course, the manufacturer also gathers some user data here.
Processor
The Core i9-12900H is one of the top models of the current Alder Lake series from Intel, so it should fulfill all the demands from gamers. The CPU combines 6 performance and 8 efficiency cores and is able to operate on up to 20 threads simultaneously. The Turbo clock speed reaches up to 5 GHz.
The performance in the Cinebench loop is good, and the CPU is able to beat the predecessor generation with its AMD processors without any problems. However, the i9 in the Pulse is not significantly faster than the i7-12700H in some of the competing laptops. Particularly the Asus TUF F15 performs at least at eye level and in parts even slightly faster. MSI could have saved itself and its customers the additional premium for the significantly more expensive i9-12900H. On the other hand, the slim Alienware x14 with the i7-12700H is about 6 to 7 percent slower.
At the beginning of the first run, the TDP lies at around 100 watts, before its starts dropping and finally leveling out at 85 watts. However, it only rarely drops to the nominal 45 watts.
In battery operation, the Extreme Performance mode isn't available anymore and it changes to Balanced mode. In Cinebench, the performance drops by a whole 45% and only reaches 1388 points!
Cinebench R15 Multi Constant Load Test
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average of class Gaming (2435 - 34521, n=236, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (7647 - 19648, n=22) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1698 - 1921, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (527 - 2169, n=234, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average of class Gaming (930 - 13769, n=237, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (2922 - 7471, n=22) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (653 - 738, n=22) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (169 - 825, n=237, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average of class Gaming (400 - 5663, n=240, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1561 - 3077, n=22) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (243 - 277, n=23) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (79.2 - 312, n=241, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Average of class Gaming (91 - 1259, n=238, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (160 - 415, n=22) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (11386 - 140932, n=234, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (37614 - 76677, n=22) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (5302 - 6289, n=22) | |
| Average of class Gaming (2685 - 7581, n=235, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Geekbench 5.4 / Multi-Core | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (8519 - 14376, n=23) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average of class Gaming (1946 - 22200, n=233, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Geekbench 5.4 / Single-Core | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1647 - 1892, n=23) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (158 - 2139, n=233, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average of class Gaming (3 - 37.6, n=238, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (9.16 - 22.5, n=22) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Average of class Gaming (32.8 - 332, n=234, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (38 - 59.8, n=22) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Average of class Gaming (0.375 - 4.47, n=234, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (0.4218 - 0.503, n=22) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Average of class Gaming (2585 - 55084, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (4074 - 18289, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average of class Gaming (12439 - 234848, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (22307 - 93236, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average of class Gaming (629 - 9930, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (1378 - 4215, n=22) | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (78668 - 111241, n=22) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Average of class Gaming (15371 - 186519, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average of class Gaming (2137 - 30810, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (5709 - 10410, n=22) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average of class Gaming (7135 - 124377, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (11257 - 45581, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average of class Gaming (18146 - 236139, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (31935 - 151546, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (449 - 1193, n=22) | |
| Average of class Gaming (150.9 - 2231, n=226, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Average of class Gaming (1437 - 29473, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (2235 - 10511, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (20960 - 48269, n=23) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (8341 - 52949, n=213, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
System Performance
In the PCMark 10 Productivity benchmark, the Pulse places first, but in the other areas, it is slightly surpassed by the Asus TUF Gaming 15 and sometimes also the Alienware X14. On the other hand, in CrossMark our test unit also finishes ahead of the X14.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (7135 - 7861, n=4) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (4477 - 9331, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (10380 - 11198, n=4) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (7334 - 12176, n=192, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (9751 - 10486, n=4) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (6161 - 11833, n=192, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (5288 - 16424, n=192, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (9741 - 11226, n=4) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1789 - 2096, n=4) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (974 - 2295, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1677 - 2062, n=4) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (907 - 2166, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (2032 - 2125, n=4) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (1027 - 2514, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU (1486 - 2230, n=4) | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average of class Gaming (1029 - 2275, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 7135 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (34438 - 74264, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (18074 - 80776, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (36365 - 74642, n=22) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average of class Gaming (20318 - 89096, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (32276 - 66275, n=22) | |
| Average of class Gaming (15975 - 80441, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Average Intel Core i9-12900H (88 - 118.1, n=21) | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Average of class Gaming (76.2 - 135.3, n=226, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latencies
Unfortunately, LatencyMon already shows some minor problems when opening the browser. Opening several tabs doesn't show any further impact. There are five dropped frames when playing our 4K/60-fps YouTube video. A 10-second Prime95 right afterwards increases the latency value further.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Schenker XMG Apex 15 NH57E PS | |
| Alienware x14 i7 RTX 3060 | |
| MSI Pulse GL66 12UEK | |
| Asus TUF Gaming F15 FX507ZM | |
| Lenovo Legion S7 15ACH6 82K80030GE | |
| Alienware m15 R5 Ryzen Edition | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Solution
MSI uses a 512-GB NVMe SSD from Micron. Its constant performance remains very even and it reaches around 3000 MB/s in sequential reading and writing, which is okay.
