MSI Bravo 15 vs MSI Pulse 15: Which is the best gaming laptop in 2024?

Modified Jun 07, 2024 02:17 GMT

Picture of MSI Pulse 15 — MSI Pulse 15 in its glory (Image via MSI)

MSI sells a range of gaming laptops, from flagships to budget options. The MSI Bravo 15 belongs to the budget category, while the MSI Pulse 15 fits the mid-range category. In terms of aesthetics, both laptops appear similar, and the differences between the two laptops are mostly in the design and the logo on the top lid. However, they are vastly different on the inside.

So which is the best gaming laptop out of the two in 2024? The MSI Pulse 15 is definitely the better pick. Here is a detailed comparison of the two laptops.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinions.

MSI Bravo 15 vs MSI Pulse 15

The MSI Bravo 15 is a cheaper alternative to the Pulse 15, and there are clear differences between them. Let's start with the specs.

Specs comparison

MSI Pulse 15 thermal system (Image via MSI)

Here's the spec list of MSI Bravo 15 and MSI Pulse 15:

Specifications	MSI Bravo 15	MSI Pulse 15
Display	15.6-inch IPS display with up to FHD resolution and 144Hz	15.6-inch IPS display with up to QHD resolution and 240Hz
CPU	Up to AMD Ryzen 7 Processor	Up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor
GPU	Up to RTX 4060 with 105W TGP	Up to RTX 4070 with 140W TGP
Memory	Up to 32GB of DDR5 memory	Up to 32GB of DDR5 memory
Storage	Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD	Up to 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Battery	Up to 53.5Wh	90Wh

Design and display comparison

The design of the two laptops may look similar, but you will immediately notice the difference between them as soon as you put your hands on them. The MSI Bravo 15 features an all-plastic build, which is typical for the price it's in.

The MSI Pulse 15 uses aluminum and plastic. The keyboard deck and the lower half of the main body are made of plastic but the top lid is constructed from aluminum. This minimizes the lid flexing and feels a lot more premium.

While it's not all aluminum, it is better than the MSI Bravo 15. As for the display, the Pulse 15 also takes an edge here. It features a QHD panel with a 240Hz refresh rate, which is a significant boost from MSI Bravo's FHD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate.

Performance comparison

MSI Pulse 15 running The Outer Worlds (Image via MSI)

The MSI Bravo 15 can be configured with up to AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU, while the MSI Pulse 15 supports up to Intel Core i7 13700H.

Here are some benchmark comparisons of the two processors:

Benchmarks	AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS	Intel Core i7 13700H
Cinebench 2024 (Single-core)	102	105
Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)	866	831
Geekbench 5 (Single-Core)	1857	1893
Geekbench 5 (Multi-Core)	11334	11848

The Intel CPU is slightly weaker than the Ryzen 7 in single-core performance but a bit faster in multi-core performance. Despite this, since they are so close to each other in benchmarks, there won't be any significant performance difference in games.

Speaking of gaming, the two laptops have two different GPUs. The MSI Bravo 15 has an RTX 4060 with 105W of TGP, while the MSI Pulse 15 has an RTX 4070 with 140W of TGP. They both have the same 8GB VRAM.

Even though the two laptops have different resolutions, we will only compare the 1080p numbers for an apples-to-apples comparison.

Note: The FPS numbers were provided by Jarrod'sTech channel on YouTube.

Games	MSI Bravo 15	MSI Pulse 15
Red Dead Redemption 2	68 FPS	79 FPS
Microsoft Flight Simulator	58 FPS	70 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	87 FPS	100 FPS
Hogwarts Legacy	77 FPS	88 FPS
Doom Eternal	214 FPS	297 FPS
Dead Space	75 FPS	92 FPS
Apex Legends	113 FPS	133 FPS
COD: Modern Warfare 2	87 FPS	106 FPS

As you can see, the MSI Pulse 15 with its RTX 4070 will be 23.6% faster on average compared to the Brave 15 in gaming. Even AAA games like Red Dead Redemption 2 will have more FPS and run smoother on the Pulse 15 laptop.

Battery life comparison

The battery of the MSI Pulse 15 is significantly larger than the one in the MSI Brave 15. The Pulse has a 90Wh battery, while the Bravo has a 53.5Wh battery. The Pulse 15's battery should last 30-40% more than the Brave 15.

Price

MSI Pulse 15's keyboard in its RGB glory (Image via MSI)

At the same configuration, the MSI Pulse 15 costs a bit more than the MSI Brave 15, and the same laptop with the RTX 4070 configuration will cost significantly more.

Which is the best gaming laptop in 2024?

The MSI Pulse 15 is clearly the better laptop of the two. It has a better design, display performance, and battery than the MSI Bravo 15. It does cost more, but it also provides a lot in return. If your budget is slightly flexible, my recommendation is to go for the MSI Pulse 15. It's the best laptop to buy out of the two in 2024.