To assist in making an informed decision between the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the MSI GF65 Thin, it's important to consider the key differences in their offerings. The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in portability and battery life, making it an excellent companion for those on the move or for general use. The MSI GF65 Thin, on the other hand, provides more robust performance suited to gaming, 3D tasks, and engineering software but may compromise on battery life and portability due to its gaming-centric build. If your priority is performance for demanding applications and you don't mind a larger, less portable system, the MSI GF65 Thin is a strong choice. However, if you prioritize a slim, lightweight laptop with longer battery life for everyday tasks, the ASUS Zenbook S 13 is better suited for your needs, even if it means a higher investment. Remember, the higher cost of the ASUS is for its ultraportable design and not necessarily for superior performance in resource-intensive tasks. 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 ASUS Zenbook S 13
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Best in class portability
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook S 13.
Key differences
General Use
8.6/10
6.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
365.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 excels in general use with its superior processor, RAM, and OLED screen that offers higher resolution and color accuracy, providing a more vibrant visual experience, enhanced multitasking, and overall faster performance; it also has a lighter build and longer battery life for increased portability. By contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its focus on gaming, has a lower-tier CPU and less RAM which might slow down productivity tasks, an inferior screen in terms of resolution and color reproduction, and its heavier weight and shorter battery span make it less ideal for users frequently on the move.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.7/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 stands out for engineering and design use due to its high RAM capacity, fast CPU, and superior OLED screen quality, which are crucial for running demanding engineering software and ensuring precise color reproduction for design work.
Content Creation
8.5/10
6.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.3/10
6.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is very good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.1/10
6.8/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
365.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 boasts a high-resolution display and bright screen, enhancing its appeal for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work that demands crisp visuals and accurate colors. The MSI GF65 Thin offers a middle ground with fair clarity and brightness, suitable for general and design purposes, but may not excel in color reproduction for precise engineering tasks. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and a less immersive experience.
Battery
11.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has 11 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Best in Class
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has best in class portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
The MSI GF65 Thin and ASUS Zenbook S 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is equipped with Iris Xe graphics and a 60Hz OLED screen, making it sufficient for lighter gaming and 3D tasks but may struggle with more demanding ones. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin boasts an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, offering a more fluid experience for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
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How the ASUS Zenbook S 13 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 is the slimmest OLED ultrabook worldwide struggles with annoying fans. The new Zenbook S 13 leaves us with mixed feelings, particularly since last year's model was so good. Asus has completely reworked the device, making the laptop noticeably slimmer. The result also looks good and the case makes a great impression, particularly also in terms of the stability. The new plasma ceramic surface feels great, and there are no problems with fingerprints. In addition, it now includes some of the known connections such as an HDMI port and a regular USB-A connection, which is a good achievement in such a slim device."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook S 13 or the MSI GF65 Thin
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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.
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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