The ASUS Vivobook 16 offers a better price, longer battery life, and is lighter, which makes it more portable for everyday use; however, its performance in tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning may be limited compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard. The MSI, with its powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card, excels in demanding games and engineering applications but is heavier and typically more expensive. It also trades off battery life for performance. If portability and cost are your priority, the ASUS is a solid choice, but if gaming or intensive engineering tasks are your focus, the MSI would be more suited despite being less portable and costlier. 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 Vivobook 16
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 comes with integrated graphics and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate which will deliver an adequate gaming and 3D experience, while the MSI GP66 Leopard boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a faster 144Hz refresh rate for a more fluid and graphically demanding gaming and 3D rendering performance. The latter's superior CPU and display attributes, like a higher screen color coverage, also enhance its capabilities in these areas compared to the former.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
7.9/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS Vivobook 16 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI GP66 Leopard is somewhat better.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a large 16-inch screen with high definition quality made for detailed engineering and design tasks, supported by a capable AMD processor and integrated graphics, and comes with substantial storage and memory; on the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard includes a powerful Intel processor and a high-end Nvidia graphics card which excel for engineering software and 3D design, but it has a smaller display which may be less ideal for screen-intensive work. The Vivobook is lighter and thus more portable, while the GP66 Leopard, although heavier, offers additional features like better keyboard quality and lower operating noise that may be preferred for long working sessions.
Screen Quality
6.4/10
7.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
295.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the ASUS Vivobook 16's decent resolution and acceptable brightness create a comfortable viewing experience, but its panel type may not provide the best color accuracy or viewing angles. The MSI GP66 Leopard, with higher brightness and a robust panel type, ensures crisp images and consistent colors, essential for tasks in engineering and design, along with a wide color gamut that benefits professionals needing true-to-life color representation. However, both the ASUS and the MSI have lower refresh rates, which makes them less suitable for 3D applications and gaming that require smoother motion and faster screen updates.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$669
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook 16 has a price of $669 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook 16 offers a blend of performance for general use with its AMD Ryzen CPU and ample RAM, while its larger, high-quality screen and lighter weight enhance portability and user experience. Conversely, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while also providing strong performance with its Intel CPU and powerful GPU, trades off some portability for better gaming capabilities, a higher refresh rate screen, and superior thermal management, at the cost of lower battery life compared to the ASUS model.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.4/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for content creation.
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
7.3/10
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook 16 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for software development.
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.
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How the ASUS Vivobook 16 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, Yannick Khong | May 2023
"The ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) is a budget Windows laptop. It's available with various AMD Ryzen 5000 and 7000 U-series CPUs and integrated graphics. You can only get 8GB of RAM; however, there's an empty SO-DIMM slot if you want to upgrade it. It has an FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 IPS display, a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720p webcam, and Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity. Ports include three USB-As, one USB-C, an HDMI, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports charging but no video output."
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 16 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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