If you prioritize affordability and need a laptop for basic tasks like browsing the internet and working with office applications, the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is a cost-effective option with the added benefit of being lightweight and highly portable. On the other hand, if you require high performance for gaming, 3D work, or machine learning tasks and are willing to invest more, the MSI GE66 Raider offers powerful hardware suitable for these demanding applications. However, the MSI laptop is heavier and may not be as convenient to carry around, and its battery life may be shorter due to the more powerful components. 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 Go 12
Excellent portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.6/10
8.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is equipped with a basic Intel Celeron processor, low RAM, and a lower-quality TN screen, making it less suitable for demanding tasks and multitasking commonly expected in general use; it does have excellent portability and battery life due to its small size and weight. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider boasts a high-end Intel i9 processor, ample RAM, and a superior IPS screen with high resolution, suited for intensive applications and multitasking, although this leads to reduced battery life and a heavier build, making it less portable.
Gaming and AI
5.4/10
8.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
5.3/10
9.1/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 falls short for engineering and design due to its modest processor, minimal RAM, low-end integrated graphics, and a lower resolution screen, which constrain performance and detail accuracy in demanding tasks. In contrast, the MSI GE66 Raider excels with a powerful processor, ample RAM, high-end dedicated graphics, and a high-resolution screen, offering robust performance and precise visuals necessary for complex engineering and design work.
Content Creation
5.7/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.7/10
8.4/10
3.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
5.3/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 is poor.
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
5.1/10
8.2/10
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 typically comes with a lower resolution and less vibrant display, affecting clarity and color accuracy which are key for general tasks as well as detail-oriented engineering and design work. The MSI GE66 Raider, with its high-quality display, offers crisp visuals and wide color coverage, making it suitable for detailed engineering and design due to better representation of color spaces like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. However, for 3D and gaming, despite its high resolution and color quality, the Raider's refresh rate may not be as high as specialized gaming laptops, thus providing a less smooth visual experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider has 6 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
Excellent
Fair
11.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has excellent portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.1/10
8.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$267
$3,199
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Vivobook Go 12 has a price of $267 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook Go 12 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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