The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is a budget-friendly, lightweight option with satisfactory performance for everyday tasks and decent battery life, making it very portable. It is well-suited for general use such as browsing, office applications, and media consumption. However, for more intensive uses like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, consider the MSI GF65 Thin, which costs more but offers significantly better performance for these tasks due to its more powerful processor and graphics. The MSI has a higher-refresh-rate screen for smoother visuals, which can be important for fast-paced gaming, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, reducing its portability. 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 14
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
6.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 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
5.9/10
6.7/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is poor.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 falls short for engineering and design due to its entry-level CPU, AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, and basic GPU, AMD Radeon 610M, which are outperformed by the MSI GF65 Thin's more powerful Intel i5-10500H CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, crucial for such tasks. Additionally, while both laptops have IPS screens with the same resolution, the GF65 Thin's higher screen refresh rate and greater graphics horsepower make it better suited for detailed visual work, which compensates for its slightly lower portability and operating noise.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
For general use, a fair screen quality usually means the display has adequate brightness, resolution, and an acceptable panel type that provides clear imagery for everyday tasks, but it might lack the vibrancy or crispness of higher-end models. In engineering and design work, fair screen quality implies the colors shown on the screen are reasonably accurate within certain color gamuts, which is important for precision, but the coverage might not be extensive enough for the most color-critical tasks. For gaming and 3D applications, the importance of refresh rate for smooth motion means that a laptop with poor screen quality in this regard can lead to noticeable motion blur or screen tearing, detracting from the immersive experience even if resolution and panel type are adequate.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has 7 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$450
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 has a price of $450 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
The MSI GF65 Thin and ASUS Vivobook Go 14 are both only fair for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is assessed as fair for general use because while it offers good portability due to its light weight and small dimensions, along with excellent heat management, its CPU and screen quality are average, translating to modest performance and visual experience. The MSI GF65 Thin, on the other hand, despite having a powerful CPU and high-quality display which bolsters its performance for more demanding tasks, falls short in general use due to its lower portability and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
6.5/10
6.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GF65 Thin and ASUS Vivobook Go 14 are both only fair 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
6.4/10
6.3/10
4.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair 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.
Build Quality
6.5/10
6.7/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and ASUS Vivobook Go 14 both have only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS Vivobook Go 14 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"The lack of a backlit keyboard in this price segment shouldn't sway the buyer the other way. However, it still comes down to user preference. The Vivobook Go 14 is a decent laptop in an extremely competitive price segment. A few omissions are a part of the balancing to reach the price segment. The Asus Vivobook Go 14 is a rare find when it comes to the price to performance ratio."
"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 Vivobook Go 14 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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