Considering your needs, choose the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED for a focus on screen quality with OLED display, better color coverage, high resolution, and longer battery life, making it suitable for general use like web browsing and media consumption. However, if gaming and 3D work is a priority, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU and higher refresh rate screen, provides better performance in those areas, but it offers a lower overall screen quality, smaller battery, and less storage space. Both laptops are comparably portable, but the MSI is slightly heavier and the ASUS provides a better keyboard experience. The decision should be based on whether you prioritize display quality and battery life (ASUS) or gaming performance (MSI). 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 S 15 OLED
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good battery life
Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.5/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
600.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED offers better general use experience due to its higher-resolution OLED screen, providing superior color accuracy and brightness, as well as more RAM and a more powerful CPU, enhancing multitasking and overall performance. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, though lighter and designed for gaming, has a less impressive IPS screen, less RAM, and a less powerful CPU, which may affect its general use performance, despite its superior heat management and gaming-specific features like a high refresh rate and dedicated graphics.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.7/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is suitable for engineering and design due to its high-end CPU, ample RAM, integrated high-performance GPU, and a high-resolution OLED screen with exceptional color accuracy. The MSI GF65 Thin also suits engineering and design with a robust CPU and dedicated gaming-caliber GPU, but has a lower resolution screen and less RAM, making it slightly less optimal for tasks requiring extensive multitasking or color-precise work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
6.8/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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
7.9/10
6.3/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED is 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
8.9/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1620
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
600.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a vibrant and precise display for everyday tasks and professional design work, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED provides high resolution and brightness, along with wide color ranges that meet high standards for color-sensitive tasks. However, for gaming or working with 3D applications where motion clarity is key, its screen refresh rate isn't ideal, so you may find the experience lacking compared to other laptops built specifically for these purposes. The MSI GF65 Thin, while offering reasonable resolution and brightness for daily use and engineering software, doesn't match the Vivobook's display prowess in color reproduction, nor does it excel in refresh rate, making it a more modest choice across different use cases.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED 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.
Cost
$990
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a price of $990 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
The MSI GF65 Thin and ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED has a high-refresh-rate OLED screen and an integrated GPU suitable for casual gaming, while the MSI GF65 Thin offers a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a faster refresh rate display, making it better for intense gaming and 3D tasks despite its lower screen resolution. The higher-end CPU in the ASUS can handle demanding applications well, but the MSI's stronger GPU means it will excel in graphics-related performance, which is crucial for games and 3D modeling.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and MSI GF65 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED to have 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"The Asus Vivobook S 15 OLED excels as a capable work machine at an affordable price. It offers commendable performance, thanks to its 12th Gen Intel chip, delivers quality on-screen entertainment with its 15.6-inch OLED display, and can (kind of) get you through a full day of work. Oh, and its special Asus Antibacterial Guard is a nice touch for those who like a clean laptop."
"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 S 15 OLED 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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