The ASUS Zenbook 13 is typically less expensive, more portable and offers better battery life, which makes it suitable for general use and regular travel. It has a high-quality OLED display which is great for casual entertainment and productivity tasks with adequate color coverage. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while typically more expensive and heavier, provides substantially higher performance thanks to a more powerful CPU and GPU combination, making it well-suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. The Leopard also includes features like hardware ray tracing and DLSS which are beneficial for gaming and graphic-intensive tasks. Choose the Zenbook 13 for everyday use and portability, whereas the Leopard is better for high-performance needs despite being less portable and having shorter battery life. 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 13
Excellent portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
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
7.1/10
7.9/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for engineering and design, though the MSI GP66 Leopard is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with its less powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU, 8GB RAM, and integrated graphics, is fair for engineering and design due to its moderate performance capabilities, although it offers high screen quality with full sRGB coverage. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard edges ahead as good for these tasks with its stronger Intel i7-11800H CPU, double the RAM at 16GB, and dedicated GPU, providing enhanced performance despite a marginally lower sRGB screen coverage.
Screen Quality
7.8/10
7.5/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 13 likely offers a crisper, clearer display with higher resolution and brightness, making it pleasant to use for everyday tasks such as browsing and video streaming. In the realm of engineering and design, the ASUS Zenbook 13 superiorly reproduces colors with a wider range of the color spectrum, essential for precision in visual projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the speed at which the screen refreshes is crucial, both laptops fall short, but the ASUS may be additionally disadvantaged if it has a slower refresh rate compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 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
Excellent
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$890
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 excels in general use with its compact and lightweight design, OLED screen delivering vivid colors, and long battery life making it highly portable, while the MSI GP66 Leopard offers more RAM and a high-performance CPU suited for demanding tasks, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may not be as convenient for frequent travelers or those needing all-day usage. Both laptops have a solid build, good screen resolution, and ample storage, but the Zenbook is better for on-the-go users who prioritize screen quality and battery life, whereas the GP66 Leopard is aimed at users who need extra power for intensive applications at the expense of portability.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook 13 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
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 13 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 Zenbook 13 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
"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 Zenbook 13 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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