A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook 13 excels in portability and is suitable for everyday tasks and light engineering work, but it isn't built for intensive gaming or demanding 3D applications. Conversely, the MSI Raider GE78 offers superior performance for gaming, engineering, and machine learning tasks due to its more powerful hardware, but it is less portable and may have shorter battery life. If portability and battery are priorities, and your work isn’t graphics-intensive, the ASUS may suit you well. However, if you need high performance for complex tasks and don't mind a heavier laptop with potentially more frequent charging, consider the MSI Raider GE78. 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
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
378.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 is well-suited for general use with its lightweight design and impressive battery life, making it highly portable for everyday tasks, alongside its good screen and satisfactory performance metrics due to a capable CPU and sufficient RAM. Conversely, the MSI Raider GE78 offers exceptional performance with a top-tier CPU and ample RAM, superior screen quality, and excellent keyboard and speaker quality, but its larger size, heavier weight, and shorter battery life reduce its portability compared to the Zenbook.
Gaming and AI
6.2
9.5
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with its integrated Vega 8 GPU and a 60Hz screen refresh rate, is suitable for lighter gaming and 3D tasks, while the MSI Raider GE78 boasts a much more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a higher 240Hz screen refresh rate, enabling it to deliver top-tier performance for gaming and demanding 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.1
9.4
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 13, with a moderate processor, integrated graphics, and a smaller screen, is adequate for less demanding engineering tasks and offers better portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 packs a high-end CPU, top-tier dedicated graphics, and a larger, higher-quality display, making it excellent for intensive engineering and design work, though it is heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
7.6
8.8
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
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
8.5
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
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
7.8
8.6
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 13 for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
When selecting a laptop for general use, both the ASUS Zenbook 13 and MSI Raider GE78 offer screens with sufficient resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, their high color accuracy across different spectrums ensures precise color representation which is crucial for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may result in less fluid motion, affecting gaming performance and the smoothness of 3D animations.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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
Poor
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 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
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 13 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook 13 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$890 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8'' x 0.55'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.55 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 7.99" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 5700U | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 67 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 378 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook 13
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Bade | May 2021
"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."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the MSI Raider GE78
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.
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