Go for the ASUS Zenbook 13 if you prioritize portability and affordability, since it's lighter, smaller, and less expensive. It offers good performance for general use, a high-quality OLED screen for sharp colors, and decent battery life. However, the MSI Stealth GS77 is the better choice for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, engineering, and gaming due to its more powerful processor and graphics card, and larger, faster-refreshing display. Keep in mind that the MSI is heavier, less portable, and more expensive, but it also has a higher resolution display and better build quality for demanding applications. 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 Stealth GS77
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
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
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
378.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS77 is deemed very good for general use largely due to its more powerful CPU, larger amount of RAM, and higher resolution screen, offering robust performance and sharper visuals despite being less portable and having shorter battery life compared to the ASUS Zenbook 13. The Zenbook 13, while good for general use, prioritizes portability and longer battery life, with a more compact and lighter build and an OLED screen that offers deep colors and contrast, but it has less RAM and a less powerful CPU than the Stealth GS77.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
7.9/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.3/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 13 is equipped with an integrated AMD GPU and a standard refresh rate screen, which provides a decent but not optimal gaming and 3D experience due to lower graphical power and limited visuals. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth GS77 includes a high-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a high refresh rate screen, enhancing gaming and 3D graphics performance with better visuals and smoother motion.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.7/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth GS77 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS77's stronger CPU, significantly more RAM, and higher-tier dedicated GPU are why it's rated very good for engineering and design; its larger, high-resolution screen also complements these tasks. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 13, while highly portable, has a less powerful integrated GPU, less RAM, and a lower-tier CPU, making it only fair for such demanding work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.3/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
7.3/10
8.1/10
5.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
7.8/10
8.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
378.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS77 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 13 for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook 13 and MSI Stealth GS77 both have panels that offer sharp images and good brightness, making for a pleasant viewing experience in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design, these laptops have displays with a wide color gamut, providing accuracy necessary for detailed and color-critical work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens have lower refresh rates, which means less fluid motion and potentially more noticeable lag during fast-paced activities.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS77 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
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI Stealth GS77 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS77 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
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has a price of $890 and the MSI Stealth GS77 costs $2,499.
"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 Stealth GS77 is better than the GS76... mostly. The GS77 is a few steps forward and a few steps back from the GS76. Improvements are numerous including the stronger and more rigid skeleton, higher resolution webcam, larger clickpad, easier serviceability, relatively similar battery runtimes, newer display options, and higher performance at about the same TDP and TGP levels as before. CPU performance is better than expected even when compared to other laptops with Core i7 or Core i9 processors. The newer model feels more substantial than the outgoing one for higher quality impressions as well."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 13 or the MSI Stealth GS77
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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