If you prioritize a balance between performance and price, you could go for the ASUS Zenbook 14, which is less expensive and offers decent performance for general use with a high-quality OLED screen. However, if you're into gaming or require more graphics-intensive tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning, the MSI GF65 Thin is better suited thanks to its powerful graphics card, despite being more expensive and heavier, which affects its portability. Keep in mind that while the MSI has a higher refresh rate display which is great for gaming, the ASUS offers better screen resolution and quality for other tasks. 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 14
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook 14.
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
6.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a superior screen quality with its OLED display and high resolution, contributing to better visual experience, plus it has a larger battery capacity for longer use, all housed in a slim and lightweight design enhancing portability.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a high-quality OLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate, making it suitable for casual gaming and 3D tasks with vibrant visuals but limited by less powerful graphics processing. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin features a more potent Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a faster 144Hz IPS screen, leading to smoother gameplay and better performance in 3D applications, albeit with slightly inferior screen color quality.
Software Development
7.2/10
6.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.3/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When considering screen quality for general use, the ASUS Zenbook 14 excels due to its superior panel type, resolution, and brightness, providing a crisp and vibrant display for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, the same laptop offers a wide color gamut, essential for accurate color reproduction and detailed visuals needed by professionals. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the MSI GF65 Thin, although it offers a fair display, falls short in refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion, making neither laptop ideal for fast-paced, visually intensive activities.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 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
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
6.7/10
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 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.
Cost
$300
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook 14 to be good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14, with its high-quality OLED screen and a capable built-in GPU, is designed for both premium business use and creative tasks requiring accurate colors and clear visuals, bolstered by a robust battery to support mobile work sessions. The MSI GF65 Thin, equipped with a high-end dedicated GPU and a display with a higher refresh rate, caters to engineering design with a lean towards gaming needs, at the expense of lower battery life and greater weight which impacts portability.
Content Creation
7.3/10
6.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook 14 to be 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook 14 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"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 Zenbook 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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