The ASUS Zenbook 14 is more budget-friendly and lighter, making it suitable for general use and carrying around, with a high-quality OLED screen for vivid colors. However, it has less power and storage compared to the MSI Raider GE66, which is a more expensive, high-performance laptop with a robust graphics card for intensive 3D, machine learning, gaming, and engineering tasks. The Raider also has a larger display and higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, but it's heavier, making it less portable. Choose the ASUS if you prioritize portability and value, while the MSI is better for demanding applications and gaming. 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
Very good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
8.3/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The MSI Raider GE66 stands out for general use due to its more powerful CPU, significantly higher RAM, and better GPU than the ASUS Zenbook 14, complemented by a larger and faster-refresh-rate screen that enhances visual engagement, despite its heavier weight and shorter battery life which affect portability.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
8.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
8.9/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
8.0/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Raider GE66 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.3/10
8.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE66 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 offers a sharp and bright display, making text and images clear for day-to-day activities and detailed work in engineering design thanks to its high resolution and panel type, but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals needed in 3D gaming. Similarly, the MSI Raider GE66 has a display that works well for both general use and precise tasks like engineering because of its excellent color accuracy and resolution, though its gaming performance suffers due to the same limitations in refresh rate. For users focused on gaming and 3D applications, a laptop with a higher refresh rate would enhance the smoothness and responsiveness of the visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$300
$2,499
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
"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 Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14 or the MSI Raider GE66
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.