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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 is more expensive but offers a high-resolution touchscreen, better portability, and longer battery life, suitable for business and general use. It has more storage and RAM for multitasking and complex applications. The MSI GF65 Thin is less expensive with a larger screen and high refresh rate for smoother visuals, making it suitable for gaming thanks to its powerful graphics card. It's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which may not be ideal for frequent travel. The right choice depends on whether you prioritize portability and battery life or gaming performance and a larger display for a lower price. 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 Flip S13
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
- Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the ASUS Zenbook Flip S13.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
6.5
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
10.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 excels in general use with its high-quality display, lightweight and thin design for portability, and longer battery life, coupled with a powerful CPU and ample RAM; it's also versatile due to its 2-in-1 convertible feature.
Engineering and Design
7.4
6.7
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 is good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 is equipped with a high-resolution touchscreen and supports stylus input, making it ideal for detailed design work, while its Intel i7 processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics provide strong performance for engineering applications. Conversely, the MSI GF65 Thin has a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU that excels in graphics-intensive tasks and engineering simulations, yet it trades off some portability and screen quality, having a standard full HD display that doesn't support touch input.
Content Creation
7.8
6.8
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 is 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.
Software Development
7.6
6.3
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 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
7.9
6.8
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 offers a vibrant display with high resolution and brightness, making text and images appear crisp and easy to view in diverse lighting conditions; however, the MSI GF65 Thin has a more modest display which may not be as sharp or bright. The Zenbook's superior color gamut coverage ensures professionals in engineering and design enjoy accurate color representation for detailed work, an area where the GF65 Thin's fair color support might fall short. For gaming and 3D tasks where motion clarity is crucial, both laptops have screens with lower refresh rates, resulting in less fluid motion compared to laptops specifically tailored for high-refresh-rate gaming.
Battery
10.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has 10.5 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
Excellent
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has excellent portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
6.7
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 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
$1,400
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.8
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
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 Flip S13 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 has a high-resolution display but a lower-grade integrated GPU and is limited to 60Hz, making it adequate for casual gaming and 3D applications, but the MSI GF65 Thin, despite its lower resolution screen, comes with a higher-end discrete GPU and a 144Hz screen refresh rate, offering a more fluid gaming experience and better handling of graphics-intensive tasks. While the Zenbook Flip S13 emphasizes screen quality and portability, the GF65 Thin focuses on gaming performance and is better suited for more demanding 3D work due to its superior GPU and screen refresh rate.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Flip S13 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | August 1, 2021 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.3'' x 0.51'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.01" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.31" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1165G7 | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 67 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.3/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
ASUS Zenbook Flip S13
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jefferies | January 2023
"The Asus Zenbook S 13 Flip is an ultra-sleek 2-in-1 convertible. A gorgeous OLED screen and lightweight magnesium chassis make this convertible a traveller’s dream. Its SSD isn’t fast, but it won’t hold you back in everyday use. Its battery life also isn’t class leading, but it’s hardly off the pace. Overall, the Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED holds its head high in the premium convertible category and is a smaller alternative to the Spectre x360 13.5 and the Yoga 9i Gen 7."
MSI GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"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 Flip S13 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.
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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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