The HP Omen 16 is the better choice for users looking for better gaming and engineering performance because of its more powerful processor and graphics card. It will excel in newer games and software used for 3D modeling or machine learning tasks. On the other hand, the laptop is heavier and thicker, making it less portable than the MSI GF65 Thin. The MSI boasts a thinner and lighter design, ideal for those who prioritize portability, although it comes with less power under the hood due to an older processor and lower tier graphics card, which could lead to less performance in demanding tasks. Additionally, the HP Omen 16 is more up-to-date, launching in 2023, while the MSI was released in 2021, thus the HP might have newer features and better support going forward. 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 HP Omen 16
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
338.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The HP Omen 16 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.8/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The HP Omen 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The HP Omen 16 is better suited for gaming and 3D because it features a higher-tier graphics card, the Nvidia RTX 4060, and a higher screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which provides smoother visuals and better performance in fast-paced games compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which comes with a Nvidia RTX 3060 and a lower refresh rate of 144Hz.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.7/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The HP Omen 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The HP Omen 16 excels for engineering and design tasks with its higher-tier CPU and GPU, ample RAM, and quality screen with better color coverage and contrast. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, while lighter and more portable, offers good capabilities with a mid-range CPU and GPU, sufficient RAM for less demanding tasks, and a decent screen, but it is less suited for highly intensive work due to its lower color accuracy and contrast.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.8/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Omen 16 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
7.6/10
6.3/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Omen 16 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
7.6/10
6.8/10
16.1in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
338.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The HP Omen 16 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The HP Omen 16 likely boasts higher resolution and brightness, making it a good choice for general use and detailed engineering tasks where clarity and color accuracy are crucial. However, its lower refresh rate may not deliver the smooth visuals desired for gaming and 3D applications. The MSI GF65 Thin, while adequate for everyday and professional work with fair screen resolution and brightness, also falls short for gaming because of its subpar refresh rate, which can hinder the experience in fast-paced visual environments.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The HP Omen 16 has 6 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
Fair
Good
16.1in
SIZE
15.6in
5.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the HP Omen 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.7/10
The HP Omen 16 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.
"The Omen 16 has proven to be a fairly good mid-range gaming laptop with all-around improvements compared to the Omen 15. The high overall performance level across all use cases, the long battery life, and the good FHD display constitute the main advantages of this HP laptop. The main drawbacks are the faulty touchpad (one-off?) and the high latencies that can be observed even after just opening the browser. Furthermore, the useless, preinstalled 30-day trial versions of various software also fall under the category "unnecessary"."
"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 HP Omen 16 or the MSI GF65 Thin
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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