If you prioritize a lightweight, versatile design suitable for everyday tasks and prefer a longer battery life, the HP Spectre x360 14 is a great choice, particularly for business or creative work thanks to its 2-in-1 form factor. On the other hand, if your focus is on gaming or demanding graphical tasks and you require higher performance, the MSI GF65 Thin, with more powerful graphics capabilities, will better meet your needs, though it may compromise on battery life and portability compared to the Spectre. 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 Spectre x360 14
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good portability
Good battery life
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the HP Spectre x360 14.
Key differences
General Use
8.7/10
6.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
384.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The HP Spectre x360 14 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The HP Spectre x360 14 offers a balance of strong performance due to its CPU and ample RAM, high screen quality, and long battery life, making it lightweight and ideal for everyday mobility, while the MSI GF65 Thin focuses on gaming capabilities which compromises its battery life and portability but provides higher storage and robust heat management for performance-intensive tasks. The Spectre's build quality also enhances its portability and overall user experience with a better keyboard and quieter operation, whereas the GF65 may have a more powerful CPU suited for demanding applications but falls short in screen quality and speaker performance for general use.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.7/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The HP Spectre x360 14 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The HP Spectre x360 14 offers a brighter, more color-accurate screen and a more versatile form factor which is ideal for engineers and designers who prioritize visual clarity and flexibility in use; its build also ensures a comfortable keyboard and lower operating noise, enhancing the overall user experience. Meanwhile, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its powerful CPU and dedicated GPU, provides the necessary performance for demanding engineering software and tasks, but trades off some portability and has a less premium build and speaker quality compared to the HP.
Content Creation
8.7/10
6.8/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The HP Spectre x360 14 is very 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
8.4/10
6.3/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 14 is very 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
8.6/10
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
384.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The HP Spectre x360 14 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 Spectre x360 14 boasts a high-resolution display that provides crisp and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work, and its panel produces wide color gamuts, crucial for accurate color representation in design applications. However, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications and gaming where smoother visuals are essential. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, while offering a fair resolution and adequate colors for routine and professional tasks, also falls short for gaming and 3D due to a modest refresh rate that doesn't support the high-frame-rate experience these activities often require.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The HP Spectre x360 14 has 9 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
3.4 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The HP Spectre x360 14 has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
6.7/10
The HP Spectre x360 14 has very 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
$1,630
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Spectre x360 14 has a price of $1,630 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
The HP Spectre x360 14 and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The HP Spectre x360 14, while having a versatile 2-in-1 design with a high-quality screen, has a less powerful GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, making it less ideal for high-end gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin prioritizes a more robust GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which better supports demanding gaming scenarios, although its screen quality and CPU may not match the premium feel of the Spectre.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP Spectre x360 14 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"The numbers don’t lie — the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is a star, and a hell of a one at that. From performance to battery life, this machine is a dream. But why didn’t I give it a perfect score? Well, I wish the display performed better and that there were more ports to go around. If you’re itching for someone a little cheaper that offers a brighter display and significantly more battery life, I can only recommend the MacBook Pro 14 as a suitable substitute. Otherwise, the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) is the perfect choice for those who want a reliable premium laptop."
"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 Spectre x360 14 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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,395
Recommendations made
21,753
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.