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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Ultra 13 offers better portability and battery life, which is ideal for general use that involves frequent mobility and less power-intensive tasks. Conversely, the MSI GF65 Thin is better equipped for gaming or intensive tasks like 3D rendering and engineering, thanks to its powerful graphics card, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. The MSI comes with more storage but less RAM than the LG and is also more expensive. Choose the LG for everyday tasks and mobility, or the MSI for performance-heavy activities and less concern about portability and battery life. 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 LG Ultra 13
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the LG Ultra 13.
Key differences
General Use
7.2
6.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
9.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The LG Ultra 13 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The LG Ultra 13 is rated highly for general use due to its balance of a strong CPU, ample RAM, high-quality screen, excellent portability, and long battery life. In comparison, the MSI GF65 Thin, while having a powerful GPU suitable for gaming, is rated lower for general use because it is heavier, has a shorter battery life, and despite having a larger screen, it falls short in color accuracy and screen brightness, which are important for media consumption and productivity tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.1
6.8
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and LG Ultra 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the MSI GF65 Thin is somewhat better.
The LG Ultra 13, while suitable for casual gaming, may struggle in more graphics-intensive games or 3D tasks due to a less powerful GPU and lower screen refresh rate compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which offers better gaming performance with a stronger GPU and higher refresh rate, enhancing the visual smoothness and overall gaming experience. The MSI’s advantage, however, might come at a higher price and could affect battery life, so consider your budget and mobility needs when choosing between them.
Software Development
7.2
6.3
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The LG Ultra 13 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
6.9
6.8
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The LG Ultra 13 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The LG Ultra 13, with its vivid resolution and bright display, excels in clarity and detail for general use and engineering tasks where color accuracy is key. However, its lower refresh rate hinders smooth visuals during fast-paced gaming and 3D applications. Contrastingly, the MSI GF65 Thin offers a balanced experience with adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color representation for engineering, but it also falls short for gaming and 3D work due to its subpar refresh rate.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The LG Ultra 13 has 10 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
2.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The LG Ultra 13 has excellent portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.7
The LG Ultra 13 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
$529
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The LG Ultra 13 has a price of $529 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
6.6
6.7
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GF65 Thin and LG Ultra 13 are both only fair for engineering and design.
The LG Ultra 13 with an AMD Ryzen 7 integrated graphics is not as capable in handling the intensive graphical requirements of engineering and design software as the MSI GF65 Thin, which boasts a dedicated Nvidia RTX GPU, known to be good for such tasks.
Content Creation
7.2
6.8
4.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Ultra 13 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 LG Ultra 13 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Ultra 13 | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$529 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.1'' x 8.1'' x 0.6'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.16 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.08" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.14" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U | 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 | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 300 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
LG Ultra 13
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | April 2017
"The 13.3-inch LG Gram is a fine fit if you need to travel as light as possible for as long as possible without spending a fortune to do it. It might not be particularly sturdy or have an eye-catching design and its webcam is less than ideal, but with its sharp touch display, comfortable backlit keyboard, responsive touchpad and a fingerprint reader for extra security, the Gram makes a respectible everyday laptop for business or school work."
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 LG Ultra 13 or the MSI GF65 Thin
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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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