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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize battery life and higher resolution display for tasks like photo and video editing or coding, the MSI Prestige 16 would be a better choice, as it also offers a larger screen and superior color coverage which is great for creative works. On the other hand, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option with decent gaming capabilities, thanks to a dedicated GPU, the MSI GF65 Thin is suitable for gaming and general use with the tradeoff of shorter battery life and a lower resolution display. The Prestige 16's higher RAM and processor are likely to offer better multitasking and faster performance for engineering and professional tasks, but it might be more expensive. Both laptops have their own merits, but your decision should hinge on whether performance and display quality for professional use or cost and gaming capability are your priority. 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 MSI GF65 Thin
- The MSI GF65 Thin has no clear advantages over the MSI Prestige 16.
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16
- 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
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
6.5
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI Prestige 16 stands out for general use with a higher capacity battery, a more powerful Intel i7 processor, more RAM, and a higher-resolution screen than the MSI GF65 Thin, contributing to better multitasking, performance, and visual experience. Furthermore, the Prestige 16's larger storage, better portability due to its thinness, and modern operating system enhance its suitability for a wider range of everyday tasks compared to the GF65 Thin.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.2
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI Prestige 16 outshines the MSI GF65 Thin for engineering and design use due to its superior CPU, ample RAM, and higher-quality screen, enhancing performance for intensive tasks and visual clarity. While both have quality IPS screens, the GF65 Thin is more modestly equipped, making it suitable for less demanding applications, and it's slightly more portable due to being lighter, but the Prestige 16 offers a significant uptick in processing power and screen resolution which is crucial for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
6.8
8.3
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 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
6.3
8.1
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 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
6.8
8.3
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI GF65 Thin's fair screen has adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but may lack the vibrant colors that professionals need for engineering and design due to limited color gamut coverage. The MSI Prestige 16 stands out with its very good screen, offering a high resolution and wide color gamut, which ensures precise color representation crucial for engineering and design applications. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D, as their screens have lower refresh rates, which are less optimal for the smooth visuals expected in those fields.
Battery
4.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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.
Build Quality
6.7
7.4
The MSI Prestige 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.
Cost
$1,100
$1,611
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI GF65 Thin has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.8
6.7
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI GF65 Thin and MSI Prestige 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MSI GF65 Thin's Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a 144Hz screen refresh rate make it a decent choice for gaming and 3D, but the MSI Prestige 16, with a more capable CPU and higher screen quality, including greater pixel density and color accuracy, earns its higher regard even without a dedicated gaming GPU.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 16 and MSI GF65 Thin both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the MSI GF65 Thin and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GF65 Thin | MSI Prestige 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,611 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.1 lbs | 4.2 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-10500H | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
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."
MSI Prestige 16
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Dig into reviews and images
Make Use Of
Paul Antill | June 2023
"The MSI Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the MSI GF65 Thin or the MSI Prestige 16
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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