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Updated January 12, 2024·
The MSI GF65 Thin is a more budget-friendly option that still offers strong performance with a mid-tier processor and graphics card, making it suitable for general use and entry-level gaming or engineering tasks. It's less portable due to a larger screen and heavier weight, but it has a good range of ports for connectivity. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is slightly more expensive with a superior processor, higher-end graphics, and a higher resolution display with a higher refresh rate, making it better for intensive tasks including 3D rendering, machine learning, and high-end gaming. It's also more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, and it has a longer battery life, but it sacrifices some connectivity options in favor of portability. If portability and high-end performance are your priorities and you don't mind spending more, the Stealth 14 Studio would be the better choice. If you want to save money and need a machine that can handle general tasks with some gaming and engineering uses, the GF65 Thin would suffice. 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 Stealth 14 Studio.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
6.5
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
262.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers better performance for general use due to its superior CPU, more RAM, and improved screen quality with higher brightness and color coverage than the MSI GF65 Thin. Additionally, the Stealth 14 Studio enhances portability with a lighter build and longer battery life, while the GF65 Thin, despite having adequate features for general use, falls short in these aspects.
Gaming and AI
6.8
7.8
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF65 Thin, with its RTX 3060 graphics card and 144Hz screen refresh rate, offers a fair gaming experience; however, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio steps up performance for gaming and 3D tasks with the more powerful RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 165Hz refresh rate, along with a better CPU and improved screen quality.
Engineering and Design
6.7
8.5
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
6.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF65 Thin is designed for engineering with its mid-range processor, a decent amount of RAM, a capable GPU, and an IPS screen with average color space coverage and brightness, balancing performance with budget considerations. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers enhanced performance with a more powerful processor, double the RAM, a higher-tier GPU, and a brighter, more color-accurate screen, better suiting professionals who demand top-tier performance and can accommodate a higher price, at the cost of slightly reduced portability due to a heavier build.
Content Creation
6.8
7.9
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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
6.3
7.4
4.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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
6.8
7.6
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
262.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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 provides a decent balance between resolution and brightness, which suits day-to-day tasks, but its limited color range is less ideal for engineering and design where color accuracy is crucial. Meanwhile, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers better color accuracy and a sharper image, making it well-suited for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D purposes, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can affect the smoothness of fast-paced visuals and may not appeal to gamers who prioritize fluid motion in their games.
Build Quality
6.7
7.6
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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
$1,525
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The MSI GF65 Thin has a price of $1,100 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,525.
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Key similarities
Battery
4.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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 Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI GF65 Thin | MSI Stealth 14 Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | 12.4'' x 9.7'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.1 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.13" | 12.4" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.99" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-10500H | Intel i7-13620H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 51 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 262 nits | 300 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | 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 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
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 Stealth 14 Studio
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | June 2023
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the MSI GF65 Thin or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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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