If you prioritize top-of-the-line performance and an expansive screen for intensive engineering tasks or gaming, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a powerful processor and graphics card, a larger and higher resolution display, and a higher refresh rate, making it a superior choice but with less portability due to its size and weight. However, if you are looking for something more affordable and portable without compromising too much on power for general use and gaming, the MSI GP66 Leopard, with its effective heat management and solid build, offers a potent graphics card and a good-quality display at a lower cost and weight, though with a smaller screen and lower battery capacity. 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 ASUS ROG Strix G18
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
8.3/10
7.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
422.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers enhanced general use experience with a top-tier CPU, more RAM for multitasking, a higher-resolution and brighter screen for clearer visuals, though it is less portable and has shorter battery life compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard, which still delivers satisfactory performance with a capable CPU and sufficient RAM, better portability, and more effective heat management, making it a balanced choice for everyday tasks. Additionally, both laptops have good build quality and speaker systems, but the ASUS stands out with its higher screen color accuracy and larger storage, whereas the MSI might appeal for its quieter operation and superior fan noise management.
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
7.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers superior gaming and 3D performance largely due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, which provides smoother gameplay and better handling of dynamic 3D content compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard that has an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a lower refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is deemed very good for engineering and design because it packs a top-tier processor (Intel i9), ample memory, and a high-end GPU (Nvidia RTX 4070) which, along with a superior screen, ensure smooth handling of demanding tasks. In contrast, the MSI GP66 Leopard, with a faster CPU (Intel i7), substantial memory, and a potent GPU (Nvidia RTX 3080), is also well-suited for rigorous workloads but its screen and overall capabilities, while solid, don't quite match the performance and quality offered by the ASUS model.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
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
8.1/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for software development, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
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
8.7/10
7.5/10
18.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 likely offers a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness suitable for day-to-day activities and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI GP66 Leopard, with its good quality display, strikes a balance for both everyday tasks and professional design applications due to accurate color representation, but like the ASUS, it may not support the high refresh rates gamers need for smooth motion. While both laptops provide clear and sharp images for general use and are equipped for the color demands of engineering and design, neither is optimized for the high-frame-rate experience crucial in gaming and 3D rendering environments.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
Poor
Fair
18.0in
SIZE
15.6in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,299
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a price of $2,299 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GP66 Leopard to have very good build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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