The ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers high-end gaming and productivity capabilities with its powerful processor and graphics card, suitable for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming. However, it is less portable due to its size and weight, and comes at a higher price. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 15, while more affordable and portable, is best suited for general productivity tasks and is less capable for demanding graphics or engineering software due to its less powerful processor and graphics card. Consider your primary use case and budget when making a decision. 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
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 15
Good portability
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
298.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for general use, while the MSI Prestige 15 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 excels in general use with a high-end CPU, ample RAM, a quality screen, but it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 15 offers good general use performance with sufficient CPU and RAM, a decent screen, better portability due to its lighter weight and slightly longer battery life, at the expense of less powerful gaming capabilities.
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
6.3/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 15 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Prestige 15 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
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 Prestige 15 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
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for software development, while the MSI Prestige 15 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
6.8/10
18.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When comparing the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and MSI Prestige 15, the ASUS stands out with very good screen quality for general use and engineering tasks due to its high resolution and strong color reproduction covering wide color gamuts, making it excellent for detailed work and accurate color grading. For general use, the MSI Prestige 15 provides a balanced experience with good resolution and brightness, ensuring comfortable daily tasks and media consumption. However, for gaming and 3D purposes, both laptops fall short because of their lower refresh rates, which limit the smoothness and responsiveness critical for these applications.
Portability
Poor
Good
18.0in
SIZE
15.6in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Prestige 15 has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,299
$1,044
$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 Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
"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 Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the MSI Prestige 15
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,595
Recommendations made
22,013
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.