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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the MSI Raider GE78 involves prioritizing aspects such as price, performance, and portability. The ASUS typically costs less and is slightly more portable, with a larger 18-inch screen, adequate for general use and intensive gaming. The MSI has double the storage, more RAM, and a more powerful graphics card, making it better suited for high-performance tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications, though it comes at a higher cost and reduced portability due to its weight and larger power brick. Both have similar battery life, but this can vary with usage. 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
- The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.7
9.5
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is highly suitable for gaming and 3D because it has a strong GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4070, and features a high refresh rate screen, both very important for a smooth gaming experience; however, the MSI Raider GE78 is considered the best for these tasks as it comes with the more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090, ensuring exceptional graphical prowess, and offers similar screen refresh rate and quality, making it superior in rendering games and 3D applications.
Screen Quality
8.7
8.6
18.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix G18 for content creation.
When considering laptops for general use, the panel type, resolution, and brightness contribute to a clear and vivid display; both the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the MSI Raider GE78 excel in these areas with high-resolution displays that offer crisp images and good visibility in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design work, accurate color reproduction is essential; these laptops provide wide color gamuts, ensuring that designers and engineers see precise colors for their projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, a high refresh rate is critical for smooth visuals, and despite the strengths in other areas, both the ASUS and MSI models fall short in delivering the optimal gaming experience due to lower refresh rates.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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
7.8
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has 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.
Cost
$1,900
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a price of $1,900 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
8.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
422.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and ASUS ROG Strix G18 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and MSI Raider GE78 are both equipped with high-end CPUs and substantial RAM, which ensures smooth performance for everyday tasks and multitasking, while their IPS displays with high resolution and color coverage deliver clear and vibrant visuals for general use. However, the ASUS offers slightly better battery life facilitating longer use away from a power source, whereas the MSI has more storage and RAM, which may benefit heavy-duty applications or those who require extensive local storage but comes at the cost of shorter battery life and slightly less portability due to its weight.
Engineering and Design
8.9
9.4
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE78 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18, with its powerful CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality GPU, is very good for engineering and design use, but the MSI Raider GE78 ups the ante with double the storage, twice as much RAM, and an even more superior GPU, making it excellent for the most demanding tasks.
Content Creation
8.6
8.8
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and ASUS ROG Strix G18 are both very good for content creation.
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
8.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and ASUS ROG Strix G18 are both very good for software development.
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.
Portability
Poor
Poor
18.0in
SIZE
17.3in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and MSI Raider GE78 both have poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Strix G18 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,900 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.6'' x 1.06'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.61 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.57" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13980HX | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 18" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 422 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.3/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Strix G18
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | March 2023
"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."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the MSI Raider GE78
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.
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Why trust us
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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