The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is a higher-priced option with better overall performance due to its more powerful processor and graphics card, making it suitable for demanding gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering tasks. It also has a larger storage and more RAM, enhancing multitasking capabilities. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, impacting its portability. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin is less expensive and lighter, making it more portable, but it has lower storage capacity, less RAM, and less powerful hardware. It is still capable of gaming and general use, but it may not perform as well in intensive tasks. 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 Scar 15
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
283.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is equipped with a more powerful CPU and double the RAM, providing better multitasking and performance for general tasks than the MSI GF65 Thin, which has a less capable CPU and less memory. Furthermore, the ASUS has a higher-quality screen and longer battery life, enhancing the user experience for everyday activities, while the MSI, despite being lighter and more compact, falls short in these areas, making it less suited for such use.
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
6.8/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 provides superior gaming and 3D performance due to its more powerful GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, and a higher screen refresh rate of 300 Hz, enabling smoother visuals and better handling of fast-paced action; whereas the MSI GF65 Thin is equipped with the Nvidia RTX 3060 and a 144 Hz screen refresh rate, delivering less graphical horsepower and a less fluid visual experience.
Engineering and Design
8.5/10
6.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 is considered very good for engineering and design use due to its more powerful Intel i9 processor, higher-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, and greater amount of RAM, which significantly enhance performance for compute-intensive tasks and graphics-related work, but it is heavier and less portable compared to the MSI GF65 Thin. Despite the MSI GF65 Thin being good for engineering and design use with its capable Intel i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, it has less RAM and a less powerful GPU than the ASUS, which may limit performance in very demanding applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
6.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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
7.4/10
6.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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
7.9/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
283.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 offers a display that delivers sharp, bright visuals, making it pleasant for a variety of everyday tasks, while the MSI GF65 Thin provides acceptable clarity and brightness, but it won't be as vibrant or detailed. When it comes to engineering and design where accurate color reproduction is crucial, the ASUS excels with wider color coverage, which is important for professional photo editing and graphic design, whereas the MSI's color range is more limited, making it less ideal for precision work. For gaming and 3D applications, the high refresh rate is key for smooth motion, and in this scenario, both the ASUS and MSI may fall short, especially if fast-paced visuals are not displayed as smoothly as desired, affecting the gaming experience.
Battery
5.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
7.8/10
6.7/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 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
$2,000
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has a price of $2,000 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GF65 Thin to have good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"Asus continues to refine the ROG Strix Scar lineup with new upgrades. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 15 offers almost everything you would expect from a gaming laptop at this price. The build quality is great, connectivity options are decent, and there is enough scope for internal upgrades as well. Asus reverts to membrane switches for the keyboard — though not as "clickety" as the opto-mechanical ones we saw with last year's model, they still make for a decent typing and gaming experience. The lack of biometrics in any form is a downer."
"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."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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