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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers a lower price, a larger screen, and a very high refresh rate which makes it great for gaming, but it's a bit heavier and has a slightly lower battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider, while more expensive, provides a sharper display with a higher resolution, more RAM for intensive tasks, and is lighter, which improves portability. The MSI also may better support demanding engineering applications and 3D/machine learning tasks due to its superior specs. If portability and high-resolution graphics are priorities, and budget isn't a constraint, the MSI could be a better option. However, for those prioritizing a larger screen and gaming performance without spending as much, the ASUS would be more suitable. 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 17
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.6
9.1
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers a solid performance for engineering and design with a high-end CPU and a robust GPU; however, the MSI GE66 Raider excels with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU, plus a higher resolution screen that also boasts better color accuracy, contrast, and brightness, making it excellent for detailed and color-critical work. While both laptops are bulky and not highly portable, the MSI’s relatively lighter weight and better heat management might offer a slight edge in portability and comfort for extended use.
Software Development
7.5
8.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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
8.1
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MSI GE66 Raider offers a sharper image and brighter display, enhancing your everyday activities like browsing and video streaming. The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI GE66 Raider both have wide color gamuts, ensuring that the colors in engineering and design work are vivid and accurate. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, both laptops fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less smooth visuals during fast-paced action.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider has only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,499
$3,199
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a price of $2,499 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
292.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GE66 Raider to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.4
8.6
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 360Hz, making it very good for smooth gameplay and fast-paced 3D applications. Meanwhile, the MSI GE66 Raider boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a higher resolution display, which is excellent for detailed gaming visuals and high-fidelity 3D rendering, although its screen refresh rate is lower at 120Hz.
Content Creation
8.2
8.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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
8.5
8.5
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI GE66 Raider both have very 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 Scar 17 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,499 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.02'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.39 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 292 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.9/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | No Webcam | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | May 2021
"Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop review: liquid metal 7 nm AMD Zen 3 is stunning. The raw performance increase is absolutely bonkers if you're upgrading from a laptop on Coffee Lake-H or older. The 45 W Ryzen 9 5900HX is neck-to-neck with the thicker, heavier, and hotter Schenker Ultra 17 running on a desktop-class Core i9-11900K despite their wide TDP differences. The performance-per-watt advantages can make Intel Rocket Lake feel like a last generation platform at times. As for the chassis itself, it's a huge light show with RGB LEDs on almost all sides of the system."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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