The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers superior performance and a larger screen, suited for intensive engineering tasks or high-end gaming. It, however, commands a premium price, is heavier, and might have a shorter battery life, impacting portability. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is less expensive and more portable, due to its smaller screen size and lighter weight, making it ideal for general use or light 3D/machine learning applications. Despite being a more cost-effective option, it has modest performance compared to the ASUS, potentially affecting tasks that require high computing power. Consider your primary use case and whether portability or top-tier performance is more important for your needs. 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 for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
7.8/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 comes with a high-end GPU and a high screen refresh rate, providing smooth and immersive gaming and 3D experiences, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, with a quality GPU and respectable refresh rate, ensures good performance in similar tasks. Although both offer capable CPUs and good screen quality, the ASUS edges ahead with superior graphics capabilities essential for the most demanding games and 3D applications.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
7.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 14 Studio for general use, gaming and AI, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio laptops offer screens with high resolution and brightness, yielding crisp and vibrant displays that are easy on the eyes for everyday tasks. Those involved in engineering and design will appreciate their wide color gamuts, ensuring precise color accuracy necessary for professional-level graphics work. However, gamers and 3D professionals might find these laptops lacking, as their screens have lower refresh rates that can't provide the ultra-smooth visuals desired in fast-paced games and 3D simulations.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.6/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,432
$500
$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 Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,432.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 excels in general use thanks to its top-tier CPU and RAM that provide snappy performance, along with a high-quality screen, but is less portable and has a relatively shorter battery life. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers good general use performance with a competent CPU and RAM, while also boasting better portability, a slightly better screen by resolution and quality, but with a shorter battery life and compromised heat management compared to the ASUS.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
8.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is favored for engineering and design tasks due to its high-performing CPU and GPU, which are critical for running complex software, and a screen with high refresh rates; however, it has less portability due to its larger size. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, while still offering competitive CPU and GPU performance necessary for demanding tasks, also provides a high-quality, color-accurate screen and better portability due to its smaller and lighter frame.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.9/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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
7.5/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio are both 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
"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."
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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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