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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the MSI Stealth 17, consider the MSI offers greater storage capacity and more RAM, which is beneficial for multitasking and storage-intensive tasks; it also has a superior main processor and GPU, increasing its performance for 3D, machine learning, and gaming. On the downside, the MSI has a shorter battery life and is a bit less portable than the ASUS. The ASUS, while less expensive and lighter, has less RAM and a less powerful GPU, making it less suitable for intensive tasks. Each has a 17.3-inch display, but the MSI’s has a higher resolution, which can make visuals sharper, though it might affect battery life. Both are gaming-oriented but the MSI stealth 17 looks to have a slight edge for non-gaming professional uses, given its higher specs and Windows 11 Pro operating system. 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 overall build quality
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
292.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers a high refresh rate screen for smooth visuals and a sizable battery capacity, making it suitable for general use, but its heavier weight and size hinder its portability. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 comes with a sharper and more vivid screen and a larger battery, promising better on-the-go media experience, while its greater RAM and storage capacity enhance performance for multitasking and extensive storage needs; however, it trades off some portability due to its similarly significant size and weight.
Gaming and AI
8.4
9.1
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17's high screen refresh rate is superb for smooth gameplay and 3D rendering, backed by a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, but the MSI Stealth 17 stands out with an even more robust Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU along with a higher-resolution screen that enhances overall image quality, albeit at a lower refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.6
9.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU and quality GPU which are essential for computing and rendering tasks, but the MSI Stealth 17 is considered excellent with its more advanced CPU and top-tier GPU, significantly enhancing performance for the most demanding applications. Additionally, the MSI has a superior screen resolution and color coverage, which is important for detailed visual work, despite being less portable and noisier under load compared to the ASUS.
Content Creation
8.2
8.8
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 and ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth 17 is somewhat better.
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
8.5
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.6
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, where the clarity of text, images, and overall visual comfort are key, both the ASUS and MSI laptops provide high-resolution displays with strong brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks. The ASUS and MSI laptops also shine in engineering and design due to their wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation which is critical for tasks that demand color precision. However, for gaming and 3D applications that rely on rapid motion rendering, the lower refresh rates of both laptops' screens may not deliver the smooth visuals expected by enthusiasts and professionals in these fields.
Battery
7.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$3,899
$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 17 costs $3,899.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,499 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.02'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.39 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-12900H | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 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 | 7 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 292 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.9/10 | 6.5/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | No Webcam | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
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 Stealth 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the MSI Stealth 17
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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