If performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming is essential and you're willing to invest more, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers superior power but is less portable and has a shorter battery life. However, if you prefer something more affordable, lightweight, and with a longer battery life for general use or less demanding engineering tasks, the MSI Thin GF63 would be a good choice, though it won't match the ASUS in terms of raw performance and may struggle with more intensive applications. 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 engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
292.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is preferred for general use due to its more powerful CPU, higher quality screen, and superior speakers, keyboard, and heat management; however, it is less portable and has a shorter battery life than the MSI Thin GF63, which still offers decent performance and a very good screen for general tasks, enhanced by its lighter weight and slightly better battery life.
Gaming and AI
8.4/10
6.9/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is favored in gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher 360 Hz screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals and better performance in graphics-intensive tasks. Conversely, the MSI Thin GF63, with its Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics card and a refresh rate of 144 Hz, offers respectable performance, but it may not keep up with the ASUS in demanding scenarios, despite being more portable and likely more affordable.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
7.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Thin GF63 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.
Screen Quality
8.1/10
6.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
292.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 offers a sharp resolution and brightness suitable for general tasks, with a panel that displays colors vividly enough for engineering and design work, though its refresh rate might be lower than desired for the smooth visuals crucial in gaming and 3D applications. The MSI Thin GF63 provides adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and can manage the color requirements for engineering and design adequately, but like the ASUS, it doesn't meet the high refresh rate demands for optimal gaming and 3D experiences. Both laptops might fall short for gaming and 3D enthusiasts who rely on extremely fluid motion, but they offer acceptable visuals for general use and professional design work.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 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.
Portability
Poor
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
6.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI Thin GF63 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
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,499
$1,400
$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 Thin GF63 costs $1,400.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and MSI Thin GF63 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.
Give feedback
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How the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 and the MSI Thin GF63 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."
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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