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Updated August 21, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is a strong contender. It offers a high-resolution touchscreen display with excellent color accuracy, making it ideal for creative work that demands vibrant visuals. The included stylus support could be beneficial for drawing or note-taking directly on the screen. Although it's slightly less powerful in gaming and intensive tasks compared to the Asus, it still packs a punch with its RTX 4080 GPU and Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, ensuring smooth performance for most engineering and creative software. Its compact design and longer battery life enhance its portability, making it a suitable choice for professionals who need to work on the go. On the other hand, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is a powerhouse designed for the most demanding gaming and engineering tasks. With its superior RTX 4090 graphics and AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor, it excels in scenarios where raw performance is crucial. The 240Hz refresh rate and higher PPI ensure smooth visuals for fast-paced gaming. However, its larger size and shorter battery life mean it's less portable and might not be the best choice for frequent travelers. If you prioritize top-tier performance over portability and are interested in gaming or high-end engineering work, the Asus could be the right choice for you. 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 X3D
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.1
8.8
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
350.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
3.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D are both very good for general use, though the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is somewhat better.
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.
Content Creation
8.2
9.1
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent for content creation, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is very 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
7.9
8.9
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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
8.3
9.7
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
3.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has 9 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
16.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has good portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$3,500
$2,999
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a price of $3,500 and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio costs $2,999.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
9.2
8.9
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is very good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
9.1
9.5
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Creator 16 AI Studio to be best in class for engineering and design, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent.
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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and MSI Creator 16 AI Studio both have 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 X3D and the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D | MSI Creator 16 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,500 | $2,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 6, 2023 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.11'' | 14'' x 10.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.61 lbs | 4.39 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.1" | 10.22" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 350 nits | 1000 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 5.7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Get a great deal on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D or the MSI Creator 16 AI 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.
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