For a balance of performance and portability, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is a strong contender. It offers a large 18-inch display with a high refresh rate and excellent color accuracy, which is great for creative work and general use. Although it's slightly less powerful in gaming and intensive tasks compared to the Asus, it's more portable and has a better battery life, making it a versatile choice for both work and play. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D, on the other hand, is a powerhouse designed for hardcore gamers and professionals needing top-tier performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering tasks. It comes with a more powerful GPU and a higher performance score in those demanding areas. However, it's heavier, less portable, and has a shorter battery life, which might not be ideal if you need to work on the go. Consider the MSI for its balance and battery life, or the Asus for its superior performance in intensive tasks at the cost of portability. 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
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.3/10
8.4/10
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
350.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D for 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
6.0 Hours
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has very good build quality, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,500
$2,900
$1,000
$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 Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D are both very good for general use.
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
9.2/10
8.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth 18 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
9.1/10
9.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio are both excellent for engineering and design.
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
8.5/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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.
Software Development
7.9/10
8.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio to be 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.
Portability
Poor
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio to have only fair portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
GENERAL
Price
Price
$3,500
$2,900
Release Date
Release Date
June 6, 2023
March 1, 2024
Overall Dimensions
Overall Dimensions
15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.11''
15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94''
Weight
Weight
6.61 lbs
6.15 lbs
Width
Width
15.55"
15.75"
Depth
Depth
11.1"
11.4"
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
Storage Slots
Storage Slots
2
2
Graphics
Graphics
RTX 4090 (175 W)
RTX 4080 (150 W)
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus
Yes
Yes
GPU Type
GPU Type
Dedicated
Dedicated
GPU Memory (VRAM)
GPU Memory (VRAM)
16 GB
12 GB
Supports DLSS
Supports DLSS
Yes
Yes
Supports Ray Tracing
Supports Ray Tracing
Yes
Yes
BATTERY
Battery Life
Battery Life
3 Hours
6 Hours
Battery Capacity
Battery Capacity
90 Wh
99.9 Wh
SCREEN
Diagonal Size
Diagonal Size
17.3"
18"
Display Technology
Display Technology
IPS
IPS
Resolution
Resolution
2560 x 1440
2560 x 1600
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
240Hz
240Hz
Display Brightness
Display Brightness
350 nits
305 nits
Screen Aspect Ratio
Screen Aspect Ratio
16:9
16:10
Pixel Density
Pixel Density
169.78 PPI
167.72 PPI
Contrast
Contrast
1000: 1
985: 1
Display Response Time
Display Response Time
6.5 ms
17.6 ms
DCI-P3
DCI-P3
71 %
96 %
sRGB
sRGB
99 %
100 %
Adobe RGB
Adobe RGB
73 %
86 %
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS
Build Quality Score
Build Quality Score
7.4/10
8/10
Portability Score
Portability Score
5.7/10
6/10
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
7.5/10
Facial Recognition
Facial Recognition
No
No
Upper Side Temp (Max)
Upper Side Temp (Max)
48.7°C
Lower Side Temp (Max)
Lower Side Temp (Max)
53.4°C
Palm Rest Temp (Max)
Palm Rest Temp (Max)
28°C
Keyboard Lighting Color
Keyboard Lighting Color
RGB
RGB
Warranty Period
Warranty Period
1 year
1 year
HARDWARE FEATURES
Keyboard Quality Score
Keyboard Quality Score
8.5/10
8.5/10
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
2
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
Thunderbolt Ports
Thunderbolt Ports
0
1
DisplayPorts
DisplayPorts
2
0
HDMI Ports
HDMI Ports
1
1
Ethernet
Ethernet
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth Version
Bluetooth Version
5.3
5.4
WiFi Version
WiFi Version
6E
7
Get a great deal on the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D or the MSI Stealth 18 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.
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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