When deciding between the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and the MSI Stealth 17, consider the following tradeoffs. The ASUS TUF Gaming A15, being less expensive, offers good value for gamers who prioritize savings and are satisfied with solid performance. However, the MSI Stealth 17, with its higher price tag, typically delivers more power and features that may cater to gamers or professionals seeking top-tier performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and high-end gaming. The Stealth is also usually lighter and thinner, making it more portable, but it might have a shorter battery life than the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 which is generally bulkier. Your choice should align with your priorities: saving money and acceptable performance with the ASUS or investing in higher performance and portability with the MSI. 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 TUF Gaming A15
Good portability
Very 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
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
271.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 outshines the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 for general use with a much higher RAM, a faster CPU, better screen resolution, and superior color reproduction, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life. Despite these advantages, the Stealth 17 also comes with a larger storage capacity and markedly higher quality in areas like keyboard and speaker quality, which may justify its reduced portability and battery life for users prioritizing performance and multimedia experience over mobility.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
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 TUF Gaming A15 is very good.
The MSI Stealth 17 excels in gaming and 3D tasks thanks to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 240Hz, providing smoother visuals and better performance in fast-paced scenarios compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming A15, which has a capable yet less potent Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and 144Hz refresh rate. The Stealth 17 also offers superior screen quality with a higher resolution display, making it a better option for those seeking the best visual experience in gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
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 TUF Gaming A15 is very good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 is very good for engineering and design thanks to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, alongside a capable screen but is outshone by the MSI Stealth 17's superior Intel i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, accompanied by a higher resolution and color-accurate display. While the A15 offers decent portability and an adequate keyboard, the Stealth 17, despite being less portable due to its size and weight, boasts a top-tier keyboard and screen quality essential for precision work in engineering and design.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
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 TUF Gaming A15 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
7.6/10
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 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
7.2/10
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
271.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and MSI Stealth 17 laptops both feature panels with suitable resolution and brightness for general tasks, providing clear and vivid displays essential for everyday activities. For engineering and design, these laptops offer good color accuracy with wide color gamuts, ensuring that professionals can see precise hues and shades necessary for their projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which are critical for smooth motion and a more immersive experience where rapid imagery changes are common.
Battery
11.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has 11 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
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 17 and ASUS TUF Gaming A15 both have good build quality, though the MSI Stealth 17 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$3,899
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 has a price of $2,059 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"With the release of the TUF Gaming A15, Asos have concentrated on the essentials: gaming performance. Our base version, which can be had for around $1,169, already provided enough power to play current games smoothly in a native resolution of 1080p and with maximum details - thanks to its new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop. If you utilize upscaling, then you can even manage to run ray tracing."
"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 TUF Gaming A15 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.
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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