The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is less expensive and offers better battery life along with a larger screen and higher screen refresh rate, which makes it suitable for extended gaming sessions and productivity tasks. The MSI GP66 Leopard, although more expensive, provides higher performance thanks to its powerful Nvidia graphics card and Intel processor, making it better for 3D rendering, machine learning, and more demanding engineering applications. However, the GP66 Leopard is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. Both laptops feature 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but the ASUS has additional USB-C ports, a newer release, and a 16:10 aspect ratio screen which can display more vertical content. 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 A16
Good portability
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
7.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the MSI GP66 Leopard have similar screen quality.
For general use, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI GP66 Leopard both offer good screen quality due to their adequate resolution and brightness, which makes them suitable for everyday activities like browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate their wide color gamuts, providing accuracy necessary for detailed work. However, for 3D and gaming, their lower refresh rates limit the smoothness of fast-paced visuals, which could detract from an immersive gaming experience.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$838
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $838 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both 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
7.4/10
7.8/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16's AMD RX 7600S GPU and 165Hz screen refresh rate make it a strong contender for smooth gaming and 3D experiences, whereas the MSI GP66 Leopard features a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a respectable 144Hz refresh rate, offering potent gaming performance and vivid 3D rendering. Both have quality CPUs and screens, but the ASUS has a slightly better refresh rate, hence potentially smoother visuals, while the MSI's GPU is top-tier, which can be crucial for the most demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for engineering and design.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI GP66 Leopard both have powerful CPUs and GPUs capable of handling demanding engineering software, along with ample RAM to manage complex tasks and high-quality screens for detailed visuals. While the ASUS may offer a slight edge in screen quality, the MSI balances performance with better portability, a more comfortable keyboard, and quieter operating noise, making it suitable for both on-the-go use and extended work sessions.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both 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
7.3/10
7.2/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A16 to have good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"The A16 makes an excellent case against more expensive laptops like the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and the MSI Katana GF76, especially if you’re into 1080p gaming. However, although its affordable, it doesn’t skimp on performance or a robust chassis. But for me, the biggest factor that sets it apart from these options is its incredible battery life. In my time reviewing laptops, I can’t remember when I last saw a gaming laptop lasted 11 and a half hours on a single charge, which makes the A16, in my book, truly outstanding."
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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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