The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is much less expensive and offers fair general, 3D, and engineering performance with longer battery life, making it suitable for everyday use and gaming on the go. Consider your budget, the necessity for mobility, and the intensity of the tasks you plan to undertake on your laptop to decide which aligns better with your needs. 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 Raider GE78
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 provides a balance of performance and portability for general use with a decent CPU and RAM, good screen quality, and longer battery life, while being lighter and easier to carry. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78, with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior screen quality, excels in performance but is less portable due to its heavier weight and shorter battery life, making it more suited for stationary use or demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.4/10
9.5/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is equipped with an AMD RX 7600S GPU and a screen that refreshes 165 times per second, suitable for gaming and 3D applications but less powerful than the MSI Raider GE78's Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 240 times per second, which delivers even smoother visuals and top-end performance for the most demanding games and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.7/10
9.4/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.6/10
8.8/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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.
Software Development
7.3/10
8.5/10
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.5/10
8.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16's screen offers a balance of resolution and brightness that makes for a pleasant everyday viewing experience, while the MSI Raider GE78 offers a similar experience with possibly better brightness and clarity. In the context of engineering and design, both laptops might provide a wide color gamut, ensuring accurate color representation which is critical for these tasks, but the MSI model could have an edge in covering professional color spaces more comprehensively. However, for 3D applications and gaming, despite good resolution and panel quality, both laptops fall short on refresh rate, which is vital for smooth motion rendering and a responsive visual experience.
Battery
12.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 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.
Portability
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has good portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
$4,386
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $838 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
"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."
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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