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Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is less expensive and offers good battery life with adequate performance for general use and gaming. It's also slightly more portable. However, the MSI Stealth 17, while more expensive, boasts significantly higher performance suitable for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning, with a superior display and build quality. It has a less battery life and is heavier, making it less portable than the ASUS. So, if budget and portability are your main concerns, consider the ASUS; but if you require top performance and a high-quality display for demanding applications, the MSI is a stronger choice. 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 Stealth 17
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16, with its competent processor and substantial RAM, offers solid performance for general use and a respectable balance of screen quality and battery life, making it lightweight and more portable. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17 provides outstanding performance with its top-tier processor and abundant RAM, along with superior screen quality, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life, which might make it less convenient for on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
7.4
9.1
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
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 A16 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers a solid gaming experience with its AMD RX 7600S GPU and 165Hz screen refresh rate, which makes for smooth visuals in most games. The MSI Stealth 17 excels with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a higher 240Hz screen refresh rate, delivering top-notch gaming performance and even smoother motion in fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
7.7
9.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
7.7/10
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 A16 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior processor, more RAM, and higher performance GPU, coupled with a higher resolution display that offers better screen clarity and color accuracy. Meanwhile, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16, while robust, falls behind in CPU, RAM, GPU, and screen quality but is more portable and produces less operating noise, making it suitable for users who need to balance performance with mobility and quieter operations.
Content Creation
7.6
8.8
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1200
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 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
8.6
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 offers a display with high-resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general tasks and visually demanding engineering work, but the lower refresh rate holds it back for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key. The MSI Stealth 17 also boasts high-resolution and brightness, along with a wider color gamut, which is essential for accurate color representation in engineering and design, but like the ASUS, the refresh rate isn't high enough to satisfy the needs of gaming and 3D work. Both displays fall short for gaming and 3D due to the refresh rate not being high enough to deliver the seamless visuals expected in these fast-paced environments.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 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
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.8
The MSI Stealth 17 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
$838
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $838 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the MSI Stealth 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A16 | MSI Stealth 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$838 | $3,899 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.97'' | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.85 lbs | 6.17 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 15.65" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 11.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 64 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS TUF Gaming A16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Dominic Bayley | May 2023
"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."
MSI Stealth 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"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 A16 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.
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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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