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ASUS TUF Gaming A16
MSI Stealth GS66
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is less expensive and offers better battery life, which makes it a good fit for those who need a laptop that can last longer on a single charge. With an AMD Ryzen processor and RX series GPU, it's well-suited for gaming and can handle engineering tasks. It also has a high refresh rate screen, but the overall screen quality, in terms of colors and brightness, is more modest and it's a bit heavier, which affects portability. The MSI Stealth GS66, while more expensive, delivers higher performance with its Intel i7 processor and RTX 3070 Ti graphics. It's built for intensive gaming, machine learning, and engineering applications, and offers a high refresh rate and better screen color coverage, making it ideal for tasks where color accuracy is important. The laptop is slightly lighter, contributing to its portability, but it has shorter battery life. It also features a more premium build quality, along with a backlit RGB keyboard, contributing to its higher cost. Give Feedback
Advantages of the ASUS TUF Gaming A16
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
8.1
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
294.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and MSI Stealth GS66 offer displays with panels that provide clear images, high resolution, and sufficient brightness, making them suitable for browsing, watching videos, and productivity tasks. In engineering and design applications, these laptops have screens that cover a wide range of colors, particularly useful for professionals requiring color accuracy for their projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short as they do not offer the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has 12 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth GS66 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.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$930
$1,799
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a price of $930 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.7
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
294.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16, with an AMD Ryzen CPU and a slightly larger screen of 16 inches, offers a substantial battery life suited for extended general use, and its build supports good heat management, relevant for sustained device performance. The MSI Stealth GS66, though, offers a powerful Intel CPU and superior speaker quality, yet its more compact build with a 15.6-inch screen comes at the cost of battery life, which is lower, possibly requiring more frequent charging during usage.
Gaming and AI
7.4
7.8
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 are both good for gaming and AI.
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
7.7
8.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth GS66 to be very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 is good.
The MSI Stealth GS66 is considered very good for engineering and design use because it includes a high-performance Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, improving computational and graphical tasks. In comparison, the ASUS TUF Gaming A16, while also suitable with its AMD Ryzen 7 processor and AMD RX 7600S GPU, may offer slightly less power for intense workloads but compensates with a better screen quality due to its higher resolution and aspect ratio.
Content Creation
7.6
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth GS66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 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
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 and ASUS TUF Gaming A16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 and the MSI Stealth GS66 compare to other laptops
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Gaming and AI Score
Price
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A16 | MSI Stealth GS66 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$930 | $1,799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.9'' x 0.97'' | 14.2'' x 9.7'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.85 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.98" | 14.17" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.92" | 9.65" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 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" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 294 nits | 280 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
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 GS66
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | February 2022
"The MSI Stealth GS66 is powerful enough for QHD. The Core i7-12700H and the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti found in the 12UGS model that we tested run all modern games smoothly in the native QHD resolution. The 15-inch display is very fast with its 240 Hz refresh rate, and it also offers a great color space (almost 100% DCI-P3) on top of that, which should please gamers as well as content creators, although we would have still wished for a higher brightness. Case, input devices, and connectivity (Thunderbolt 4) are at a good level. However, among other things, the GS66 loses points due to the high temperature development in 3D mode and its poor webcam."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 or the MSI Stealth GS66
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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