If you require a larger screen and robust performance for 3D rendering or engineering software, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 with its superior processing power and graphics could serve you well, although it is less portable and has a higher price. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin, while more affordable and lightweight, making it easier to carry around, offers less power and a smaller display, which might not be ideal for the most demanding tasks but could suffice for general use and moderate gaming. Both have midrange prices, but the MSI is usually slightly less expensive. 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 A17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
253.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is equipped with a more powerful CPU and double the RAM compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which makes it better for multitasking and more demanding applications. While the MSI GF65 Thin is lighter and thus more portable, the ASUS has a larger screen and a substantially bigger battery, offering better longevity away from a power source, which can be crucial for general use.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
6.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.3/10
6.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, with its more powerful AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, alongside higher RAM, offers greater performance for engineering and design applications compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which has an Intel i5 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU. The ASUS has better screen quality with a larger display but is less portable and likely has louder operating noise, while the MSI is more compact and quieter, which might be preferable for mobile users despite its slightly lower performance.
Content Creation
8.1/10
6.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.7/10
6.3/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8/10
6.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
253.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and MSI GF65 Thin offer screens that provide adequate resolution and brightness, making them suitable for daily tasks like browsing and video streaming, despite not having the highest quality panels. In engineering and design pursuits, the screen quality might lack the extensive color coverage needed to accurately represent work in professional photo editing or CAD software. Lastly, in gaming and 3D applications, the importance of high refresh rates for smooth visuals is not met by these models, and while they might handle resolution well, a gamer or professional working with 3D graphics may find the experience less than optimal.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,552
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a price of $1,552 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to have good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
"There is one big question that needs an answer. Is the TUF Gaming A17 FA707 a better purchase than the ROG Strix G17 G713R (2022)? Well, it depends. Undoubtedly, the Strix is the more premium product. Arguably the biggest advantage it has over its TUF fellow is in regards to the display. ASUS TUF Gaming A17 A707’s IPS panel has a Full HD resolution, comfortable viewing angles, and a very good contrast ratio."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,395
Recommendations made
21,753
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.