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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you need a laptop with larger storage, the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers double the storage of the MSI GP66 Leopard. The ASUS also has better battery life for typical usage; however, it is less portable due to its larger screen size and slightly higher weight. Both laptops have similar keyboard quality, but the ASUS has a more robust battery and is newer, potentially offering the latest features. If you require higher performance in 3D applications or machine learning tasks, the ASUS with its powerful processor and superior graphics is better suited over the MSI. Both are capable of intense gaming, but keep in mind that high performance often means the laptop can get quite warm and may be noisy under load. 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
- Very good for content creation
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Content Creation
8.1
7.4
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Screen Quality
6.8
7.5
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
253.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the better resolution and brightness of the MSI GP66 Leopard's display provide clearer and more vivid visuals compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming A17, making it easier on the eyes during everyday tasks. For engineering and design work, color accuracy is crucial, and the MSI's display covers a wider color spectrum, offering better performance in color-sensitive applications than the ASUS. However, for gaming and 3D applications where the refresh rate is critical for fluid motion, both laptops fall short, as neither offers an optimal refresh rate for these high-intensity visual tasks.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 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
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.0
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
253.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers a stronger CPU and larger screen for comfortable viewing, which are very important for general use, aiding multitasking and productivity, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life than the MSI GP66 Leopard, which still has a high-quality display and excellent heat management suitable for general use without the bulkiness, making it easier to carry around. Although the MSI GP66 Leopard has less storage, both have equally high RAM which is somewhat important for speed and running multiple applications, and while the ASUS might operate more quietly with better speaker quality, the more compact MSI excels in keyboard quality and overall build.
Gaming and AI
8.1
7.8
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers superior gaming and 3D performance with its more advanced Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and larger screen, while the MSI GP66 Leopard, although still good, has a slightly older Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU and a smaller screen but may benefit from better portability due to its size. Both models feature equal screen refresh rates which is key for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications, but the ASUS's newer GPU gives it an edge in rendering performance.
Engineering and Design
8.3
7.9
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 with an AMD Ryzen 9 and Nvidia RTX 4070 is suited for engineering and design because of its strong CPU and GPU performance, larger screen, and substantial contrast ratio, but it is less portable due to its size and weight. The MSI GP66 Leopard, featuring an Intel i7 and Nvidia RTX 3080, offers high screen brightness and color accuracy, making it good for design tasks, and it's comparatively more portable but it has a less powerful CPU and GPU combination for engineering tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.2
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 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
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,400
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a price of $1,400 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A17 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.4'' x 0.9'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.39" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 253 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
ASUS TUF Gaming A17
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LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | April 2022
"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."
MSI GP66 Leopard
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"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 A17 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.
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Why trust us
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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