The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is often significantly less expensive than the MSI Raider GE78, making it a better choice for budget-conscious gamers. However, the Raider has twice the storage and RAM, a higher resolution display, and a more powerful graphics card, which makes it better suited for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and the best gaming experience. Although both laptops are similarly sized, the Raider is slightly heavier and has a less efficient battery life, making the ASUS a more portable option with longer battery life. Meanwhile, the Raider wins in terms of display quality and general performance across various domains but comes at a higher price. 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 battery life
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
253.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for general use, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers a solid balance for general use with a capable CPU and GPU, ample storage, and RAM, combined with reasonable portability and battery life for its size. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 boasts superior processing power, double the storage, and a higher-quality screen, making it exceptionally well-suited for more demanding tasks, although it is less portable due to its greater weight.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
9.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 is very good.
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
9.4/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
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 A17 is very good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 offers a solid CPU and GPU combination well-suited for engineering software but with a lower resolution and color coverage, which may impact design tasks, while the MSI Raider GE78 provides an even more powerful CPU and GPU, along with superior screen resolution and color accuracy, crucial for intricate engineering simulations and design work.
Content Creation
8.1/10
8.8/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and ASUS TUF Gaming A17 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
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
8.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
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 A17 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
6.8/10
8.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
253.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MSI Raider GE78's higher resolution and brighter display ensure crisp, clear visuals, making text easier to read and multitasking more comfortable, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17's screen, although satisfactory, may not be as vibrant or sharp. In engineering and design where color accuracy is key, the Raider's wider color gamuts provide a broader spectrum of accurate colors, essential for detailed work, compared to the more limited range on the TUF Gaming A17. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which means less fluid motion and potentially less immersive experiences compared to screens optimized for such tasks.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 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
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair 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 A17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,552
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a price of $1,552 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
"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."
"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 A17 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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