The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 generally costs less and offers a larger screen, longer battery life, and a higher storage capacity—ideal for intensive gaming and tasks that demand significant performance. While the MSI Stealth GS66 has a smaller screen and shorter battery life, it excels in portability and has a higher build quality; thus, it may appeal more to professionals who need a powerful yet sleek and travel-friendly device. Choose ASUS if price and battery life are priorities and you don't mind a heavier laptop, or MSI if you're willing to invest more for superior portability and a premium feel. 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 gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth GS66
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8/10
8.1/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
253.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth GS66 for software development, and content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering general use, the MSI Stealth GS66 offers a clearer and brighter display, making it more comfortable for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos. For engineering and design, the MSI's superior color coverage ensures more accurate and vibrant color reproduction, which is critical for professionals working with detailed graphics or video editing. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and MSI Stealth GS66 have lower refresh rates, making them less ideal for fast-paced games that benefit from smoother motion.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has 10 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth GS66 has good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth GS66 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
$1,718
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 has a price of $1,552 and the MSI Stealth GS66 costs $1,718.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for general use, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 stands out for general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, enhancing multitasking and demanding applications, along with a high-quality screen, although it's less portable and offers moderate battery life. Conversely, the MSI Stealth GS66, while still performing well for general tasks, prioritizes portability and excellent battery life, with balanced CPU and RAM support, but sacrifices speaker and keyboard quality for its compact form.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
7.8/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Stealth GS66 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17's Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a high screen refresh rate ensures it provides top-notch gaming and 3D performance, while the MSI Stealth GS66, with its Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and an even greater screen refresh rate, also offers excellent gaming experiences, but with a slightly less powerful GPU. Both have quality screens and capable CPUs, with the MSI having a higher resolution and brighter screen, which adds to the gaming and 3D experience, though the ASUS has a larger battery capacity which may offer longer play times.
Engineering and Design
8.3/10
8.2/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and MSI Stealth GS66 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17, with its AMD Ryzen 9 processor, RTX 4070 GPU, and a larger screen with good color accuracy, offers strong performance suited for demanding engineering and design tasks, while its slightly heavier build and longer battery life make it less portable but more enduring for long sessions. The MSI Stealth GS66 has a capable Intel i7 processor and RTX 3070 Ti GPU, which also make it a solid choice for engineering work; it's more portable due to its lower weight, and has a higher screen refresh rate, making it preferable for smooth visuals, yet it trades off with a shorter battery life and lesser storage capacity compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming A17.
Content Creation
8.1/10
7.7/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS TUF Gaming A17 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Stealth GS66 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
7.7/10
7.5/10
9.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and MSI Stealth GS66 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.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming A17 and the MSI Stealth GS66 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 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 A17 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.
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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