The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 offers a balance of performance and portability at a midrange price, making it suitable for general use and gaming, with a decent battery life and a good range of ports. Its screen is adequate for most tasks, though not the best for color-critical work. In contrast, the MSI Raider 18 HX is a high-end powerhouse with top-tier performance for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its superior GPU and CPU. It also boasts a stunning Mini LED display with high resolution and color accuracy, ideal for professionals who need a color-accurate screen. However, its larger size and weight, along with a significantly higher price tag, make it less portable and more of an investment. If you prioritize performance over portability and budget, the MSI is the way to go, especially for intensive tasks. But if you need a more versatile and affordable laptop for everyday use and casual gaming, the ASUS is a solid choice. 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 F15
Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider 18 HX
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
257.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
9.0/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 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
8.2/10
9.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.7/10
9.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 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
7.3/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 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
6.9/10
9.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
257.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
5.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 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
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
4.8 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has good portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,399
$3,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 has a price of $1,399 and the MSI Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
"Aside from all the chassis updates, the new TUF Gaming is most notable for its much higher TGP target of 140 W compared to only 95 W on the previous generation. PC makers everywhere are using the same GeForce GPUs this year since Nvidia has yet to launch the successor to the mobile RTX 3000 series. The more demanding processors of the new TUF Gaming has directly impacted battery life and the size of the AC adapter. Don't expect runtimes to be longer than on the previous generation under most conditions and be prepared to carry around an even larger AC adapter than before."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 or the MSI Raider 18 HX
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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