The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is generally less expensive and offers solid performance for gaming with a dedicated GPU. Its larger 17-inch screen and full keyboard with number pad make it suitable for gaming and general use, but the overall weight reduces portability. While the battery life is modest, it could be a strong choice for budget-conscious gamers.
The MSI Creator Z16P, on the other hand, is a bit more expensive but comes with a higher resolution touchscreen and a more powerful CPU and GPU combo. This laptop is aimed at content creators and power users, featuring a significantly longer battery life, superior color accuracy, and higher screen brightness which benefit tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and machine learning. The Z16P's compact dimensions and lighter weight also enhance portability compared to the ASUS model.
In summary, you should base your decision on your primary use case: choose the ASUS if you need a gaming-oriented laptop that offers good value, or go for the MSI if you're involved in creative or engineering fields and need top-notch performance and screen quality, plus better portability at a higher price point. 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 F17
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has no clear advantages over the MSI Creator Z16P.
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
264.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are both good for general use, though the MSI Creator Z16P is somewhat better.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is less suited for general use compared to the MSI Creator Z16P due to its lower-tier CPU and RAM, as well as a lower-quality screen, making it less efficient for multitasking and less vivid for media consumption. The MSI Creator Z16P, with its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior screen resolution and color accuracy, provides a smoother and more vibrant user experience, albeit at the cost of a higher price and possibly reduced battery life due to the higher-spec components.
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
7.6/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 comes with an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics card and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which provide satisfactory performance for gaming and 3D applications but may not cater to the highest settings in demanding tasks. In contrast, the MSI Creator Z16P's more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and higher refresh rate of 165Hz make it more suitable for intense gaming and 3D work, offering smoother visuals and better handling of graphics-intensive software.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
8.3/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design use because it has a higher-end CPU, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the ASUS TUF Gaming F17, in addition to a higher-resolution touchscreen with a taller aspect ratio, which is better for productivity. While the ASUS offers a solid entry-level experience for such tasks with respectable screen size and quality, its lower-tier CPU, RAM, and GPU, as well as its non-touch standard screen, make it less optimal than the MSI for intensive engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P and ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Creator Z16P 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
6.7/10
7.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for software development, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 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
6.9/10
8.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
264.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 provides adequate resolution and brightness, making it suitable for everyday tasks, while the MSI Creator Z16P offers higher resolution and brightness, enhancing the viewing experience in various lighting conditions. The MSI Creator Z16P's superior color gamut coverage appeals to engineering and design professionals who need accurate color representation for their work, an area where the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 falls short. However, for 3D applications and gaming, where high refresh rates are crucial for smooth visuals, both laptops underperform due to lower refresh rates, despite having adequate resolution and panel types.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
"One of the Asus TUF Gaming F17’s highlights is without a doubt its excellent gaming performance. The fact that Asus configured the RTX 3060 GPU for its specified maximum of 140 W is became immediately noticeable in our benchmarks. For a 17-inch notebook the F17 also offers a very long battery life, which makes it somewhat portable. On the flip side is the display. It may be saved by its good overall contrast ratio, but its overall brightness is simply too low, and its response times are too slow for a gaming device. The F17’s successor needs to improve upon this."
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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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