The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is generally less expensive than the MSI GP66 Leopard, while offering a larger screen and a full numeric keypad on its keyboard. However, it has a less powerful processor and graphics card, and a lower battery capacity compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard. The MSI laptop is more suitable for intensive tasks such as engineering, 3D rendering, machine learning and gaming due to its higher performance components, but this comes with a comparatively higher price. Both laptops have a similar weight, but the ASUS has a slightly longer battery life, making it a bit more portable for general use. If budget is a constraint and you're looking for a decent gaming experience, the ASUS could suit your needs, while the MSI should be considered if you require top performance for more demanding applications. 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 GP66 Leopard.
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
7.8/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The MSI GP66 Leopard offers stronger gaming and 3D capabilities due to its Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card, which is more powerful than the ASUS TUF Gaming F17's Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti, providing smoother and more detailed graphics in demanding games and applications. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, but the MSI's superior GPU is a critical factor for gaming and 3D performance, despite both models supporting high frame rates for a fluid visual experience.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
7.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17, featuring a capable processor and dedicated GPU, is a solid option for engineering and design, but with more moderate RAM and GPU than the MSI GP66 Leopard, which boasts a higher-end processor, top-tier GPU, and additional RAM, offering superior performance for more demanding engineering tasks. While both have quality IPS displays, the MSI's screen excels with higher brightness and color coverage, enhancing visual detail for intricate design work, though this does come with tradeoffs in weight and potentially higher operating noise.
Software Development
6.7/10
7.2/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
264.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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 F17 offers a balance of resolution and brightness making it visually comfortable for browsing and video streaming, while the MSI GP66, with similar traits, ensures clarity and readability of text and images. Engineering and design work benefit from the MSI's wider color range, providing better color accuracy for tasks like photo editing and CAD design which is less pronounced on the ASUS. However, both the ASUS and MSI fall short for gaming and 3D applications, as their lower refresh rates do not deliver the smooth visuals preferred in fast-paced games or high-frame-rate 3D simulations.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are both good for general use.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 offers a more modest performance for general use, due to its slightly lower-end CPU and half the RAM of the MSI GP66 Leopard, making the latter more responsive and capable for multitasking. Moreover, the MSI GP66 Leopard boasts a superior screen quality with higher brightness and color space coverage, contributing to a more vibrant display, and despite its more powerful components, it has better battery life, heat management, and portability than the ASUS TUF Gaming F17.
Content Creation
7.1/10
7.4/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard and ASUS TUF Gaming F17 are both good for content creation.
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.
Battery
4.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has 4.5 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.
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 F17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"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."
"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 F17 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.
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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