A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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What we think
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Updated March 21, 2024·
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is more budget-friendly and offers good gaming performance, but it's bulkier and has shorter battery life. If you need a machine that's easier to carry around, has long-lasting battery, and handles demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or professional creative work better, you might prefer the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, despite its higher price. Keep in mind that the MSI also typically has a sleeker design and higher quality display, which could be important if you're doing graphics-intensive work or appreciate a better screen. 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
264.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17, with a robust CPU and ample RAM, excels in gaming and multitasking, but the emphasis on performance impacts battery life and portability, whereas the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio offers similar CPU and RAM strengths plus superior screen quality and portability, yet this comes at a higher cost and may also affect battery life. While storage, keyboard, speaker quality, operating noise, and heat management are also better on the MSI, the ASUS might be the more cost-effective option without sacrificing much on general performance.
Gaming and AI
6.6
8.9
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has a robust graphics card that handles games and 3D tasks well, but the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio's superior GPU offers exceptional performance for more graphics-intensive games and 3D rendering. While both have good screen refresh rates for smooth visuals, the MSI's higher quality display and more powerful processor give it an edge for the ultimate gaming and content creation experience.
Engineering and Design
6.9
9.1
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 offers solid CPU and GPU performance suitable for engineering tasks, but the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio excels with more powerful processing, a higher-end GPU for demanding design work, and superior screen quality. Although the ASUS is a robust choice, the MSI provides an edge for intensive use at the expense of being less portable and potentially noisier.
Content Creation
7.1
8.5
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for content creation, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 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
6.7
8.2
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very 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
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
264.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness for daily activities, but its limited color range makes it less suitable for color-sensitive engineering and design tasks, and its modest refresh rate hampers the gaming and 3D experience. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio's high resolution and brightness ensure a sharp and vivid display for everyday use, and excellent color gamut coverage meets the precision requirements of engineering and design professionals, but like the ASUS, its lower refresh rate doesn't provide the optimal smoothness demanded by gaming and 3D applications. In essence, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D due to refresh rate constraints, while the MSI excels in general use and professional design work based on color accuracy and display clarity.
Battery
4.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
$2,900
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has a price of $1,000 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 and MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS TUF Gaming F17 | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10.6'' x 0.91'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.71" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.59" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-11400H | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 4.5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 48 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 264 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.4/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
ASUS TUF Gaming F17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | April 2022
"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."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
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.
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