If you're on a budget and need a laptop that can handle gaming and general tasks, the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is a reasonable choice as it offers solid performance without breaking the bank. However, if you require top-of-the-line horsepower for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming, and don't mind spending more, the MSI Titan 18 HX is a powerhouse, though it will be heavier and likely have shorter battery life, making it less convenient to carry around. Choose based on your primary needs: cost-efficiency and portability with the ASUS, or maximum performance with the MSI. 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 Titan 18 HX.
Advantages of the MSI Titan 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
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1/10
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
264.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is good.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 offers a balance of CPU power, sufficient memory, and a decent screen for everyday tasks, but you'll find it heavier and with a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go use. Conversely, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its high-performance CPU and larger RAM, delivers smoother multitasking and superior screen quality for demanding applications, but its size, weight, and battery consumption mean it's best suited for stationary use where portability isn't a concern.
Gaming and AI
6.6/10
9.4/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17, while suitable for gaming, has a less powerful GPU and lower screen refresh rate than the MSI Titan 18 HX, which offers top-tier graphics performance and smoother visuals critical for high-end gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, although both have capable CPUs and good screen quality, the Titan's superior components provide a more robust experience that demanding games and 3D tasks require.
Engineering and Design
6.9/10
9.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
5.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 is only fair.
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 offers a solid CPU, ample RAM, and a quality GPU, suitable for engineering tasks, but the MSI Titan 18 HX surpasses it with top-tier CPU and GPU performance and a superior screen, more aligning with high-end professional design needs. However, the MSI is less portable and might be noisier under load, while the ASUS strikes a slightly better balance between performance and everyday use factors like portability and operating noise.
Content Creation
7.1/10
9.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent 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
6.7/10
8.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
6.9/10
9.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
264.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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, a laptop with a vibrant, high-resolution display will make viewing documents, browsing the web, and streaming content more enjoyable, which the MSI Titan 18 HX provides with its superior panel type, resolution, and brightness. Those involved in engineering and design will benefit from the MSI's wider color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation for tasks like photo editing and CAD work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where a high refresh rate is critical for smooth visuals, both the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 and the MSI Titan 18 HX fall short, potentially leading to less fluid motion during fast-paced scenes.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The ASUS TUF Gaming F17 has only fair portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,800
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"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."
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the ASUS TUF Gaming F17 or the MSI Titan 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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