If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, the ASUS Vivobook 17 is less expensive and offers a large screen with decent performance for everyday tasks. However, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, while costing more, provides significantly better performance and features suitable for tasks like gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, thanks to its high-end graphics card. The MSI is also more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, which could be an advantage if you frequently carry your laptop around. The choice between the two depends on whether you value affordability and screen size or performance and portability more. 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 Vivobook 17
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.0/10
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
263.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both good for general use, though the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is somewhat better.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 offers a large screen and reasonable battery life, but its performance for general use may be limited by its basic CPU and lower RAM, making multitasking or running more demanding applications less efficient compared to the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, which has a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior speaker quality, but is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.8/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17, with less powerful integrated graphics and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, is at a disadvantage compared to the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, which features a high-performance Nvidia gaming GPU and a higher 165Hz refresh rate suitable for smoother gaming and 3D applications. Additionally, the Stealth's better CPU complements its gaming performance, while the Vivobook's screen quality, though adequate, isn't geared as much toward high-end gaming or professional 3D work.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
8.5/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 with its entry-level CPU, basic integrated graphics, and a smaller amount of RAM and storage may limit performance for demanding tasks in engineering and design, although its larger screen may benefit productivity. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers a powerful CPU, high-end dedicated graphics, double the RAM and far more storage, offering very good performance capability for engineering software, but its smaller display size could be a drawback for extensive design work. Portability is more favorable with the MSI, given its lighter weight and more compact size, at the expense of screen real estate compared to the ASUS.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
7.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
263.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 17's fair screen quality for general use stems from its adequate resolution and brightness, which are sufficient for everyday tasks but not exceptional. For engineering and design work, its screen covers enough of the color gamuts to be serviceable, but professionals might seek out displays with wider color coverage. When it comes to Gaming and 3D, the laptop's lower refresh rate may limit the smoothness and responsiveness compared to models designed specifically for these purposes, where a high refresh rate is crucial.
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and ASUS Vivobook 17 both have good portability, though the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.6/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$429
$1,432
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a price of $429 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,432.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 14 Studio to be good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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.
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How the ASUS Vivobook 17 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio compare to other laptops
"The ASUS Vivobook 17 is an affordable 17-inch laptop with passive cooling. On one hand, you get a really quiet and cool work device with a good system performance, many connections, good maintenance options, speakers acceptable for multimedia enjoyment, and a sharp and clear matte FHD IPS display with the Asus VivoBook 17 (F712JA). On the other hand, the USB-C port lacks Power Delivery and DisplayPort, and the display, a higher brightness and better color space coverage."
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook 17 or the MSI Stealth 14 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.
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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