If you prioritize saving money and desire a laptop for everyday tasks, the Asus Vivobook 17 may serve you well, but its simpler build might struggle with demanding applications like 3D rendering or complex engineering software. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its higher price, generally offers superior performance suitable for gaming, machine learning, and heavy engineering workloads, yet it's less portable due to its size and may have a shorter battery life compared to the more modest Asus Vivobook 17. 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 portability
Good battery life
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
7.0/10
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
263.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is good.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 offers sufficient CPU power and RAM for everyday tasks with a decent screen, but its larger size and weaker battery life may limit mobility. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX boasts a superior CPU and RAM, enhancing performance for demanding applications, and although it has a high-quality screen, it's less portable and has significant battery consumption, which could affect its use on the go.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
9.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has modest graphics capabilities and a decent screen for casual gaming, but the MSI Titan 18 HX boasts a top-tier graphics card and high refresh rate display, making it a powerhouse for gaming and 3D applications. While both have capable processors and good screen quality, the MSI's superior GPU and refresh rate provide a much smoother and visually striking experience, especially in graphically demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
9.9/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.6/10
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 Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 offers a balance of CPU, RAM, and GPU adequate for engineering tasks, with a decent screen, but may not handle the most demanding software smoothly; it benefits from better portability due to its size. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX excels with top-tier CPU, RAM, GPU, and superior screen quality for high-performance engineering activities but sacrifices portability due to its larger size and heavier weight.
Content Creation
7.0/10
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 Vivobook 17 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
6.9/10
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
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very 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.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
9.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
263.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering screen quality for general use, the MSI Titan 18 HX outshines the ASUS Vivobook 17 with a superior panel type, higher resolution, and greater brightness, ensuring sharper, more vivid visuals and easier viewing in various lighting conditions. For tasks in engineering and design, where accurate color representation is crucial, the MSI Titan 18 HX again takes the lead with a wider color gamut coverage, allowing for more precise color work in professional applications. However, for gaming and 3D tasks that rely heavily on fluid motion, both the ASUS Vivobook 17 and the MSI Titan 18 HX are less optimal, lacking the high refresh rates that gamers and 3D designers seek for smooth visuals.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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
Good
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has good portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX has very 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
$4,800
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a price of $429 and the MSI Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"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."
"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 Vivobook 17 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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