The ASUS Zenbook 14 is a budget-friendly option that's significantly lighter and more portable, making it suitable for everyday use and light productivity tasks. Its OLED screen is excellent for media consumption, but performance-wise it is limited to an Intel i5 processor and basic integrated graphics, which may not be sufficient for intensive 3D tasks, machine learning, or modern gaming. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 is much more expensive but offers vastly superior performance with an Intel i9 processor and an Nvidia RTX graphics card, ideal for engineering applications, gaming, and creative work that demands heavy graphics processing. However, the MSI has a larger screen size at the cost of being heavier and less portable. So, if price is a major concern and you need a light, portable laptop for general tasks, go for the ASUS Zenbook 14. But if you require top-end performance for specialized applications and can handle a heavier device and higher price, the MSI Stealth 17 would be the better choice. 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 Zenbook 14
Very good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.2/10
8.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
339.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is rated fair for general use due to its adequate screen, reasonable portability, and decent battery life, suiting basic tasks but may be limited by its average CPU and lower RAM. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use with its superior CPU, abundant RAM, high-quality screen, although it is less portable and has a shorter battery life which may not be ideal for on-the-go users.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 is fair for gaming and 3D because it has an entry-level GPU and a moderate screen refresh rate which, while decent for casual use, lack the power and smoothness desired for gaming and high-end 3D applications. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 excels in these areas due to its high-end GPU and high screen refresh rate, providing the graphical horsepower and fluid visuals that gamers and professionals working with intensive 3D graphics require.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
9.4/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 offers superior performance for engineering and design with a more powerful main processor and graphics card, along with a larger amount of memory and high-quality display, making it excellent for such tasks. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook 14, while still suitable for design work, has a less powerful processor and graphics, less memory, but boasts a high-resolution OLED screen for sharp visuals, trading off some performance for better portability and screen quality.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
7.2/10
8.5/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
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
8.3/10
8.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1800
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
90Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
339.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen than the MSI Stealth 17 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and MSI Stealth 17 both boast panels with strong resolution and brightness, appealing to general users who value crisp visuals and the ability to view the screen in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design, their capability to display a wide range of colors through comprehensive color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB ensures that professionals can expect accurate color representation for detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may lead to less fluid visuals which is not ideal for fast-paced gaming where high refresh rates are crucial for a smooth experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$300
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has a price of $300 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook 14 or the MSI Stealth 17
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
98,295
Recommendations made
21,298
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.