The ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 is more affordable, lighter, and has unique dual-screen functionality which may appeal to multitaskers or content creators, but it has lower performance capabilities compared to the MSI Stealth 17. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 is more expensive but comes with a larger, faster, and higher-resolution screen, which along with its superior hardware, makes it better suited for intensive gaming, 3D work, and machine learning tasks. It also has a more modern aesthetic that may appeal to gamers. Consider the Zenbook Duo 14 for affordability and unique dual-screen use, and the Stealth 17 if high performance and gaming are your priorities. 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 Duo 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
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.1/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
314.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
8.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.1/10
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 17 offers superior gaming and 3D performance due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, which are key for smooth and detailed visuals in demanding tasks. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 is equipped with the less powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics and a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less suited for intense gaming and graphic work.
Engineering and Design
6.6/10
9.4/10
5.5/10
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 Duo 14 is only fair.
The MSI Stealth 17 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, a massive amount of RAM, and a top-tier GPU, which all contribute to excellent performance, while its larger, higher-resolution screen is better for detailed work, making it exceptional in these fields. In contrast, the ASUS Zenbook Duo 14, while still suitable, has lower-end CPU and GPU, less RAM, and a standard-resolution screen, hence considered merely good; however, it offers greater portability and a more unique dual-screen feature which might be appealing for multitaskers or specific design workflows.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.8/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook Duo 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
7.0/10
8.5/10
5.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook Duo 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
6.8/10
8.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
314.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Zenbook Duo 14's display, while clear and bright enough for daily tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering, lacks the higher refresh rates that gamers seek for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. The MSI Stealth 17, on the other hand, offers vibrant colors and high resolution which benefits both everyday users and professionals in engineering and design by providing accurate color representation and crisp images. However, for gaming and 3D work, both laptops fall short due to their screens' slower refresh rates, which can't provide the fluid motion graphics that these activities typically require.
Battery
8.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 has 8.5 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
3.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$999
$3,899
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook Duo 14 has a price of $999 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"The Asus ZenBook Duo's second screen is like the Apple Touch Bar, but better. Most would agree that having two screens instead of one can really boost productivity and the ZenBook Duo is no different in this regard. It's tough going back to just one screen after becoming accustomed to spacious dual-screen setups. For a laptop form factor, however, users will have to accept some compromises. Firstly, weight is the most obvious drawback as the system is several hundred grams heavier than a regular ZenBook 14. Additionally, colors on the second screen will not be as vivid as the main display."
"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 Duo 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.