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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a larger screen, more storage, and a higher capacity battery, making it good for general use and tasks that need a sizable display. However, the MSI GP66 Leopard, despite having a smaller display and less storage, comes with a more powerful graphics card and a higher refresh rate screen, which are advantageous for gaming and other graphic-intensive applications like 3D rendering or machine learning. The Leopard’s battery life is shorter, though, meaning you may need to charge it more frequently, while the Zenbook's battery will last longer on a single charge. 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 Pro 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a superior screen size, more RAM, and higher storage capacity, which translates into better multitasking and content experience for general use, while its larger battery contributes to longer use away from a power source.
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.8
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.9
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for software development, though the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is somewhat better.
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
7.2
7.5
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for software development, and content creation, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, both the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and MSI GP66 Leopard provide clear visuals and ample brightness, making tasks like browsing the internet and working on documents pleasurable, but their panel technologies might not be the latest, affecting viewing angles and color consistency. In engineering and design, they offer suitable color accuracy covering a broad spectrum necessary for precise color work, although professionals might seek even more specialized screens with wider color gamuts. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates could lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness, which could be less immersive or hinder performance in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is equipped with a high-performing AMD Ryzen 9 CPU and plentiful RAM, making it suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks, and it offers a high-quality screen with excellent color coverage which is crucial for design work. On the other hand, the MSI GP66 Leopard, with its powerful Intel i7 CPU and superior Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, provides robust performance for engineering simulations and 3D work, but it has a lesser quality screen in terms of color accuracy, which may be less ideal for tasks requiring precise color work.
Portability
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 to have good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 65 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI GP66 Leopard
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NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"The MSI GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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.
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