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Updated March 22, 2024·
When considering the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, consider that the ASUS is usually more budget-friendly, making it a smart choice for everyday tasks and standard professional use, with decent performance and good portability. However, if your work requires more intensive computing, such as 3D modeling, machine learning or high-end gaming, and you don't mind a higher price and potentially reduced portability for increased performance and screen size, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio could be a better fit. Additionally, if long battery life is critical, verify which model offers longer unplugged usage. 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
- Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
8.9
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is equipped with a capable GPU and high refresh rate display, making it a solid choice for gaming and 3D tasks; however, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio boasts a more powerful GPU and equally impressive refresh rate, enhancing visual fluidity and detail in more demanding gaming and 3D applications. While both laptops have quality screens and CPUs, the superior GPU in the MSI provides an edge in performance, which is crucial for the most intensive graphics tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers a robust CPU, ample RAM, and quality GPU that suffice for engineering tasks, complemented by a high-quality screen; however, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio surpasses it with top-tier components that excel in demanding engineering applications and design work that requires exceptional graphics performance. While both laptops have premium screens and solid keyboards, the Stealth's superior speaker quality and lower operating noise can enhance the user experience, but it's less portable due to a larger form factor and potentially shorter battery life.
Screen Quality
7.2
8.4
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio provide sharp, bright displays with high resolution, which makes for crisp text and vivid images, enhancing daily tasks like browsing or watching videos. In engineering and design, their excellent color accuracy covering a wide color gamut ensures that professionals can trust the colors they see on-screen for editing and modeling work. However, their lower refresh rates, while not detracting from general usage and design tasks, make them less suitable for gaming and 3D applications which benefit from smoother motion and quicker screen updates.
Battery
9.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has 6 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
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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
$2,900
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.3
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for general use.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 17 offers a balance of power with its efficient CPU and ample RAM, making it suitable for everyday tasks and ensuring smooth multitasking, while its high-quality screen enhances visual experiences, but keep in mind it may not be the most portable option. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, with similarly impressive processing capabilities and RAM, also delivers strong performance for daily use, and it may offer better battery life at the cost of being less portable and potentially more expensive.
Content Creation
8.2
8.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both very good for content creation.
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
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio to be very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 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.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 400 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 6/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 or the MSI Stealth 18 AI 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.
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