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Updated January 12, 2024·
If you prioritize high performance for tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, and are willing to invest more, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17, despite its heft and price, could serve you well. However, if you prefer something more affordable and portable for general use or less demanding engineering tasks, the MSI Thin GF63 is lighter, less expensive, and provides commendable battery life, albeit with less raw power for intensive applications. Consider your specific needs and what you value more — performance and high-end features, or cost-effectiveness and mobility. 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 overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.3
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
400.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI Thin GF63 is good.
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 offers superior screen quality, more RAM, and a better CPU compared to the MSI Thin GF63, which makes it well-suited for demanding applications and multitasking, thus giving it an edge for general use. However, the MSI Thin GF63 offers better portability due to its smaller screen size and lighter weight, alongside good CPU and RAM capacity for typical usage, making it also a good choice for general use but with a focus on mobility.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.2
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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 Thin GF63 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
8.7/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and MSI Thin GF63 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
6.8
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
400.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the MSI Thin GF63 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
When considering screen quality for general use, the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 provides a vibrant and sharp display due to its higher resolution and brightness, which enhances everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, the same laptop offers superior color accuracy and range, making it better suited for professionals who need precise color representation for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both the ASUS and MSI Thin GF63 fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes or when rendering complex graphics.
Battery
9.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has 9 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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
6.5
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$1,150
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,150.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.9
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI Thin GF63 and ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 and the MSI Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,150 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.74'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.18 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.55" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.18" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Intel i7-12650H | |
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 | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 51 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 | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
MSI Thin GF63
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Zenbook Pro 17 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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