For a balance of performance and portability, the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is a strong choice with its powerful processor and GPU, excellent screen with a high refresh rate, and good battery life, making it suitable for demanding tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning. However, it's heavier and less suitable for gaming due to its lack of gaming-centric features. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 17 offers a larger screen with a lower refresh rate, which might be preferable for general use and gaming, though it falls short in battery life compared to the MSI. It's also more expensive for similar specs, but it has a better keyboard and a design that appeals to gamers. If you prioritize a larger screen and gaming aesthetics over battery life and portability, the Razer Blade 17 could be the one for you. 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 MSI Creator 16 AI Studio
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for content creation
Best in class overall display quality
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Content Creation
9.1/10
8.5/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio is excellent for content creation, while the Razer Blade 17 is very 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.
Screen Quality
9.7/10
8.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
1000.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a better screen than the Razer Blade 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has 9 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.3 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has good portability, while the Razer Blade 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,999
$4,300
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio has a price of $2,999 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and Razer Blade 17 are both very good for general use.
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
8.9/10
8.6/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and Razer Blade 17 are both very good 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.
Engineering and Design
9.5/10
9.1/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
9.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Creator 16 AI Studio to be best in class for engineering and design, while the Razer Blade 17 is excellent.
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.
Software Development
8.9/10
8.5/10
9.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and Razer Blade 17 are both very good for software development.
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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the MSI Creator 16 AI Studio or the Razer Blade 17
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.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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
97,395
Recommendations made
21,103
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.