The MSI GF63 Thin is generally less expensive and more portable, making it a solid choice for general use or if you’re on a budget. It offers decent performance for everyday tasks, but it may not be the best for more demanding applications or intense gaming. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 17 is significantly more expensive and less portable but comes with a much more powerful processor, superior graphics, and a larger and higher-resolution display, ideal for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. Expect a sturdier build and better battery life with the Razer Blade 17, but at a higher cost and additional weight. 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 GF63 Thin
Good portability
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.0/10
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
249.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
4.2 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Razer Blade 17 excels in general use due to its more powerful CPU, significantly higher RAM, and superior screen quality with both higher resolution and brightness; however, it is heavier and less portable compared to the MSI GF63 Thin. While the MSI has adequate performance for everyday tasks with a decent screen, its lower RAM, older CPU, and less vivid display are not as suitable for demanding applications, and its modest battery life limits time away from an outlet compared to the Razer's longer battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
8.6/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The MSI GF63 Thin is outfitted with a less powerful Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics card and a basic 60Hz screen refresh rate, making it suitable but not ideal for gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Razer Blade 17 houses a top-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a higher 144Hz screen refresh rate, delivering excellent performance and smoother visuals for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.0/10
9.1/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Razer Blade 17 outperforms the MSI GF63 Thin in engineering and design use due to a more powerful CPU, significantly greater RAM, and a superior GPU, which are critical for demanding software used in these fields. Additionally, the Razer Blade 17 offers a higher quality screen with better resolution and color coverage, enhancing visual work, although it is less portable and may have louder operating noise than the MSI GF63 Thin.
Content Creation
6.0/10
8.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.0/10
8.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
6.1/10
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
249.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The MSI GF63 Thin's screen, with its moderate resolution and brightness, is suitable for everyday tasks, but the color accuracy falls short for precise engineering and design work, and the lower refresh rate affects the smoothness needed in gaming and 3D applications. The Razer Blade 17 offers higher resolution and brightness, which enhances the experience for general usage and provides superior color accuracy crucial for engineering and design. However, despite its advanced features, its refresh rate may not meet the expectations of gamers and professionals working with fast-paced 3D graphics, where higher rates are preferred for smoother visuals.
Battery
4.2 Hours
5.5 Hours
The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI GF63 Thin has good portability, while the Razer Blade 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$599
$4,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The MSI GF63 Thin has a price of $599 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
"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 GF63 Thin 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
124,395
Recommendations made
26,953
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.