The MSI Stealth 17 and the Razer Blade 17 are similarly priced but have differences in specifications and features that might influence your decision. The MSI Stealth 17 offers twice the storage and double the memory, along with a more powerful main processor and graphics card, which translates to higher performance in demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 17 has a higher resolution display but at a lower max refresh rate, and while it has less storage and memory, it is still adept at handling gaming and general use. Both have good quality keyboards, similar battery capacity offering a few hours of use, and are nearly equally portable, with the MSI Stealth being slightly heavier. The right choice depends on whether you value ultra-high performance and larger storage or if a sharper display with still capable but less extreme specs suits your needs. 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 Stealth 17
Excellent for gaming and AI
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Razer Blade 17
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.6/10
8.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
384.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Razer Blade 17 for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the Razer Blade 17 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
When selecting a laptop for general use, elements like a high-resolution display, an IPS panel for wide viewing angles, and adequate brightness ensure a vibrant and clear viewing experience, which both MSI Stealth 17 and Razer Blade 17 deliver. For engineering and design work, accurate color representation is crucial, and both laptops provide coverage of professional color spaces, essential for precision in visual tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fluid motion is key, a higher refresh rate is paramount, and this is where both the MSI Stealth 17 and Razer Blade 17 fall short, potentially leading to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Stealth 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$3,899
$4,300
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI Stealth 17 has a price of $3,899 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
The MSI Stealth 17 and Razer Blade 17 are both very good for general use.
The MSI Stealth 17 stands out for general use due to its powerful Intel i9 processor, abundant RAM, and high-quality IPS screen with excellent color coverage, making it suitable for a wide range of tasks. The Razer Blade 17, while also strong in performance with an Intel i9 CPU and ample RAM, offers a higher-resolution display for sharper images, and both laptops have similar portability and battery life, so choice may come down to screen preference and storage needs as the Stealth has more storage.
Gaming and AI
9.1/10
8.6/10
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 17 to be excellent for gaming and AI, while the Razer Blade 17 is very good.
The MSI Stealth 17 offers more powerful graphics with its Nvidia RTX 4090 and a higher screen refresh rate for smooth gameplay at 240 Hz, compared to the Razer Blade 17 which includes the Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and offers a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Although both laptops feature high-quality IPS displays and capable processors, the higher GPU performance and refresh rate on the MSI model make it better suited for the most demanding gaming scenarios and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
9.4/10
9.1/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 and Razer Blade 17 are both excellent for engineering and design.
The MSI Stealth 17, with its Intel i9 processor, 64GB of RAM, and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, offers high computational power and excellent screen quality for complex engineering and design tasks, although its portability is compromised due to size and weight. The Razer Blade 17's Intel i9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU also cater well to engineering demands, with a trade-off in GPU performance compared to the MSI, but it compensates with a higher resolution screen and slightly better portability.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 and Razer Blade 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
8.5/10
8.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
64.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
6.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Razer Blade 17 and MSI Stealth 17 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the MSI Stealth 17 and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
"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 Stealth 17 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.
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