A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The MSI Stealth 17 is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming and intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, with its top-tier Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and Intel i9 processor. It offers an immersive 17.3-inch display with a high refresh rate and resolution, making it suitable for fast-paced gaming and detailed visual work. However, its larger size and weight make it less portable, and it has a significantly higher price point. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is a more balanced and portable option with a midrange price. It's equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and Intel Arc graphics, which are adequate for general use and light gaming but not as powerful as the MSI's components for heavy-duty tasks. Its 15-inch touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio is excellent for productivity and note-taking, and it's much lighter and thinner, making it easier to carry around. The Surface Laptop also boasts a longer battery life, which is ideal for users who are often on the move. If you prioritize performance and gaming over portability and price, the MSI Stealth 17 is the way to go. However, if you need a versatile laptop for everyday tasks, with the added benefits of a touchscreen, excellent battery life, and a more reasonable price, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" would be a better fit. 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
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
- Good portability
- Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.7
7.7
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
384.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is good.
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
9.1
6.6
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" is only fair.
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
9.4
7.8
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
9.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.8
7.8
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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
8.5
7.8
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
64.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" 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.
Screen Quality
8.6
8.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2496 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
384.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
5.5 Hours
9.0 Hours
The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has 9 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
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.0in
6.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$3,899
$1,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The MSI Stealth 17 has a price of $3,899 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" costs $1,200.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The MSI Stealth 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the MSI Stealth 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| MSI Stealth 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$3,899 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 11.2'' x 0.79'' | 13.4'' x 9.6'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 6.17 lbs | 3.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.65" | 13.39" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.16" | 9.61" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i9-13900H | Intel Core Ultra 7 165H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 64 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99.9 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 2496 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 240Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 384 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.5/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
MSI Stealth 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | April 2023
"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."
Get a great deal on the MSI Stealth 17 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare MSI Stealth 17 vs. Lenovo Legion 9i
VS
Compare MSI Stealth 17 vs. MSI Raider 18 HX
VS
Compare MSI Stealth 17 vs. ASUS ROG Strix G18
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" vs. Lenovo Legion 5 17"
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
VS
Compare Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 15" vs. Lenovo Legion 5 15"
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
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
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
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.
Featured in
