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MSI (Micro-Star International) and Asus are both Taiwanese brands with a history of making highly competitive gaming laptops. They make some of the most beastly gaming machines on the planet. If you’re willing to fork over a chuck of dough to get your hands on one of these, your gaming experience will be incredible. You’ll have control over a huge variety of settings and features that only the best options can offer.
Here we’ll compare the MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro-230 with the Asus ROG Strix GL502VM. These are two popular models in a similar price range that are comparable in specs, but which one is actually better?
More than Internal Specs
How to choose the right gaming laptop isn’t just about how fast it can run, but also depends on many other things. Keep in mind things like weight, size, keyboard design, aesthetics, accessories, and warranty. You’ll also need to make sure it’s durable enough to tote around regularly if you plan on taking it from place to place. Be sure that it has enough ports to suit your needs. You can always buy a docking station to accommodate more accessories and features though. You should try to figure out what the most essential features are for you. That will make your decision much easier when you compare models that are similar like these two.
[table id=17 responsive=scroll /]MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro-230 15.6″
The body is made from a light but durable steel. Its weight is only 4lbs, and it’s extremely thin at only 0.7 inches. This makes it very easy to take around with you anywhere. The casing is durable enough to be survive the perils of being carried around in a backpack, and it’s light and thin enough to not weigh you down or take up too much room if you still need to bring books or anything else with you. Its appearance in general is very classy. The steel body adds a lot to aesthetics, so you’ll be happy to show it off in front of anyone.
A vibrant, customizable RBG SSE3 keyboard lights up bright, and can be adjusted. The backlighting can also be switched off. The keyboard is very comfortable to use. MSI has some of the best keyboards of any laptop brand. Comfort is always a matter of preference, but there’s no denying that this laptop’s keyboard is very well-designed.
Cooler Boost Trinity advanced cooling system features 3 combined fans for effective heat reduction during even the heaviest graphics processing tasks. All in all, this is an excellent gaming laptop that is hard to top for its price range, not only because it’s sleek, classy, and feels comfortable, but because as a whole it performs beautifully—a union of features that makes this an amazing laptop to own.
Pros
- GTX 10 Series graphics card
- Intel 7th generation I7-7700HQ
- Thunderbolt 3 port
- Light and thin
- Sturdy metal body
- Steel Series keyboard
Cons
- Nahimic audio enhancer doesn’t improve sound much
- 1.4 HDMI, not latest 2.0 edition, can only produce 4K video output at 24fps
Asus ROG Strix GL502VM 15.6″
For memory, the ROG Strix GL502VM has 16GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM, a 128GB SATA III SSD, and 1TB HDD. It also features a triple-copper thermal module and triple cooling fans. Copper is a highly conductive material that heats up and cools down very quickly, so in this case, copper helps heat dissipate and keeps your machine cool when you’re playing games.
It’s all metal design is sleek and adds durability. It kind of resembles a Macbook. Although this item is cheaper than the MSI GS63VR, it’s comparable in value. It has less storage capacity being the main disadvantage. Overall, it’s a solid gaming laptop that holds up very well against the MSI GS63VR and many other laptops on the market, especially for the very reasonable price tag.
Pros
- HDMI 2.0 Port with 4K output at 30fps
- GTX 1060
- 7th generation I7-7700HQ
- Thunderbolt 2 port
- Mini display port
- Sleek metal design
Cons
- Runs relatively loud while gaming
- Speakers are mediocre at best
Conclusion
Asus has a great amount of features that you’ll love if you’re a gamer, but for a few extra dollars, the MSI GS63VR has a better all-around feel with more storage space. The GS63VR is also lighter and thinner, which helps tips the scales just enough to give it the checkmark. MSI wins.
