Msi vs Asus laptop

[erickim159]

Hello everyone, I'm deciding between two laptops for gaming and schoolwork. I know the specs are very similar, I am just wondering the differences in quality, brand name, actual laptop build, etc. If anyone has owned or currently owns one please let me know your thoughts! Let me know what you guys suggest! They are both the same price at 799$

http/www.microcenter.com/product/475522/fx53vd-ms72_156_laptop_computer_-_black_metal

MSI GL62M 7RDX
I7-7700HQ
GTX 1050 2GB GDDR5
256GB SSD
8GB DDR4 RAM

 

[Solandri]

I know the specs are very similar, I am just wondering the differences in quality, brand name, actual laptop build, etc.

The dirty little secret of the laptop industry is that almost none of the brand names actually make laptops. They farm the job out to ODMs (original design manufacturers - like an OEM except they also design the product). The brand name then receives the completed laptop, slaps their label onto it, puts it in a box with their logo printed on it, and sells it to you.

https/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_laptop_brands_and_manufacturers#Original_design_manufacturers_(ODMs)

So two laptop models from Dell and HP might have been made by the same ODM and have similar quality, while two Dell models might have been made by different ODMs and have very different quality. Even the much-vaunted Macbooks aren't made by Apple. They're made by Quanta, who also happens to make laptops for almost every brand name.

Unfortunately the entire industry is very secretive about this, so it's nearly impossible to figure out which ODM made a particular model. We only know Quanta - Apple because that's the only ODM Apple uses for its laptops (they used Asus for the plastic Macbooks and the older Powerbooks).

Asus and Acer are a bit of a special case. They started off as ODMs but eventually began selling products under their own brand. Their customers (computer brands) complained, so they spun off their ODM divisions into separate companies so there would be no conflict of interest. Acer's ODM division became Wistron. Asus' ODM division became Pegatron (the owner has a thing for pegasus). In Asus' case, I suspect a large number of their laptops are still made by Pegatron, being that they're still owned by the same guy.

Anyhow, the point is your question can't really be answered except by someone working at those two companies. And they're not gonna talk about it. The brand name is pretty meaningless except as an indicator of the level of aftermarket service you'll receive. To assess build quality, you'll have to try the particular model out in a store, or read online reviews and user testimony. Try the NotebookReview user forums. A lot of models have their own owners' discussion, where you can learn a lot about the types of problems encountered with that particular model.

http/forum.notebookreview.com/#notebook-manufacturers.1002