ASUS Armoury Crate vs MSI Center
ASUS Armoury Crate
rog.asus.comMSI Center
msi.comSide by side
| Figure | ASUS Armoury Crate | MSI Center |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 0 |
| Spec score · Game Booster Software | 7.5 (#7) | 7.3 (#10) |
| Spec score · RGB Lighting Software | 7.5 (#13) | 7.3 (#15) |
| Spec score · PC Overclocking Software | 7.4 (#21) | 7.2 (#23) |
| Founded | 1989 | 1986 |
| Headquarters | Taipei, Taiwan | MSI lists its headquarters at No. 69, Lide St., Zhonghe District, New Taipei City 235, Taiwan. |
| Purpose | Armoury Crate manages a gaming PC from setup to RGB lighting and provides updates, drivers, manuals, offers, and gaming peer connections. | MSI describes MSI Center as an application for its gaming series that provides optimized performance and efficiency for gamers and other users. |
| Support | ASUS directs users with installation problems to its troubleshooting instructions and Armoury Crate Lite Log Tool, whose logs can be sent to ASUS customer service. | MSI's installation guide links to its User Guide for detailed feature information and directs users to contact MSI for further support. |
In their own words
ASUS Armoury Crate
ASUS Armoury Crate is free Windows software for managing ASUS and ROG gaming PCs and connected hardware. It provides device lighting, firmware updates, macros, key or button assignments, fan control, audio and performance settings, with available controls varying by model. Aura Sync coordinates lighting across supported devices, while Aura Creator provides a video-editing-style interface for layered LED effects. Scenario Profiles can switch operating modes and system settings for individual games and apps. Game Library organizes downloaded PC games, and Game Deals lists rotating discounts and weekly offers for ROG VIPs. Users can create a profile, register products and download drivers, firmware and apps. ASUS lists Windows 10 version 1903 or later and Windows 11. Installation options include a device-detecting framework installer or a full package for manual and offline installation. Supported hardware includes headsets, graphics cards, power supplies, mice, motherboards, mousepads, CPU coolers, laptops, desktops, keyboards and monitors. Aura Sync no longer supports Xiaomi Light Strips.
MSI Center
MSI Center is a free Windows application for MSI gaming systems, providing performance, monitoring, lighting, networking, and update controls. Feature Sets lets users install, update, or remove only the components they need. User Scenario offers preset and custom CPU, DRAM, fan, and graphics-card settings, including Extreme Performance with overclocking. Gaming Mode adjusts the system, display, cooling, and peripherals. Hardware Monitoring provides customizable status widgets, while System Diagnosis checks storage use, disk and memory space, and SSD use and health. Mystic Light controls LED lighting on MSI and partner products, with profiles, game effects, cross-device synchronization, and addressable RGB support among listed capabilities. AI Engine adjusts performance, sound, display mode, and keyboard backlight based on usage scenarios. AI LAN Manager prioritizes bandwidth and reduces latency. Live Update downloads suitable drivers, BIOS, and utilities. Requirements list Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit and supported MSI hardware.