The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 offers top-tier performance with its more powerful processor and superior GPU, making it ideal for intensive engineering tasks and gaming. However, the Gigabyte Aero 5 features an OLED screen with higher resolution which is better for tasks where color accuracy and contrast are important, such as photo and video editing. Both have similar storage and RAM. The Aero has a slightly longer battery life, which could be beneficial for those on the go, but it is heavier, which reduces its portability compared to the ASUS. Both are mid-range priced and provide a backlit keyboard, though the ASUS offers customizable RGB lighting, while the Gigabyte has a white backlight. Choose the ASUS for high-performance needs or the Gigabyte for superior screen quality and longer battery use. 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 ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
Very good for gaming and AI
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 5
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
7.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and an impressive screen refresh rate of 240Hz, making it excellent for high-frame-rate gaming and smooth 3D rendering. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 5 features a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, which is great for gaming and 3D work, but its screen refresh rate is significantly lower at 60Hz, which might not be as fluid for fast-paced games.
Screen Quality
9.0/10
8.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 5 for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, with its high resolution and brightness, offers sharp and vivid visuals vital for daily tasks and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate is less suited for fast-paced gaming or 3D applications where fluid motion is key. The Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts exceptional color coverage and high resolution, making it ideal for professionals in engineering and design fields who need accurate color representation. However, similar to the ASUS, its screen's lower refresh rate means it isn't tailored for the seamless, rapid movements expected in gaming or 3D modeling.
Battery
4.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.0 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.8/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$1,250
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $2,059 and the Gigabyte Aero 5 costs $1,250.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both good for general use.
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.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
8.7/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aero 5 are both very good for engineering and design.
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
8.2/10
8.2/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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
7.7/10
7.9/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Gigabyte Aero 5 compare to other laptops
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
"It is unfortunate that the Gigabyte AERO notebook series have seem to lost its charm, as it’s not exactly any much different from the AORUS series now. Regardless, content creators and designers will certainly still appreciate the features on the AERO 5 XE4, which are fundamental to their work. This largely revolved around the notebook’s display, which is colour calibrated and validated, high resolution (4K) and with great AMOLED colour representation. Now that the AERO 5 XE4 has improved its performance with the latest CPU and GPU, the professionals can also appreciate the improved productivity from the notebook."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the Gigabyte Aero 5
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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