The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 could be your choice if you want a better screen with high refresh rates ideal for gaming and creative work, along with strong performance from its higher-end CPU and GPU. However, it's slightly less portable due to its larger screen and weight. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 offers a solid performance, particularly for gaming, with a slightly longer battery life and a more compact screen size which improves portability, but it has lower screen resolution and less impactful color accuracy which might be less suitable for tasks requiring precise color work. 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
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 5
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
7.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is superior for gaming and 3D due to its better GPU, the Nvidia RTX 4070, and a high screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, which allows for smoother visuals and gameplay. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a capable Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, yet it excels with the highest screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, ensuring incredibly fluid motion, which is critical for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
8.2/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 are both very good for engineering and design, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 outshines the Gigabyte Aorus 5 in engineering and design uses primarily due to its superior central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), graphics processing unit (GPU), and screen quality, contributing to better performance and more vivid visuals. While both laptops are similarly equipped in RAM, the Zephyrus M16's more advanced CPU and GPU, coupled with a higher resolution and color-accurate display, offer a more potent combination for intensive tasks, but if portability and lower operating noise are preferred, the lighter and quieter Aorus 5 may be the better option despite its less powerful specs.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.6/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 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.
Screen Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
280.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and brightness, making it excellent for tasks like browsing and streaming, as well as precision work in engineering and design due to its wide color gamut. However, its lower refresh rate could make fast-paced action less smooth, which is a downside for immersive gaming and fluid 3D model rendering. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 provides a good balance for general and professional use with decent resolution and color coverage, but similarly falls short for gaming and 3D work where a higher refresh rate is key for the best experience.
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 Aorus 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 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
$2,359
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $2,059 and the Gigabyte Aorus 5 costs $2,359.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, with its advanced Intel i9 processor and high RAM capacity, makes for a smooth general-use experience, and its quality screen with wider color coverage ensures vibrant displays suitable for various multimedia purposes. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 5, despite having a lesser processor, compensates with a decent CPU and RAM configuration adequate for everyday tasks, complemented by a larger battery for extended usage, but offers a screen with lower color accuracy.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.3/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 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.
Battery
4.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 5 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.
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How the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Gigabyte Aorus 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."
"The Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 is a capable mainstream gaming notebook that will run the latest PC games with aplomb. However, it's not your stereotypical flashy gaming PC. Gigabyte has added some interesting tweaks. For example, the webcam placement and its Microsoft Azure AI tool — to automatically switch between power modes — are unusual for this genre. But more importantly, the pricing is fairly competitive and reasonable."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the Gigabyte Aorus 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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