If you prioritize battery life and newer processor technology, you might lean towards the Lenovo LOQ 16, which offers a larger battery and a more recent AMD Ryzen processor, suitable for both general use and more demanding tasks like engineering or 3D modeling. However, if a gaming look and slightly better general use performance is more to your liking, the Gigabyte A5 is appealing with its Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card, which also supports intensive tasks and gaming. The tradeoff with the Gigabyte is less battery life and an older CPU compared to the Lenovo. Both options have similar storage capacity and memory, gaming laptop appearance, and are in the same price range, with the Gigabyte typically being slightly less expensive. 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 Gigabyte A5
Good portability
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo LOQ 16
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for engineering and design, though the Lenovo LOQ 16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 boasts a more advanced AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, providing stronger performance for engineering and design tasks compared to the Gigabyte A5's Ryzen 5 and RTX 3060. Additionally, the LOQ 16 has a higher battery capacity and a display with greater brightness and a higher pixel density, resulting in better screen quality, which is crucial for detailed design work.
Software Development
7.0/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for software development, though the Lenovo LOQ 16 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
7.2/10
7.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo LOQ 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte A5 and Lenovo LOQ 16 both likely feature panels with adequate resolution and brightness suited to general tasks and engineering software, which don't heavily rely on high refresh rates. These laptops may have good color accuracy, covering a range of color gamuts that are essential for detailed engineering and design work. However, their screens don't excel in gaming or 3D rendering due to lower refresh rates, which are crucial for the smooth visual experience demanded in fast-paced gaming scenarios.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Gigabyte A5 has good portability, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$670
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 costs $670.
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A5 offers robust performance with a capable CPU and good RAM, alongside a high-quality IPS display, making it suitable for a variety of general tasks; however, its battery life and portability are only satisfactory. The Lenovo LOQ 16 excels with a higher-tier CPU and larger battery capacity, and despite a slightly smaller screen, it boasts improved screen resolution and quality, offering an overall enhanced experience for general use, albeit at a tradeoff of reduced portability due to increased weight.
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
7.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte A5 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a screen refresh rate of 144 Hz, making it a suitable choice for gaming and 3D applications, while the Lenovo LOQ 16's more recent Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and similar 144 Hz refresh rate on a slightly higher resolution display endorse its capabilities for similar tasks, with the difference in GPU being a key factor for gaming and 3D performance.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Gigabyte A5 are both 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.
Battery
6.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 16 has 6 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 and Gigabyte A5 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Gigabyte A5 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 compare to other laptops
"Ignoring price, the Gigabyte A5 has a hard time against the similarly fast competition. Besides the loud noise in 3D mode (performance mode), the high temperature development of the components should be mentioned on the downside. Despite the relatively thick case, the laptop gets very warm and loud under load, which does not exactly speak for the cooling system. The plastic surfaces look rather cheap and also tend to rattle. In most other disciplines - be it the input devices, the screen, the connectivity or the battery runtime - the Gigabyte laptop does not stand out from the crowd, neither positively nor negatively. However, those who primarily pay attention to the price-performance ratio will get a pretty good offer with the Gigabyte A5."
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the Lenovo LOQ 16
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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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