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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte A5 offers more RAM for better multitasking and might have better build quality, according to user feedback on different components, but its performance in general use and 3D applications is on par with the MSI Cyborg 15. The Cyborg 15 comes with a more recent processor and a better GPU for intensive gaming and engineering tasks. In terms of portability, the Cyborg 15 is slightly lighter and offers longer battery life, which might be beneficial if you often work on the go. Both have full HD screens with similar display quality, so your choice will largely depend on whether you prioritize gaming performance over multitasking capabilities and build quality. 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 overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- The MSI Cyborg 15 has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte A5.
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, the Gigabyte A5's superior resolution and brightness offer a clearer and more vibrant viewing experience, whereas the MSI Cyborg 15, while adequate, may not be as sharp or bright. In engineering and design, the Gigabyte A5's better coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB means it can display a wider range of colors more accurately, which is crucial for detailed work, while the MSI Cyborg 15's fair color representation is less ideal for precision tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Gigabyte A5 falls short due to its lower refresh rate, resulting in less fluid motion compared to laptops designed specifically for these purposes; the MSI Cyborg 15 also has limitations in this regard due to a similarly lower refresh rate.
Cost
$830
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.3
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A5 stands out for general use with more RAM which can handle multiple applications smoothly and a brighter screen improving visibility; however, it is heavier affecting portability and has a shorter battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 counters with a lighter frame for better portability and longer battery life, but has less RAM which may limit multitasking and a dimmer screen, affecting outdoor use or brightly lit environments.
Gaming and AI
7.1
7.2
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte A5 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte A5, with an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a 144Hz screen refresh rate, and the MSI Cyborg 15, featuring an Nvidia RTX 4060 with the same refresh rate, are both solid choices for gaming and 3D applications, thanks to their high-performance GPUs and quick display capabilities. While the A5 sports an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU and excel in screen brightness, the Cyborg 15 has the more advanced Intel i7-12650H processor and a lighter build, offering a slight edge in CPU performance and portability.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.5
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte A5 are both 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
7.3
7.5
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 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.
Software Development
7.0
7.2
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte A5 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
6.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte A5 to have good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair 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 MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte A5 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$830 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 10.2'' x 1'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.68 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.21" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.15" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600H | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 281 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte A5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | September 2022
"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."
MSI Cyborg 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the MSI Cyborg 15
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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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