If affordability is your priority and you require a laptop for everyday tasks with occasional gaming or heavier applications, the Gigabyte A5 is a solid option. However, if you're looking for top-tier performance in a more compact and lightweight design, perfect for high-end gaming, professional graphics work, or demanding engineering software, the MSI Stealth 14 Studio, while more expensive, offers better performance. Keep in mind that the MSI typically has a shorter battery life due to its powerful components, so you'll trade some portability and usage time away from an outlet for its increased capabilities. 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 battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
Very good for engineering and design
Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
7.8/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Gigabyte A5 are both good for gaming and AI, though the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte A5 is equipped with the Nvidia RTX 3060 and a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, which provides a solid gaming and 3D experience for its price range, while the MSI Stealth 14 Studio offers even stronger performance due to its newer Nvidia RTX 4060 and higher refresh rate of 165Hz, making it more suitable for intensive tasks but also at a higher price point. Both laptops have quality IPS displays, but the MSI model edges out with a taller aspect ratio and slightly better screen resolution, which enhances screen quality and may be more appealing for design and creative work alongside gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio outperforms the Gigabyte A5 in engineering and design use because it has a stronger CPU and GPU, which are crucial for these tasks, and its screen has a higher resolution and color accuracy which is important for design work. While the Gigabyte A5 is still capable with its own solid performance specs, the MSI offers more storage out of the box and a more potent graphics card, both essential for demanding engineering applications and graphical tasks.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Gigabyte A5 are both good for content creation, though the MSI Stealth 14 Studio is somewhat better.
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
7.2/10
7.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When considering the screen quality for general use, both the Gigabyte A5 and MSI Stealth 14 Studio laptops offer satisfactory resolution and brightness with display types that are conducive to everyday tasks like web browsing and office applications. For engineering and design, these laptops provide ample coverage of color gamuts necessary for color accuracy, benefiting professionals in graphics and CAD software. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates limit the smoothness and responsiveness critical in fast-paced visual environments, which could detract from the immersive experience desired in gaming and real-time rendering.
Battery
6.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Gigabyte A5 has 6.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Gigabyte A5 both have good portability, though the MSI Stealth 14 Studio has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$830
$1,432
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio costs $1,432.
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio and Gigabyte A5 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.
Software Development
7.0/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.6/10
The MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte A5 and the MSI Stealth 14 Studio 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."
"You'll find a versatility in the MSI Stealth 14 Studio that isn’t matched by many content-creator laptops we've tested of late. The small frame allows you to (potentially) work from anywhere with an outlet and, if noise isn’t a concern, run your most demanding of programs, thanks to some powerful hardware inside. The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is an attractive and powerful option if you want a portable laptop to be the center of your content work setup."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the MSI Stealth 14 Studio
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.
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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