The Gigabyte A5 is much less expensive and would suit general use or mid-level gaming with decent performance, but the MSI Stealth 17, despite its higher price, offers significantly better performance for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming. The Stealth 17 also has a larger and higher-resolution screen which is better for productivity and entertainment, alongside more storage and memory for heavier applications. However, it is heavier and larger, making it less portable than the Gigabyte A5. If you require top-notch performance and can handle less portability and a higher cost, the MSI Stealth 17 may be more appropriate, whereas the Gigabyte A5 offers a balance of price and performance, suitable for everyday tasks and moderate gaming. 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
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The Gigabyte A5 offers a decent general use experience with its mid-range processor and graphics, suitable for everyday tasks, while its moderate battery life and portability make it a practical choice. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17, with a higher-end processor and superior graphics, excels in general use, offering a more powerful and smooth experience, but it falls behind in portability and has slightly lower battery life despite its higher capacity.
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
9.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The Gigabyte A5, with a moderate GPU and a screen refresh rate conducive to smooth gaming and 3D applications, presents a solid option for gaming, while the MSI Stealth 17 boasts a superior GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, ensuring exceptional performance for the most demanding gaming and 3D tasks. However, these advancements come with increased weight and less portability, which could be a consideration for users who need to move their laptop frequently.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
9.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
The Gigabyte A5 is a solid option for engineering and design with a capable CPU and GPU, standard RAM, and Full HD screen quality, balancing cost and performance for entry to mid-tier needs. The MSI Stealth 17, on the other hand, offers superior performance for demanding engineering tasks with a top-tier CPU and GPU, significantly more RAM, and a higher resolution display, providing exceptional capability for intensive workloads at a premium.
Content Creation
7.3/10
8.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A5 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.
Software Development
7.0/10
8.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A5 is good.
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
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Gigabyte A5 and MSI Stealth 17 offer high-resolution displays with great brightness and panel types that ensure clear and vibrant visuals, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, the MSI Stealth 17's display covers a wider range of colors, providing more accurate color representation for professionals who need precise color work. However, for Gaming and 3D applications where a high refresh rate is crucial to smooth motion, both laptops fall short as their focus on resolution and color accuracy comes at the expense of a faster screen refresh that would benefit fast-paced visuals.
Portability
Good
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gigabyte A5 has good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 17 and Gigabyte A5 both have good build quality, though the MSI Stealth 17 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"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."
"The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the MSI Stealth 17
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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