If performance for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming is a priority and you are prepared to invest more, the Gigabyte A5 may be the better choice, albeit with a potential compromise on portability due to its size and weight. On the other side, the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is more budget-friendly and offers greater portability due to its lighter and slimmer design, making it suitable for general use such as web browsing, office applications, and media consumption, but it may fall short in handling intensive tasks. Battery life will also vary significantly; the higher performance of the Gigabyte A5 typically consumes more power, while the Cloudbook can offer longer usage times on a single charge due to its less demanding components. 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 for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
5.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
281.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
6.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
4.6/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for general use, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
The Gigabyte A5, with a more robust CPU and four times the RAM, is better suited for multitasking and performance-driven tasks than the Packard Bell Cloudbook, which is hampered by a basic CPU and less RAM, affecting its overall performance.
Gaming and AI
7.1/10
5.5/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for gaming and AI, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
5.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Gigabyte A5 is good for engineering and design, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
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
7.3/10
5.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte A5 is good for content creation, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
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
5.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
4.6/10
The Gigabyte A5 is good for software development, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
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
5.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
281.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Gigabyte A5 has a better screen than the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For the Gigabyte A5, the screen is sharp and bright, making it suitable for everyday tasks like web browsing or document editing; however, despite its decent color range, it's less ideal for engineering and design due to less coverage of professional color spaces. For gaming and 3D rendering, the lack of a high refresh rate makes the experience less smooth, which is key for these uses. The Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" falls short in all these areas due to lower resolution, dimmer display, and limited color accuracy, reducing the overall visual experience for any of the mentioned applications.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.1in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has very good portability, while the Gigabyte A5 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
5.1/10
The Gigabyte A5 has good build quality, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$830
$350
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Gigabyte A5 has a price of $830 and the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" costs $350.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A5 or the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14"
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.