The Gigabyte A7, with its AMD Ryzen processor and Nvidia RTX 3060, offers robust performance for gaming and engineering tasks, but is heavier and has shorter battery life, which could be a downside for those needing portability. The MSI Prestige 14 is much lighter and has a significantly longer battery life, making it more portable, but its Intel i5-1240P Iris Xe graphics may not handle intensive gaming or 3D tasks as well as the A7. If high performance in gaming and engineering is a priority, and you don't mind the extra weight and shorter battery life, the A7 could be the better choice. However, if portability and longer battery usage are critical for you, and you mainly tackle less demanding tasks, the Prestige 14 may be more suitable. 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 A7
Good for gaming and AI
Good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 14
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.3/10
6.2/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
7.5/10
The Gigabyte A7 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 14 is only fair.
The Gigabyte A7 is equipped with a higher-performance Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a faster 144Hz screen refresh rate which makes it better suited for gaming and 3D applications compared to the MSI Prestige 14, which has an Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, impacting its gaming and 3D performance. While both have capable CPUs and screen quality, the GPU and refresh rate play a more crucial role in gaming and 3D tasks, giving the Gigabyte A7 an edge in these areas.
Screen Quality
7.3/10
6.9/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Gigabyte A7 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 14 for general use, and gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte A7 and MSI Prestige 14 both have panels that provide clear images and vibrant colors with resolutions suited for day-to-day tasks and professional design work, alongside adequate brightness for comfortable viewing in various lighting conditions. Both laptops also cover a wide range of colors, which is essential for accurately rendering designs in fields like engineering, where color precision matters. However, they lack high refresh rates, which would make them less optimal for 3D work and gaming, where smooth motion and rapid screen updates provide a more immersive experience.
Battery
4.5 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 14 has 8.5 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
Fair
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 14 has very good portability, while the Gigabyte A7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$940
$1,040
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Gigabyte A7 has a price of $940 and the MSI Prestige 14 costs $1,040.
The MSI Prestige 14 and Gigabyte A7 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte A7 is well-suited for general use due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and ample RAM which enable smooth multitasking, along with a large high-refresh-rate screen that provides good visual clarity, but its bulk and shorter battery life limit its portability. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 14 offers better portability with its compact design and longer battery life, maintaining strong performance with a capable Intel CPU and sufficient RAM, plus a high-quality screen, though it may not be optimal for graphically intensive tasks due to the integrated graphics solution.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A7 and MSI Prestige 14 are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte A7 with its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and dedicated NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics is well-suited for engineering tasks that require significant computational power and GPU acceleration, along with a sizeable display for detailed work; however, its bulk may limit its portability. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 14 offers a balanced combination of performance with its Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, alongside improved portability due to its lighter build, making it a better fit for on-the-go professionals who may not require intense graphical processing.
Content Creation
7.3/10
7.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 14 and Gigabyte A7 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
7.0/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and Gigabyte A7 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
7.4/10
The MSI Prestige 14 and Gigabyte A7 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte A7 and the MSI Prestige 14 compare to other laptops
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
"The MSI Prestige 14” is excellent for productivity and business use cases, but it is not ideal for creators or visual content editors. The Prestige was able to power through days of email, spreadsheets, and text documents without breaking a sweat and was a joy to use. The additional ports were a breath of fresh air, as most laptops seem to be moving towards just Thunderbolt ports. The security options made signing in effortless, with two quick, more secure, and faster options than even the most complex alphanumeric passcode."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A7 or the MSI Prestige 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.
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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