If you're looking for a laptop mainly for general use or are on a stricter budget, the Gigabyte A7 can save you money while still providing decent performance for everyday tasks. However, if your work involves 3D rendering, machine learning, or you're an avid gamer seeking top-notch performance and don't mind spending significantly more, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its higher-end components, will offer a more powerful experience. Keep in mind though, with its greater power, the MSI Titan 18 HX is likely heavier and could have a shorter battery life, making it less convenient for on-the-go use compared to the Gigabyte A7. 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
The Gigabyte A7 has no clear advantages over the MSI Titan 18 HX.
Advantages of the MSI Titan 18 HX
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
318.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
4.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The MSI Titan 18 HX, with its more powerful CPU and additional RAM, handles multitasking and demanding applications better, which translates to a smoother experience for general use, while its screen quality offers sharper and more vibrant visuals. However, the Gigabyte A7, being lighter and with longer battery life, would be easier to carry around and use on the go, despite having inferior performance and screen quality.
Gaming and AI
7.3/10
9.4/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The Gigabyte A7 often comes with a solid GPU and a good screen refresh rate that cater well to gaming and 3D tasks, offering players smooth visuals and responsive gameplay. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX typically includes a top-tier GPU and an even higher refresh rate screen, providing exceptional gaming and 3D performance, which is enhanced by its powerful CPU and superior screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
9.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The Gigabyte A7 offers robust processing power and ample memory for engineering tasks, plus a capable graphics processor and high-quality screen; however, the MSI Titan 18 HX delivers top-tier performance with even stronger CPU and GPU capabilities, more RAM, and a superior screen for the most demanding engineering and design workloads. Both are less portable due to their size and typically louder operating noise, but the MSI Titan sacrifices portability further for its exceptional performance, with both featuring quality keyboards and speakers suited for professional use.
Content Creation
7.3/10
9.0/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Gigabyte A7 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
8.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A7 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
7.3/10
9.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
318.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the Gigabyte A7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Gigabyte A7 and the MSI Titan 18 HX offer high-resolution displays with suitable brightness and panel types, providing clear and vivid images for activities like browsing, watching videos, or document editing. When it comes to engineering and design tasks that require accurate color representation, the MSI Titan 18 HX stands out with a superior color gamut, ensuring that designers see true-to-life colors in their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are key, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, potentially resulting in less fluid motion and responsiveness during intense gaming or 3D rendering.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
18.0in
5.5 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Gigabyte A7 has only fair portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.5/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte A7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$940
$4,800
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Gigabyte A7 has a price of $940 and the MSI Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"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."
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte A7 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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