The Gigabyte Aero 16, typically much more expensive, offers premium features and is well-suited for business and creative tasks due to its high-performance hardware and display quality. On the other hand, the MSI GF63 Thin, costing much less, is geared towards gaming with adequate performance for less demanding games and general use, but may not meet the needs of intensive gaming or heavy multitasking. The Aero 16's cost allocates to build quality and power suitable for professional applications, whereas the GF63 prioritizes budget-friendly gaming and day-to-day activities. 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 Aero 16
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
The MSI GF63 Thin has no clear advantages over the Gigabyte Aero 16.
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
6.0/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 outperforms the MSI GF63 Thin for general use due to its superior CPU and RAM, which translate into faster and smoother performance, plus a high-quality OLED screen that offers better visuals. Additionally, the Aero 16's significantly longer battery life and larger, more advanced storage make it more suitable for a range of tasks without frequent charging or storage constraints; whereas the GF63 Thin, being lighter and thinner, is more portable but falls short in performance and display quality for general use.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
6.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 16, equipped with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, excels at gaming and 3D applications, while the MSI GF63 Thin is less optimal due to its entry-level Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU. Additionally, the Aero 16's OLED screen provides superior screen quality and refresh rate suited for such tasks, unlike MSI GF63 Thin's standard IPS screen.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
6.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 excels in engineering and design use with a higher-end CPU, more RAM, and a superior GPU, combined with an OLED screen that offers excellent quality and color accuracy. The MSI GF63 Thin, while lighter and more portable, compromises on performance and screen quality, featuring a mid-tier CPU, less RAM, a less powerful GPU, and an IPS screen with lower color accuracy suitable for less demanding tasks.
Content Creation
8.2/10
6.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is very good for content creation, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
7.9/10
6.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is good for software development, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
8.4/10
6.1/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use where reading and browsing are common, the Gigabyte Aero 16's higher resolution and brightness improve clarity and visibility, while the MSI GF63 Thin's lower specs in those areas make for a less crisp experience. In engineering and design tasks that demand precise color representation, the Gigabyte Aero 16's wide color gamuts provide more accurate color depiction, which is not as strong on the MSI GF63 Thin due to its limited color range. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, the Gigabyte Aero 16 falls short with a lower refresh rate leading to less smooth visuals than a gaming-optimized screen, whereas the MSI GF63 Thin, although not ideal for gaming, shares this same weakness.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI GF63 Thin has 4.3 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.
Build Quality
7.8/10
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has good build quality, while the MSI GF63 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,260
$599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has a price of $1,260 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
"The Gigabyte Aero 16 is a workstation laptop for light gaming. It's design is still muted, with a silver chassis alongside a black keyboard and trackpad that provides some contrast. The Gigabyte Aero’s full-size chiclet-style keyboard is enjoyable to type on thanks to its snappy feel and responsiveness. The 4K+ AMOLED display is good, but it could be better. It doesn’t handle true black very well and suffers from strong reflections and glare. The Gigabyte Aero excels at productivity performance and can keep up with other gaming laptops in 1080p. But it has very few ports and its refresh rate leaves a bit to be desired."
"If you leave aside the meagre port selection (no card reader, no DisplayPort, no Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.1 Gen2), the fan control that could be improved (idle mode!) and the relatively dark and slow display, the MSI GF63 Thin 9SC does not have any major weaknesses. The 15-inch gamer is compact, has a low weight and offers a good price-to-performance ratio, which should please gamers that are looking for both a portable and an affordable gaming notebook. Input devices, battery life, case quality and performance are all appropriate for this purchase price."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 16 or the MSI GF63 Thin
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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