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The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 16 offers a balance of performance and portability with its OLED display, ample RAM, and a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, making it suitable for engineering tasks and general use, though it may not excel in intensive gaming due to its 60Hz refresh rate. It's also more affordable and lighter, with a longer battery life, making it a strong contender for those who need to work on the go. On the other hand, the MSI Raider 18 HX is a powerhouse designed for the most demanding tasks, including gaming and 3D rendering, with a top-of-the-line Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, a high-refresh-rate Mini LED display, and an expansive screen real estate. It comes with a significant price premium and is heavier, which could be a drawback for portability. Its superior performance in graphics-intensive tasks and build quality is ideal for users prioritizing high-end gaming and professional workloads over mobility and cost. 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
- Good portability
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Raider 18 HX
- 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 speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.0
8.8
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX and Gigabyte Aero 16 are both very good for general use, though the MSI Raider 18 HX is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.8
9.0
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 is good.
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
8.6
9.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 is very good.
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
8.2
9.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 is very 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
7.9
8.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 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
8.4
9.4
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
7.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 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
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has good portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,260
$3,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has a price of $1,260 and the MSI Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Gigabyte Aero 16 and MSI Raider 18 HX 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 Aero 16 and the MSI Raider 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 16 | MSI Raider 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,260 | $3,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.88'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 7.94 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 15.91" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.78" | 12.09" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2400 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 368 nits | 1000 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.1/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aero 16
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Isaac Rouse | May 2022
"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."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 16 or the MSI Raider 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.
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