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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is substantially more expensive than the MSI GF63 Thin but offers better performance for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning due to a more powerful processor and graphics card. It also has a larger, higher-resolution Mini LED screen that is better for color-sensitive tasks but is heavier and less portable. By contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin is more affordable, lighter, and easier to carry around but compromises on performance, making it suitable for general use and less demanding gaming. Its screen is smaller and less sharp, and it has less battery capacity than the Aero 17. 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 17
- 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
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.1
6.0
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 offers superior general use performance due to its more powerful CPU, greater RAM, and higher quality screen, which enhances multitasking capabilities and visual clarity but comes with less portability and shorter battery life compared to the MSI GF63 Thin. The MSI GF63 Thin, albeit lighter and with a longer battery life, compromises on performance with a less powerful CPU and lesser RAM, and a lower quality screen, making it less ideal for demanding tasks but easier to carry around.
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.0
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 outshines the MSI GF63 Thin in gaming and 3D tasks due to its superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher 120Hz screen refresh rate, compared to the MSI's Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q and its standard 60Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the Gigabyte's high-quality Mini LED display and higher screen resolution enhance visual experiences, which are somewhat important for these activities, while the MSI features a more conventional IPS display with lower resolution.
Engineering and Design
8.8
6.0
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 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 provides robust performance for engineering and design with its superior CPU (Intel i7 vs. Intel i5), double the RAM, and a higher-tier GPU (RTX 3070 Ti vs. GTX 1650 Max-Q), complemented by its high-quality Mini LED screen. On the other hand, the MSI GF63 Thin offers decent capabilities for lighter tasks at a lower cost, trading off some power and screen quality for better portability, given its lighter weight and somewhat smaller size.
Content Creation
8.4
6.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 17 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
6.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 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
9.2
6.1
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize vibrant colors and sharp visuals for tasks like photo editing and CAD work, the Gigabyte Aero 17 with its high-resolution display and wide color gamut suits those needs well. However, for gaming, where fast refresh rates are crucial for smooth motion, the Aero's strengths in color and resolution are less important, which is why gamers might find it lacking. The MSI GF63 Thin provides an adequate display for everyday tasks and is satisfactory for design work, but, like the Aero, it falls short in gaming due to a lower refresh rate.
Battery
5.5 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF63 Thin has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0
6.5
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very 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
$2,071
$599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a price of $2,071 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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How the Gigabyte Aero 17 and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 17 | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,071 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.6" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.5" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 4.25 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 368 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aero 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
MSI GF63 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | January 2020
"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 17 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.
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