If you prioritize performance for activities like 3D rendering, engineering tasks, or intensive gaming, the Gigabyte Aero 17, despite being less portable and more expensive, would be a suitable choice due to its higher-tier graphics card, larger and higher resolution display, and overall better performance scores. However, if portability, battery life, and budget are more important to you, the MSI Modern 14 offers a lighter, more affordable option with decent performance for general use and a higher portability score, though it lags behind in tasks that require more powerful graphics capabilities and has a smaller, lower-resolution screen. 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
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.1/10
7.2/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI Modern 14 is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for general use due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, superior screen quality with a Mini LED display for vivid colors, and high resolution; however, it's less portable because of its larger size and heavier weight.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.0/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
8.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
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
8.8/10
6.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 stands out for engineering and design with a powerful CPU and high-end GPU which facilitate intensive tasks, alongside ample storage and RAM, and a high-resolution Mini LED display which offers excellent screen quality. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14, while more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller screen, comes with a less capable integrated GPU, lower storage, and a standard IPS display with a lower resolution, making it less suited for the demanding needs of engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Modern 14 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
7.9/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
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
9.2/10
6.4/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aero 17, with its high resolution and brightness, delivers clear and vibrant visuals for documents and media, making it great for general use and professional applications that require accurate color representation like engineering and design. However, for gaming and 3D tasks where smooth motion is key, the Aero 17's lower refresh rate can make fast-paced action look less fluid. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14 offers an adequate display for everyday tasks and casual design work, but its limited color coverage and lower refresh rate can result in a less detailed and immersive experience for both artistic endeavors and gaming.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0/10
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Modern 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,071
$525
$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 Modern 14 costs $525.
"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."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 17 or the MSI Modern 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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