If your primary concern is raw performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or intensive gaming, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is better suited to handle those demands due to its more powerful processor and GPU. It has a larger screen with higher resolution and refresh rate, which is excellent for detail-oriented work, but this also makes it heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 15 is less expensive and offers better battery life and portability, making it a good fit for general use or for professionals on the go. However, it won't perform as well with demanding graphics tasks or software commonly used in engineering due to its lesser GPU capabilities and lower screen resolution. Both laptops have a backlit keyboard and numerous ports, although the Aero 17 offers additional features like facial recognition and hardware ray tracing support. If budget is a constraint and portability along with decent all-around performance for everyday tasks is what you're looking for, the MSI Prestige 15 may be a more practical choice. 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 Prestige 15
Good portability
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
8.1/10
7.5/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
298.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for general use, while the MSI Prestige 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is well-suited for general use due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, ample 16GB of RAM, and high-quality Mini LED screen, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 15 also caters to general use with sufficient RAM, a capable Intel i5 processor, and a decent IPS panel, while offering better portability and longer battery life, albeit with a less powerful GPU and less storage capacity.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.3/10
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
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 15 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is superior for gaming and 3D tasks due to its powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 120 Hz, which deliver excellent visual performance and smooth motion handling. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 15, with its Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU and a standard 60 Hz screen refresh rate, offers moderate performance appropriate for less demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Prestige 15 is 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
8.4/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
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 Prestige 15 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
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and MSI Prestige 15 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
6.8/10
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
298.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the MSI Prestige 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aero 17's screen offers vibrant colors and sharp images suitable for intricate design work and engineering due to its wide color gamut, but it lacks the high refresh rates needed for smooth 3D gaming. The MSI Prestige 15, while providing a good balance of color accuracy and resolution for everyday tasks and professional work, still falls short for high-frame-rate gaming. Both laptops have limitations in gaming scenarios because they prioritize color reproduction and resolution over the faster refresh rates that gamers typically seek.
Battery
5.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 15 has 7.5 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
3.7 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Prestige 15 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.0/10
7.4/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality, while the MSI Prestige 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,071
$1,044
$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 Prestige 15 costs $1,044.
"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."
"The MSI Prestige 15 offers a dazzling 4K image quality, and solid performance. The MSI Prestige 15 appears to consistently implement the guiding principle of throttling the solid and efficient hardware to such an extent that content creation succeeds perfectly. Performance-hungry tasks, on the other hand, are slowed down a little by the reduced power consumption. Conversely, this means that the case remains relatively cool and the dual fan subdued. The battery life also benefits somewhat. So the losses aren't really dramatic because full performance is still available for short bursts."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 17 or the MSI Prestige 15
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,195
Recommendations made
21,493
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.