If portability is a priority and you're looking for a device that's easier to carry around, the MSI Cyborg 15 is lighter and has a higher portability score. It's less expensive, but it has lower storage capacity and memory, which might affect performance during demanding tasks. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 5, while being more expensive and heavier, offers a superior display with OLED technology and a higher resolution, more storage, and memory, making it better suited for intensive graphic tasks, 3D rendering, and engineering software. The Aero 5 also has a better overall build quality, but it's not as portable as the Cyborg 15. Both laptops can handle general use and gaming, but if you need longer battery life for typical usage, they offer a similar experience. 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 5
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.3/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is suitable for general use with its superior CPU, higher RAM capacity, and premium OLED screen which delivers high quality visuals, making it ideal for tasks requiring a lot of processing and excellent display, but it is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
7.2/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for gaming and 3D tasks because it has a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and an OLED screen with high color accuracy, but it has a lower screen refresh rate. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15 offers solid gaming and 3D performance with a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, making it smoother for fast-paced games, although it may have less vibrant colors compared to the Aero 5's display.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Cyborg 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 stands out for engineering and design due to its superior main processor, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the MSI Cyborg 15; additionally, the Aero 5's OLED screen offers higher resolution and better color accuracy, which are critical for such tasks. While both laptops are similar in weight, the MSI Cyborg 15 is slightly thinner and lighter, making it more portable, and although its screen and GPU are less advanced, they're still capable, with the screen offering a higher refresh rate, which could be preferable for some design scenarios.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Cyborg 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
8.7/10
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 5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 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
8.6/10
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
446.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the MSI Cyborg 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant color accuracy making it ideal for engineering and design tasks that require precise color representation, but its lower refresh rate detracts from the gaming experience where smooth motion is key. The MSI Cyborg 15 offers a balanced display with adequate brightness and resolution for everyday tasks and professional work, yet it may not satisfy users looking for rich color depth in design applications or the fluid visuals demanded by modern 3D games. Furthermore, both laptops have their limitations for gaming and 3D due to poor screen quality in that aspect, possibly lacking the high refresh rates that are crucial for a smooth visual experience.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
"It is unfortunate that the Gigabyte AERO notebook series have seem to lost its charm, as it’s not exactly any much different from the AORUS series now. Regardless, content creators and designers will certainly still appreciate the features on the AERO 5 XE4, which are fundamental to their work. This largely revolved around the notebook’s display, which is colour calibrated and validated, high resolution (4K) and with great AMOLED colour representation. Now that the AERO 5 XE4 has improved its performance with the latest CPU and GPU, the professionals can also appreciate the improved productivity from the notebook."
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 5 or the MSI Cyborg 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.
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