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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers high performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering and machine learning, thanks to its powerful processor and GPU. It has a large, high-resolution OLED screen which is great for color-sensitive work but comes with lower portability and shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MSI GF63 Thin is more affordable, lighter, and has a better battery life, making it easier to carry around, but it comes with less storage, lower performance hardware, and an IPS screen with lower resolution, which might not be ideal for demanding tasks or high-end gaming. If you prioritize performance and screen quality over portability and price, go with the Gigabyte Aero 5. If you value portability, longer battery life, and a more attractive price point over top-tier performance, then the MSI GF63 Thin is the better option. 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
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
- Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9
6.0
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a more robust performance for general use thanks to its superior main processor and graphics card, making it well-suited for a range of demanding applications, while its high-resolution OLED screen delivers excellent visual clarity and color coverage. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin has a more modest CPU and GPU configuration, which might limit its ability to handle intensive tasks as smoothly, and its lower-resolution IPS display doesn't match the Aero 5 in terms of picture quality; however, the MSI is lighter and thus more portable, but both devices face limitations in battery life for extended use away from power sources.
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.0
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 delivers superior gaming and 3D experiences with its high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a high-resolution OLED screen, which ensures vivid colors and deep contrasts. In contrast, the MSI GF63 Thin, with a more modest Nvidia GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU and lower-resolution IPS screen, offers a less powerful gaming performance suitable for more casual play.
Engineering and Design
8.7
6.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 outclasses the MSI GF63 Thin in engineering and design use due to its superior Intel i7 processor, more RAM, and a significantly better Nvidia RTX GPU, alongside a high-resolution OLED screen which ensures better color accuracy and image detail.
Content Creation
8.2
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
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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 5 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
8.6
6.1
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
446.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aero 5, with its high-resolution display and vibrant colors, provides a sharp and detailed image that elevates the experience for everyday tasks and professional engineering applications, where color accuracy is crucial. However, its lower refresh rate may not be ideal for gaming, where fast-paced visuals are better served by screens that refresh more quickly to keep up with rapid movements. The MSI GF63 Thin, offering a balance with decent resolution and color reproduction, performs adequately for both daily activities and creative work, but similarly to the Aero 5, it falls short for gaming due to a refresh rate that might not match the demands of high-speed gameplay.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 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
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF63 Thin 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
6.5
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 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
$1,250
$599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
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How the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the MSI GF63 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 5 | MSI GF63 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $599 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2019 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i5-10300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 4.25 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 446 nits | 249 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 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 5
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Dig into reviews and images
The Tech Revolutionist
Zhi Cheng | May 2022
"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."
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 5 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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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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