The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Pulse GL66 are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts an OLED screen with high resolution, which provides superb screen quality, and a large battery, enhancing its battery life for better general use; however, it's heavier than the MSI Pulse GL66, which, while lighter and more portable, has a standard IPS screen and smaller battery, making it less suitable for prolonged use without a power source. Both laptops are equipped with powerful CPUs and sufficient RAM, well-aligned for general tasks, but the Aero 5 has a slight edge in performance due to its more recent processor.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
7.2/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
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 Pulse GL66 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 outshines in gaming and 3D applications due to its superior Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and OLED screen which offers deeper blacks and vivid colors, although its screen refresh rate is lower which is less ideal for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 stands out for engineering and design due to its OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, alongside a more potent CPU and GPU combination compared to the MSI Pulse GL66, which, although also capable and equipped with a satisfactory CPU and GPU, offers a lower resolution screen and less color coverage, making it less ideal for tasks where visual fidelity is crucial.
Content Creation
8.2/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Pulse GL66 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
7.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Pulse GL66 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
245.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the MSI Pulse GL66 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a high-resolution display with bright and clear visuals, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. The Aero 5 stands out in engineering and design with its wide color gamut, providing accurate colors crucial for professional photo editing and graphic work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, despite its acceptable resolution and panel type, its lower refresh rate leads to less smooth gameplay compared to displays designed specifically for these purposes.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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.
Cost
$1,250
$1,399
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to have 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
7.4/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Pulse GL66 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"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 MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 5 or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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