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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a balance of performance and portability with its OLED display and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, making it suitable for creative work and casual gaming, though it may struggle with the most demanding games and tasks. Its compact size and longer battery life make it a good choice for users who need to work on the go. In contrast, the MSI Raider 18 HX is a powerhouse designed for high-end gaming and intensive tasks with its larger Mini LED display, Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, and substantial RAM. It's built for desktop-level performance, ideal for serious gamers and professionals needing top-tier graphics and processing capabilities. However, its larger form factor and shorter battery life mean it's less portable and better suited for stationary use. If you prioritize portability and have moderate performance needs, the Gigabyte Aero 5 is a cost-effective choice. For the ultimate performance and you don't mind a heavier, less portable laptop, the MSI Raider 18 HX is the way to go, especially if you're into hardcore gaming or demanding professional workloads. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Raider 18 HX
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.8
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.9
9.0
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
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
8.7
9.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is very 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
8.2
9.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is very 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
8.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
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
9.4
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
446.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
7.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider 18 HX has 9 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
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,250
$3,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the MSI Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.8
7.4
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Raider 18 HX 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the MSI Raider 18 HX compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 5 | MSI Raider 18 HX |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $3,999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | 15.9'' x 12.1'' x 1.26'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 7.94 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 15.91" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 12.09" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 446 nits | 1000 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 5 or the MSI Raider 18 HX
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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