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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is less expensive and offers good value with a high-quality OLED display, suitable for general use and creative tasks requiring accurate color representation. The Aero 5 is lighter and thus more portable, whereas the Raider GE78 is heavier with potential additional power for demanding software and multitasking. 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
- The Gigabyte Aero 5 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Best in class for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.7
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 offers solid performance with a quality screen and sufficient RAM for general use, though it's less portable and has shorter battery life compared to other options, making it dependable for stationary or short-term mobile needs. On the other hand, the MSI Raider GE78, while providing excellent performance due to its superior CPU and RAM, might be overkill for just general use, and it's heavier and bulkier, reducing its portability; however, it excels in screen quality and is a sound choice for those needing power for more demanding tasks.
Gaming and AI
7.9
9.5
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 pulls ahead in gaming and 3D with its more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals, while the Gigabyte Aero 5, despite its solid Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and OLED screen for vivid colors and contrast, has a lower refresh rate, making it less optimal for fast-paced games.
Engineering and Design
8.7
9.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design because of its solid CPU, generous RAM, high-quality GPU, and excellent screen quality, but the MSI Raider GE78 outperforms it slightly in these very important aspects, making it excellent for those fields. However, the Aero 5 may be a better option if you need something more portable, with a quieter operating noise, and are okay with a trade-off in the top-end performance that the Raider GE78 offers.
Content Creation
8.2
8.8
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and Gigabyte Aero 5 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
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
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
446.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the MSI Raider GE78 for general use, and engineering and design, while the MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a sharp, bright image due to its high resolution and luminosity, making text clear and videos pop, whereas the MSI Raider GE78’s display also provides a vivid experience but with a slight edge to the Aero 5 in brightness and clarity. When it comes to engineering and design, the Aero 5's superior color accuracy and wider color gamut ensure that professionals get a true-to-life representation of their work, while the Raider GE78, though very capable, falls just short in reproducing the entire spectrum of colors. However, for 3D applications and gaming, the Raider GE78 is more suitable, as its display's faster refresh rate makes for smoother motion and gameplay, while the Aero 5's lower refresh rate might hinder the experience despite its high-quality image.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$4,386
$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 GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
7.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 5 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 446 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
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."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 5 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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