When choosing between the Gigabyte Aero 5 and the MSI Thin GF63, consider that the Aero 5 generally offers better performance, which is suited for demanding tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, and gaming. However, this comes at a higher price and potential sacrifices in portability due to its weight and size. The MSI GF63, on the other hand, is more affordable, usually lighter, and hence more portable, but may not handle intensive workloads as effectively. If longer battery life and carrying convenience are priorities over cutting-edge performance, the MSI GF63 could be a sensible pick. 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
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.4/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
446.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 stands out for general use with a high-resolution OLED screen, larger battery capacity, and ample storage but is slightly heavier and less portable than the MSI Thin GF63, which offers good performance paired with a higher refresh rate display and lighter build, though with less storage and a less vibrant screen. Both have quality keyboards and are equipped with modern processors and sufficient RAM, although the Aero 5 has a slight edge in CPU power, and its impressive screen quality is well-suited for tasks requiring visual accuracy, whereas the GF63 is more travel-friendly and offers better battery life..
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its higher-end GPU, the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, and its OLED screen which offers excellent color coverage and contrast, though with a lower refresh rate. In contrast, the MSI Thin GF63, while still good for gaming and 3D with its capable Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, offers a higher screen refresh rate which is beneficial for smooth gaming at the expense of screen quality.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 is 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
8.2/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
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 Thin GF63 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
16.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and MSI Thin GF63 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
262.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen than the MSI Thin GF63 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 great brightness and color accuracy, making it an excellent choice for activities like browsing, streaming, and productivity tasks. Professionals in engineering and design will appreciate the Aero 5's wide color gamuts, ensuring their work appears precise and vibrant. However, due to a lower refresh rate, the Aero 5's screen can seem less smooth during gaming or working with 3D applications, where the MSI Thin GF63 also suffers but adds the compromise of lower resolution and brightness, rendering it less ideal for all categories.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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 Thin GF63 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
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aero 5 has a price of $1,250 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,400.
"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 GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 5 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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