The Gigabyte Aorus 15 offers superior performance, making it more suitable for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering work. Its higher-quality display and longer battery life also contribute to a better experience for demanding activities. However, it is heavier and less portable compared to the MSI GF63 Thin, which is lighter and more suitable for general usage on the go. The MSI also costs less, but comes with a less powerful processor and graphics card, less RAM and storage, and a lower-quality display which affects its ability to run intensive applications smoothly. If budget constraints are important and your needs are focused on everyday tasks with occasional light gaming, the MSI GF63 Thin could be a more economical choice. If you frequently engage in high-performance activities and can invest more, the Gigabyte Aorus 15 would be a better fit despite its lower portability. 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 Aorus 15
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very 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 speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF63 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.0/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
316.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.2 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is good for general use, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
8.0/10
6.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
8.4/10
6.0/10
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 Aorus 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF63 Thin is only fair.
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
8.0/10
6.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
7.6/10
6.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
8.0/10
6.1/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
249.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen than the MSI GF63 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aorus 15's superior panel type, high resolution, and brightness make for a vivid and clear viewing experience, while the MSI GF63 Thin's fair qualities in these areas offer a decent but less impressive performance. In the realm of engineering and design, the Aorus 15 shines with its wide color gamuts, providing accurate and vibrant color reproduction necessary for precise work, whereas the GF63 Thin's fair performance may not satisfy professionals looking for color accuracy. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Gigabyte's poor refresh rate can lead to less smooth visuals, which is less than ideal, and the MSI, while also not excelling, would similarly hamper fast-paced and graphically intense experiences due to its refresh rate limitations.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.2 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF63 Thin has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
$1,500
$599
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI GF63 Thin costs $599.
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
"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 Aorus 15 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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,195
Recommendations made
21,493
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.