The Gigabyte Aorus 15 offers better performance, suited for intensive engineering tasks and gaming with its higher-end processor and graphics card, more RAM, and larger storage. However, it's heavier, has a shorter battery life, and comes at a higher price. The MSI GF65 Thin, on the other hand, is more portable due to its lighter weight and is priced lower, but it compromises on performance with a lesser processor, graphics, less RAM, and smaller storage. Choosing the Aorus is ideal for power-intensive tasks while the GF65 is more budget-friendly and easier to carry. 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 GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.5/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
316.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 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 GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is equipped with a higher-quality CPU and more RAM, leading to smoother multitasking and better performance in demanding applications, while also offering a superior screen resolution and color coverage for crisper and more vibrant visual content. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin has less powerful internal components and a lower resolution display, resulting in reduced performance for general use, although it does have a slight edge in portability due to its lighter weight.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
6.8/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 delivers focused power for gaming and 3D with its stronger Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and higher screen refresh rate, elevating the overall visual and gaming experience. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin, with its Nvidia RTX 3060 and lower refresh rate, targets more casual gamers and offers a slightly less vibrant experience at a potentially more affordable price point.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is better suited for engineering and design due to its higher-quality CPU, greater amount of RAM, and more powerful GPU, along with a superior screen that provides better resolution and color accuracy; these factors greatly enhance performance and visual clarity for intensive tasks. Meanwhile, the MSI GF65 Thin offers adequate performance for engineering and design at a lighter weight for easier portability, but compromises on screen quality and computational power which might limit its capability for demanding software applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 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
6.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 GF65 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
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 provides vivid colors and sharp details, making it great for engineering and design tasks that rely on color accuracy and resolution, but its slower refresh rate isn't ideal for the fast-paced visuals required in gaming and 3D work. The MSI GF65 Thin offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks, but neither its color range nor its refresh rate stand out for professional design work or high-end gaming. Overall, the Aorus is better suited for users focused on visual accuracy in creative fields, while the MSI may suffice for casual use where top-tier screen performance is less critical.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin 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
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 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
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 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
$1,100
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
"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."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 15 or the MSI GF65 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.
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