For a balance of performance and portability with a more budget-friendly approach, the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a strong contender. It offers a high-performance Intel i7 processor and a robust Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, making it suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning tasks, albeit not as powerful as the MSI Raider's components. Its 1440p IPS display with a 165Hz refresh rate is excellent for fast-motion content and general use, though it falls short of the MSI's 4K Mini LED touchscreen. The Aorus 15 is also lighter and more compact, enhancing its portability, and it comes with a good selection of ports including Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C.
On the other hand, if you're seeking top-tier performance without budget constraints, the MSI Raider 18 HX is the way to go. Its cutting-edge Intel i9-14900HX and Nvidia RTX 4080 will handle the most demanding tasks with ease, particularly in engineering applications, gaming, and machine learning. The larger 18-inch 4K display with Mini LED technology and touchscreen capability provides exceptional color accuracy and brightness, ideal for professionals and enthusiasts who prioritize screen quality. However, its size and weight make it less portable, and it's equipped with fewer USB-C ports, which could be a drawback if you rely on those for connectivity.
In summary, choose the Gigabyte Aorus 15 for a more affordable, portable option with solid performance for most tasks. Opt for the MSI Raider 18 HX if you need unparalleled performance and the best screen quality, and if portability is not a primary concern. 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
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
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
316.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
8.0/10
9.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very 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
8.4/10
9.6/10
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 Aorus 15 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
8.0/10
9.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Raider 18 HX is excellent for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
7.6/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Raider 18 HX is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
8.0/10
9.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
1000.0 nits
The MSI Raider 18 HX has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
6.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,500
$3,999
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the MSI Raider 18 HX costs $3,999.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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.
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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