If you're looking for high-performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the MSI Titan 18 HX with its more powerful components may be worth the extra investment, though it will be heavier and may have shorter battery life, making it less ideal if you need to move around frequently. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 15 provides a balance between performance and portability at a lower cost, suitable for general use and moderate gaming or engineering tasks, with the added benefit of being easier to carry and likely having longer battery life. 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 battery life
Advantages of the MSI Titan 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
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Best in class keyboard
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
401.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15, with modest CPU and RAM, is adequate for everyday tasks, and its lighter design and longer battery life make it easy to carry around, suiting users who prioritize portability and convenience. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX offers a more powerful CPU and larger RAM for smoother performance, a superior screen for better visuals, but its larger size and shorter battery life make it less portable and better suited for those who need a workstation replacement and use their laptop in a fixed location.
Gaming and AI
8.0/10
9.4/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
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
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 packs a robust GPU essential for high-frame-rate gaming and smooth 3D rendering, complimented by a high screen refresh rate ensuring crisp visuals and fluid motion. Meanwhile, the MSI Titan 18 HX steps up in performance with an even more powerful GPU suitable for the most demanding games and 3D tasks, alongside a comparable refresh rate, with both laptops offering solid CPUs and screen quality to support these graphics capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
9.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15, with its robust processing power and ample memory, is a strong choice for engineering and design tasks, providing a balance of performance and screen clarity, whereas the MSI Titan 18 HX, with superior CPU, GPU, and larger memory, excels in demanding engineering and design scenarios, albeit at the expense of being heavier and less portable. Both laptops have quality keyboards and displays essential for precision work, but the MSI's higher specs translate to potentially louder operating noise when under heavy use.
Content Creation
8.0/10
9.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 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
8.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 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
9.2/10
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
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 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.
If you prioritize a vibrant, sharp display for activities like browsing or productivity tasks, the MSI Titan's screen outshines the Gigabyte Aorus due to its higher resolution and brightness. For engineering and design work where accurate color reproduction is key, the MSI Titan likely offers a wider color gamut, ensuring that colors are more precise and consistent. However, for gaming and 3D applications that rely on fluid motion, both laptops may fall short since their screens don't have high refresh rates, leading to less smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Titan 18 HX has 4 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 Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$4,800
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"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."
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 15 or the MSI Titan 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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