The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a top-tier processor and graphics card, making it excellent for gaming, 3D work, and intensive engineering applications but it's heavier, which affects portability, and has shorter battery life. Although slightly more expensive, it's suitable for high-performance needs and can handle almost any task. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16, with its high-resolution 16:10 display, is lighter and offers more RAM for multitasking, appealing to users who prioritize screen real estate, portability, and are engaged in general use and business tasks, usually at a somewhat lower price. However, it lacks the dedicated GPU, meaning it's less suitable for heavy graphics tasks. 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 15X
Very good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Good battery life
Very good speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
8.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is well-suited for general use due to its high-performance CPU and ample RAM, complemented by a high-quality screen with good color coverage and brightness; however, it's less portable and has shorter battery life, which might limit its mobility. In contrast, the MSI Prestige 16, while also offering a capable CPU and a superior amount of RAM, features a better screen aspect ratio for productivity tasks, higher portability, and longer battery life, making it an excellent choice for on-the-go users who need a balance between performance and mobility.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
6.7/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 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.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
8.3/10
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15X for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X boasts high resolution and brightness, making it ideal for everyday tasks, but its color range may be narrower, lessening appeal for professionals in design or engineering. Whereas the MSI Prestige 16 offers both optimal resolution and a wide color gamut, catering to engineers and designers who need precise color accuracy for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are key, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates which can result in less fluid motion on-screen.
Battery
5.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Prestige 16 has 7.5 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
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 15X both have good portability, though the MSI Prestige 16 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,600
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a price of $1,600 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,400.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and MSI Prestige 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
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
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 15X are both very good for content creation.
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
7.7/10
8.1/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Prestige 16 to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and MSI Prestige 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and the MSI Prestige 16 compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong showing of Raptor Lake and RTX 4000 series. While the Aorus had trouble keeping up in older games like Grand Theft Auto V, it nudged past the competition in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It also flexed its next-generation muscle in Far Cry 6 and Borderlands 3. While we were impressed with the overall build quality and design of the Aorus 15X, the keyboard lacked good tactile feedback. The display performed well in real-world testing despite its on-paper shortcoming with brightness, but the speakers are lackluster at best."
"The MSI Prestige 16 Evo: 2023's best value 16” thin & light laptop with i7-13700H. One of the top choices for professionals and students seeking a high-performance, portable computing solution in 2023. While the MSI Prestige 16 Evo A13M may not boast the most striking design compared to some other 16" options, its relatively "safe" styling lends itself well to professional and educational environments. Significantly, it doesn't compromise on essential features like port selection or cooling performance, ensuring seamless connectivity and efficient thermal management. The 16 Evo A13M offers an excellent combination of performance, portability, and functionality, making it a compelling choice for professionals and students alike."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 15X or the MSI Prestige 16
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
123,795
Recommendations made
26,823
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.