The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is slightly less expensive and features a more powerful main processor and graphics card, making it better for intensive tasks like gaming or engineering. However, the MSI Raider GE66 has double the RAM, which could make it better for multitasking or memory-intensive applications. Both have a similar battery life and screen quality, with no touchscreens and high refresh rates. The MSI is a bit lighter, potentially offering better portability, but both are similar in size. If maximum performance is a priority, go for the Aorus 15X; for multitasking with substantial RAM, the Raider GE66 may be preferable. 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
Good portability
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE66
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2/10
8.4/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE66 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15X for engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and the MSI Raider GE66 offer crisp, vibrant displays with their high resolutions and brightness levels, making activities like browsing and watching videos a pleasure. When it comes to engineering and design work, professionals may prefer the MSI Raider GE66, as it likely has a wider color gamut, which ensures more accurate color reproduction, crucial for tasks requiring color precision. However, gamers and those into 3D applications may find both laptops lacking due to their lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and a less immersive experience in fast-paced games and 3D simulations.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE66 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,600
$2,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a price of $1,600 and the MSI Raider GE66 costs $2,499.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE66 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is valued for general use due to its cutting-edge CPU and high-quality graphics card, offering strong performance and a vivid display; however, it is slightly heavier than the MSI Raider GE66, which also boasts a powerful CPU, double the RAM for multitasking, and superior screen color accuracy, but may not perform as well in the most demanding tasks due to an older GPU. Both laptops offer large screens with high resolution and refresh rates conducive to smooth visuals, though the Aorus may have shorter battery life and the Raider impresses with its keyboard quality.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
8.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X and MSI Raider GE66 are both very good for gaming and AI.
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
8.6/10
8.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE66 and Gigabyte Aorus 15X are both very good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X stands out for engineering and design with its more powerful i9 CPU and RTX 4070 GPU, favoring demanding tasks, while the MSI Raider GE66 offers double the RAM, benefitting extensive multitasking and large projects; both have high-quality IPS displays and are of similar size, but the Aorus 15X is slightly heavier and may not be as portable as the Raider GE66.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE66 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
8.0/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Raider GE66 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.
Battery
5.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 5.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE66 has 6 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15X to have good portability, while the MSI Raider GE66 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and the MSI Raider GE66 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 Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 15X or the MSI Raider GE66
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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