If budget is a primary concern and you need a laptop that's easier to carry, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a fitting choice, as it's less expensive and more portable. However, if your work involves very demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming, then investing in the MSI Titan 18 HX might be worthwhile despite the higher cost, as it usually offers superior performance and a larger screen for detailed work, at the expense of heavier weight and possibly shorter battery life. Choose based on what's more critical for your daily use: portability and cost or cutting-edge performance and screen size. 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 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
7.8/10
8.8/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
301.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
7.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X offers a strong CPU and ample RAM, ensuring smooth performance for everyday tasks, with a high-quality screen making for a crisp display, although it's less portable and has a shorter battery life compared to lighter models. In contrast, the MSI Titan 18 HX also excels with a robust CPU and plenty of RAM, has a superior screen for vivid visuals, but it's heavier and more power-hungry, leading to reduced portability and battery life; both laptops come with considerable storage space, comfortable keyboards, decent speakers, and have effective heat management, although operating noise may be noticeable under heavy use.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
9.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
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 15X is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X offers a high-quality GPU and a fast screen refresh rate which makes it suitable for demanding games and 3D applications; however, the MSI Titan 18 HX boasts an even more powerful GPU and comparable refresh rates, leading to exceptionally smooth and detailed visuals in the most graphics-intensive scenarios. While both have capable CPUs and good screen quality, the superior GPU in the MSI Titan 18 HX sets it apart for top-tier gaming and 3D performance.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
9.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.9/10
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 15X is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X, with a robust CPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality GPU, offers solid performance for engineering tasks, complemented by an excellent screen for detail-oriented design work. The MSI Titan 18 HX, though less portable due to its larger size and possibly higher operating noise, goes a step further with even more powerful components and superior screen quality, making it the superior choice for the most demanding engineering and design applications despite potentially heavier weight and louder fans.
Content Creation
8.0/10
9.0/10
9.9/10
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 15X 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
7.7/10
8.9/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is 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.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
9.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
301.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15X for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, which prioritizes panel type, resolution, and brightness, the MSI Titan offers superior screen quality, which means you'll have clearer, brighter images and text, enhancing your everyday computing experience. Engineering and design tasks benefit greatly from the MSI Titan's excellent color coverage, ensuring that professionals who need precise color accuracy for tasks such as photo editing or CAD will appreciate its fidelity. However, for gaming and 3D applications where high refresh rates are crucial for smooth motion, neither the Gigabyte Aorus 15X nor the MSI Titan excel, as their screens do not prioritize fast refresh rates, potentially leading to less fluid visuals in fast-paced games or 3D simulations.
Battery
5.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has 5.5 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
Good
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X has good 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 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
$4,800
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"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."
"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 15X 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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