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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Gigabyte Aorus 17 and the MSI Creator Z16P depends on your priorities. If you prioritize larger screen size, higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, and slightly better performance for engineering applications, the Gigabyte may be the better fit. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Creator Z16P boasts a higher resolution touchscreen with a taller aspect ratio for more vertical space, potentially better color reproduction making it suitable for creative work, and is lighter with improved portability. It operates on Windows 11 Pro versus the Aorus' Windows 11 Home and features newer technologies like Thunderbolt 4 ports and a better webcam. If these features align more closely with your needs and you can accept a slightly lower performance in some areas, the MSI Creator Z16P could be the more suitable option for you. 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 17
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.0
8.3
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a better screen than the MSI Creator Z16P for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 offers a good balance of resolution and brightness, which makes it suitable for general use, and its color accuracy is sufficient for most engineering and design tasks; however, its lower refresh rate can be a drawback for smooth gaming or 3D rendering experiences. The MSI Creator Z16P steps up with an even better display that brings sharper images and more vivid colors, catering well to professionals in engineering and design who need higher color fidelity for precision work. While both laptops have adequate resolution and good panel types, their less-than-ideal refresh rates mean that neither is optimal for the fast-paced visuals required in high-end gaming or 3D applications.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The MSI Creator Z16P has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The MSI Creator Z16P has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,700
$1,300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Creator Z16P are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and the MSI Creator Z16P are both suited for general use because they have high-quality IPS screens, substantial RAM, and capable CPUs, ensuring smooth operation for everyday tasks. However, the Aorus 17 is less portable and has a shorter battery life than the lighter, more compact MSI Creator Z16P, which also offers a higher-resolution touchscreen with better color coverage, making it ideal for creative work.
Gaming and AI
8.1
7.6
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 17 to be very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Creator Z16P is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is good for gaming and 3D applications thanks to its high-refresh-rate screen and powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, which supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS, while the MSI Creator Z16P also features the same GPU for robust gaming and 3D performance but offers a higher resolution touchscreen with a lower refresh rate that could be especially appealing for creators.
Engineering and Design
8.4
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Creator Z16P are both very good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is well-suited for engineering and design tasks due to its powerful i7 processor, dedicated RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, and significant RAM, alongside a quality IPS screen, though its resolution and color space coverage are less impressive compared to some alternatives. In comparison, the MSI Creator Z16P also excels in similar areas with an even more robust i9 processor and a superior screen with higher resolution and better color accuracy, making it ideal for detail-oriented work; however, these features affect its portability and it may also run with higher operating noise.
Content Creation
8.0
7.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 17 to be very good for content creation, while the MSI Creator Z16P is 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
7.5
7.6
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both good for software development.
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
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 17 and the MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 17 | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,700 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2022 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-12900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 267 nits | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 17
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 17 or the MSI Creator Z16P
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.
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