The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a high-performance laptop best for gaming or intensive engineering tasks, with robust graphics and a fast refresh rate display; however, it's heavier and offers less portability. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 is more budget-friendly, lighter, and more portable, suitable for general use with decent performance for everyday tasks, but it lacks the high-end graphics performance for demanding applications or gaming. The Aorus has a larger screen and a more powerful main processor and GPU, making it better for demanding software and tasks, whereas the MSI is more practical for on-the-go use with its lighter weight and smaller form factor. 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 engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
7.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use, though the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is somewhat better.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 offers a robust Intel CPU and high refresh rate screen, making it suitable for both demanding applications and enjoyable general use, though it's less portable and has moderate battery life. In contrast, the MSI Modern 14's portability is enhanced by its lighter weight and compact size, with a capable AMD CPU and solid screen quality for general use, but it might not handle intensive tasks as effectively as the Aorus.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
6.0/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Modern 14 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.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
6.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is better for engineering and design use primarily because it has a more powerful CPU, a dedicated high-performance GPU which is crucial for graphics-intensive tasks, and a larger, high-quality screen that's necessary for detailed work. Conversely, the MSI Modern 14, while more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size, has a less powerful integrated GPU, which makes it less suitable for demanding engineering software and rendering tasks yet more manageable for everyday carry.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for content creation, while the MSI Modern 14 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.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
6.4/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17, with its vivid display and high resolution, offers an immersive and detailed viewing experience ideal for engineering and general tasks, supported by color accuracy crucial for design work. However, its lower refresh rate hampers gaming and 3D applications, which rely on smooth motion for an optimal experience. The MSI Modern 14's balanced resolution and decent color reproduction make it suitable for everyday use and non-critical engineering work, but its moderate screen specifications limit performance in fast-paced gaming scenarios and may not fully satisfy professionals in design who require a wide color gamut.
Portability
Fair
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,700
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Modern 14 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
6.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Modern 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 17 and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
"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."
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 17 or the MSI Modern 14
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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