The Gigabyte Aorus 17 offers higher gaming performance with a more powerful graphics card and is better suited for intensive gaming, 3D tasks, and engineering software. However, it's larger, heavier, and has shorter battery life, making it less portable than the MSI Prestige 16. The MSI Prestige 16, which is lighter and has a better battery life, will be easier to carry around and is equipped with a higher resolution screen and more RAM, which is beneficial for multitasking and productivity tasks. It is also less expensive, but may not handle demanding games and intensive applications as well as the Aorus 17. Choose the Aorus 17 for high-end gaming and resource-heavy software, or the Prestige 16 for portability, longer work sessions away from a power source, and high-resolution screen benefits. 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 keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Prestige 16
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is good.
The MSI Prestige 16, with double the RAM and a higher-resolution 16:10 aspect ratio display, offers better multitasking capabilities and more vertical screen real estate, which might be preferred for productivity tasks. It also boasts a lighter design and longer battery life than the Gigabyte Aorus 17, therefore, it is better suited for those who prioritize portability and longer unplugged usage.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
6.7/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Prestige 16 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is equipped with a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a high screen refresh rate of 360 Hz, making it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion and graphics rendering are critical. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16, although it has a less powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower 165 Hz refresh rate, it offers a higher screen resolution, which may benefit users looking for sharper visuals at the expense of some gaming performance.
Software Development
7.5/10
8.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Prestige 16 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
8.0/10
8.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The MSI Prestige 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 boasts a display with ample brightness and resolution, making it suitable for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work in engineering; however, it lags in gaming performance due to a lower refresh rate. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16 offers a high-quality display that excels in both brightness and color accuracy, essential for nuanced design work and general use, but similarly falls short for gaming with its insufficient refresh rate. Both laptops, despite their strengths in visual fidelity for productivity, are not optimal for gaming where smoother motion and quicker visual responses are key.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has 6 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
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Prestige 16 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Prestige 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is suited for engineering and design due to a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, a powerful Intel i7 CPU, and ample RAM, supporting demanding applications and multitasking. On the other hand, the MSI Prestige 16, with its higher RAM, newer Intel i7 CPU, and high-resolution screen, excels in multitasking and detailed visual work, though it lacks a dedicated GPU which may limit some engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Prestige 16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
Build Quality
7.4/10
7.4/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
Cost
$1,700
$1,611
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Prestige 16 costs $1,611.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 17 and the MSI Prestige 16 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."
"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 17 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.
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