The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is less expensive and offers great general use with good performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, but it has a standard resolution display with a very high refresh rate which might be more appealing for gaming. In contrast, the MSI Raider GE78 is more expensive but features a more powerful processor, double the memory, and a more advanced graphics card, making it better suited for highly intensive tasks and future-proofing. It also has a higher resolution screen with a slightly lower refresh rate compared to the Aorus 17. Both have similar battery capacities and screen sizes, but the Raider GE78 has a heavier power brick which affects portability. Consider the Aorus 17 for balanced performance at a lower cost, and the Raider GE78 for top-tier performance with a sharper display at a higher price. 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
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has no clear advantages over the MSI Raider GE78.
Advantages of the MSI Raider GE78
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Best in class for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
267.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 outperforms the Gigabyte Aorus 17 in areas very important for a superior general use experience, thanks to its higher resolution screen which provides better screen quality, more powerful CPU and double the RAM for better performance, albeit at the cost of portability due to its greater weight. While both laptops have similar battery lives, the Raider GE78's more robust storage, superior keyboard and speaker quality, and better heat management make it a compelling option for those whose priorities align with these traits, despite the potentially louder operating noise and its comparative difficulty to carry around.
Gaming and AI
8.1/10
9.5/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is best in class for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good.
The MSI Raider GE78 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a higher quality screen with better resolution than the Gigabyte Aorus 17, which comes with a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a lower resolution display, but offers a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals. While the Aorus 17's high refresh rate is ideal for fast-paced gaming, the Raider GE78's superior GPU and screen quality provide a more intense gaming and 3D experience, as well as better performance for demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.4/10
9.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Raider GE78 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17, with an Intel i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, offers solid performance for engineering and design, but the MSI Raider GE78 with a more advanced Intel i9 processor, double the RAM at 32GB, and a superior Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU delivers higher computational power and graphics performance, making it ideal for the most intensive tasks. While both feature quality IPS displays, the MSI's higher resolution and color accuracy further benefit design work; however, it comes at the cost of greater weight and slightly poorer portability compared to the Gigabyte.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Raider GE78 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for content creation, though the MSI Raider GE78 is somewhat better.
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
7.5/10
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.6/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
Both the Gigabyte Aorus 17 and MSI Raider GE78 have displays that offer sharp images and vivid colors, making them excellent for general use and suitable for detailed engineering and design work due to their high resolution and wide color gamuts. However, for gaming and 3D applications, where fast on-screen motion is common, their poor refresh rates result in less fluid visuals, which can detract from the immersive experience that these applications typically benefit from. The MSI Raider GE78 edges ahead slightly with a very good screen quality as it may have better brightness or panel quality that enhances visibility and clarity, critical for both general use and professional design tasks.
Portability
Fair
Poor
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability, while the MSI Raider GE78 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
$4,386
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a price of $1,700 and the MSI Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
"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."
"Performance-wise, the GE78 offers a significant boost over the GE77 for just slightly higher power consumption. You'll have to get the RTX 4080 or 4090 configurations to see the performance advantages, however, as the RTX 4070 is closer in performance to the older RTX 3080 Ti. In terms of design, some users might prefer the 16:9 minimalistic look of the older GE77 over the 16:10 retro-inspired GE78 and vice versa. We wouldn't call one better than the other in terms of aesthetics, but we'll give the edge to the GE78 for its stronger hinges and larger keys and clickpad."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 17 or the MSI Raider GE78
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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