Choosing the Gigabyte Aorus 5 would likely save you some money while still offering a solid gaming and engineering experience with ample performance from its processor and graphics card. It has a high refresh rate display but at a standard full HD resolution, which is suitable for fast-paced gaming. However, its screen may not be as sharp or as vibrant as the MSI GE66 Raider, which features a higher resolution and better color accuracy.
On the other hand, the MSI GE66 Raider costs more but offers more powerful hardware, which translates to better performance in demanding 3D tasks, machine learning, and engineering software. It has double the storage and RAM, which can be crucial for heavy multitasking and complex projects. Its display has higher pixel density and color coverage, making it exceptionally good for tasks that demand color accuracy like video editing or design. With these premium features, it weighs slightly more, which is a consideration for portability.
Both laptops have similar battery capacities, but battery life will vary based on usage. They are equipped with multiple display outputs, backlit keyboards, and hardware ray tracing support, making them both suitable for gaming and resource-intensive tasks. However, you'd have to balance between whether the gains in performance and display quality of the MSI are worth the extra cost over the Gigabyte. 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 5
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall build quality
Good battery life
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The MSI GE66 Raider outperforms the Gigabyte Aorus 5 with a more powerful CPU and greater RAM which is key for multitasking and demanding tasks, alongside a higher-resolution screen which can make visuals crisp and detailed, factors that are very important for general use. However, these advantages come with a tradeoff, as the Raider is slightly less portable due to a bit more weight and thickness, and also may have less battery life, key considerations for those who need mobility and longevity on the go.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
8.6/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is outfitted with a Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a screen with a high refresh rate, making it suitable for gaming and 3D applications, but the MSI GE66 Raider takes it a step further with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU and a higher resolution screen which enhances visual quality and detail in games.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers better performance for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 5, along with a higher resolution screen which can be beneficial for detailed work; however, the Aorus 5 may be more portable given its slightly lower weight.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
7.3/10
8.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
8.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GE66 Raider have screen panels with resolutions and brightness levels that are highly suitable for general use and detailed work required in engineering and design, ensuring clear visibility and crisp images. Their color accuracy, characterized by the breadth of color gamuts, benefits professional design tasks where precise color representation is crucial. However, for gaming and 3D applications, their screens fall short primarily because of lower refresh rates, which are essential for smooth motion rendering and a responsive gaming experience.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,359
$3,199
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a price of $2,359 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
"The Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 is a capable mainstream gaming notebook that will run the latest PC games with aplomb. However, it's not your stereotypical flashy gaming PC. Gigabyte has added some interesting tweaks. For example, the webcam placement and its Microsoft Azure AI tool — to automatically switch between power modes — are unusual for this genre. But more importantly, the pricing is fairly competitive and reasonable."
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 5 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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