The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is typically much more expensive and offers higher performance, with a more powerful processor and graphics card, suitable for demanding engineering tasks, 3D modeling, and gaming. However, it is heavier and has shorter battery life, making it less portable. The MSI GF65 Thin is generally less expensive, more portable due to its lighter weight, and provides decent performance for general use and gaming but might struggle with more intensive tasks. Both laptops have similar screen sizes and quality, but the Aorus 5 has a higher refresh rate, which is better for fast-paced gaming. Choose the Aorus 5 for high-end performance if the budget allows, or the GF65 Thin for better value and portability. 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
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is better suited for general use due to its superior CPU and larger RAM, facilitating better multitasking and more demanding applications, alongside a significantly better battery capacity for extended use on a single charge. In comparison, the MSI GF65 Thin has a lower-tier CPU, less RAM which may hinder performance with heavy workloads, and a smaller battery offering less usage time away from a power source, but is lighter, enhancing its portability.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.8/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 outshines the MSI GF65 Thin in gaming and 3D tasks primarily due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 360Hz, compared to the MSI's RTX 3060 GPU and 144Hz refresh rate. While the Aorus 5 also has a better CPU with an Intel i7-12700H against the GF65 Thin's i5-10500H and superior screen quality, these factors are less critical but contribute to the Aorus 5 being deemed good for gaming and 3D, whereas the GF65 Thin is considered fair.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.7/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is equipped with a more powerful CPU, a higher-tier GPU, and more RAM compared to the MSI GF65 Thin, which makes it better suited for demanding engineering and design work requiring high-performance computing and advanced graphics capabilities. Furthermore, both sporting IPS displays with similar characteristics, the Aorus 5 stands out with greater brightness and wider color gamut coverage, providing a higher quality visual experience, although it is heavier with potentially louder operating noise, impacting its portability and noise level compared to the GF65 Thin.
Content Creation
7.6/10
6.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
6.8/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a display that offers clarity and vibrancy due to better resolution and brightness, making it suitable for general activities and detailed work in engineering and design, with its color accuracy pleasing to professionals. However, its lower refresh rate hinders the gaming experience, causing it not to be as smooth for fast-paced 3D games. Conversely, while the MSI GF65 Thin provides an adequate visual experience for everyday tasks and technical applications, its moderate performance across key attributes like panel type and color range results in a competent but not exceptional display for any specialized use, including engineering, design, and gaming.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,359
$1,100
$500
$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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
"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 GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 5 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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