If you prioritize high graphics performance for gaming or creative work, and you can afford a higher price, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 with its advanced GPU could be a great choice. However, if you are looking for better value for money and you are okay with slightly lower performance, the MSI GP66 Leopard could be a more cost-effective option. Keep in mind that the Gigabyte Aorus 5 might also offer better battery life for longer use on the go, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is less expensive but could have a shorter battery life. If portability is a concern, note that both laptops have similar weights and sizes. 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 for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.0/10
7.5/10
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for gaming and AI, and content creation.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard both have high-resolution displays with quality panel types and adequate brightness, providing clear and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks. For engineering and design work, both models offer displays with wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation for precision tasks like photo editing or CAD. However, their displays have lower refresh rates, which are less suitable for 3D applications and gaming where smoother motion and faster frame rendering are key for an optimal experience.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$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 GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are suitable for general use predominantly due to their robust CPUs and abundant RAM, which ensure smooth multitasking and speedy performance. While both feature high-quality IPS screens and comparable storage, the Aorus 5 offers a slightly better battery capacity for longer use on the go, whereas the GP66 Leopard provides a marginally higher display brightness and more effective heat management for sustained performance.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
7.8/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is well-suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its high refresh rate display and powerful RTX 3070 GPU; however, the MSI GP66 Leopard, with its RTX 3080 GPU, offers superior graphical performance, but at a lower screen refresh rate. Both have quality IPS screens and robust CPUs, but users looking for smoother visuals in fast-paced games might prefer the Aorus 5, while those prioritizing graphical detail might lean towards the GP66 Leopard.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 5 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is equipped with a newer CPU and a high GPU model, which boosts performance for engineering and design tasks, and it also has a high screen refresh rate, which enhances the visual experience, though it weighs more which affects portability. The MSI GP66 Leopard, while slightly more portable with a lighter weight, compromises slightly on the CPU, but offers a superior contrast ratio on its screen, creating richer visuals for design work, yet it still houses a top-tier GPU.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both 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.
Software Development
7.3/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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
5.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Gigabyte Aorus 5 both have only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aorus 5 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"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 GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 5 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,495
Recommendations made
21,558
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.