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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or playing the latest games at their highest settings, the MSI Raider GE78 is superior due to its more powerful processor and graphics card. It also boasts a larger screen with higher resolution, which may enhance multimedia and gaming experiences but makes it less portable due to the larger size and additional weight. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is somewhat less expensive, more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, making it easier to transport. However, it has a less powerful processor and graphics unit, which may limit performance during heavy tasks such as gaming or intensive engineering programs. Both laptops have similar battery capacity, but due to the Raider GE78's higher specs, its battery life may be shorter when running demanding applications. The Aorus 5 could be a more economical choice for general use and mid-level gaming or engineering uses. 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
- The Gigabyte Aorus 5 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 for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The MSI Raider GE78 excels in general use largely due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and superior screen quality compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 5; however, it is heavier and less portable, with only slightly better battery life. While both laptops have high-end GPUs and sufficient battery capacity for moderate use, the Raider GE78's higher resolution and larger screen size enhance user experience at the expense of portability, making it less convenient for users on the move.
Gaming and AI
7.9
9.5
8.2/10
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 5 is good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
9.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.2/10
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 5 is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6
8.8
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 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
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The MSI Raider GE78 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
8.6
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Raider GE78 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has a screen that offers clear images and fine detail for everyday tasks and is sufficiently bright, but it lacks in higher refresh rates which are crucial for smooth gaming and 3D rendering. The MSI Raider GE78 boasts a vibrant display with sharp resolution and high brightness, making it excellent for both day-to-day activities and detailed engineering work, but like the Gigabyte, it falls short for gaming due to its lower refresh rate. Both laptops display a wide range of colors well, which is great for design, but gamers and 3D designers would miss the fluid motion provided by screens with faster refresh rates.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.8 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 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
8.5
The MSI Raider GE78 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
$4,386
$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 Raider GE78 costs $4,386.
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Key similarities
Battery
5.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Raider GE78 has 6 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.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 5 and the MSI Raider GE78 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 5 | MSI Raider GE78 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,359 | $4,386 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | 15'' x 11.7'' x 1.13'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.07 lbs | 6.83 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14" | 14.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 11.73" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 280 nits | 384 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 5
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Vincent Chang | June 2022
"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."
MSI Raider GE78
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2023
"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 5 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.
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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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