If budget is a primary concern and general use is your goal, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 offers solid performance without breaking the bank. However, the MSI Stealth 17, while more expensive, provides enhanced performance suitable for tasks like 3D work, machine learning, gaming, and engineering. The Stealth 17 also typically offers a more premium build, a thinner design for better portability, and often has a longer battery life, which could be crucial for on-the-go use. The decision hinges on whether you prioritize savings or are willing to invest in higher performance and better mobility. 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 Stealth 17.
Advantages of the MSI Stealth 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17 offers a more powerful CPU, more RAM, and a higher quality display than the Gigabyte Aorus 5, which enhances its performance for general use even though it's less portable due to its larger screen and slightly heavier build. While both laptops have similar battery capacities, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 may offer better portability given its smaller size and lighter weight, but these factors also contribute to it having lower screen resolution and refresh rate, making it less suited for tasks that benefit from superior display properties.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
9.1/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The MSI Stealth 17, with its more advanced GPU and high-resolution screen, offers superior gaming and 3D performance than the Gigabyte Aorus 5, which has a less powerful GPU but boasts a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals. While both have quality displays, the MSI's combination of a top-tier GPU and a higher screen quality make it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, versus the Gigabyte's good performance with a focus on fast-paced gaming due to its refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5, with its solid processor and high-quality graphics card, is built for demanding tasks, yet the MSI Stealth 17 outperforms with an even more powerful processor and top-tier graphics, making it excellent for engineering where such resources are crucial. Both have good screen quality, but the MSI offers higher resolution and color accuracy, which is beneficial for design work; despite being less portable and having a higher operating noise, it compensates with a superior keyboard and speaker quality.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 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
8.6/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 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 provides a bright, high-resolution display ideal for everyday tasks and detailed work in engineering and design, offering vivid colors and clear images. However, its lower refresh rate limits its appeal for gaming and 3D applications, where smoother motion is crucial. The MSI Stealth 17, with its similarly impressive resolution and color accuracy, excels in both general use and demanding creative work but shares the Aorus 5's shortcoming in gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that doesn't cater to the fast-paced visuals these activities typically require.
Cost
$2,359
$3,899
$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 Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"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 Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 5 or the MSI Stealth 17
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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