If performance in intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming is a priority, and cost is less of a concern, the Gigabyte Aorus 5 with its higher-tier graphics card and processor will deliver significantly better performance. However, if you value portability and longer battery life for general use or less demanding engineering tasks, prefer the MSI Thin GF63, which is lighter and typically has a better battery life. The trade-off is that the MSI Thin GF63's performance, while adequate for many tasks, won't match that of the Gigabyte Aorus 5, and its build quality and display features might be less premium. 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
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
Good portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
6.9/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is equipped with a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3070 and a screen refresh rate of 99Hz, making it excellent for gaming and 3D applications, offering smooth visuals and better handling of graphics-intensive tasks. In contrast, the MSI Thin GF63 has a Nvidia RTX 4050 and a refresh rate of 51Hz, which also suits gaming and 3D work, but may not offer the same level of graphical fidelity or fluidity in fast-paced scenarios.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
7.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI Thin GF63 is 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.
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 Thin GF63 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 features a display with higher resolution and superior brightness, making it suitable for general use where clarity and visibility are crucial. For engineering and design tasks, this laptop's richer color range including DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB coverage ensures more accurate color reproduction. However, its lower refresh rate limits its appeal for gaming and 3D applications, which demand smoother motion and faster screen updates for an optimal experience.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI Thin GF63 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
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 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
$1,400
$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 Thin GF63 costs $1,400.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 provides solid performance for general use with a high-powered CPU and superior RAM, offering smooth multitasking and quick application launches; its quality IPS display with high refresh rates and good color coverage suits varied multimedia needs, yet it's less portable and has shorter battery life.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI Thin GF63 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
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 and MSI Thin GF63 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
4.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has 5 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 has 4.5 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.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 5 and the MSI Thin GF63 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 GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 5 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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