When choosing between the Gigabyte Aorus 5 and the MSI Titan 18 HX, consider that the Aorus 5 is more budget-friendly and offers adequate performance for everyday tasks and moderate gaming. However, the Titan 18 HX, despite being more expensive, provides superior performance suited for high-end gaming, intensive engineering applications, and demanding 3D or machine learning tasks. If you prioritize portability and battery life, the Aorus 5 is lighter and likely to last longer on a charge, while the Titan 18 HX is heavier and might have shorter battery life due to its powerful components. 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 Titan 18 HX.
Advantages of the MSI Titan 18 HX
Very good for general use
Best in class for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Excellent for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent speakers
Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.5/10
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
280.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
5.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
6.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 offers a balance of CPU power and RAM that meets everyday needs, ensuring smooth performance for general tasks, but it falls short in screen quality and may lack the portability and long battery life some users desire. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX, with its superior CPU and RAM, excels at more demanding applications, providing a better screen experience; however, its size and shorter battery life make it less practical for on-the-go use, though storage, keyboard, and sound are commendable, and it manages heat and noise well.
Gaming and AI
7.9/10
9.4/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 provides a solid balance for gaming and 3D applications with its capable GPU and high screen refresh rate, but it may trail behind in more demanding scenarios. On the other hand, the MSI Titan 18 HX excels in performance for gaming and 3D rendering due to its superior GPU and refresh rate, complemented by a robust CPU and high-quality screen, making it the preferred option for the most intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
The MSI Titan 18 HX is best in class for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 5 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 5, with its capable CPU, ample RAM, and competent GPU, performs well for engineering tasks and design work, also benefiting from a high-quality screen. The MSI Titan 18 HX, however, offers superior CPU and GPU power for demanding software, more RAM for complex projects, and a top-tier screen, albeit being less portable and noisier, which could be a tradeoff for mobile users or those sensitive to operating noise.
Content Creation
7.6/10
9.0/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The MSI Titan 18 HX is excellent 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
8.9/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
128.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
9.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
280.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
401.0 nits
The MSI Titan 18 HX has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 5 for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MSI Titan 18 HX's screen likely provides vivid colors, sharp images, and sufficient brightness, enhancing everyday activities like browsing and watching videos. When working on engineering and design tasks, its screen excels in color accuracy, which is crucial for precise visual work, due to its coverage of professional color gamuts. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both laptops' screens fall short because they don't prioritize high refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid visuals during fast-paced action.
Portability
Fair
Poor
15.6in
SIZE
18.0in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
7.9 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Gigabyte Aorus 5 has only fair portability, while the MSI Titan 18 HX has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The MSI Titan 18 HX 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
$4,800
$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 Titan 18 HX costs $4,800.
"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."
"With no new Nvidia GPU this year for laptops, MSI had to refresh everything surrounding the graphics card to make up for it. Users are getting a new 18-inch chassis design, new 14th gen Intel HX CPU, new AC adapter, larger keys, and a new 120 Hz HDR1000 mini-LED 4K display to accompany the high price tag. Most of these changes are a step up from last year's GT77, but users are ultimately getting the same gaming performance out of both models."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 5 or the MSI Titan 18 HX
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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