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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize gaming performance and high-resolution displays, the MSI GE66 Raider, with its more powerful graphics card and higher-end processor, may be a better fit despite its higher price. However, if affordability and battery longevity are of greater importance, the Gigabyte Aorus 7, while less powerful, offers a midrange alternative at a significantly lower cost. The Aorus is also slightly lighter, which can be advantageous for portability. Keep in mind that the Raider has a smaller but higher resolution screen, which could be beneficial for creative work that requires finer details. 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 7
- The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has no clear advantages over the MSI GE66 Raider.
Advantages of the MSI GE66 Raider
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.6
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
351.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 boasts a large screen and higher refresh rate suitable for general tasks, but it's heavier and thicker which affects portability, while the MSI GE66 Raider provides superior CPU performance and double the memory, but has a lower screen resolution, which, paired with a higher-quality keyboard, makes it ideal for multitasking and productivity. Both laptops offer similar battery life and screen quality, but the Raider's additional storage capacity and more compact design make it potentially more appealing for those requiring extensive media or document storage and ease of transport.
Gaming and AI
7.8
8.6
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a decent gaming GPU and a very high screen refresh rate, which makes it good for smooth gameplay; however, the MSI GE66 Raider boasts a more powerful GPU and a high-quality screen, providing superb graphics and excellent gaming and 3D performance despite a lower refresh rate. Moreover, the Raider has a stronger CPU which increasingly benefits gameplay and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.1
9.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI GE66 Raider is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 is very good.
The MSI GE66 Raider offers greater performance for engineering and design tasks with a more powerful CPU and GPU, along with a higher resolution screen which is beneficial for detailed work; however, it is less portable due to a smaller screen size compared to the ample 17.3-inch display on the Gigabyte Aorus 7, which also provides solid performance, albeit with a less powerful CPU and GPU and a lower screen resolution.
Content Creation
7.6
8.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 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
7.4
8.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI GE66 Raider is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 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
8.3
8.2
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
351.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a better screen than the MSI GE66 Raider for gaming and AI, while the MSI GE66 Raider has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7's high resolution and brightness make it suitable for everyday tasks and viewing documents, but its limited color gamut affects precision needed for engineering and design work. The MSI GE66 Raider's superior color gamut coverage provides accuracy important for professionals working on detailed projects. However, both laptops have screens with lower refresh rates which are not ideal for the smooth visuals critical in gaming and 3D modeling.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GE66 Raider and Gigabyte Aorus 7 both have only fair portability, though the MSI GE66 Raider has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.5
The MSI GE66 Raider has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,190
$3,199
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a price of $1,190 and the MSI GE66 Raider costs $3,199.
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Key similarities
Battery
6.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GE66 Raider 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aorus 7 and the MSI GE66 Raider compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 7 | MSI GE66 Raider |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,190 | $3,199 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.7'' x 10'' x 1.02'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.7" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i9-12900HK | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 360Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 351 nits | 347 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 4 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 7
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Dig into reviews and images
TechRadar
Matt Hanson | July 2020
"The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is a gaming laptop that is pitched at perhaps the hardest market to get right: the mid-range. So, unlike high-end gaming laptops that can throw the latest and greatest components together in a bid to attract gamers with plenty of money to spend, or budget gaming laptops that can make wise cuts that are justified as long as the price is low enough, mid-rangers like the Gigabyte Aorus 7 have to balance the two."
MSI GE66 Raider
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Patrick Schüdzig | June 2022
"The MSI Raider GE66 12UHS notebook passes with flying colors. The GE66 is a high-end notebook with strong performance. The keyboard and trackpad are still very good and score well with precise inputs as well as high build quality. Thanks to a new liquid metal cooling solution, the Intel Core i9 12900HK brings a performance increase of around 50 percent over the predecessor's Intel Core i9 10980HK. The installed graphics card in our device delivers up to 30 percent higher frame rates than the RTX 2070 Super in the MSI GE66 10SFS."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 7 or the MSI GE66 Raider
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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