The Gigabyte Aorus 7 boasts a larger screen and better performance for tasks like 3D rendering, engineering, and gaming thanks to its superior processor and GPU. However, it is heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the MSI GF65 Thin. On the other hand, the MSI GF65 Thin is more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller dimensions, making it a better choice for general use and mobility, although it has less memory and an older CPU, slightly limiting its performance for intensive tasks. 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
Good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Good battery life
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI GF65 Thin
Good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
351.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
6.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good for general use, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7, with more RAM and a higher CPU specification, offers smoother performance for multitasking and demanding applications, plus it has a larger and higher quality screen with better color coverage for enhanced visuals. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin is lighter and more compact, making it easier to carry, but this comes with tradeoffs including lower RAM, which can limit performance with heavy use, and a smaller battery capacity that may lead to shorter use between charges.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
6.8/10
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.1/10
6.7/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.6/10
6.8/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good for content creation, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
7.4/10
6.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is good for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin is only fair.
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
8.3/10
6.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
351.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 stands out for general use thanks to its high-resolution display, ensuring crisp text and vivid detail, and its superior brightness, making it easier to use in various lighting conditions. For engineering and design work, it has an edge because it covers a wider range of colors, providing more accuracy for tasks that demand true-to-life color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable, as it cannot smoothly display fast-moving images which is crucial for a responsive, immersive experience.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin 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.
Portability
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI GF65 Thin has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has good build quality, while the MSI GF65 Thin has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,190
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a price of $1,190 and the MSI GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
"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."
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 7 or the MSI GF65 Thin
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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