If you prioritize a larger screen and a higher refresh rate for smoother visuals, the Gigabyte Aorus 7 is tailored for gaming and high frame rate experiences, but it has a bigger form factor and is heavier. Conversely, the MSI GP66 Leopard, while having a better main processor and arguably a more powerful graphics card, offers a smaller and more portable design, making it more suitable for mixed use including gaming and productivity. It excels in heat management but falls behind in battery life compared to the Aorus 7. Both laptops support hardware ray tracing and DLSS for enhanced gaming. 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
Very good for engineering and design
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.5/10
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
351.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a better screen than the MSI GP66 Leopard for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aorus 7 excels due to its high-resolution display and brightness, making daily tasks and media consumption more enjoyable. When it comes to engineering and design, the Aorus 7's coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB ensures that professionals in these fields see accurate colors. However, the lower refresh rate of both the Aorus 7 and MSI GP66 Leopard might detract from the gaming and 3D experience, as fast-moving images may not appear as smooth compared to laptops with higher refresh rates.
Portability
Fair
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Gigabyte Aorus 7 both have only fair portability, though the MSI GP66 Leopard has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.0/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
$1,400
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a price of $1,190 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
7.8/10
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
360Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 and MSI GP66 Leopard are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 boasts a newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 360, providing smoother visuals beneficial for gaming and 3D applications, whereas the MSI GP66 Leopard, despite having a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, offers a lower refresh rate of 144 which may affect its performance in fast-paced gaming scenarios. Both laptops feature quality IPS displays and capable CPUs, but the Aorus 7's superior refresh rate and GPU may offer a more fluid experience, particularly in gaming and 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
7.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 7 to be very good for engineering and design, while the MSI GP66 Leopard 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.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.4/10
7.2/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 and MSI GP66 Leopard 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
6.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 has 6 hours of battery life. The MSI GP66 Leopard has 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Gigabyte Aorus 7 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
"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 GP66 Leopard is a good budget high-performance gamer. The MSI also does a lot right outside of the pure performance despite it's low price. For example, the adaptive cooling system really surprised us positively, even in Extreme Performance Mode. And the display is not a budget panel either, but at least outshines the competition in terms of brightness. Of course, you also have to accept a few compromises in this price category. These include the Leopard's poor battery runtimes and the less than optimal build quality, which is also noticeable in the more complicated maintenance."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aorus 7 or the MSI GP66 Leopard
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
99,495
Recommendations made
21,558
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.