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Updated January 10, 2024·
To decide between the Gigabyte G5 and the MSI Cyborg 15, consider how you prioritize cost relative to performance and specific features. If your budget is tight and you need a machine for general tasks and some light gaming or productivity work, the Gigabyte G5 could be a good fit due to its lower price point. On the other hand, if you require higher performance for more intensive tasks like gaming, 3D modeling, or video editing, and you’re willing to invest more, the MSI Cyborg 15 is usually a better choice, thanks to typically superior hardware and build quality. Always weigh portability if you travel often, as heavier laptops can be a burden, and battery life, if you spend long periods away from power outlets. Overall, it boils down to balancing your budget against your performance needs and how you plan to use the laptop. 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 G5
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Cyborg 15
- Good for software development
- Good battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
248.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The MSI Cyborg 15 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Gigabyte G5 and MSI Cyborg 15 offer adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring comfortable viewing for everyday tasks like web browsing or document editing, but their panel type may not provide the most vibrant colors or wide viewing angles. For engineering and design, where accurate color reproduction is vital, they have sufficient coverage of color gamuts for amateurs, but professionals might find them lacking in the precision needed for high-end graphic work. Meanwhile, in Gaming and 3D applications where fast-paced visuals are key, the lower refresh rates of these laptops may lead to less smooth motion and could detract from the immersive experience that gamers seek.
Battery
3.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Cyborg 15 has 7.5 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.
Cost
$868
$1,100
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Gigabyte G5 has a price of $868 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.1
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
248.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte G5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte G5, with an Intel i5 processor and shorter battery life, is seen as fair for general use because it manages heat well but lacks the battery longevity and has a lower contrast screen compared to the MSI Cyborg 15, which has a more powerful Intel i7 processor and better battery life, making it good for a wider range of activities. Despite both laptops having the same RAM and storage, the MSI's superior CPU and battery life contribute to its higher general use suitability, whereas the Gigabyte's lower weight and marginally better build quality don't compensate for performance and battery shortcomings in comparison.
Gaming and AI
7.3
7.2
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are tailored for gaming and 3D tasks due to their identical high-end Nvidia RTX GPUs and 144Hz screen refresh rates, ensuring smooth visual performance in intense graphical scenarios. However, the Gigabyte G5 stands out with a better contrast ratio implying richer visuals, whereas the MSI Cyborg 15 features a stronger CPU, potentially offering faster overall performance.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Cyborg 15 are well-suited for engineering and design due to their capable processors, adequate memory, and robust GPUs, which are very important for such tasks; the G5 uses an Intel i5 and the Cyborg 15 has a slightly more powerful i7. Both laptops have quality IPS screens with good color coverage and similar high refresh rates, enhancing visual clarity for design work, while the G5 has a slight edge in brightness and contrast ratio, contributing to better screen quality.
Content Creation
7.2
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 and Gigabyte G5 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
6.8
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Cyborg 15 to be good for software development, while the Gigabyte G5 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.
Portability
Good
Good
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Cyborg 15 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte G5 to have good build quality, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Gigabyte G5 and the MSI Cyborg 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte G5 | MSI Cyborg 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$868 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.89'' | 14.2'' x 9.9'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.37 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.15" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i7-12650H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 53.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 248 nits | 234 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Gigabyte G5
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam | April 2023
"The Gigabyte G5 KE is a midrange gaming laptop that checks most boxes. Gigabyte makes good use of the Core i5-12500H and RTX 3060 Laptop GPU combo, and we find no untoward issues with overall performance. The dual-fan quad-heatpipe cooling arrangement does well to ensure that the underlying hardware doesn't throttle under load. That being said, the display is below par when compared to 2023 standards, especially when competing devices."
MSI Cyborg 15
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NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | April 2023
"The focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte G5 or the MSI Cyborg 15
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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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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