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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Gigabyte G5 comes at a lower midrange price and is often much less expensive. It features an Intel i5 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which may provide good performance for general use and some gaming. Conversely, the MSI GP66 Leopard has a midrange price, usually more expensive, and includes a more powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU, making it better suited for intensive tasks such as 3D applications, machine learning, and high-end gaming. The MSI also has a larger battery, which may result in longer usage times, but this could also make it less portable than the Gigabyte. Both laptops have comparable display outputs and connectivity options, with the MSI offering twice the base RAM, enhancing its ability to handle multitasking and demanding software more efficiently. If budget is a constraint and you require a laptop for everyday tasks with some gaming, the Gigabyte G5 is a compelling choice. However, if you're looking for high performance and better handling of demanding applications, and don't mind the added cost and potential weight, the MSI GP66 Leopard is a good option. 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 portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI GP66 Leopard
- Good for software development
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
7.5
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
248.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
The MSI GP66 Leopard has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Gigabyte G5's screen offers adequate resolution and brightness, making for a comfortable viewing experience, while the MSI GP66 Leopard provides a clearer and brighter image, enhancing day-to-day tasks. Engineering and design professionals may find the Gigabyte G5's color reproduction sufficient but not ideal, whereas the MSI GP66 Leopard displays a wider color range, essential for precision work. However, gamers and 3D developers looking for fluid motion will find both laptops lacking, as their refresh rates are not optimized for high-frame-rate gaming or smooth 3D rendering, despite the resolution and panel type being somewhat supportive of these activities.
Battery
3.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 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.
Build Quality
7.2
8.0
The MSI GP66 Leopard has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte G5 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$868
$1,400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte G5 has a price of $868 and the MSI GP66 Leopard costs $1,400.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.1
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
248.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
362.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Gigabyte G5 are both good for general use.
The Gigabyte G5 is less suited for general use due to its lower RAM and less powerful CPU, which may slow down multitasking and productivity tasks compared to the MSI GP66 Leopard, which has more RAM and a more robust CPU. Moreover, the MSI has a display that's brighter and offers a wider color gamut, providing better screen quality for various applications, but it is heavier and has a lower portability score than the Gigabyte, and although it has longer battery life, both are still on the lower end.
Gaming and AI
7.3
7.8
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
144Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Gigabyte G5 are both good for gaming and AI.
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
7.6
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI GP66 Leopard and Gigabyte G5 are both good for engineering and design.
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
7.2
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GP66 Leopard 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
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI GP66 Leopard 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
Fair
15.6in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.9in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte G5 to have good portability, while the MSI GP66 Leopard has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Gigabyte G5 and the MSI GP66 Leopard compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte G5 | MSI GP66 Leopard |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$868 | $1,400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.89'' | 14.1'' x 10.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.25 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 10.51" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 3.5 Hours | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 65 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 | 362 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
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 | 2 | 0 | |
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 GP66 Leopard
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | December 2021
"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 G5 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.
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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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