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Updated January 12, 2024·
Given that the Gigabyte G5 is often less expensive than the MSI Thin GF63, consider the tradeoffs: the G5 may have better price-to-performance value if you prioritize gaming or demanding tasks but could be heavier and have shorter battery life. The MSI Thin GF63, while slightly pricier, might offer a more portable design suitable for general use, and potentially longer battery life, which is valuable if you're frequently on the go. If your main concern is engineering or professional work, the MSI might offer a better balance between performance and portability. Consider what's most important for your needs—performance, portability, battery life or price—when making your decision. 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 for gaming and AI
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the MSI Thin GF63
- Good for software development
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
262.0 nits
The MSI Thin GF63 has a better screen than the Gigabyte G5 for content creation.
When assessing the Gigabyte G5 and MSI Thin GF63 for general use, the fair screen quality is attributed to adequate resolution and brightness, providing comfortable viewing experiences for daily activities like browsing and video playback. For engineering and design purposes, both laptops offer fair screen quality due to acceptable coverage of color gamuts, which ensures reasonably accurate color representation, though professionals might prefer better. However, for gaming and 3D tasks, the screen quality is poor because both lack high refresh rates that ensure smooth motion, which is critical for these applications, despite having tolerable resolution and panel types.
Battery
3.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Gigabyte G5 has 3.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Thin GF63 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.
Build Quality
7.2
6.5
The Gigabyte G5 has good build quality, while the MSI Thin GF63 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$868
$1,150
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Gigabyte G5 has a price of $868 and the MSI Thin GF63 costs $1,150.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.1
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
248.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
3.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The MSI Thin GF63 and Gigabyte G5 are both good for general use.
The MSI Thin GF63 offers more RAM and a better CPU than the Gigabyte G5, which can lead to smoother performance for various applications, making it better suited for general use. In addition, the MSI Thin GF63 has a slightly higher screen contrast ratio and battery life, enhancing visual experience and usage time away from a power source compared to the Gigabyte G5, further contributing to its suitability for general use scenarios.
Gaming and AI
7.3
6.9
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
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
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte G5 to be good for gaming and AI, while the MSI Thin GF63 is only fair.
The Gigabyte G5, with its newer Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, excels in gaming and 3D rendering, supported by a high screen refresh rate, while the MSI Thin GF63 also performs well in these areas, albeit with a slightly less powerful RTX 4050 GPU, but benefits from a stronger CPU and equally high screen refresh rate. Screen quality is comparable due to both having IPS panels maintaining image clarity and wide color gamut, making either a strong choice for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.6
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte G5 and MSI Thin GF63 are both good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte G5's RTX 4060 GPU and high screen brightness are better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks requiring intense graphics processing and clear visuals, whereas the MSI Thin GF63's superior CPU and double the RAM make it a powerful choice for complex computations and multitasking in those fields, despite its slightly lower-quality GPU and screen brightness. While the Gigabyte offers more USB-C ports and higher contrast ratio enhancing the visual experience, the MSI Thin GF63 is slightly lighter and has a better battery life, offering more convenience for users on the go.
Content Creation
7.2
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Thin GF63 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
16.0 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 Thin GF63 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
4.1 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The MSI Thin GF63 and Gigabyte G5 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Gigabyte G5 and the MSI Thin GF63 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte G5 | MSI Thin GF63 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$868 | $1,150 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.4'' x 0.89'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-12500H | Intel i7-12650H | |
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 | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 51 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 | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
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 Thin GF63
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Dig into reviews and images
Tom's Hardware
Charles Jeffries | November 2022
"The MSI GF63 Thin 11SC can be an admirable value for gamers and power users on a minimal budget. For just $599 as reviewed in its base model, its Intel Core i5 H-class processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics perform much better than low-wattage CPUs and integrated graphics. That said, this is a light-class gaming laptop. Low scores in our demanding gaming benchmarks indicate using lower visual-quality settings will be required for playable performance."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte G5 or the MSI Thin GF63
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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