Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen vs MSI Alpha 15 Comparison

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Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen

15.6 inches | January 2022

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MSI Alpha 15

15.6 inches | September 2020

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Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen vs MSI Alpha 15 Comparison Overview

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MSI Alpha 15

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MSI Alpha 15

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In this review, we will be comparing Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15, two laptops from Gigabyte and MSI. Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen was introduced to market in January 2022 and MSI Alpha 15 was launched in September 2020. There is 16 months difference between Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 so it would still give an advantage to younger Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and MSI Alpha 15 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen Key Specs

Launched in January 2022
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB
16GB Ram
357 x 254 x 27.4 mm (14.06 x 10 x 1.08 inches)
Weight: 2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)

MSI Alpha 15 Key Specs

Launched in September 2020
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H
GPU: Radeon RX 5300M
16GB Ram
357.7 x 248 x 26.9 mm (14.08 x 9.76 x 1.06 inches)
Weight: 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen over MSI Alpha 15

Weight	2.30 kg vs 2.40 kg	0.1 kg lighter
Side Bezel Thickness	5.8 mm vs 6.2 mm	0.4 mm thinner bezels
GPU FLOPS	13.1 TFLOPS vs 4.069 TFLOPS	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	More advanced Wi-fi connectivity
WiFi Standard	v6E vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5.1	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	2x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 3.2	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port
Thunderbolt	v4 vs No	Better HDMI connectivity
HDMI Version	2.1 vs 2.0	Option to use Display port to connect to external monitors
Display Port	Yes vs No	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No

Reasons to choose MSI Alpha 15 over Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~75.7% vs ~74%	Larger screen area ratio
Max Brightness	350 nits vs 300 nits	Brighter Screen
CPU Fabrication Process	7 nm vs 10 nm	Newer Generation CPU
GPU Fabrication Process	7 nm vs 8 nm	Newer Generation GPU
Number of USB-A Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 2x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time

Common Strengths of MSI Alpha 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen

Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Bluetooth Standard	v5.2 vs v5.1	Fast and Reliable Bluetooth Connections
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of MSI Alpha 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
HDR Support	No vs No	No HDR Support
Fingerprint Sensor	No vs No	No fingerprint login feature

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen vs MSI Alpha 15: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and the MSI Alpha 15.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)	2.4 kg (5.29 lbs)
Surface Area	907 cm2 (140.6 inches2)	887 cm2 (137.4 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~74%	~75.7%
Side Bezel Thickness	~5.8 mm	~6.2 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.15 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.33 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Black

Comparison of the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and the MSI Alpha 15 External Dimensions

Weight

Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen weighs 2.3 kg (5.07 lbs), whereas the Alpha 15 weighs 2.4 kg (5.29 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. The weight difference between the two laptops is not significant.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 2.30 kg

MSI Alpha 15 2.40 kg

Min 0.99 kg

Average 1.95 kg

Max 3.32 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 27.40 mm

MSI Alpha 15 26.90 mm

Min 7.70 mm

Average 20.17 mm

Max 29.00 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen is 0.15 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the MSI Alpha 15 is 0.15 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen vs MSI Alpha 15: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i7 12700H	AMD Ryzen 5 4600H AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
Base Frequency	2.3 GHz	3.0 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.7 GHz	4 GHz
Number of Cores	14	6
Number of Threads	20	12
L3 Cache	24 MB	8 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)	Radeon Vega 6
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	7 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1750	1105
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	12242	5714
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1800	1153
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	16309	7998

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and MSI Alpha 15.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 12700H

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H

Dell G5 15 5505 SE Compare

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile 16GB	Radeon RX 5300M Radeon RX 5500M Radeon RX 5600M 4GB
Base Clock Frequency	900 MHz	1000 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1425 MHz	1445 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	80 W	85 W
Nvidia Optimus	Yes
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	10.94 TFLOPS	4.069 TFLOPS
Memory Size	6 GB	3 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	192 bit	96 bit
Memory Speed	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	3840	1408
TMUs	120	88
ROPs	48	32

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen has a FLOPS value of 13.1 TFLOPS whereas the MSI Alpha 15 ' has a FLOPS value of 4.069 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Alpha 15 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	3200 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR4
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	64 GB	64 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)

Both laptops, the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and the Alpha 15, come with similar RAM capacities of 16 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Gigabyte Aorus 5 (Intel 12th Gen)	MSI Alpha 15
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✖ Not supported.	✔ Good performance.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	99 Wh	65 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	Bottom
Charge Power	230 W	230 W

Moreover, the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen boasts a larger battery capacity of 99 Wh, offering extended usage time compared to the Alpha 15's65 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 99 Wh

MSI Alpha 15 65 Wh

Min 36.00 Wh

Average 62.1 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
Both laptops, the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and the Alpha 15 have similar max. storage capacities of 1 TB, allowing for ample space to store files and applications.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB	512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	2	2
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen vs MSI Alpha 15: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and MSI Alpha 15 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 screens have the same size of 15.6".The total usable screen area of the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the Alpha 15's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 feature the same pixel density with 141 pixels per inch (PPI).

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 141 ppi

MSI Alpha 15 141 ppi

Min 100 PPI

Average 144 PPI

Max 294.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 offer the same refresh rate of 144 Hz.

Brightness
The Alpha 15 offers a higher maximum brightness of 350 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 300 nits

MSI Alpha 15 350 nits

Min

60 nits

Average 319 nits

Max 1000.00 nits

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen vs MSI Alpha 15 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Alpha 15 (v5).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 have USB-A ports. Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while Alpha 15 has 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 have USB Type-C ports. Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen has 2x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while Alpha 15 has 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen is equipped with Thunderbolt 4 port. Alpha 15 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 feature an HDMI port. Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen offers 1x HDMI 2.1, while Alpha 15 offers 1x HDMI 2.0.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen and Alpha 15 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6E	v5
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5.1
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	3x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 3.2	1x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	No
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	1x v1.4	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes