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

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MSI Thin 15

15.6 inches | January 2024

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Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen

15.6 inches | January 2022

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

MSI Thin 15

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MSI Thin 15

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In this review, we will be comparing Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen, two laptops from MSI and Gigabyte. MSI Thin 15 was introduced to market in January 2024 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen was launched in January 2022. As you can see, Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen is 2 years older than Thin 15. Let's see if this age difference between two laptops makes a big difference.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

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

MSI Thin 15 Key Specs

Launched in January 2024
15.6" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i5 13420H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 6GB
8GB Ram
359 x 254 x 21.7 mm (14.13 x 10 x 0.85 inches)
Weight: 1.86 kg (4.1 lbs)

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)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 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 MSI Thin 15 over Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen

Weight	1.86 kg vs 2.30 kg	0.44 kg lighter
Bluetooth	v5.3 vs v5.2	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Number of USB-A Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 2x USB 3.2	Connect more device at the same time

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

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~74% vs ~73.6%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	5.8 mm vs 6.8 mm	1 mm thinner bezels
GPU FLOPS	13.1 TFLOPS vs 5.5 TFLOPS	Charges via USB-C type cable
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs No	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs 1x PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x), 1x 2.5" SATA HDD	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	Option to use Display port to connect to external monitors
Display Port	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No

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

Launch Dates	January 2024 vs January 2022	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	1x PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x), 1x 2.5" SATA HDD vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6E vs v6E	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi 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
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs Yes	Fast connection to Network via ethernet cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

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

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

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

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

Physical Specs
Weight	1.86 kg (4.1 lbs)	2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)
Surface Area	912 cm2 (141.3 inches2)	907 cm2 (140.6 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~73.6%	~74%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.8 mm	~5.8 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.12 kg/inch	0.15 kg/inch
	0.264 lbs/inch	0.33 lbs/inch
Colors	Gray	Black

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

Weight

Thin 15 weighs 1.86 kg (4.1 lbs), whereas the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen weighs 2.3 kg (5.07 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

MSI Thin 15 1.86 kg

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 2.30 kg

Min 0.99 kg

Average 1.95 kg

Max 3.32 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Thin 15 21.70 mm

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 27.40 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 MSI Thin 15 is 0.12 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 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

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

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i5 13420H Intel Core i7 13620H	Intel Core i7 12700H
Base Frequency	2.1 GHz	2.3 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz
Number of Cores	8 (4P + 4E)	14
Number of Threads	12	20
L3 Cache	12 MB	24 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics (48EU)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1702	1750
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	10952	12242
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1724	1800
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	12820	16309

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 MSI Thin 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen.

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

Laptops with: Intel Core i5 13420H

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 12700H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3050 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 4050 Mobile 6GB	GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile 6GB GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile 16GB
Base Clock Frequency	1065 MHz	900 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1343 MHz	1425 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	45 W	80 W
Nvidia Optimus	Yes, Advanced Optimus	Yes
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	5.5 TFLOPS	10.94 TFLOPS
Memory Size	6 GB	6 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	128 bit	192 bit
Memory Speed	12 Gbps	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	2048	3840
TMUs	64	120
ROPs	40	48

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. MSI Thin 15 has a FLOPS value of 5.5 TFLOPS whereas the Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen ' has a FLOPS value of 13.1 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the MSI Thin 15 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	1x8 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	1x PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x), 1x 2.5" SATA HDD	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

The Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen provides a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the Thin 15's RAM capacity of 8 GB.

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	MSI Thin 15	Gigabyte Aorus 5 (Intel 12th Gen)
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.	✖ Not supported.
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	52.4 Wh	99 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	No	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Right
Charge Power	120 W	230 W

On the other hand, the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen features a higher battery capacity of 99 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the Thin 15's 52 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Thin 15 52 Wh

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 99 Wh

Min 36.00 Wh

Average 62.1 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
With a larger storage capacity up to 2 TB, the Thin 15 provides more space for storing files and applications compared to the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen's max. storage capacity of 1 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	512 GB, 1 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Total Slots	1	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.

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

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the MSI Thin 15 and Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 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 Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen screens have the same size of 15.6".The total usable screen area of the Thin 15 is 670cm² / 104inch² whereas the Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen's total usable screen area is 670cm² / 104inch².

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

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 15.0-15.9 inches

MSI Thin 15 141 ppi

Gigabyte Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 141 ppi

Min 100 PPI

Average 144 PPI

Max 294.00 PPI

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

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

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Both laptops offer the same Wi-Fi standard (v6E), ensuring fast and reliable wireless connections.

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 Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen have USB-A ports. Thin 15 has 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports, while Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen has 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports.
Both Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen have USB Type-C ports. Thin 15 has 1x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports, while Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen has 2x 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. Thin 15 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen feature an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.1) for connecting to external monitors.

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
Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Thin 15 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Thin 15 and Aorus 5 Intel 12th Gen 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	v6E
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.3	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	3x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 3.2	2x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	No	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.1
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	1x v1.4
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	No	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	Yes
SD CardReader	No	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes