Gigabyte's upgraded Aero 15X gaming laptop to get 2018 introduces hexa-core, Intel Core i7 processing along with also a 144Hz, 1080p display to its flagship mobile PC gaming device. The advancements make for a fantastic laptop for tasks beyond gaming whilst maintaining its excellent battery life -- a much more flexible laptop than a year ago.
On the other hand, the rivalry has since released Nvidia Max-Q gaming laptops using more lavish build substances and style -- and of course webcams that are placed at face level -- for much more than that which Gigabyte is requesting to purchase the Aero 15X.
That's not to mention the Aero 15X is not worth your focus -- on the opposite. Just be aware that the competition has heated up.
Price and availability
Gigabyte is now selling the hottest Aero 15X to start at $2,299 (£2,199, about AU$3,039), that gets you a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080), 144Hz display using a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 16GB of RAM. Everything you see to the spec sheet remains within this particular configuration.
Pony up another 200 dollars or quid to $2,499 (£2,399, about AU$3,299) to score that super-sharp, UHD 4K display and... not much else. Another 200 clams at the top in market for a much sharper screen is not too bad of a bargain, but its competitions offer an awfully similar experience to get a couple hundred less.
Pick out the MSI GS65 Stealth, for example: it does not possess a 4K display option, no. But it offers up basically the exact same starting configuration for only $1,999 (about £1,429, AU$2,609) -- 300 bills more economical than Gigabyte's product.
Meanwhile, the Razer Blade for 2018 with the very same graphics chip listed here, in addition to the identical quantity of storage and RAM and processor, will cost you $2,599 (£2,329, AU$3,999). If you are already paying $2,300 for a gaming laptop whose first build feels adequate but not quite as large as a Razer Blade, it is well worth contemplating ponying up for that and its own 144Hz display. Bear in mind, this is very likely to be a product you are going to use for many years.
Design
In the 2017 model we have reviewed, the Aero 15X design has not changed all that drastically. One of the most striking changes is that a brand new 'Aero' logo that sits proudly in white under the almost bezel-less display. Additionally, the'Gigabyte' logo on the laptop's aluminum lid currently lights up like a classic (read: better) MacBook's Apple logo.
Beyond that, a lot of the design remains the same, in the brushed aluminum casing with two-piece foundation into the gorgeous display beneath a matte coating -- along with the webcam below the screen.
Gigabyte did figure out how to shave four tenths of an inch in the laptop's base elevation, which is nevertheless remarkable with a significant processor improvement in tow. That said, the Razer Blade is equally as strong and just 0.66 inches (16.8mm) thick.
In terms of weight, Gigabyte also managed to reduce it down to 4.49 lbs (2.04kg) -- about precisely the burden of a Razer Blade. This really is an awfully light 15-inch laptop, however it is not the thinnest about nor can it be the very attractive and luxurious feeling for this cost point.
1 thing that the Gigabyte Aero 15X retains over the Razer Blade and GS65 Stealth is that it uses a full-size keyboard with numeric keypad. That's a huge deal to some gamers, particularly those deep in to massively multiplayer games.
Good thing, too, then that it is a nice RGB keyboard to type on, together with profound enough traveling and solid comments for both long-term typing and gaming. The touchpad is smooth and excellent also, and we appreciate that it is a clickpad -- something Razer captured onto only this season.
Kudos to Gigabyte for finally fixing the touchpad problems to create this laptop that considerably more usable without a mouse accessory. It is nonetheless an Elan-made touchpad, but has to be a greater quality model compared to used in years ago.
Display and screen
In terms of the display, colour us hugely impressed. Though the Ultra HD panel lacks the rapid, 144Hz refresh speed, it makes movies look magnificent and games look incredibly clear.
As a result of calibration via X-Rite Pantone hardware and clinics, this screen features a 100% Adobe RGB color gamut. Couple that with a super sharp contrast, and you've got a brilliant display.
The display is a lot bright, also, and can be covered in a dimensional picture to prevent glare. Both do wonders for fighting sunlight whilst on the go. This stage will come in handy, because you will soon discover that the Gigabyte is one of the longest-lasting gaming laptops we've tested.
Performance
The debut of a hexa-core processor has done wonders to the hottest Aero 15X, showing itself at the numbers to the Geekbench and Cinebench evaluations. In the actual world, if you are using a laptop with a 7th-generation Intel processor inside, you may not see a significant difference in performance computing-wise.
But in the event that you often render video or image media through an editing or production tool, you will probably notice a large uptick in rate if exporting or encoding those finished projects.
On the gaming front, we see the hexa-core processor provide performance in Total War: Warhammer II a small increase, being focused on producing multiple characters at the same time using their own AI profiles. In games hooked almost purely on graphics processing, you are going to see much less of a spike, since nothing has changed there.
Of course, in home almost all of the very same components, the MSI GS65 Stealth produced quite similar numbers. In a nutshell, more processor cores will merely imply stronger performance in virtually all regions, even though those improvements are more visible in certain regions than others.
Battery life
The Gigabyte Aero 15X has been one of the longest lasting gaming laptops we've tested, coming in at almost six and a half an hour from the PCMark 8 battery evaluation. This is almost double the lasting power of the MSI laptop in the exact same test.
In terms of local video playback, the Aero 15X lasted a seemingly hopeless 7 hours and 5 minutes, that's Ultrabook land out of a gaming laptop. Just the preceding Razer Blade surpassed it by 25 minutes -- however, that has been a mere Full HD laptop.
Gigabyte may promise around 10 hours of battery life, but the last result is remarkable enough. With battery life such as this, it's possible to use the Aero 15X as either a gaming laptop (when plugged in) and an overall use laptop when on the go. That alone makes for a compelling value proposition.
Apps and features
The Aero 15X does not have that many distinctive hardware features to mention beyond a flexible Thunderbolt 3 port for ultra-fast data transport. Though, when used with the included HDMI 2.0 and miniature DisplayPort 1.4 ports, this laptop can power up to 3 4K displays. Talk about a desktop replacement.
In terms of software, the added Smart Manager software offers a lot of good tuned control over key components, such as cooling fans and power management settings. In conjunction with all the dual-fan Supra Cool cooling system, aids the system maintain the heat off when the fans are pumped into'Gaming Mode.' Ultimately the Gigabyte Fusion app handles the RGB backlighting throughout the keyboard with different profile options.
General assessment
The Gigabyte Aero 15X is an excellent gaming laptop with proper media work agendas also, but it is also a bit of a mixed bag in terms of value. Whether you need to get this gem will badly depend upon your own personal needs.
In case you're looking for the cheapest Max-Q GTX 1070 gaming laptop, you have found it and it plays just in addition to the pricier ones. But that low cost usually means a display that's half as fast as its rivals and also a disappointing touchpad.
Simply speaking, the Aero 15X is a nice high-end gaming laptop in case you are prepared to overlook cut corners in places that will not totally sour your experience.
