Gigabyte Aorus 17 evaluation: Lots of zest with lower-key specifications

At a look

Expert’s Rating

Pros

• Solid efficiency
• Big, high refresh rate screen
• Great keyboard

Cons

• Low screen brightness
• Giant trackpad can be finnicky
• Bulky DC jack uses up mousing area for righties

Our Verdict

Despite somewhat underwhelming specifications, the Aorus 17 supplies a high-performance video gaming experience with a side of a high refresh rate.

In the beginning look, the expensive, effective brand-new Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a little an odd bird. Boasting neither the most effective Nvidia RTX graphics nor the highest-end Intel Core i9 processor, this appears like it may be a shoo-in for video modifying and style work. With a 90% screen-to-body ratio, the footprint of this gadget would have remained in the 15- inch class just a few years back, making it TARDIS-like in its bigger-on-the-inside sensation.

The styling leans towards player trendy, from its sharp angles to its RGB programmable keyboard to its ports. And after that there’s the screen– Gigabyte put in a gloriously quick 1080 p 360 Hz IPS panel. You will not be modifying native 4K video on this screen, however if you’re a player who requires high refresh rates on the go, the Aorus 17 is a competitive entry.

Specs and functions

Our evaluation system has an Intel Core i7-12700 H processor and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU. This mix makes it rather a capable video gaming device. It’s packaging 32 GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD. The screen is a 17.3- inch HD resolution screen with a high 360 Hz revitalize rate. For additional information, have a look at the spec list listed below.

• CPU: Intel 12 th Generation Core i7-12700 H (6P, 8E cores)
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5-4800 in dual-channel mode
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti @ 130 W GDP
• Screen: 17.3- inch, 16:9, HD resolution screen with 360 Hz refresh
• Storage: 1 TB Gigabyte AG470 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E with Intel AX211, 2.5 G ethernet
• Size and weight: 15.7( W) x 10( D) x 0.94 x 1.1( H) inch, 5.95 pounds plus 1.4 pounds for power brick
• Battery size: 99 Wh
• Ports: Two USB-A 3.1, one Thunderbolt 4, tiny DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, analog headset jack, DC-in
• Price: $3,29995

Keyboard and trackpad

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

The keyboard in this huge 17- inch Gigabyte is remarkably great and not simply for video gaming, either. With full-sized secrets on the numpad and natural crucial spacing, I seem like this might be utilized to power through spreadsheets and term documents in addition to anything. This keyboard makes the Aorus 17 a fantastic choice for anybody who needs to handle numbers often. If I were to select any nit, it ‘d be the somewhat shrunken right shift secret, which was a little an inconvenience, however one I adjusted to with practice.

The per-key RGB on the Aorus 17 is quite spectacular with some excellent integrated results and very smooth shifts. Naturally, it’s a fast crucial combination (fn + area) to snap it on or off as the scenarios need.

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

The trackpad, on the other hand, is a bit fiddly. It’s a huge, MacBook-sized number with the Windows Precision chauffeur. Level of sensitivity is great and gestures work well. For my usage patterns, I discovered it was far too big and I brushed it with my palms rather frequently, removing the cursor when I wasn’t typing. I had a lot easier time after tuning level of sensitivity and shutting off functions like tap-to-click.

Audio subsystem

Despite its compact-for-a-17- inch billing, the Aorus 17 still includes some decent-sounding speakers. The DTS: X powered speakers can capably play podcasts or music. Bass is audible and the mids and highs come through strong however you’re going to hear some distortion when you venture past the 75% volume mark. Clearly, if you’re wishing to crank in-game audio, the speakers need to take on the loud fans. The fans will win out. You’ll wish to get some earphones!

Webcam

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

It utilized to indicate that having a bezel-free screen suggested bearing with an electronic camera at an uncomfortable angle. Gigabyte kept slim bezels by putting the Aorus’s cam devices up in an extending lip– a nega-notch, if you will. This lets the HD electronic camera be a bit larger, pack in the requisite sensing units for Windows Hello log-in, and even the microphones.

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

The cam does an appropriate task of putting your mug on the internet for all to see. It makes me look way more pasty than I really am. Furthermore, even in brilliant light, this 720 p system wipes out information in a manner that makes me think about a skin-smoothing charm mode. It’s much better than absolutely nothing (ahem, MSI), however it’s a far cry from what’s readily available as an external accessory.

Build quality and acoustics

Like numerous computer systems in the video gaming classification, the option to stick to a matte black plastic does a lot for a laptop computer. Sure, it does not feel as premium as aluminum or magnesium, however it’s resilient, does not fume to the touch, and tends to age well. The only significant disadvantage is that like on a lot of black gizmos, you’re most likely to see finger prints develop, in this case most significantly on the Aorus 17’s keycaps and trackpad.

The Aorus feels sturdily constructed, although its mix of thinness and huge deck size certainly feels less stiff than something with a smaller sized footprint. Fortunately, the plastic chassis keeps the keyboard in check. Even when typing intensely, I never ever discovered keyboard deck flex– you’ll need to push mighty tough to observe any type of contortion of the leading case.

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

Ports are put on either side of the computer system, with absolutely nothing along the rear edge. It’s good to see a fully-featured Thunderbolt 4 port here, particularly one that can utilize USB-C PD for charging. Your other charging alternative is a chunky right-angle DC barrel plug, which extends rather a bit on the best hand side. While southpaws will likely never ever discover, most of players may be irritated. I definitely was, as it consumed into important mousing location on a smaller sized desktop.

Part of the Aorus’s near-6 pound weight is because of its enormous cooling system. 6 copper heatpipes ensure heat is dissipated rapidly and big vents guarantee air flow is never ever a concern. In among its basic modes, you’ll absolutely hear the fans whirring away thanks to a moderate high-pitched whine that’s visible whenever there’s air on the relocation. Fortunately, if you trigger the quiet/battery saver efficiency mode in the Gigabyte App, the Aorus 17 ends up being as mild-mannered, well-behaved, and chill as an ultrabook.

Display

IDG/ Brendan Nystedt

The heading function here is Aorus’ 17.3- inch, 360 Hz screen. While it’s just a 1080 p panel, it’s IPS and has actually a declared 72% NTSC color range. Seeing angles are strong with little to no color shift discovered off-axis.

I discovered that in more current AAA video games– like Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5— you’ll get no place near the leading framerate out of this screen. If those are the type of video games you play, it may make good sense to opt for something with a lower refresh rate, state 120 Hz. If you’re into esports titles, you’re in for a genuine reward here. 360 Hz in Rocket League was an eyeball-tickling experience on the Aorus 17!

If there’s any location where this screen is a disappointment, it’s the brightness. We determined just 250 nits peak brightness, making it method dimmer than other laptop computers in this classification. If you primarily utilize your computer systems inside your home under managed lighting, that may not matter. If you’re hoping to enjoy this matte 17- inch screen outdoors or near windows, you’ll rapidly discover that there’s not rather adequate brightness to cut through the glare.

Upgrades

Like numerous 12 th gen Intel-based video gaming laptop computers, the Aorus 17 has a little bit of space to grow. It has a capacious 1 TB NVMe SSD as basic in this setup, you’ll discover another uninhabited M. 2 slot waiting for more storage. The stock setup has actually socketed ram also, including 32 GB of DDR5-4800 RAM on 2 16 GB DIMMs. I believe that lots of people will never ever require a lot more RAM than that, however it may put you at ease understanding this maker can accommodate as much as 64 gigs in the future.

Performance

You’re not just here to check out M. 2 slots and DDR5 … you most likely wish to know how this huge laptop computer carries out!

IDG/ Ashley Biancuzzo

Let’s start with Maxon’s Cinebench R20, which utilizes the business’s Cinema4D engine to press the CPU to its limitations. This test prefers more effective CPU cores. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the Gigabyte’s i7-12700 H processor has lots of zest to manage multithreaded jobs. Other laptop computers in this rate class function a somewhat quicker Core i9, the Aorus reveals is no slouch.

IDG/ Ashley Biancuzzo

So, you’ve got lots of cores to boss around. How about single-core efficiency? The good news is, the R20 benchmark procedures that. This benchmark provide you a concept regarding how the Aorus 17 will carry out when utilizing basic computing apps like web internet browsers or Microsoft Office. As you can see in the chart above, the Gigabyte ratings about the like other laptop computers with Core i7 12 th-gen processors. The MSI GE76 Raider has a bit more power due to its Core i9 12 th-gen processor.

IDG/ Ashley Biancuzzo

Thanks to all its cores and sufficient cooling, the Aorus 17 chews through video encoding like a kid feasting on celery and peanut butter at treat time. For our basic video encode test, we utilize Handbrake to crunch down a 1080 p Blu-ray rip for usage on an Android tablet. In the chart above, a much shorter bar is a much better outcome. The Aorus encoded a video in simply 16 minutes, which is absolutely nothing except outstanding. These 12 th gen devices are excellent for video encoding, making it ideal if you keep a Plex library as a pastime.

3D video gaming efficiency

IDG/ Ashley Biancuzzo

Let’s have a look at 3D video gaming efficiency, shall we? To begin, we ran the 3DMark Time Spy 1.2 standard. Thanks to its Nvidia RTX3080 GPU, the Aorus kept up. It was partially slower than comparable designs, likely due to the fact that of its lower-than-average 130 W TGP power envelope. The only current device to outshine the Aorus 17 was the MSI GE76 Raider, which has a faster-clocked Nvidia chip and an i9 processor to boot.

IDG/ Ashley Biancuzzo

In our older Rise of the Tomb Raider criteria, the Aorus 17 was more than as much as the job. It scored 149 FPS in the 1080 p/Very High test, which was just a bit lower than the other RTX3080 Ti-equipped devices.

IDG/ Ashley Biancuzzo

In our extensive Metro Exodus criteria, the Aorus was available in a bit behind the pack, however not by much, revealing that the a little weaker GPU still can still argue. We discovered that it didn’t acquire greater numbers when running in a devoted video gaming power mode– that’s since the computer system’s default AI Boost rather deftly changes modes without user intervention. This is incredible since it’s one less thing users require to fiddle with. You’ll see piece de resistance if you just keep the computer system’s default setting.

Battery life

Unfortunately, regardless of its huge 99 Whr battery, the effective parts and huge screen are a drain on the Aorus17 Throughout our basic battery rundown test, in which we run a 4K video on loop, the Aorus 17 hardly made it to 6 hours of runtime. While you’ll most likely get more time working out of the battery if you’re mindful, do not rely on enjoying films on a long-haul flight without your battery charger. Anecdotally, under a light work, I lost around 10% every hour. That’s with a lot of Edge tabs open, OneNote running, and a YouTube video playing in the background.

Conclusion

The most current Gigabyte Aorus is far from a dissatisfaction. On paper it may not appear as remarkable as its peers with its lower-wattage Nvidia GPU and i7 rather of an i9. In truth, this plan still loads a wallop. Its cinema is a bit dim and the port design’s a little a mess, however on the entire the Aorus 17 is a competitive laptop computer that shines when it concerns video gaming. You’re getting a cinema, high refresh rate experience on the go.