Gigabyte has been consistent in bringing in premium gaming laptops for years with their Aero laptop series.
This April 2018, Gigabyte was proud to present their new all-rounder, thin, and powerful Gigabyte Aero 15 laptop.
Is this going to be yet another contender for the best gaming laptop this 2023?
After checking the ins and outs of the laptop, we boiled down to a shocking revelation of what this laptop is capable of. Check the Gigabyte Aero 15 review below to learn more about it.
GIGABYTE AERO 15 FULL REVIEW
Detailed Specs
- Processor: Intel Core i7-7700HQ
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
- Display: Full HD, 1080p IPS
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Keyboard: Fusion RGB Backlit Keyboard
- Dimensions: 35.6cm x 25cm x 1.8cm
- Weight: 4.4 lbs ~ 2.0 kg
Pros
- Slim
- Very Light
- Elegant Design
- Silent
- IPS Panel for Best Color Reproduction
- Thin (5mm) Bezels
- Individual RGB Lighting
- With Thunderbolt 3
- X-Rite Pantone Color Calibration Certified
- Power Adapter with USB Port
- Outstanding Battery Life
- Up to 3 External Display Output
Cons
- Slow Refresh Rate
- Webcam Placed at the Bottom of the Screen
- Poor Sound Volume
- Expensive
Ports
- (2) USB 3.1 Gen1
- (1) USB 3.1 Gen2
- (1) Type-C Thunderbolt 3
- (1) HDMI 2.0
- (1) mini-DP1.4
- (1) DC-in Jack
- (1) SD Card (UHS-II)
- (1) RJ-45
- (1) Audio Jack Combo
This is a laptop for everyone – that’s it.
The overall design and feel may be similar to that of the Dell XPS, especially with the 5mm screen bezels but this is actually more similar to the Gigabyte Aero 14.
Although the material is very similar to the Aero 14, the size isn’t. This is larger in size and the top surface of the laptop comes in a variety of colors you could choose from.
It may be possible for you to find a ton of laptops out there with a GTX 1060 graphics card at a significantly cheaper price of around $1200, or even $1000. But there’s more to Aero 15 than meets the eye.
Here’s where things get a little interesting…
Design
Aero 15 is relatively larger than the Aero 14 but it’s still small for what’s under the hood. You could find a laptop with a GTX 1060 graphics card for almost half the price but I bet they’re going to be thicc (with a double C!).
You can’t find a laptop that’s as powerful as Aero 15 in a very thin and light case – that’s a fact.
So what Gigabyte did with the Aero 15 was they had to custom everything from the thermal solutions to the PCB to make sure this small beast is accommodated in a very small space.
To top that off, the Aero 15 has a dual fan that’s specifically designed to make sure both the CPU and the GPU maintains low temperature with no compromise. So no matter what type of application you run, you are guaranteed to get quality experience and optimum performance.
Speaking of performance…
Performance
No compromise in speed and performance.
The Aero 15 has a 7th gen Intel Core i7 processor that’s paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card. That’s enough power to crush and laugh at the demands of today’s AAA title games.
Not to mention that all these power is kept inside a small chassis, which makes gaming not just nice but definitely convenient. In fact, you can easily hit over 100 frames per second in Overwatch on ultra preset.
For content creators and professional designers, you get premium experience doing all your work on an Aero 15’s display.
Which brings us to…
Display
Gigabyte knows and values productivity and creation as one.
It’s a guarantee that Aero 15 isn’t just for gamers but it’s also made for professional designers and content creators – thanks to the IPS panel. So, even though this is a 1080p screen, you still get great performance overall.
The display is one of the key features of Aero 15. The bezels are so thin that’s also complemented by a matte finish.
To top that off, Aero 15 comes with an X-Rite™ Pantone® display color certification. For those who don’t know, X-Rite™ Pantone® is the world-renowned authority on color and provider of color systems. This means Aero 15 displays only the best color reproduction – perfect for professional designers and content creators to create accurate colors.
Colors.. Colors.. Ah yes! Keyboard RBG colors!
Keyboard and Trackpad
The keyboard isn’t your ordinary RGB backlit keyboard.
The Aero 15 has individual RGB lighting that you can personally customize to meet your preferences and personality.
For gamers, this comes in handy to make it easier to respond in-game and never miss a keystroke. On the other hand, general use and professional designers may find this convenient and helpful to match keyboard shortcuts and whatnot.
Keys are not packed like sardines and are evenly spaced out. Like most laptops, the keyboard has a very specific feel and touch that takes time to get used to it.
Trackpad offers an improved feel that’s definitely cooler than the Aero 14.
Since we mentioned “cool”…
Exhaust
A laptop with such powerful hardware in a small chassis is prone to heat. However, Gigabyte already had that in mind and sorted it out.
The overall exhaust and cooling system perform well to cool the beast under the chassis.
To top that off, you can even control the fans through the software that comes with it. Being able to manually adjust the fan allows you to have full control of the laptop’s performance.
So if you want it to be really silent, you can lower the fan control or crank it up to maximize performance. No matter what you’re doing, there’s a control and preset to match your laptop’s power.
Now let’s talk about “power”…
Battery Life
Doing productivity and gaming will never be restricted since this has a 94Wh battery.
This means you get enough power to use the Aero 15 for up to 10 hours (depending on use). Which is more than enough to do everything you need to do, even while listening to some music and media.
And since music and media are mentioned…
Speakers
If you are to compare the sound of the Aero 15 and the Aero 14, it’s almost identical. You get a decent amount of clarity and volume but not something you’d choose over your expensive headphones.
They are located underneath the laptop so be mindful not to cover it when you’re listening to media files stored on your drive.
Drive… oh yes, storage drive!
Storage
Not only that you get a 512GB of SSD but this also comes with yet another storage for future upgrades.
It might be a downside to know that the drive included upon purchase utilizes a SATA interface that’s slower but it also supports M.2 PCIe. This is 4 times faster than the SATA3 SSD so it’s a plus.
Data transfers and production time will surely be improved if you choose to upgrade at a later date and use the second storage.
Final Verdict
Having all of these things covered, it’s clear that it’s not just about GTX 1060 but it’s even more.
Regardless, Gigabyte really has done it again and produced yet another stunning laptop that meets everyone’s needs with no compromise whatsoever.
If you wish to get the Gigabyte Aero 15. It’s likely that you’re not just investing in a laptop that’s going to be a contender for the best laptop this 2018 but one that’s guaranteed to be good value for your money.