This has been fairly a 12 months for gaming laptops (opens in new tab). AMD launched its Ryzen 6000-series cellular CPUs, Intel unleashed Alder Lake for a similar market, and Nvidia has added to the prevailing cellular GPU line-up with the RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti. Given issues had been already fairly wholesome within the laptop computer house, these newest releases have given laptop computer producers loads of decisions in terms of piecing collectively highly effective machines.
For the brand new Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte has determined to place Intel’s Alder Lake to work alongside the extra wise of Nvidia’s new choices. Specifically, you are an Intel Core i7 12700H working alongside an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. This is a stable pairing that’s able to producing sturdy figures in each gaming and extra critical functions with out completely breaking the financial institution.
The Intel Core i7 12700H is not the top-end chip, nevertheless it nonetheless brings loads of cores and a excessive clock velocity to just be sure you’re not left wanting. You get a complete of 14 cores right here, made up of six Performance cores and eight Efficient cores, to provide Windows a complete of 20 threads to mess around with. Those Performance cores can Turbo as much as 4.7GHz, whereas the Efficient cores max out at 3.5GHz. Speedy.
As for the GPU, the RTX 3070 Ti is a formidable slice of recent silicon that may hit foolish numbers at this display screen’s native 1080p. At 130W, the RTX 3070 Ti contained in the Aorus 17 is extra highly effective than some RTX 3080s we have seen from different producers. It actually is not nearly how briskly a GPU is anymore, or what number of CUDA cores a GPU has, however how a lot energy the GPU can put aside for its personal ends. And 130W is much more than many laptops can handle—significantly these skinny and light-weight machines that look nice, however do not have the cooling to deal with such beefy GPUs.
Gigabyte Aorus 17 XE4 specs
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700H
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (130W)
RAM: 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4-3200
Display: 17.3-inch
Native res: 1920 x 1080
Refresh fee: 360Hz
Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
I/O: 1x gigabit LAN, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x Headphone/Mic, 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4, 1x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
Dimensions: 398 x 254 x 27mm
Weight: 2.7kg
Price: $2,099 (opens in new tab) | £1,999 (opens in new tab)
The Aorus 17 does a intelligent impression of a skinny and light-weight laptop computer. The base cuts away from the thickest a part of the chassis on the entrance edge, in order that whenever you’re really utilizing it, you may simply be fooled into considering it is thinner than it truly is. Importantly, because of this it’s really thick sufficient to deal with a correct cooling system, one which stands probability of conserving the aforementioned CPU and GPU cool.
There’s one annoying misstep on the styling entrance although: the ability button. While that is clearly nonetheless a gaming machine, by dint of its thickness, it is a principally subdued affair with a clear aesthetic. Particularly so in case you ease again on the keyboard’s default RGB mild present. But that squishy-looking energy button would not look misplaced on a toddler’s toy. Not one thing you anticipate to see on a machine rolling in for $2,000.
The remainder of the specification is just about what you’d anticipate, with a speedy 1TB NVMe SSD conserving issues shifting and 16GB of RAM as customary, though Gigabyte has caught with DDR4 right here and never gone with DDR5. A prudent alternative given the worth/efficiency proposition of the newer reminiscence customary, though you may’t assist however really feel that you simply’re lacking out on the most recent factor when wanting down the spec record, regardless of probably not having the ability to inform the distinction in apply.
Before shifting on to the all-important efficiency, it is value highlighting the keyboard, which is roomy and responsive. There’s even a full numpad, though there isn’t any delineation between it and the primary keyboard, which might really feel bizarre at occasions. Still, the keyboard as an entire is comfy to kind on and greater than able to dealing with your gaming wants. The touchpad is beneficiant too, though it is not significantly helpful in terms of gaming. As ever, you actually desire a first rate mouse in case you’re critical about gaming on the go.
The remaining vital piece of the moveable gaming puzzle is the 360Hz 1080p show, and right here you are a comparatively huge 17.3-inch panel squeezed into what Gigabyte suggests is a 15-inch chassis. While physics would take difficulty with that suggestion, it does have screen-to-laptop ratio with skinny bezels on the highest and sides, and the laptop computer itself is ever so barely smaller than some conventional 17-inch gaming laptops. I imply it is huge, do not get me improper, nevertheless it might be even greater.
This brings us to the efficiency. And it is right here the place the Gigabyte Aorus 17 XE4 shines brightest. It might not be the quickest machine we have ever seen, it isn’t the thinnest nor quietest both, however for the cash, it takes some critical beating for balancing all these items and specializing in what actually counts for many avid gamers: efficiency. Here this machine is just about on the high of its recreation, and able to outperforming costlier laptops.
That 130W Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the important thing ingredient right here, however the truth that Gigabyte has paired it with a Core i7 chip versus the far-more costly Core i9 pays dividends within the value-for-money stakes. Either manner, you are clean body charges in just about any recreation you throw at it. Metro Exodus manages 76fps with RTX pretties on, Horizon Zero Dawn 117fps, and F1 2020 tops out at a silky 180fps.
You may argue that an RTX 3070 Ti is overkill for a 1080p show, however that will be forgetting that 360Hz refresh fee. This machine, greater than most, really stands probability of getting a body fee near that refresh fee. If you take pleasure in recreation of Apex Legends, Valorant, or CS:GO then you are going to hit frankly ridiculous body charges (300fps in Apex is pretty straightforward to realize), and know that your losses are as a result of your reactions, not this laptop computer’s incapacity to maintain up.
The one draw back is that pushing this laptop computer arduous will punish your ears. The Aorus 17 XE4 can get annoyingly loud in use. To the purpose that you’re going to end up both reaching for a headset when gaming, or pushing the amount up excessive to attempt to drown out the “Windforce Infinity Cooling System” at full bore. At least you’ve gotten the choice of enjoying in Silence Mode, and there is nonetheless loads of energy on provide in case you favor the quiet life, a minimum of there’s in case you sort out your recreation’s setting display screen.
Obviously, £1,999 ($2,099) remains to be a big bag of money to drop on any laptop computer, even one that’s as gamey as this. It’s a bit galling that a lot cash does not purchase you top-of-the-range parts anymore, though simply throwing all the highest equipment right into a laptop computer hardly ever really pays off, with thermal limits usually conserving such dream machines in examine. Essentially paying far more than this and also you’re in diminishing returns territory.
The actual query you’ll want to ask your self, is would you like your gaming to be a bit extra moveable? I’ll admit to preferring one thing extra modest myself, these 13- and 14-inch laptops are sometimes much more versatile, even when they do not pack the identical gaming punch that this will muster. Still, in case you’re searching for a critical desktop alternative, then there’s a lot to like right here. Particularly in terms of precise gaming. It’s only a disgrace it is so loud about it.