This Aero is perfect for those who have a few heavier jobs on their to-do list or who might want to do a little bit of gaming every now and then. It has a high-end OLED display with 400 nits of brightness, 100% sRGB coverage, 98% Adobe RGB coverage, and 98% P3 coverage. Office-friendly is the modest aluminum chassis. But it also includes the top mobile GPU from Nvidia and Intel’s flagship processor, which is extremely capable for creative work.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is a new content-creation computer that has a powerful Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and an Intel Core i9 processor. It is intended for musicians, media editors, and videographers, but it is not the ideal solution for all creators because the battery life isn’t particularly good. ..
Gigabyte Aero 16 review: Design
The Aero 16 is a computer that is designed specifically for creators. It borrows heavily from the MacBook Pro, and has a webcam inside the computer. The Aero logo illuminates when the device is operating.
The Aero 16 is a thin and light laptop that aims for a thin and light appearance, but not a feel. Although it has extremely thin bezels, it is a substantial 0.88 inches thick and weighs just over five pounds. The Aero 16 sits between mobile workstations like the XPS 17 and fully loaded gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. The Aero 16 is an absolute tank in terms of construction quality. We were unable to create any keyboard flex, and the little bit of flex we did discover in the display needed more effort than we felt comfortable using. This laptop is pricey, and it feels that way too.
The laptop’s keyboard and trackpad are both black on silver, which makes the laptop look harsh and outdated. ..
The G5S500 is a great notebook that has three USB-C ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and one mini DisplayPort. The notebook also has a compact hub with a USB-A port, Ethernet jack, mini DisplayPort, and full-size HDMI in the box.
We appreciate the inclusion of the breakout box, but we don’t like the box itself. It has a cheap feel to it and clings shakily to the USB-C port. A careless stroke could destroy it. Not to mention the possibility that you might install it incorrectly, obstructing the necessary vents on the side. Even still, having the hub is a benefit, and Gigabyte even provides a short USB-C cable to connect it properly. ..
Keyboard and touch pad
The Gigabyte Aero 16 keyboard is a delightful to type on because it is responsive and snappy. It also has white backlighting which makes it easy on the eyes.
The Aero 16 has a 4.7 x 3.0 inch touchpad that is substantial and svelte to the touch. In Windows 11, we were able to use gestures without any issues. The trackpad does, however, have four of our fingerprint smudges on it after some use, and despite our best efforts to remove them, they remain.
Gigabyte Aero 16 review: Display
This Pantone-validated AMOLED display on this panel will make those imaginative apps stand out. It uses the same technology as the Asus and outperforms the MacBook’s IPS hardware. The specifications are amazing as well; the 3,840 x 2,400 resolution makes it exceptionally sharp and the 16:10 aspect ratio adds extra height. Excellent quality is also present. The color temperature is 6,591K, with a Delta E of 1.87, and the contrast and vibrancy are outstanding.
The 397cd/m2 peak brightness level is suitable for outdoor and office applications.
The panel on the Asus ROG Strix GL502VM is a great option for gamers and general users. It has a higher resolution than the Apple MacBook Pro, and a wider color range. The 60Hz refresh rate is good for daily tasks, but may not be ideal for fast-paced games. ..
Audio
The Gigabyte Aero 16’s speakers are strategically positioned around the top and side edges, enabling the device to produce loud sounds and aim them toward the listener. However, in order to acquire higher sound loudness quality, we had to adjust the audio settings. The default audio at first was a tad underwhelming; everything was murky with little to no dynamic range. We played Winter Kills’ “Deep Down” when we first opened Spotify. We were struck by the song’s high treble’s murky quality. The music wasn’t as loud as it would have been on other 16-inch computers with comparable audio location, such the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. ..
We changed the sound settings on our computer to improve the sound quality and upgrade to a 24-bit, 192000Hz frequency response for more dynamic range. After we accomplished so, the track’s quality improved significantly. The track maintained the usual level of clarity, and the congestion was as high as we had anticipated. While we were viewing The Eternals, we could clearly hear the little noises that the inhabitants made while fishing and hunting as well as the heavy sound of the waves crashing on the old Mesopotamian rocks.
Graphics
The Gigabyte Aero 16 is a powerful laptop that has great specifications. However, its graphics card is only able to produce 105W of power, which could be a problem for some people.
We experienced significant screen tearing and slowdown while playing the Grand Theft Auto V opening sequence on Very High. The game itself appeared flawless on the screen, however it didn’t quite function perfectly with the default settings. The slowing halted even after we reduced MSAA from 6x to 4x to lessen the impact on the computer, but the stuttering persisted. Performance ranged between 40 and 50 frames per second at this configuration, where we were using 100% of my GPU and 70% VRAM.
We tested Shadow of the Tomb Raider in full screen mode, at native resolution, with HDR and VSync turned on, to confirm that there was no screen tearing. The game operated at a constant 30 frames per second without the use of DLSS. The game played considerably more smoothly and the frame rate increased to 59, never dropping below 58 and never exhibiting any evidence of screen tearing when we toggled DLSS on Performance. ..
Gigabyte Aero 16 review: Performance
This laptop is perfect for gamers who need the best performance possible. It has a fast storage and a great battery life.
The Toshiba 1TB SSD is a great choice for creative professionals who need the best performance and expandability. It comes with a 2TB capacity, 7,085MB/sec write speed, and 5,005MB/sec read speed. Additionally, it has a 16GB memory that can be upgraded to 32GB. The Toshiba SSD is also secured with twelve Torx screws to make it difficult to remove the internals.
The Gigabyte Aero is a great laptop for creative tasks and outperforms Apple’s M1 Pro and Max processors with a Cinebench R23 result of 12,938. Despite the power available, the Aero performed superbly in thermal tests.
The Aero’s superior thermal capabilities do limit the Core i7 processor’s ability to run at full speed, while this can serve to foster a quiet and focused work environment. For example, the Core i7-12700H can achieve more over 12,000 points on Geekbench, and its PCMark 10 score of 6,807 similarly falls short of this CPU’s full speed.
Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3070 Ti isn’t performing as well as its competitors in this particular environment, but it still has enough power to do any creative task. ..
You have gaming skills that are respectable. This is good news. The Gigabyte ran Horizon Zero Dawn at 87 frames per second and Borderlands 3 at 78 frames per second at 1080p, both of which were much above competitors and sufficient for fluid play. Although the Nvidia core can’t quite handle top games at the rig’s native resolution, such games are still playable at 2560 x 1600 thanks to average frame rates of 67 and 54, respectively.
Battery life and heat
The Aero 16’s battery life is insufficient. It is advised to keep it plugged in for any significant work; only fast and easy operations should require removal from the charger. The Aero 16 comes with a 99-watt-hour battery, the biggest battery you can bring on a plane. For quick and simple tasks, it is still inferior to machines. It is still inferior to devices that use the same hardware, though. ..
The Raider GE76, a benchmark for 12th generation Intel CPUs, performed around 6% better in our web surfing test. It only took the Aero 16 three hours and eleven minutes. In our local video playback test, the Aero 16 did poorly, lasting only four hours, one minute. Apple is a better option if battery life is a concern. In this test, the MacBook Pro with M1 Pro lasted an astounding 23 hours.
Configuration options
The Gigabyte Aero 16 XE5 is a powerful and affordable gaming laptop that comes with an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, and 1TB of RAM. Additionally, it has a Samsung AMOLED UHD+ (3840 x 2400) 60Hz display. According to Gigabyte, this is the only unit on the market in the US that offers this level of performance.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 YE4 offers the option to switch out the display for a gaming-focused QHD+ (2560×1600) 120Hz mini-LED display in some areas. The price jumps to $4,399 with that screen. ..
Conclusion
The Gigabyte Aero is a great laptop for those who need a lot of power and want to be able to game. It also has a great 1080p gaming capability. However, if you plan to mainly use this laptop for gaming, you might want to consider another option. The lack of ports is a bit of an issue, but overall we think the Gigabyte Aero is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a powerful laptop.
The 4K+ AMOLED display has some good features, but it has some problems. The reflections and glare are a big problem, and the refresh rate is not great. If you are looking for a productivity notebook that can also play 1080p games, this is not the best option.
