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Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD laptop review: 4K HDR meets RTX 3080

Octa-core Tiger Lake CPU. Not only does the Aero 17 HDR YD come with an HDR-capable 4K display, but it is also run by an Intel Core i9-11980HK. Our test will show what this can do in combination with the built-in RTX 3080.
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD

Compared to the Aero 17 HDR YC we tested in January, in the spec sheet only the CPU and working memory are changed. The Aero 17 HRD YD is run by an Intel Core i9-11980HK that is accompanied by 32 GB of working memory. The system is installed on a 512 GB SSD from Samsung, and a second 1-TB SSD is available for storing larger amounts of data. An Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 is responsible for the display of the image contents.

This configuration costs about 3900 Euros (~$4751), and we compare it with the competing devices listed below. Below each of the sections, you can also add more notebooks to the comparison from our database. Since not much has changed visually or in terms of the equipment, we refer to our reviews of the Aero 17 XA HDR and Aero 17 HDR YC for more detailed descriptions of these sections.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD (Aero 17 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i9-11980HK 8 x 3.3 - 5 GHz, 109 W PL2 / Short Burst, 70 W PL1 / Sustained, Tiger Lake-HK
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU - 16 GB VRAM, Core: 1245 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, 105 W TDP, NVIDIA 462.35, Intel UHD Graphics Xe 750 32EUs
Memory
32 GB 
, dual-channel
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 255 PPI, AU Optronics AUO329B, IPS, glossy: no, HDR, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel HM570
Storage
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ, 512 GB 
, + 1 TB Phison ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
Soundcard
Intel Tiger Lake-U/Y PCH-LP - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 4.0 40 Gbps, 1 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 1x headphone, 1x microphone, Card Reader: SD UHS-II, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8125 2.5GBe Family Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000/2500MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 22 x 396 x 270 ( = 0.87 x 15.59 x 10.63 in)
Battery
99 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9 MP, 16:9 (1280x720)
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2W, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.766 kg ( = 97.57 oz / 6.1 pounds), Power Supply: 726 g ( = 25.61 oz / 1.6 pounds)
Price
3900 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible Competitors for Comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
88 %
05/2021
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
i9-11980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
2.8 kg22 mm17.30"3840x2160
87.6 %
01/2021
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
2.8 kg21.4 mm17.30"3840x2160
87.8 %
02/2021
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
3 kg19.9 mm17.30"3840x2160
85.3 %
04/2021
Alienware m17 R4
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
3 kg22 mm17.30"1920x1080

Case - A slim 17-inch gaming laptop

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD

Size Comparison

399.8 mm / 15.7 inch 294.3 mm / 11.6 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 3 kg6.61 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.8 kg6.1 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 21.4 mm / 0.843 inch 2.8 kg6.08 lbs395 mm / 15.6 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 3 kg6.52 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connections - The Aero 17 HDR with Thunderbolt 4 and fast WLAN

Left side: 2.5 GBit LAN, UHS-II SD card reader, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1, microphone, headphones, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1
Left side: 2.5 GBit LAN, UHS-II SD card reader, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1, microphone, headphones, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1
Right side: 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1, 1x Thunderbolt 4, Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, power
Right side: 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen1, 1x Thunderbolt 4, Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1, power

SD Card Reader

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
199.6 MB/s +8%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
194 MB/s +5%
Alienware m17 R4
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
190 MB/s +3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
184 MB/s
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=103, last 2 years)
99 MB/s -46%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Alienware m17 R4
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
239 MB/s +27%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
213 MB/s +13%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
191.6 MB/s +2%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
188 MB/s
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=94, last 2 years)
122.9 MB/s -35%

Communication

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1588 (1508min - 1656max) MBit/s
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650w
1550 MBit/s -2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1539 (842min - 1691max) MBit/s -3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1190 MBit/s -25%
Average of class Gaming
  (885 - 1412, n=7, last 2 years)
1147 MBit/s -28%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (447 - 1645, n=127)
1104 MBit/s -30%
iperf3 receive AX12
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650w
1600 MBit/s +39%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1495 (788min - 1534max) MBit/s +30%
Average of class Gaming
  (881 - 1700, n=7, last 2 years)
1391 MBit/s +21%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1340 MBit/s +16%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (523 - 1684, n=128)
1191 MBit/s +3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1152 (915min - 1267max) MBit/s
05010015020025030035040045050055060065070075080085090095010001050110011501200125013001350140014501500155016001650Tooltip
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1152 (915-1267)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1588 (1508-1656)

Webcam

ColorChecker
9.8 ∆E
5.7 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
3.9 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
2.9 ∆E
4 ∆E
14.3 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
9 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
14.6 ∆E
4.1 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
7.9 ∆E
6 ∆E
9 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
6.6 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
4.2 ∆E
ColorChecker Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD: 7.06 ∆E min: 2.86 - max: 14.6 ∆E

Maintenance

The insides of the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
The insides of the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD

Input Devices - Powerful RGB illumination

You can find a detailed description of the input devices in our review of the Gigabyte Aero 17 XA HDR.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - keyboard
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - keyboard
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - ClickPad
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - ClickPad

Display - A very good image thanks to HDR and 4K

Screen bleeding
Screen bleeding

The display of the Aero 17 HDR YD consists of a 17-inch IPS panel that offers a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. At an average of 467 cd/m², the maximum brightness is only slightly higher than that of the Aero 17 HDR YC and significantly lower than in the Aero 17 XA HDR. At 86%, the brightness distribution is also the lowest in our test field.

Since PWM is not used for brightness control, there should not be any problems for users with sensitive eyes.

493
cd/m²
484
cd/m²
459
cd/m²
481
cd/m²
488
cd/m²
426
cd/m²
475
cd/m²
463
cd/m²
434
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO329B tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 493 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 467 cd/m² Minimum: 3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 488 cd/m²
Contrast: 1479:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.23 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.77
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
86.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.169
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
AU Optronics AUO329B, IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B), IPS-Level, 3840x2160, 17.30
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
AU Optronics B173ZAN03.3, IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Alienware m17 R4
AU Optronics AUOEC91, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Display
0%
1%
-16%
Display P3 Coverage
86.9
87.3
0%
88.6
2%
69.8
-20%
sRGB Coverage
100
100
0%
100
0%
99.7
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
99.6
99.9
0%
99.9
0%
71.6
-28%
Response Times
3%
63%
70%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
52 ?(25.2, 26.8)
51.6 ?(25.6, 26)
1%
15.2 ?(7.6, 7.6)
71%
13.2 ?(6.4, 6.8)
75%
Response Time Black / White *
26 ?(10, 16)
24.8 ?(10, 14.8)
5%
12 ?(6, 6)
54%
9.2 ?(4.8, 4.4)
65%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-5%
-157%
-9%
Brightness middle
488
458
-6%
407.2
-17%
305
-37%
Brightness
467
446
-4%
403
-14%
301
-36%
Brightness Distribution
86
92
7%
90
5%
93
8%
Black Level *
0.33
0.37
-12%
0.42
-27%
0.19
42%
Contrast
1479
1238
-16%
970
-34%
1605
9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.23
1.52
-24%
7.25
-489%
1.31
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.94
2.51
15%
12.51
-326%
2.32
21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
0.77
0.66
14%
3.62
-370%
0.91
-18%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.5
1.9
-27%
8.1
-440%
2.3
-53%
Gamma
2.169 101%
2.145 103%
2.24 98%
2.281 96%
CCT
6614 98%
6534 99%
5925 110%
6449 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
99
100
1%
88.1
-11%
72
-27%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99
100
1%
100
1%
94
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-1% / -3%
-31% / -100%
15% / -1%

* ... smaller is better

The contrast ratio turns out very good at 1479:1, and the black value is also only slightly elevated at 0.33 cd/m². In addition, the color space coverage of 99% for both the sRGB and AdobeRGB color spaces is excellent. Gigabyte advertises the display of the Aero 17 HDR YD with a calibration in the state of delivery that was validated by Pantone and that can be selected in the various modes of the Control Center corresponding to the current usage scenario. 

Accordingly, the CalMAN analysis also shows a DeltaE2000 deviation that is correspondingly low. Another calibration will only bring a small improvement from 1.5 to 0.5. You can download the corresponding ICC file from the link in the frame above, to the right of the schematic on the brightness distribution.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD outdoors on a cloudy day
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD outdoors on a cloudy day
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD outdoors on a cloudy day
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD outdoors on a cloudy day

The display brightness of the Aero 17 HDR YD is sufficient to show the image contents easily readable on cloudy days. While the matte display will prevent reflections in direct sunlight, reading the display contents will then still be harder.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD vs sRGB (99%)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD vs sRGB (99%)
Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD vs AdobeRGB (99%)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD vs AdobeRGB (99%)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 16 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 57 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
52 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25.2 ms rise
↘ 26.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 87 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18071 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The viewing angles of the Aero 17 HDR YD display are very stable, and the contents can be viewed from almost any angle without the colors or image becoming distorted. 

Viewing angle stability
Viewing angle stability

Performance - Increased CPU performance

With the Aero 17 HDR YD, Gigabyte targets content creators and gamers who need a powerful laptop with a very good display. In addition to the configuration tested here, the HDR YD is also available with an Intel Core i7-11800H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 with 8 GB of video storage. As "Aero 17 HDR XD," the laptop comes with an Intel Core i7-11800H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with 8 GB of video storage.

All the following benchmarks were run with the "Turbo" system setting.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - CPUz
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - CPUz
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - CPUz
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - CPUz
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - HWInfo
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - GPUz

Processor

The Intel Core i9-11980HK used here is an octa-core processor, which can operate on up to 16 threads simultaneously. The clock speeds fall between 2.6 and 5 GHz, with the configured TDP playing an important role in determining the performance. Gigabyte has configured this as a PL1 of 70 watts and PL2 of 109 watts. With this, the maximum possible of 65 watts is even slightly exceeded, and the Aero 17 HDR YD is able to lead our test field in the benchmarks.

In our Cinebech R15 constant load test, the CPU is also able to maintain its performance for a longer time period, and it is able to quickly recover from smaller drops of about 9% in the performance.

01052103154205256307358409451050115512601365147015751680178518901995Tooltip
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD Intel Core i9-11980HK: Ø2023 (1924.65-2067.29)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC Intel Core i9-10980HK: Ø1468 (1385.62-1761.11)
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch) Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1482 (1469.35-1489.04)
Alienware m17 R4 Intel Core i9-10980HK: Ø1833 (1809.95-1853.31)
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=237, last 2 years)
693 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (572 - 622, n=7)
593 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
585 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
507 Points -13%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
506 Points -14%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
490 Points -16%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=237, last 2 years)
7255 Points +38%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
5256 Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (3779 - 5256, n=8)
4578 Points -13%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
4456 Points -15%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
3531 Points -33%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
3526 Points -33%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=241, last 2 years)
266 Points +16%
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (224 - 244, n=6)
231 Points 0%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
230 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
211 Points -8%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
209 Points -9%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
203 Points -12%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=242, last 2 years)
3024 Points +46%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
2067 (1924.65min - 2067.29max) Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (1696 - 2287, n=7)
2055 Points -1%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1853 (1809.95min - 1853.31max) Points -10%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1761 (1385.62min - 1761.11max) Points -15%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
1489 (1469.35min - 1489.04max) Points -28%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
302 Seconds * -30%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
299 Seconds * -28%
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (231 - 284, n=4)
257 Seconds * -10%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
247 Seconds * -6%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
233 Seconds *
Average of class Gaming
  (87 - 1259, n=235, last 2 years)
205 Seconds * +12%
7-Zip 18.03
7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Gaming
  (2685 - 7581, n=236, last 2 years)
6062 MIPS +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
5668 MIPS
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (5428 - 5735, n=5)
5643 MIPS 0%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
5463 MIPS -4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
5444 MIPS -4%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
5338 MIPS -6%
7z b 4
Average of class Gaming
  (11386 - 140932, n=236, last 2 years)
75363 MIPS +33%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
56759 MIPS
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (45226 - 56759, n=5)
51899 MIPS -9%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
49275 MIPS -13%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
45258 MIPS -20%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
44485 MIPS -22%
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (158 - 2193, n=241, last 2 years)
1795 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (1561 - 1679, n=5)
1625 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
1613 Points
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1351 Points -16%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1344 Points -17%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
1315 Points -18%
Multi-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (1946 - 22200, n=241, last 2 years)
13326 Points +35%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
9884 Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (8786 - 10081, n=5)
9523 Points -4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8176 Points -17%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8135 Points -18%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
8134 Points -18%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Average of class Gaming
  (3 - 37.6, n=239, last 2 years)
20.8 fps +32%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
15.8 fps
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (13.1 - 16.3, n=5)
14.9 fps -6%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
14.3 fps -9%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.1 fps -23%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
12 fps -24%
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
51.5 s * -25%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
51.4 s * -25%
Average of class Gaming
  (32.8 - 332, n=233, last 2 years)
49.1 s * -19%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
45.3 s * -10%
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (40.6 - 47.7, n=5)
43.1 s * -5%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
41.1 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.587 sec * -6%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK
0.574 sec * -4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
0.561 sec * -2%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK
0.552 sec *
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK
  (0.545 - 0.565, n=5)
0.552 sec * -0%
Average of class Gaming
  (0.3609 - 4.47, n=236, last 2 years)
0.4734 sec * +14%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
2067 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
200 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
230 Points
Help

System Performance

In the PCMark 10 test to evaluate the system performance, the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD places first in our test field. This goes for the overall evaluation as well as all the single disciplines. In everyday operation, the laptop runs very smoothly without showing any micro stutters or similar delays.

You can find out what performance you can expect from other devices in comparison in our CPU benchmark list.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5235 - 9852, n=203, last 2 years)
7573 Points +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-11980HK, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
7088 Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (6937 - 7088, n=3)
7026 Points -1%
Alienware m17 R4
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2300 512 GB (RAID 0)
6684 Points -6%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
6531 Points -8%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
6512 Points -8%
Essentials
Average of class Gaming
  (8300 - 12334, n=202, last 2 years)
10701 Points +5%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-11980HK, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
10212 Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (9665 - 10291, n=3)
10056 Points -2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
9919 Points -3%
Alienware m17 R4
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2300 512 GB (RAID 0)
9529 Points -7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
9312 Points -9%
Productivity
Average of class Gaming
  (7244 - 11833, n=202, last 2 years)
9729 Points +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-11980HK, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
9098 Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (8934 - 9107, n=3)
9046 Points -1%
Alienware m17 R4
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2300 512 GB (RAID 0)
8798 Points -3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
8746 Points -4%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
8448 Points -7%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Gaming
  (6462 - 18475, n=202, last 2 years)
11407 Points +10%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-11980HK, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
10403 Points
Average Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (9855 - 10823, n=3)
10360 Points 0%
Alienware m17 R4
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2300 512 GB (RAID 0)
9666 Points -7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
9203 Points -12%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
9021 Points -13%
PCMark 10 Score
7088 points
Help

DPC Latencies

In the test with LatencyMon, the Aero 17 HDR YD shows increased latencies, and it is therefore not suited for applications with real-time processing.

LatencyMon - Statistics
LatencyMon - Statistics
LatencyMon - Drivers
LatencyMon - Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
3490 μs * -30%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-11980HK, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
2676 μs *
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
1714 μs * +36%
Alienware m17 R4
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, 2x Micron 2300 512 GB (RAID 0)
585 μs * +78%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Solution

In our test configuration, Gigabyte uses a 512 GB SSD from Samsung that achieves very good read and write rates in the storage benchmark. In addition, there is also a 1-TB SSD as it is also used in the Aero 17 HDR YC, offering similar speeds.

You can find out what performance to expect from other storage solutions in our HDD/SSD benchmark list.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
Alienware m17 R4
2x Micron 2300 512 GB (RAID 0)
Average Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-38%
-45%
-41%
-20%
Write 4K
230.4
141.2
-39%
123.5
-46%
93.1
-60%
182.8 ?(122.4 - 237, n=30)
-21%
Read 4K
91.6
46.48
-49%
45.96
-50%
46.79
-49%
77 ?(47.3 - 92, n=30)
-16%
Write Seq
4216
2433
-42%
1861
-56%
2853
-32%
3119 ?(1056 - 4456, n=21)
-26%
Read Seq
4543
1742
-62%
1584
-65%
2556
-44%
3360 ?(1249 - 4560, n=21)
-26%
Write 4K Q32T1
667
565
-15%
466.4
-30%
475
-29%
464 ?(277 - 710, n=30)
-30%
Read 4K Q32T1
728
655
-10%
566
-22%
529
-27%
566 ?(293 - 940, n=30)
-22%
Write Seq Q32T1
5043
3028
-40%
2981
-41%
3331
-34%
4450 ?(1148 - 5123, n=30)
-12%
Read Seq Q32T1
6821
3424
-50%
3260
-52%
3319
-51%
6333 ?(1770 - 6867, n=30)
-7%
AS SSD
-33%
-67%
-66%
-18%
Seq Read
5438
2674
-51%
2068
-62%
2733
-50%
4658 ?(2629 - 5546, n=38)
-14%
Seq Write
3904
2458
-37%
2047
-48%
2822
-28%
2766 ?(1108 - 3925, n=38)
-29%
4K Read
56.2
52.1
-7%
47.85
-15%
45.04
-20%
67.8 ?(39.2 - 85.1, n=38)
21%
4K Write
165.8
113.4
-32%
87.4
-47%
88.4
-47%
174.9 ?(105.4 - 216, n=38)
5%
4K-64 Read
2489
1881
-24%
1932
-22%
1388
-44%
1566 ?(533 - 2783, n=38)
-37%
4K-64 Write
3480
2849
-18%
2017
-42%
1227
-65%
2393 ?(1010 - 3480, n=38)
-31%
Access Time Read *
0.054
0.102
-89%
0.055
-2%
0.079
-46%
0.048 ?(0.023 - 0.089, n=37)
11%
Access Time Write *
0.026
0.033
-27%
0.128
-392%
0.095
-265%
0.03368 ?(0.02 - 0.076, n=38)
-30%
Score Read
3089
2201
-29%
2187
-29%
1706
-45%
2099 ?(1079 - 3224, n=38)
-32%
Score Write
4036
3208
-21%
2309
-43%
1598
-60%
2819 ?(1258 - 4036, n=38)
-30%
Score Total
8620
6524
-24%
5612
-35%
4184
-51%
5933 ?(3573 - 8620, n=38)
-31%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-36% / -35%
-56% / -58%
-54% / -55%
-19% / -19%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 6821 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 5043 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 728 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 667 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 4543 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 4216 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 91.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 230.4 MB/s

Constant Performance Reads: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 used here is currently one of the most powerful graphics cards in mobile devices. However, the actual performance depends on the configured TGP, which can be up to 165 watts. Gigabyte specifies this value as 105 watts, resulting in slightly lower but still very good results in the 3DMark benchmarks.

Our GPU benchmark list shows how other graphics cards fare in comparison.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Alienware m17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
43077 Points +20%
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=241, last 2 years)
39928 Points +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (31288 - 43744, n=39)
38345 Points +7%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-10875H
37171 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-11980HK
35787 Points
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Alienware m17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
192950 Points +286%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-10875H
149262 Points +199%
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=150, last 2 years)
135325 Points +171%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (38816 - 192950, n=34)
116550 Points +133%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
71670 Points +43%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-11980HK
49955 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Alienware m17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
32366 Points +24%
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=245, last 2 years)
29195 Points +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (16455 - 32366, n=45)
27464 Points +5%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-10875H
26486 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-11980HK
26177 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
25129 Points -4%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Alienware m17 R4
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
12718 Points +27%
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=243, last 2 years)
11907 Points +19%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i7-10875H
10898 Points +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (6407 - 13210, n=44)
10695 Points +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-11980HK
9989 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, Intel Core i9-10980HK
9646 Points -3%
3DMark 11 Performance
29248 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
34027 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
22142 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
9800 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 used here is able to play all the current games smoothly and at high frame rates. Only in very demanding games, the frame rates can go down to values below 30 fps in 4K resolution and at high detail levels.

Our GPU games list shows the performance you can expect in various games.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=238, last 2 years)
115.1 fps +23%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
115 (84min) fps +23%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
108.3 (98min - 117max) fps +16%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (85.1 - 123, n=39)
105.2 fps +13%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
96.1 (74min) fps +3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
93.4 (80min) fps
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
3840x2160 High Quality
Average of class Gaming
  (32.2 - 94.7, n=69, last 2 years)
61.8 fps +36%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
49.3 fps +9%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
45.4 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (28.4 - 53.2, n=15)
43.4 fps -4%
2560x1440 High Quality
Average of class Gaming
  (19.8 - 162.9, n=166, last 2 years)
95.8 fps +26%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
84.3 fps +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (61.6 - 90.3, n=17)
79.4 fps +5%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
75.9 fps
1920x1080 High Quality
Average of class Gaming
  (9.13 - 194.9, n=237, last 2 years)
109.6 fps +11%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
109 fps +10%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
99 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (55.5 - 115, n=33)
98.9 fps 0%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
98.2 fps -1%
Cyberpunk 2077 1.0
3840x2160 Ultra Preset
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
27.9 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (19.7 - 27.9, n=3)
23 fps -18%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
21.4 (13.7min, 15.4P0.1, 17.1P1 - 64.3max) fps -23%
2560x1440 Ultra Preset
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (39.8 - 49.7, n=5)
42.9 fps 0%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
42.8 fps
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
42.3 (14.4min, 15.2P0.1, 17P1 - 107max) fps -1%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
80.6 (14.3min, 43.6P0.1, 64P1 - 132max) fps +52%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (52.9 - 84.3, n=9)
69.4 fps +31%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
60.6 (12.9min, 14.6P0.1, 17P1 - 141max) fps +15%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
52.9 fps
Dota 2 Reborn
3840x2160 ultra (3/3) best looking
Average of class Gaming
  (14.2 - 205, n=82, last 2 years)
136.7 fps +21%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
128 (107.9min) fps +14%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
112.6 (96.4min) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (55.2 - 128, n=16)
105.1 fps -7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
101 (85.4min) fps -10%
1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking
Average of class Gaming
  (26.9 - 220, n=248, last 2 years)
141.2 fps +2%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
138.4 (119.3min) fps
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
134 (115.1min) fps -3%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
132 (114.9min) fps -5%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (98 - 156, n=44)
126.1 fps -9%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
122 (105.3min) fps -12%
Strange Brigade
3840x2160 ultra AA:ultra AF:16
Average of class Gaming
  (54.5 - 298, n=57, last 2 years)
112.2 fps +46%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
84.1 (69.5min, 72.1P1 - 112max) fps +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (55.9 - 91.7, n=11)
77.6 fps +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
77 (63.2min, 64.3P1 - 103max) fps
2560x1440 ultra AA:ultra AF:16
Average of class Gaming
  (34.8 - 322, n=140, last 2 years)
177.1 fps +37%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (123 - 165, n=13)
143.4 fps +11%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
143 (80.5min, 115P1 - 249max) fps +11%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
129 (86.2min, 98.9P1 - 224max) fps
1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
212 (79.6min, 151P1 - 362max) fps +23%
Average of class Gaming
  (14.6 - 421, n=235, last 2 years)
203 fps +18%
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
197 (81.6min, 149P1 - 298max) fps +15%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (117 - 219, n=33)
184 fps +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
172 (86min, 125P1 - 285max) fps
GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x
Average of class Gaming
  (6.38 - 167.7, n=227, last 2 years)
106.3 fps +3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
Intel Core i9-11980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
103 (5.99min, 71.4P1 - 221max) fps
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
Intel Core i7-10875H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
99.5 (5.74min, 71.4P1 - 185max) fps -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
  (68.6 - 112, n=33)
97.2 fps -6%
Alienware m17 R4
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
93.9 (6.12min, 62.5P1 - 193max) fps -9%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
90.7 (10.4min, 62.5P1 - 166max) fps -12%

In our The Witcher 3 constant load test, the Aero 17 HDR YD does not show any drop in performance. You therefore do not have to expect any limitations in the gaming performance even after longer periods of playing.

05101520253035404550556065707580859095Tooltip
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-11980HK, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ; FPS: Ø97.2 (95-100)
low med. high ultraQHD4K
GTA V (2015) 185 178 166 103
The Witcher 3 (2015) 93.4
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 172.8 156.1 145.7 138.4 112.6
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 193 127 99 75.9 45.4
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 129 110 89.3 62.2
Far Cry 5 (2018) 118 96 54
Strange Brigade (2018) 442 236 193 172 129 77
Cyberpunk 2077 1.0 (2020) 74.8 52.9 42.8 27.9

Emissions - Quiet operation is possible

The emissions were measured with active AI and the "Normal" fan adjustment.

Noise Emissions

Fan noise characteristics
Fan noise characteristics

The Aero 17 HDR YD can be very quiet in everyday operation. When using office and browser applications, the fans will only rarely rev up slightly. During gaming, the laptop operation will be clearly noticeable, depending on the load. During high load, the noise levels will reach up to 59 dB(A). This makes the fans annoyingly loud. 

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 32 / 41 dB(A)
Load
43 / 59 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 25 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2046.33741.744.640.839.42541.33735.938.335.635.73147.248.644.348.346.445.44033.229.929.731.629.531.65040.630.530.527.524.940.46334.339.531.229.926.834.28026.222.520.922.317.833.510025.92124.918.11535.91252620.523.520.11532.616026.220.924.221.516.734.520028.820.924.621.918.337.425027.921.125.220.715.837.631530.222.928.62214.540.340029.421.928.121.712.440.650029.921.430.22111.940.863036.122.931.120.211.842.880031.321.929.721.111.443.2100030.920.629.318.712.244.4125032.621.631.119.712.647.3160033.221.131.619.112.749.4200032.220.531.219.312.549.325003020.329.418.912.847.6315030.918.330.216.414.448400031.71829.116.415.448.6500028.11626.315.113.848.8630025.314.223.613.913.447.6800021.313.618.613.513.243.81000019.613.516.113.513.141.51250017.313.213.813.312.836.91600019.613.31413.312.131.7SPL42.931.841.230.425.559.1N4.31.63.61.30.713median 29.4median 20.6median 28.1median 19.1median 13.1median 42.8Delta2.92.63.731.45.6hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseGigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD

Temperatures

Under load, the surfaces of the Aero 17 HDR YD reach temperatures of up to 56 °C (133 °F). The warmest spots are at the bottom towards the back, but the palm rests will always remain at moderate temperatures. With this, you will still be able to use the laptop on your lap, but just barely. 

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Full load - top
Full load - top
Full load - bottom
Full load - bottom

During our constant load test, the temperatures inside the Gigabyte laptop rise up to 93 °C (199 °F). At 2.9 GHz during this time, the clock speeds remain above the basic clock speed, and according to HWInfo, the CPU runs stably at 70 watts. The same behavior is shown during our The Witcher 3 constant load test, with the temperatures remaining slightly lower at a maximum of 80 °C (176 °F). While operating the laptop under constant load, you should therefore not have to expect any limitations due to temperatures being too high.

Max. Load
 43 °C
109 F
44 °C
111 F
44 °C
111 F
 
 35 °C
95 F
42 °C
108 F
40 °C
104 F
 
 32 °C
90 F
35 °C
95 F
35 °C
95 F
 
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 38.9 °C = 102 F
52 °C
126 F
56 °C
133 F
44 °C
111 F
52 °C
126 F
51 °C
124 F
41 °C
106 F
38 °C
100 F
37 °C
99 F
35 °C
95 F
Maximum: 56 °C = 133 F
Average: 45.1 °C = 113 F
Power Supply (max.)  51 °C = 124 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.9 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 56 °C / 133 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.1 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.9 °C / 100 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (35 °C / 95 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-6.1 °C / -11 F).

Speakers

The speakers of the Aero 17 YD produce a fairly high volume and relatively broad sound spectrum that drops steeply below the mid-level frequencies, however. While this will allow you to occasionally reproduce voice contents, for listening to music or playing games, external speakers or headphones would be preferable.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.844.22535.637.73146.449.94029.542.35024.935.46326.834.78017.828.21001525.11251526.816016.727.820018.339.525015.848.231514.555.340012.463.850011.97163011.875.980011.473.3100012.275.3125012.674.3160012.770.2200012.570.3250012.870.5315014.475.2400015.480500013.878.3630013.478.8800013.277.51000013.171.81250012.865.11600012.171SPL25.587.5N0.772.5median 13.1median 71Delta1.410.235.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseGigabyte Aero 17 HDR YDApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 33.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 66% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management - The battery life has dropped a bit

Power Consumption

Under load, the Aero 17 with the RTX 3080 has a power consumption up to 236 watts. With this, it is at the level of comparable devices under load, and we only measure a slightly higher power consumption than in other devices during idle operation.

The output of the included power supply is rated at 230 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1 / 1.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 25 / 28 / 40 Watt
Load midlight 114 / 236 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
i9-11980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
Alienware m17 R4
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
 
Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
14%
15%
-43%
12%
21%
Idle Minimum *
25
17
32%
15.2
39%
42
-68%
19.6 ?(8 - 62, n=34)
22%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=185, last 2 years)
45%
Idle Average *
28
21
25%
20.3
27%
48
-71%
24.1 ?(11.7 - 64, n=34)
14%
19.1 ?(8 - 67, n=185, last 2 years)
32%
Idle Maximum *
40
33
17%
37.3
7%
58
-45%
33.3 ?(12 - 69, n=34)
17%
26.7 ?(9 - 101.1, n=185, last 2 years)
33%
Load Average *
114
113
1%
114.9
-1%
124
-9%
107.9 ?(81.2 - 183, n=34)
5%
111.2 ?(32.1 - 202, n=185, last 2 years)
2%
Witcher 3 ultra *
176
157
11%
158.4
10%
219
-24%
Load Maximum *
236
237
-0%
223.7
5%
337
-43%
230 ?(152.5 - 368, n=34)
3%
250 ?(64.5 - 418, n=184, last 2 years)
-6%

* ... smaller is better

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180Tooltip
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD; 1920x1080 The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor): Ø166.6 (162-190)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD; 1280x720 FurMark 1.19 GPU Stress Test (external Monitor): Ø160.9 (158-166)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD; Cinebench R15 Multi (external Monitor): Ø159.8 (153-167)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD; Prime95 V2810 Stress (external Monitor): Ø126.3 (120-149)

Battery Life

In our realistic WLAN test, the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD achieves a battery life of 5.5 hours. With this, its battery life is about 20 minutes shorter than that of the Aero 17 HDR YC predecessor model, but still longer than that of the Alienware m17 R4.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
5h 34min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 10min
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD
i9-11980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, 99 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, 99 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 17 2021 (QHD Touch)
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, 70.5 Wh
Alienware m17 R4
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, 86 Wh
Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
19%
15%
-26%
16%
WiFi v1.3
334
354
6%
356
7%
141
-58%
364 ?(57 - 745, n=188, last 2 years)
9%
Load
70
92
31%
86
23%
74
6%
85.5 ?(36 - 173, n=150, last 2 years)
22%

Pros

+ very good system performance
+ very good gaming performance
+ very good display
+ good input devices
+ Thunderbolt 4

Cons

- secondary functions not illuminated
- unfortunate webcam position

Verdict - A better performance thanks to i9 Tiger Lake

Not only is the Aero 17 HDR YD a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators.

With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance.

In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities.

For gaming, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 continues to be the most powerful graphics unit for laptops that is currently available. The 3D performance is correspondingly good, even if the Aero 17 HDR YD is only at the same level as the competitors here. With the corresponding system settings, you can also limit the noise level, making the Gigabyte laptop well suited for gaming even without headphones.

Price and Availability

Currently the Aero 17 HDR YD is not available yet. Avadirect currently lists it as available in June starting at $3699.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD - 05/28/2021 v7
Mike Wobker

Chassis
87 / 98 → 89%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
71 / 80 → 88%
Weight
58 / 10-66 → 86%
Battery
67 / 95 → 70%
Display
95%
Games Performance
98%
Application Performance
97%
Temperature
82 / 95 → 86%
Noise
60 / 90 → 66%
Audio
76%
Camera
36 / 85 → 42%
Average
76%
88%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YD laptop review: 4K HDR meets RTX 3080
Mike Wobker, 2021-05-29 (Update: 2021-06- 1)