Notebookcheck

Aorus 15-W9 (i7-8750H, RTX 2060) Laptop Review

Sascha Mölck, 👁 Florian Glaser (translated by Mark Riege), 04/23/2019

Progress meets regression. The Aorus 15-W9 is able to bring all the current computer games smoothly to the matte 15.6-inch display (144 Hz, FHD, IPS). The components are also suitable: an NVMe SSD, HDD, and 16 GB of working memory. But it is not free of weaknesses: the battery life is meager and there is no Thunderbolt 3.

The Aorus 15-W9 is not unknown to us, since it is the identically built sibling of the Aorus 15-X9 that we have already tested. The difference between the two devices lies in the graphics core. While the X9 has a GeForce-RTX-2070 GPU on board, our current test unit brings a GeForce RTX 2060. The competitors include notebooks such as the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE, the Alienware m15, the Razer Blade 15, the Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICH, the Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S), and the Gigabyte Aero 15-X9.

Since the Aorus 15-W9 and the Aorus 15-X9 have an identical build, we will not discuss the case, connections, input devices, display, and speakers here. You can find the corresponding information in our Aorus 15-X9 review.

Aorus 15 W9 (15 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop) - 6144 MB, Core: 1110 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, 192-bit connection, ForceWare 425.31
Memory
16384 MB 
, SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, dual channel, two storage slots (both occupied), 64 GB max
Display
15.6 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8), IPS, 144 Hz, Full-HD, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8, 512 GB 
, + Seagate ST2000LM015 (2 TB, 5400 rpm), 2x M.2-2280 (SATA/NVMe) & 1x 2.5 in
Soundcard
Realtek ALC298 @ Intel Cannon Point PCH - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio combo port, Card Reader: microSD
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit), Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW) (a/b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 24.4 x 361 x 246 ( = 0.96 x 14.21 x 9.69 in)
Battery
62 Wh, 4070 mAh Lithium-Ion, 15.32 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 180-watt power supply, Control Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.214 kg ( = 78.1 oz / 4.88 pounds), Power Supply: 498 g ( = 17.57 oz / 1.1 pounds)
Price
1900 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

362 mm / 14.3 inch 265 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg4.97 lbs361 mm / 14.2 inch 246 mm / 9.69 inch 24.4 mm / 0.961 inch 2.2 kg4.88 lbs363 mm / 14.3 inch 275 mm / 10.8 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.2 kg4.76 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.05 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 268 mm / 10.6 inch 15.75 mm / 0.62 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.1 kg4.67 lbs355 mm / 14 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17.8 mm / 0.701 inch 2.1 kg4.63 lbs

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Networking
iperf3 Client (receive) TCP 1 m 4M x10
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
688 MBit/s ∼100% +3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
684 MBit/s ∼99% +2%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
678 MBit/s ∼99% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
671 MBit/s ∼98%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
666 MBit/s ∼97% -1%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
646 (min: 611, max: 665) MBit/s ∼94% -4%
Aorus 15 X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
645 MBit/s ∼94% -4%
Average of class Gaming
  (141 - 702, n=215)
598 MBit/s ∼87% -11%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
596 MBit/s ∼87% -11%
iperf3 Client (transmit) TCP 1 m 4M x10
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
680 MBit/s ∼100% 0%
Aorus 15 W9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
680 MBit/s ∼100%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
658 MBit/s ∼97% -3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
655 MBit/s ∼96% -4%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
650 (min: 456, max: 801) MBit/s ∼96% -4%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
633 MBit/s ∼93% -7%
Aorus 15 X9
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
622 MBit/s ∼91% -9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
588 MBit/s ∼86% -14%
Average of class Gaming
  (144 - 721, n=215)
546 MBit/s ∼80% -20%

Display - 144 Hz, no G-Sync

The 15.6-inch display of the Aorus 15 has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. While the contrast (868:1) and brightness (292 cd/m²) can be deemed acceptable, they could have been higher, considering the price level of the notebook. We think that values beyond 300 cd/m² and 1000:1 are good. 

The 15-W9 is equipped with the same 144-Hz IPS display that is also in the Aorus 15-X9 and whose viewing angles are stable. The results we measured here are slightly different, which is normal since two displays from the same series are never 100% identical.

307
cd/m²		289
cd/m²		320
cd/m²
300
cd/m²		295
cd/m²		310
cd/m²
269
cd/m²		255
cd/m²		285
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 320 cd/m² Average: 292.2 cd/m² Minimum: 13 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 295 cd/m²
Contrast: 868:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.89 | 0.4-29.43 Ø6.1, calibrated: 1.44
ΔE Greyscale 4.98 | 0.64-98 Ø6.3
93% sRGB (Argyll 3D) 60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.45
Aorus 15 W9
LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8), IPS, 1920x1080		Aorus 15 X9
LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2, IPS, 1920x1080		MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
AUO80ED, IPS, 1920x1080		Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
AU Optronics B156HAN, IPS, 1920x1080		Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
LP156WFG-SPB2, IPS, 1920x1080		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
LGD05C0, IPS, 1920x1080		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
LG Philips LGD05C0, IPS, 1920x1080		Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
AU Optronics B156HAN08.2, IPS, 1920x1080
Response Times
7%
-7%
-1%
-8%
-2%
5%
36%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16.8 (9.2, 7.6)
15.2 (8.4, 6.8)
10%
20 (10, 10)
-19%
18 (9.2, 8.8)
-7%
18.8 (11.6, 7.2)
-12%
16.4 (8.8, 7.6)
2%
16.8 (9.2, 7.6)
-0%
7 (4, 3)
58%
Response Time Black / White *
12.8 (7.6, 5.2)
12.4 (7.6, 4.8)
3%
12 (6.8, 5.2)
6%
12 (6.8, 5.2)
6%
13.2 (8, 5.2)
-3%
13.6 (8.4, 5.2)
-6%
11.6 (7.2, 4.4)
9%
11 (6, 5)
14%
PWM Frequency
Screen
12%
-3%
-5%
-2%
19%
8%
7%
Brightness middle
295
305.1
3%
250.9
-15%
353.6
20%
320.4
9%
250
-15%
314.7
7%
323
9%
Brightness
292
295
1%
257
-12%
346
18%
298
2%
235
-20%
312
7%
309
6%
Brightness Distribution
80
78
-2%
83
4%
86
8%
85
6%
85
6%
90
13%
93
16%
Black Level *
0.34
0.33
3%
0.32
6%
0.3
12%
0.42
-24%
0.29
15%
0.38
-12%
0.29
15%
Contrast
868
925
7%
784
-10%
1179
36%
763
-12%
862
-1%
828
-5%
1114
28%
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 *
3.89
2.58
34%
2.77
29%
4.55
-17%
3.21
17%
1.46
62%
2.56
34%
4.33
-11%
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 max. *
7.28
4.32
41%
5.89
19%
7.91
-9%
5.54
24%
2.47
66%
4.89
33%
7.64
-5%
Colorchecker DeltaE2000 calibrated *
1.44
1.33
8%
2.5
-74%
3.37
-134%
2.36
-64%
1.71
-19%
Greyscale DeltaE2000 *
4.98
3.4
32%
4
20%
4.1
18%
3.6
28%
1.27
74%
3.4
32%
4.12
17%
Gamma
2.45 90%
2.28 96%
2.27 97%
2.27 97%
2.27 97%
2.4 92%
2.3 96%
2.43 91%
CCT
6407 101%
6374 102%
6901 94%
7434 87%
6503 100%
6749 96%
6435 101%
7427 88%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
60.7
1%
60
0%
57.9
-3%
59
-2%
60
0%
60.7
1%
59
-2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
93
95.2
2%
92
-1%
88.9
-4%
92
-1%
93
0%
94.6
2%
90
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
10% / 11%
-5% / -4%
-3% / -4%
-5% / -2%
9% / 15%
7% / 8%
22% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
Aorus 15 W9 vs. sRGB (93%)
Aorus 15 W9 vs. sRGB (93%)
Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid
Aorus 15 W9 vs. AdobeRGB (60%)
Aorus 15 W9 vs. AdobeRGB (60%)

Display Response Times

ℹ
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
12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.6 ms rise
↘ 5.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.8 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 12 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (25.4 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
16.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9.2 ms rise
↘ 7.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.9 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 8 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (40.5 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
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: 51 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 9596 (minimum: 43 - maximum: 142900) Hz was measured.

Performance - More than enough

With the Aorus 15-W9, Gigabyte delivers a gaming notebook in the 15.6-inch format that brings all the current games smoothly to the screen and also strikes a good figure in all other application areas. You have to pay about 1900 Euros (~$2138; currently starting from $1650 in the US) for your test unit, and other equipment variants are also available.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon
Intel XTU

Testing Conditions

The preinstalled Control Center offers the option to specify a power profile, among other things. However, we are not doing this, but are selecting the "Customize" option instead. We are using Windows' own power profiles in our testing, with the fan control remaining on "Normal."

Processor

Gigabyte has equipped the Aorus 15 with an Intel Core i7-8750H (Coffee Lake) hexa-core processor. This processor offers a good compromise between computing performance and power consumption and can therefore be found in many gaming notebooks. It is a mobile CPU that has a TDP of 45 watts. The Core i7 runs at a basic clock speed of 2.2 GHz, which can be increased via Turbo up to 3.9 GHz (six cores), 4 GHz (four cores) or 4.1 GHz (one or two cores).

During the multi-thread tests of the Cinebench benchmarks, the processor runs at 3.2 to 3.9 GHz for a short time, before the speed changes to 3.4 - 3.5 GHz. It runs through the single-thread tests at 3.6 to 4.1 GHz so far as the behavior during mains operation is concerned. During battery operation, the CPU runs at a constant 1.7 GHz. 

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU load
GPU load

We evaluate whether the CPU Turbo is also used constantly in mains operation by running the multi-thread test of the Cinebench R15 benchmarks for about 30 minutes in a constant loop. From the first to the second run, the results drop by a good 10 percent, but then remain to a large extent at a constant level.

The Control Center offers the option to run the fan constantly at full speed. We therefore also ran the CB15 loop at maximum fan speed. With this, the Aorus offers better results than when using the regular fan adjustment.

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Aorus 15 W9 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1017 (1003.76-1122.08)
Aorus 15 W9 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H; Lüfter-Turbo: Ø1084 (1076.02-1128.25)
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø991 (974.33-1083.86)
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1164 (1146.3-1213.67)
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1183 (1168.7-1209.56)
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1095 (1087.31-1156.25)
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø922 (913.2-999)
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S) Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø985 (977.23-1096.32)
Aorus 15 X9 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø964 (958.5-1022)
CPU speed while running the CB15 loop ("Normal" fan mode)
CPU speed while running the CB15 loop ("Normal" fan mode)
CPU speed while running the CB15 loop ("Max" fan mode)
CPU speed while running the CB15 loop ("Max" fan mode)
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6404
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
33595
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8356
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
170 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1122 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
109.62 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help
Cinebench R15 | Cinebench R10 | Cinebench R20 | Geekbench 3 | Geekbench 4.3 | Mozilla Kraken 1.1 | Octane V2 | WebXPRT 3 | Speedometer 2.0
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points ∼100% +3%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points ∼99% +2%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-8750H
173 Points ∼99% +2%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
172 Points ∼98% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
170 Points ∼97%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
168 Points ∼96% -1%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points ∼95% -2%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
166 Points ∼95% -2%
Average of class Gaming
  (77 - 212, n=462)
154 Points ∼88% -9%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-8750H
1238 Points ∼100% +10%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
1218 Points ∼98% +9%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
1156 Points ∼93% +3%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
1122 Points ∼91%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
1096 Points ∼89% -2%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
1022 Points ∼83% -9%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Core i7-8750H
1011 Points ∼82% -10%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H
999 Points ∼81% -11%
Average of class Gaming
  (196 - 1979, n=465)
788 Points ∼64% -30%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
6416 Points ∼100% 0%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
6404 Points ∼100%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
6351 Points ∼99% -1%
Average of class Gaming
  (8.85 - 8872, n=413)
4783 Points ∼75% -25%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
33923 Points ∼100% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
33595 Points ∼99%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
32791 Points ∼97% -2%
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 48808, n=413)
17919 Points ∼53% -47%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (358 - 2707, n=10)
633 Points ∼100% +52%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
416 Points ∼66%
CPU (Multi Core)
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
2468 Points ∼100%
Average of class Gaming
  (403 - 3712, n=10)
2147 Points ∼87% -13%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
22650 Points ∼100% +3%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
21977 Points ∼97%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
21358 Points ∼94% -3%
Average of class Gaming
  (9307 - 27774, n=66)
15588 Points ∼69% -29%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
4100 Points ∼100%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
3998 Points ∼98% -2%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
3741 Points ∼91% -9%
Average of class Gaming
  (2926 - 4825, n=66)
3643 Points ∼89% -11%
Geekbench 4.3
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
22276 Points ∼100% +3%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
21630 Points ∼97%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
18716 Points ∼84% -13%
Average of class Gaming
  (4116 - 32070, n=40)
18620 Points ∼84% -14%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H
5100 Points ∼100%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel Core i7-8750H
4995 Points ∼98% -2%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H
4810 Points ∼94% -6%
Average of class Gaming
  (2131 - 6030, n=40)
4722 Points ∼93% -7%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming
  (753 - 7545, n=155)
1231 ms * ∼100% -10%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
1220.3 ms * ∼99% -9%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
1138.1 ms * ∼92% -2%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
1125.7 ms * ∼91% -1%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-8750H (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
1119.3 ms * ∼91% -0%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
1115.7 ms * ∼91% -0%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
1114.8 ms * ∼91%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Core i7-8750H (Microsoft Edge 42.17134.1.0)
1098.8 ms * ∼89% +1%
Octane V2 - Total Score
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Intel Core i7-8750H (Microsoft Edge 42.17134.1.0)
35329 Points ∼100% +2%
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
34686 Points ∼98%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Intel Core i7-8750H (Microsoft Edge 44.17763.1.0)
34062 Points ∼96% -2%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
33659 Points ∼95% -3%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
33402 Points ∼95% -4%
Average of class Gaming
  (12288 - 49518, n=149)
32890 Points ∼93% -5%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44.17763.1.0)
30594 Points ∼87% -12%
Aorus 15 X9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)
27460 Points ∼78% -21%
WebXPRT 3 - ---
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
213 Points ∼100%
Average of class Gaming
  (174 - 229, n=3)
205 Points ∼96% -4%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Aorus 15 W9
Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)
64.5 runs/min ∼100%
Average of class Gaming
  (43.5 - 67.4, n=3)
58.5 runs/min ∼91% -9%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The 15.6-incher does not lack anything in terms of system performance. The built-in hexa-core processor offers more than enough computing performance also for applications beyond gaming - and this also goes for the next few years. In combination with the NVMe SSD and the working memory running in dual-channel mode, it ensures a fast and smooth running system. The dedicated graphics core allows playing computer games. This is accompanied by very good results in the PC-Mark benchmarks. 

PC Mark 10
PC Mark 10
PCMark 7 Score
7400 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5077 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5955 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5899 points
Help
PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10 - Score
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5941 Points ∼100% +2%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5870 Points ∼99% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5839 Points ∼98%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5426 Points ∼91% -7%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5416 Points ∼91% -7%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
5353 Points ∼90% -8%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5102 Points ∼86% -13%
Average of class Gaming
  (2603 - 7171, n=157)
5096 Points ∼86% -13%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4646 Points ∼78% -20%
PCMark 8
Work Score Accelerated v2
Aorus 15 W9
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5899 Points ∼100%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5852 Points ∼99% -1%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5828 Points ∼99% -1%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5731 Points ∼97% -3%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
5645 Points ∼96% -4%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5607 Points ∼95% -5%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5579 Points ∼95% -5%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5407 Points ∼92% -8%
Average of class Gaming
  (2484 - 6515, n=346)
4981 Points ∼84% -16%
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5115 Points ∼100% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
5077 Points ∼99%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
4843 Points ∼95% -5%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4676 Points ∼91% -8%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4560 Points ∼89% -10%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4418 Points ∼86% -13%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8
4338 Points ∼85% -15%
Average of class Gaming
  (2554 - 6093, n=364)
4245 Points ∼83% -16%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4150 Points ∼81% -18%

Storage Solution

An NVMe SSD from Intel is used as system storage. This is an M.2-2280 model that has a total capacity of 512 GB, 426 GB of which is still available at the time of delivery, and the rest of the storage is occupied by the recovery partition and the Windows installation. The SSD delivers very good transfer rates. Here, the connection via PCI Express becomes noticeable.

Inside the notebook is a second, unoccupied M.2-2280 storage slot. Both slots can accept SATA-III as well as NVMe SSDs. In addition to the SSD, Gigabyte has also equipped the Aorus 15-W9 with a 2.5-inch hard drive (2 TB, 5400 RPM). 

CrystalDiskMark 3.0
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
hddimg
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
Sequential Read: 2234 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1258 MB/s
512K Read: 1252 MB/s
512K Write: 1047 MB/s
4K Read: 63.74 MB/s
4K Write: 136.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 610 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 528.5 MB/s
Aorus 15 W9
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8		Aorus 15 X9
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8		MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ		Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G		Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ		Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW010T8		Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
35%
-6%
-15%
-10%
-3%
-1%
-20%
Write 4K
99.18
147.2
48%
91.46
-8%
107.4
8%
80.98
-18%
97.13
-2%
93.88
-5%
100.8
2%
Read 4K
54.06
63.65
18%
40.41
-25%
42.91
-21%
36.03
-33%
53.66
-1%
40.56
-25%
48.75
-10%
Write Seq
1524
1573
3%
1528
0%
467.5
-69%
1687
11%
1526
0%
1468
-4%
975.1
-36%
Read Seq
2325
2602
12%
1235
-47%
2335
0%
1835
-21%
2020
-13%
1540
-34%
1344
-42%
Write 4K Q32T1
259.2
530.5
105%
259
0%
289.7
12%
205.3
-21%
285.6
10%
293.5
13%
283.7
9%
Read 4K Q32T1
328.9
597.6
82%
364.9
11%
354.4
8%
229
-30%
321.8
-2%
346
5%
330.3
0%
Write Seq Q32T1
1566
1592
2%
1529
-2%
460.9
-71%
1683
7%
1533
-2%
1941
24%
986.3
-37%
Read Seq Q32T1
2767
2981
8%
3472
25%
3111
12%
3363
22%
2351
-15%
3266
18%
1579
-43%

Graphics Card

The Aorus 15 includes a GeForce RTX-2060 graphics core. The GPU is based on the Turing architecture, supports DirectX 12, and achieves a maximum speed of 1755 MHz. However, this value cannot be maintained constantly. During our benchmarks, we measured an operating speed of 1530 MHz on average. The GPU is able to make use of fast GDDR6 storage (6144 MB). The results in the 3D-Mark benchmarks range at a normal level for the built-in GPU.

While Intel's integrated UHD Graphics-630 GPU is also included in the notebook together with the Core-i7 processor, this GPU has been deactivated by the manufacturer. Thus, there is no switching graphics solution (Nvidia Optimus), but the GeForce core runs constantly.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
Port Royal
Port Royal
3DMark 06 Standard
36381 points
3DMark 11 Performance
16598 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
164238 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
31982 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
13646 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5984 points
Help
3DMark | 3DMark 11
3DMark
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop)
7754 Points ∼100% +29%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6728 Points ∼87% +12%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6562 Points ∼85% +9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
6460 Points ∼83% +8%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop)
6007 Points ∼77%
Average of class Gaming
  (368 - 13013, n=106)
5447 Points ∼70% -9%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop)
3626 Points ∼47% -40%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop)
20227 Points ∼100% +30%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
18153 Points ∼90% +17%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
17598 Points ∼87% +14%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
16589 Points ∼82% +7%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
16010 Points ∼79% +3%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop)
15501 Points ∼77%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop)
11814 Points ∼58% -24%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop)
11332 Points ∼56% -27%
Average of class Gaming
  (385 - 40636, n=487)
10846 Points ∼54% -30%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Aorus 15 X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop)
26645 Points ∼100% +30%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22723 Points ∼85% +11%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
22089 Points ∼83% +8%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
21860 Points ∼82% +7%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q
20573 Points ∼77% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop)
20464 Points ∼77%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop)
14879 Points ∼56% -27%
Average of class Gaming
  (513 - 50983, n=563)
12695 Points ∼48% -38%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop)
12620 Points ∼47% -38%

Gaming Performance

The hardware of the Gigabyte notebook is able to bring all the games from our database smoothly to the screen. You can always select the Full HD resolution and high to maximum quality settings. While the GPU is also able to handle resolutions beyond Full HD, you then have to hold back on the quality settings. Games that pose only moderate demands on the hardware allow an increase in the quality settings - we can mention the "FIFA 19" game here as an example.

The Witcher 3 | BioShock Infinite | X-Plane 11.11
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop), 8750H
71.8 fps ∼100% +24%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
68.9 fps ∼96% +19%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
58.3 (min: 48) fps ∼81% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop), 8750H
58 fps ∼81%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
57 fps ∼79% -2%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 8750H
54.2 fps ∼75% -7%
Average of class Gaming
  (12.6 - 115, n=260)
47.5 fps ∼66% -18%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H
40 fps ∼56% -31%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H
40 fps ∼56% -31%
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
211 fps ∼100% +55%
MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8RE-051US
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H
159 fps ∼75% +17%
Aorus 15 X9
GeForce RTX 2070 (Laptop), 8750H
154.3 fps ∼73% +14%
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
152.5 fps ∼72% +12%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 8750H
136.8 fps ∼65% +1%
Aorus 15 W9
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop), 8750H
135.9 fps ∼64%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
127.7 fps ∼61% -6%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H
109.4 fps ∼52% -19%
Average of class Gaming
  (9.7 - 266, n=301)
92.6 fps ∼44% -32%
X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3)
Aorus 15 W9
GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop), 8750H
78.3 fps ∼100%
Asus GX531GM (Zephyrus S)
GeForce GTX 1060 (Laptop), 8750H
70.4 fps ∼90% -10%
Gigabyte Aero 15-X9
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 8750H
61.6 fps ∼79% -21%
Average of class Gaming
  (17.2 - 92.5, n=19)
61.3 fps ∼78% -22%

In order to evaluate whether the frame rates can also be maintained to a large extent constantly over a longer time period, we run "The Witcher 3" for about 60 minutes in Full-HD resolution and maximum quality settings. During the whole time, the character embodied by the gamer is not moved. We did not notice any drop in the frame rates.

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