Aorus 15 XE5 review: Compact QHD gaming laptop with Thunderbolt 4
The 15.6-inch Aorus 15 XE5 joins the ranks of compact gaming laptops and is powered by a Core i7-12700H and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop. The machine is competing with devices such as the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46, the MSI Katana GF66 12UGS, the Schenker XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) and the Asus TUF DASH F15 FX517ZR.
Comparison with possible competitors
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
85.5 % | 12/2022 | Aorus 15 XE5 i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 24 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 | |
83.9 % | 11/2022 | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 R7 6800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 26.8 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
87.4 % | 08/2022 | SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 1.9 kg | 21.65 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 | |
85.8 % | 07/2022 | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR i7-12650H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2 kg | 20.7 mm | 15.60" | 2560x1440 | |
80.3 % | 06/2022 | MSI Katana GF66 12UGS i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | 2.3 kg | 27.5 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case - The Aorus is impressively compact
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 XE5 has a black plastic chassis with smooth, matt surfaces. The device doesn't feature any extravagant design elements. The thin bezel around the display gives the laptop a certain air of elegance. The laptop's design is accentuated by the light-up Aorus logo on the back of the lid. Once the bottom panel is removed, you'll have access to the battery (screwed down, not glued on) and the rest of the internals.
Our review unit doesn't appear to have any workmanship issues. Gaps in the chassis are tight, and there are no excess materials protruding from the laptop. The base section hardly moves when twisted, but the lid exhibits significantly more flex. The lid is held in place by two hinges that allow the display to be folded back by around 150 degrees. The laptop can be opened using just one hand.
The 15 XE5 is one of the more compact laptops in our comparison. However, at around 2.3 kg (5.07 lb), it is heavier than competing devices such as the XMG Fusion 15 and the TUF Dash F15.
Specifications - Thunderbolt 4 support
The two USB-C ports (1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1) support DisplayPort over USB-C, and the Thunderbolt 4 connector also offers Power Delivery. Too bad there is only one USB-A port (USB 3.2 Gen 1) on the device. Those who need more external connectivity would have to use an adapter or a dock. You can connect up to three displays to the laptop (2x DP, 1x HDMI). Rounding off the port selection are a combo audio jack and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The Aorus 15 XE5 doesn't have a built-in card reader.
Connectivity
Under optimal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices nearby, short distance between the laptop and server PC), we measured excellent Wi-Fi transfer speeds that correspond to what the Wi-Fi module inside (Intel AX210, 802.11ax) is capable of. Wired network connections are handled by a Gigabit Ethernet chip made by Realtek (RTL8125, 2.5 Gbit).
Networking | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (853 - 1857, n=76, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 (885 - 1827, n=16) | |
iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Average of class Gaming (685 - 1890, n=158, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 (750 - 1711, n=15) |
Webcam
The webcam (0.9 MP) can capture images with a resolution of up to 1,280 x 720 pixels. It lacks colour accuracy, producing colours that deviate significantly from the reference values. There is also no mechanical privacy shutter on the webcam.
Accessories
The Aorus 15 XE5 doesn't come with any other accessories other than a charger and the usual documents (quick start guide and warranty information).
Maintenance
After all screws on the bottom have been removed, the bottom panel can be pried open using a flat spudger or a caulking scraper. Once the panel is off, you'll have access to the two RAM slots (both occupied), the PCIe 4.0 SSD, the second M.2 2280 slot (PCIe 4.0), the BIOS battery, the Wi-Fi module, two fans, the speakers and the battery.
Warranty
In Germany, Gigabyte provides a two-year warranty on the 15.6-inch laptop without any extension options. The scope and period of warranty may vary depending on region.
Input devices - Individually lit RGB keys
Keyboard
The gaming laptop comes with a chiclet keyboard that includes a number pad. The smooth keys offer a moderate travel distance and a distinct actuation point. The keyboard doesn't flex when you are typing. Every key is individually lit and features two brightness levels. Overall, Gigabyte has delivered a keyboard that is fit for everyday use.
Touchpad
The laptop's multi-touch clickpad (approx. 12.1 x 7.6 cm, or 4.8 x 3.0") has a smooth surface that makes it easy to slide your fingers across. It is sensitive to inputs even at the corners and has a shallow click and a distinct actuation point.
Display - Great colour coverage
The laptop is equipped with a highly responsive 165Hz panel that doesn't exhibit any PWM flicker. The 15.6-inch matt display (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) can get acceptably bright (>300 cd/m²), but its contrast (988:1) is below what is considered good (>1,000:1). The situation is the other way round with some of the competitors. Only the Nitro has a screen that does well in both departments.
|
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 336 cd/m²
Contrast: 988:1 (Black: 0.34 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.36 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.74
ΔE Greyscale 4.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
84.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.244
Aorus 15 XE5 Chi Mei N156KME-GNA, IPS, 2560x1440, 15.60 | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 AU Optronics B156HAN12.H, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) BOE CQ NE156QHM-NY2, IPS, 2560x1440, 15.60 | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR BOE CQ NE156QHM-NY1, IPS, 2560x1440, 15.60 | MSI Katana GF66 12UGS AU Optronics AUOAF90, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | -16% | -17% | 2% | -51% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 95.2 | 68.8 -28% | 67.3 -29% | 98.4 3% | 39.1 -59% |
sRGB Coverage | 99.9 | 98.1 -2% | 96.7 -3% | 99.9 0% | 58.3 -42% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 84.5 | 69.7 -18% | 68.2 -19% | 85.9 2% | 40.4 -52% |
Response Times | 9% | 19% | 26% | -204% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 14.4 ? | 13 ? 10% | 11.6 ? 19% | 5.6 ? 61% | 40 ? -178% |
Response Time Black / White * | 8.6 ? | 8 ? 7% | 7 ? 19% | 9.4 ? -9% | 28.4 ? -230% |
PWM Frequency | |||||
Screen | 2% | -14% | 13% | -64% | |
Brightness middle | 336 | 327 -3% | 326 -3% | 286 -15% | 227 -32% |
Brightness | 316 | 320 1% | 303 -4% | 266 -16% | 225 -29% |
Brightness Distribution | 89 | 93 4% | 89 0% | 87 -2% | 90 1% |
Black Level * | 0.34 | 0.24 29% | 0.33 3% | 0.25 26% | 0.21 38% |
Contrast | 988 | 1363 38% | 988 0% | 1144 16% | 1081 9% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.36 | 3.26 3% | 2.73 19% | 2.14 36% | 4.19 -25% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.67 | 8.73 -31% | 9.54 -43% | 5.22 22% | 17.45 -162% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.74 | 0.87 -18% | 1.36 -84% | 0.67 9% | 3.81 -415% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.7 | 4.87 -4% | 5.2 -11% | 2.8 40% | 2.7 43% |
Gamma | 2.244 98% | 2.3 96% | 2.074 106% | 2.23 99% | 2.208 100% |
CCT | 6897 94% | 7070 92% | 6911 94% | 7092 92% | 6176 105% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | -2% /
-1% | -4% /
-10% | 14% /
12% | -106% /
-81% |
* ... smaller is better
The display has decent colour reproduction right out of the box. Its colour difference of 3.36 is just slightly outside the ideal range (DeltaE <3). Calibrating the screen reduced the colour difference to 0.74 and made shades of grey look smoother. The display fully covers the sRGB colour space (100%) and almost manages to reproduce the entire DCI-P3 gamut (95%). It also has an AdobeRGB coverage of 85%.
The colour profile created by us can be downloaded and used for free. You will find a download link in the infobox for the display.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
8.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.1 ms rise | |
↘ 3.5 ms fall | ||
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 18 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
14.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6.9 ms rise | |
↘ 7.5 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
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 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The IPS display has a wide viewing angle and is readable from any position. It is also possible to use the display outdoors, provided that the sun is not too bright.
Performance - Ample power thanks to Alder Lake and Ampere
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 XE5 is a powerful 15.6-inch laptop that does well in all kinds of demanding usage scenarios. Besides the review configuration, Gigabyte also offers two other models: one with an RTX 3080 Ti Laptop (Aorus 15 YE5) and another with an RTX 3060 Laptop (Aorus 15 KE5).
Test conditions
The preinstalled Gigabyte Control Center has various performance profiles that let you configure CPU and GPU performance, fan activity, screen brightness and colour temperature, and so on. For our tests, we used the AI Boost function, which overrides any manual performance settings and allows the Control Center to choose the appropriate profile.
The use of "Turbo Mode" hardly improved the peak performance, but resulted in higher sustained performance under constant load (see results of the CB15 loop). Nonetheless, this gain comes at a price – the fans were running continuously at full speed.
Creator Mode | Turbo Mode | Gaming Mode | Meeting Mode | Power Saving Silence Mode | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Limit 1 | 70 watts | 70 watts | 55 watts | 15 watts | 15 watts |
Power Limit 2 | 115 watts | 115 watts | 115 watts | 30 watts | 30 watts |
Processor
The Core i7-12700H processor (Alder Lake) contains six performance cores (hyper-threading, 2.4 to 4.7 GHz) and eight efficiency cores (no hyper-threading, 1.8 to 3.5 GHz), giving a total of 20 logical CPU cores.
The CPU ran briefly at high clock speeds (P-cores: 4.4 GHz, E-cores: 3.5 GHz) during the Cinebench R15 multi-thread test before stabilising at slightly lower frequencies (P-cores: 3.5 to 3.8 GHz, E-cores: 3 to 3.2 GHz). During the single-thread test, the P-cores ran at 4.4 to 4.7 GHz and the E-cores at 3.5 GHz. The clock speeds were substantially lower when the laptop was on battery power. Overall, the Core i7 in the Aorus 15 XE5 delivered slightly above-average benchmark results.
We also run the multi-thread test in Cinebench R15 in a loop to determine whether the CPU is able to maintained its turbo speed over an extended period. The CPU was only able keep up the high clock speeds for a short while. Subsequently, the P-cores were primarily the ones operating at the middle of the turbo range. Enabling "Turbo Mode" resulted in a minor increase in CPU performance – not at the peak, but rather on average.
Cinebench R15 Multi Sustained Load
CPU Performance Rating - Percent | |
Average of class Gaming | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
Cinebench R23 | |
Multi Core | |
Average of class Gaming (2435 - 34613, n=242, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (4032 - 19330, n=63) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Single Core | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average of class Gaming (527 - 2235, n=240, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (778 - 1826, n=62) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
Cinebench R20 | |
CPU (Multi Core) | |
Average of class Gaming (930 - 13769, n=241, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (1576 - 7407, n=63) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
CPU (Single Core) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average of class Gaming (169 - 855, n=241, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (300 - 704, n=63) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
Cinebench R15 | |
CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Average of class Gaming (400 - 5663, n=247, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (1379 - 2916, n=69) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
CPU Single 64Bit | |
Average of class Gaming (79.2 - 318, n=245, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (113 - 263, n=64) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (168 - 732, n=62) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average of class Gaming (87 - 1259, n=239, last 2 years) |
7-Zip 18.03 | |
7z b 4 | |
Average of class Gaming (11386 - 140932, n=239, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (22844 - 73067, n=62) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
Average of class Gaming (2685 - 7581, n=240, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (2743 - 5972, n=62) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
Geekbench 5.5 | |
Multi-Core | |
Average of class Gaming (1946 - 22200, n=244, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (5144 - 13745, n=63) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Single-Core | |
Average of class Gaming (158 - 2193, n=244, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (803 - 1851, n=63) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset | |
Average of class Gaming (3 - 37.6, n=243, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (4.67 - 21.8, n=63) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average of class Gaming (32.8 - 332, n=237, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (34.2 - 95.3, n=62) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS |
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average of class Gaming (0.3609 - 4.47, n=240, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (0.4441 - 1.052, n=62) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Average of class Gaming | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Average of class Gaming (2585 - 60169, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (2585 - 17957, n=62) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average of class Gaming (12439 - 252486, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (12439 - 90760, n=62) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Average of class Gaming (629 - 10389, n=236, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (833 - 4242, n=62) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Average of class Gaming (15371 - 200651, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (57923 - 103202, n=62) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average of class Gaming (2137 - 32988, n=236, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (3249 - 9939, n=62) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average of class Gaming (7135 - 134044, n=236, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (7135 - 44760, n=62) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average of class Gaming (18146 - 328679, n=236, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (31839 - 144360, n=62) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Average of class Gaming (150.9 - 2409, n=236, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (305 - 1171, n=62) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Average of class Gaming (1437 - 31796, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (v6.75.6100) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (1437 - 9692, n=62) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Average of class Gaming (8341 - 60161, n=237, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100, Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (v6.75.6100) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (v6.70.6000) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (12863 - 52207, n=62) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (v6.50.5800) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (v6.70.6000) |
System performance
The system runs smoothly and offers enough computing power for demanding applications such as rendering, video editing and gaming. The laptop managed to deliver great PCMark results. Data transfer rates of the RAM are quite typical for DDR5-4800 memory.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (6941 - 7947, n=11) | |
Average of class Gaming (4477 - 9852, n=206, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (7334 - 12334, n=205, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (9892 - 10935, n=11) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (9024 - 10638, n=11) | |
Average of class Gaming (6282 - 11833, n=205, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Average of class Gaming (5288 - 18475, n=205, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (10165 - 12546, n=11) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average of class Gaming (974 - 2295, n=172, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (974 - 2000, n=12) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (907 - 2166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (907 - 1962, n=12) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Average of class Gaming (1027 - 2514, n=172, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (1027 - 2057, n=12) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (1029 - 2142, n=12) | |
Average of class Gaming (1029 - 2327, n=172, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 5280 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 6287 points | |
PCMark 10 Score | 7695 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Average of class Gaming (18074 - 92565, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (25615 - 80511, n=62) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Average of class Gaming (20318 - 90647, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (25586 - 79442, n=62) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Average of class Gaming (18928 - 103259, n=236, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (23679 - 88660, n=62) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average of class Gaming (59.5 - 152.5, n=233, last 2 years) | |
Average Intel Core i7-12700H (76.2 - 133.9, n=60) |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
Our standardised latency monitor test (web browsing, 4K video playback, Prime95 high-load) revealed some issues with the system. Even though the laptop doesn't have overly high latency, it seems to have a driver problem. Hopefully, future software updates would iron out the issue.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
Gigabyte equipped the Aorus 15 XE5 with a PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB, M.2 2280) made by the company itself. This storage drive delivers excellent transfer speeds. The laptop also has a free M.2 2280 slot for adding a second PCIe 4.0 SSD.
* ... smaller is better
Sustained Read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The actual performance of an RTX 30 Series GPU depends on a few factors: cooling, RAM configuration and the TGP specified by a laptop manufacturer (within the limits defined by Nvidia). Gigabyte opted to give the RTX 3070 Ti Laptop a TGP of 130 watts. However, our Witcher 3 test shows that the system doesn't fully utilise this TGP.
The GPU in the Aorus has access to 8,192 MB of speedy GDDR6 VRAM and delivered slightly better 3DMark results than what we've seen on average from the RTX 3070 Ti. The integrated Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EU is active; the laptop uses Nvidia's Optimus graphics switching technology and doesn't offer a dGPU mode.
3DMark Performance Rating - Percent | |
Average of class Gaming | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU | |
Average of class Gaming (1029 - 72070, n=244, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (13799 - 42569, n=36) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
3DMark | |
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average of class Gaming (781 - 53059, n=248, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (22612 - 32550, n=37) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics | |
Average of class Gaming (224 - 22547, n=246, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (8142 - 12324, n=37) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics | |
Average of class Gaming (280 - 14457, n=163, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (5091 - 7510, n=23) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
3DMark 06 Standard Score | 51253 points | |
3DMark 11 Performance | 32155 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 24190 points | |
3DMark Time Spy Score | 10840 points | |
Help |
Blender | |
v3.3 Classroom OPTIX/RTX | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (22 - 30, n=15) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (3.3.0) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (3.3.0) | |
Average of class Gaming (9 - 142, n=172, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (3.3.0, Turbo Mode) | |
v3.3 Classroom CUDA | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (36 - 46, n=16) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (3.3.0) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (3.3.0) | |
Average of class Gaming (16 - 175, n=177, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (3.3.0, Turbo Mode) | |
v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (3.3.0) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (3.3.0) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (285 - 459, n=16) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (3.3.0, Turbo Mode) | |
Average of class Gaming (138 - 962, n=190, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
Gaming performance
The hardware in the laptop is capable of running games at QHD and high to max settings. You can also play games at higher resolutions if you connect the device to a suitable display – though this may sometimes require you to lower the settings. On the Aorus 15 XE5, the games we used for testing typically ran at higher frame rates than what the RTX 3070 Ti can produce on average. In some cases, enabling "Turbo Mode" led to a slight increase in frame rates.
Performance Rating - Percent | |
Average of class Gaming | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
Average of class Gaming (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (6.38 - 167.7, n=231, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
Average of class Gaming (9.13 - 194.9, n=241, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
Average of class Gaming (14.6 - 421, n=239, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (26.9 - 220, n=252, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average of class Gaming (12.4 - 166.2, n=257, last 2 years) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
Performance Rating - Percent | |
Average of class Gaming | |
Aorus 15 XE5 -6! | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS -6! | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 -4! | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) -6! | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR -6! |
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
Average of class Gaming (8.61 - 216, n=243, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (76.8 - 124.1, n=39) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (44 - 123.9, n=36) | |
Average of class Gaming (6.38 - 167.7, n=231, last 2 years) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1920x1080 High Quality | |
Average of class Gaming (9.13 - 194.9, n=241, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (1.3) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (1.3, Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (1.3) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (49.5 - 122.4, n=35) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (1.3) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (1.3) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (1.3) |
Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 ultra AA:ultra AF:16 | |
Average of class Gaming (14.6 - 421, n=239, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (1.47.22.14 D3D12, Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (109 - 221, n=37) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) (1.47.22.14 D3D12) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR (1.47.22.14 D3D12) |
Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
Average of class Gaming (26.9 - 220, n=252, last 2 years) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (68.7 - 160.5, n=38) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (Turbo Mode) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR | |
Average of class Gaming (12.4 - 166.2, n=257, last 2 years) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (51.6 - 116.9, n=37) | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 |
Far Cry 5 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (14 - 218, n=133, last 2 years) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (91 - 138, n=25) | |
MSI Katana GF66 12UGS | |
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR |
F1 22 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
Average of class Gaming (13 - 144.7, n=107, last 2 years) | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 (923662) | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (58.1 - 80, n=8) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (928484, Turbo Mode) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 (928484) |
The Quarry - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (80 - 81.5, n=2) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (38.1 - 146.1, n=17, last 2 years) |
A Plague Tale Requiem - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (61.9 - 62.9, n=2) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (38 - 96.8, n=15, last 2 years) |
Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset | |
Average of class Gaming (47.4 - 108.2, n=15, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (69.3 - 72.4, n=2) |
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 2022 - 1920x1080 Extreme Quality Preset AA:T2X Filmic SM | |
Average of class Gaming (15 - 182, n=39, last 2 years) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (84 - 86, n=3) |
Spider-Man Miles Morales - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:T | |
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU (91 - 93.2, n=2) | |
Aorus 15 XE5 | |
Average of class Gaming (43.4 - 121.4, n=20, last 2 years) |
To find out whether the laptop can run games at mostly constant frame rates over a prolonged period, we ran "The Witcher 3" for roughly 60 minutes at Full HD resolution and max quality settings, without moving the player character. The result: there weren't any dips in the frame rate.
Witcher 3 FPS chart
low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | |
GTA V (2015) | 186.4 | 182.3 | 176.4 | 115.6 | 99.9 |
The Witcher 3 (2015) | 357 | 300 | 183.2 | 100.1 | |
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 168.4 | 158 | 148.4 | 140.8 | |
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 196.3 | 138.8 | 104.6 | 79.2 | |
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 142 | 130.7 | 105.3 | ||
Far Cry 5 (2018) | 166 | 144 | 137 | 129 | 103 |
Strange Brigade (2018) | 445 | 255 | 212 | 188.5 | 140.9 |
F1 22 (2022) | 220 | 215 | 181.3 | 64.2 | 42.7 |
The Quarry (2022) | 156.2 | 119.1 | 98.4 | 80 | 56.1 |
A Plague Tale Requiem (2022) | 93.8 | 81.8 | 71.1 | 61.9 | 48.6 |
Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection (2022) | 81 | 80.2 | 75.4 | 72.4 | 55.5 |
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 2022 (2022) | 127 | 111 | 87 | 86 | 61 |
Spider-Man Miles Morales (2022) | 108.2 | 103.8 | 93 | 91 | 73.5 |
Emissions - Some refinement required
Noise emissions
In everyday use (e.g. office applications, web browsing) and at idle, the two fans in the laptop are relatively quiet and sometimes don't even spin at all. Under medium to high load, the system became quite loud, with noise levels reaching as high as 52 dB(A) during the stress test and Witcher 3 test. The Gigabyte Control Center allows users to adjust fan speeds and configure fan curves.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 26 / 28 / 30 dB(A) |
Load |
| 48 / 52 dB(A) |
| ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: , med: , max: Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24 dB(A) |
Aorus 15 XE5 i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 R7 6800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR i7-12650H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | MSI Katana GF66 12UGS i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -9% | 2% | -2% | 3% | |
off / environment * | 24 | 25 -4% | 26 -8% | 26 -8% | 26 -8% |
Idle Minimum * | 26 | 25 4% | 26 -0% | 26 -0% | 27 -4% |
Idle Average * | 28 | 28.6 -2% | 28 -0% | 32 -14% | 28 -0% |
Idle Maximum * | 30 | 44.3 -48% | 31 -3% | 33 -10% | 31 -3% |
Load Average * | 48 | 47.6 1% | 45 6% | 48 -0% | 44 8% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 52 | 46 12% | 47 10% | 44 15% | |
Load Maximum * | 52 | 53.6 -3% | 48 8% | 49 6% | 45 13% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperatures
When the laptop is handling everyday tasks, the chassis can get relatively warm, but its temperatures are still within an acceptable range. Under load (stress test, Witcher 3), the laptop becomes moderately warm on average across device, but there are some very noticeable hotspots. That said, the CPU temperatures don't give any cause for concern.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 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 57 °C / 135 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 37.6 °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).
Aorus 15 XE5 Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) Intel Core i7-11800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR Intel Core i7-12650H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | MSI Katana GF66 12UGS Intel Core i7-12700H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 14% | -3% | 6% | -8% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 46 | 48.1 -5% | 52 -13% | 52 -13% | 61 -33% |
Maximum Bottom * | 57 | 49.7 13% | 63 -11% | 52 9% | 55 4% |
Idle Upper Side * | 38 | 30 21% | 37 3% | 33 13% | 43 -13% |
Idle Bottom * | 42 | 31.7 25% | 38 10% | 36 14% | 38 10% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress test
Our stress test, which involves running Prime95 and FurMark at the same time continuously, represents an extreme scenario designed to assess a system's stability under full load. During the test (lasting at least one hour), the CPU ran at moderate clock speeds (P-cores: approx. 2.5 GHz; E-cores: approx. 2.3 GHz), whilst the GPU fluctuated between 1,000 and 1,500 MHz.
Speakers
The stereo speakers sound decent but have hardly any bass. We recommend using headphones or external speakers for a better listening experience.
Aorus 15 XE5 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 31% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power management - the XE5 requires too much power
Power consumption
The Aorus 15 XE5 is too power-hungry at idle, drawing about 31 to 46 watts and sometimes even up to 80 watts in the worst case. Comparing the XE5 with the competitors reveals roughly how much power an Optimus-enabled laptop should draw at idle. This high power usage is probably due to a bug. The problem persists even when the AI Boost function is disabled. So we'll have to wait and see whether Gigabyte is able to fix the issue through software or BIOS updates.
Throughout the stress test and Witcher 3 test, the laptop's power consumption remained stable at a level that is normal for the hardware. The included charger has enough capacity to power the laptop and is also able to cope with transient spikes above its output rating (240 watts).
Off / Standby | 0.1 / 2.4 Watt |
Idle | 31 / 35 / 46 Watt |
Load |
120 / 268 Watt |
Aorus 15 XE5 i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 R7 6800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR i7-12650H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | MSI Katana GF66 12UGS i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU | Average of class Gaming | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 28% | 36% | 41% | 43% | 28% | 31% | |
Idle Minimum * | 31 | 7 77% | 12 61% | 10 68% | 9 71% | 14.2 ? 54% | 13.8 ? 55% |
Idle Average * | 35 | 8.9 75% | 17 51% | 14 60% | 13 63% | 19.9 ? 43% | 19 ? 46% |
Idle Maximum * | 46 | 14.4 69% | 24 48% | 20 57% | 20 57% | 26.2 ? 43% | 26.6 ? 42% |
Load Average * | 120 | 202 -68% | 106 12% | 122 -2% | 100 17% | 125.8 ? -5% | 112 ? 7% |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 202 | 203 -0% | 159.9 21% | 138.6 31% | 149 26% | ||
Load Maximum * | 268 | 230 14% | 208 22% | 189 29% | 212 21% | 248 ? 7% | 250 ? 7% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption Witcher 3 / Stress test
Power consumption with external monitor
Battery life
The 15.6-inch device lasted 6h 50m and 6h 11m respectively in our Wi-Fi test (accessing websites using a script) and video test (playing back the short film "Big Buck Bunny" in a loop at FHD, encoded in H.264). During both tests, all power-saving features on the laptop were disabled and the display's brightness was adjusted to roughly 150 cd/m². Furthermore, the wireless module was also deactivated for the video test.
All in all, the XE5 definitely delivers great battery life for a QHD gaming notebook. Nevertheless, it's unsurprising the Aorus isn't massively far ahead of a competitor like the Nitro 5 in terms of battery life despite having almost twice the battery capacity (99 Wh vs. 57.5 Wh). This is because the Acer laptop is equipped with a more power-efficient processor and an FHD display.
Aorus 15 XE5 i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, 99 Wh | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R1A1 R7 6800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, 57.5 Wh | SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, 93.48 Wh | Asus TUF Dash F15 FX517ZR i7-12650H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, 76 Wh | MSI Katana GF66 12UGS i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, 52 Wh | Average of class Gaming | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -13% | 21% | 6% | -47% | -10% | |
Reader / Idle | 601 | 632 5% | 931 55% | 650 8% | 548 ? -9% | |
H.264 | 371 | 343 -8% | 448 21% | 346 -7% | 392 ? 6% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 410 | 349 -15% | 446 9% | 417 2% | 141 -66% | 365 ? -11% |
Load | 112 | 75 -33% | 109 -3% | 137 22% | 81 -28% | 85.5 ? -24% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Power-hungry gaming beast
The Aorus 15 XE5 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times.
The Aorus 15 XE5 does what it's supposed to: run game smoothly on its fluid screen. However, its power usage is too high.
The laptop's CPU and GPU are able to run at constantly high clock speeds. Although the amount of noise produced by the Aorus 15 XE5 is typical for a gaming laptop, it generates too much heat at idle. The is also true for its power consumption at idle and low load – one can only hope that Gigabyte releases an update to resolve this issue. However, the laptop doesn't have this problem when running on battery, lasting around 6 to 7 hours in everyday use – which is pretty respectable.
The matt QHD display (15.6 inch, IPS, 165Hz refresh rate) mostly leaves a positive impression, though it could certainly use a bit more contrast. The Thunderbolt 4 port allows you to connect various expansion options, such as a docking solution or an external GPU. It also supports Power Delivery, meaning the laptop can be charged via the port (USB-C adapter, min. 65 watts, 20V).
The Schenker XMG Fusion 15 (Mid 22) and the Asus TUF Dash F15 are two alternatives to the Aorus 15 XE5. Whilst these two laptops offer less performance and get really warm under load, they are lighter and have longer battery life in some cases.
Price and availability
Aorus 15 XE5
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12/06/2022 v7
Sascha Mölck