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Aorus 17G XB Laptop Review: The mechanical keyboard rocks

Silver arrow. With the Aorus 17G, Gigabyte presents a complete redesign of the 17-inch gaming laptop. The mechanical keyboard is one of the most important newly introduced features. You can find out whether or not the rest of the package is up to par by reading our review.
Aorus 17G XB

Not long after Gigabyte provided us with the Aero 15 OLED and the Aero 17 HDR, we received another high-end laptop with Intel’s Comet Lake-based CPU from Gigabyte. The Aorus 17G comes with an octa-core Intel Core i7-10875H. Different models feature different graphics cards, but the overall choice is limited to a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, a GeForce RTX 2060, a GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q or a GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. The images are displayed on a matte X-Rite Pantone-calibrated Full HD screen that - with the notable exception of the GTX 1660 Ti model - supports a 240Hz refresh rate.

Our version of the 17G XB usually retails for about 2400 Euros (~$2616) and has 16 GB of DDR4 3200-MHz RAM running in dual-channel mode and a 512 GB NVMe SSD. The laptop runs Windows 10 Home (64-bit).

Aorus 17G XB (17G Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10875H 8 x 2.3 - 5.1 GHz, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 930 MHz, Memory: 1375 MHz, GDDR6, ForceWare 442.53, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, two 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200 RAM sticks running in Dual-channel mode; all slots occupied; max. capacity: 64 GB
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics B173HAN05.0 (AUO509D), IPS, Full-HD, X-Rite Pantone, glossy: no, 240 Hz
Mainboard
Intel HM470
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, 512 GB 
, two M.2-2280 (NVMe) slots
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Comet Point-LP PCH - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: one headphone jack, one microphone port, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Killer E2600 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW) (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 26 x 405 x 276 ( = 1.02 x 15.94 x 10.87 in)
Battery
94 Wh, 6200 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: two 2-watt speakers, Keyboard: OMRON mechanical switches, Keyboard Light: yes, 230-watt power adapter, Quick Start Guide, Control Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.73 kg ( = 96.3 oz / 6.02 pounds), Power Supply: 728 g ( = 25.68 oz / 1.6 pounds)
Price
2400 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

The competing devices include: the Alienware m17 R2, the Lenovo Legion Y740-17, the Razer Blade Pro 17 and the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR. These notebooks are shown in the charts to provide a basis for comparison.

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
86.5 %
05/2020
Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
2.7 kg26 mm17.30"1920x1080
87 %
04/2020
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
2.7 kg21 mm17.30"3840x2160
84.2 %
02/2020
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
i9-9980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
2.6 kg20.5 mm17.30"1920x1080
84 %
03/2020
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
3 kg25.5 mm17.30"1920x1080
87.7 %
06/2019
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
2.8 kg19.9 mm17.30"1920x1080
81.2 %
12/2019
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
2.7 kg18.7 mm17.30"1920x1080

Case

With a height of 2.6 cm (1.02 in) and a weight of 2.7 kg (5.95 lbs), the Aorus 17G finds its place in the area between classical desktop replacements and the representatives of the thin-&-light category. Thanks to a bezel-less design, the chassis does not look too cumbersome. In terms of quality, the 17-incher leaves a very good impression. According to Gigabyte, the chassis has been machined from a block of aluminium using CNC technology. The metal surfaces feel nice to the touch and are very rigid. Even when a lot of pressure is applied to the chassis it does not bend in. Moreover, the display lid is also extremely rigid, which is not something we can say about most other laptops.

The build quality is on a satisfactory level as well. There are no chinks or gaps anywhere. Thanks to a relatively bright colour palette (the display lid and the upper side of the chassis are greyish in colour) users will not have to constantly wipe the device clean. Smudges such as fingerprints are not very visible.

Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB

Speaking of the looks: While devices in the Aero product line look quite restrained and therefore appeal to a broad range of buyers, the Aorus 17G is intended primarily for gamers. However, certain elements such as the fan intakes above the keyboard are quite remarkable in their own right. Anyway, in our opinion, the manufacturer did not go overboard here. Other gaming laptops, though, appear a bit more playful.

Size Comparison

412 mm / 16.2 inch 305 mm / 12 inch 25.5 mm / 1.004 inch 3 kg6.64 lbs405 mm / 15.9 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.7 kg6.02 lbs399.8 mm / 15.7 inch 295.5 mm / 11.6 inch 20.5 mm / 0.807 inch 2.6 kg5.7 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 18.7 mm / 0.736 inch 2.7 kg5.89 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.7 kg5.86 lbs395 mm / 15.6 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.8 kg6.06 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Ports

Except for the somewhat poor positioning (in our view, the power jack is sub-optimally positioned), there is nothing else to complain about when it comes to the ports. Like any other modern notebook, the Aorus 17G has a Thunderbolt 3 port. In addition, our review device features three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two audio jacks (one for the headphones, the other for the microphone) and two dedicated video outputs (HDMI 2.0 + DisplayPort 1.4). The whole package is rounded off with an RJ45 Ethernet port and an SD card reader.

Left side: RJ45 Ethernet port, SD card reader, USB 3.0 Type-A port, microphone jack, headphone jack, USB 3.0 Type-A port
Left side: RJ45 Ethernet port, SD card reader, USB 3.0 Type-A port, microphone jack, headphone jack, USB 3.0 Type-A port
Right side: USB 3.0 Type-A port, Thunderbolt 3 port, Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 output, HDMI 2.0 output, power jack
Right side: USB 3.0 Type-A port, Thunderbolt 3 port, Mini-DisplayPort 1.4 output, HDMI 2.0 output, power jack

SD Card Reader

The integrated card reader supports the following formats: SD, SDHC and SDXC. It offers a great level of performance. Our reference-grade SD card operated at nearly maximum speeds (260 MB/s). As you can see in the chart below, many other competitors have to make do without an SD card reader.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Aorus 17G XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
212 MB/s
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
207 MB/s -2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
174.4 MB/s -18%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Aorus 17G XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
247 MB/s
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
245 MB/s -1%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
203.4 MB/s -18%

Communication

Because we have recently upgraded our router (now we use the Netgear Nighthawk AX12, which supports Wi-Fi 6), only the Wi-Fi results from the Aero 17 HDR and the ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR are comparable. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G comes with the state-of-the-art Killer AX1650x module, which delivers impressive results when both receiving and transmitting data. The Gigabit Ethernet Controller (E2600) also comes from Killer.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1410 MBit/s +12%
Aorus 17G XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1260 MBit/s
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1110 MBit/s -12%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
697 MBit/s -45%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
691 (668min - 703max) MBit/s -45%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
496 (459min - 531max) MBit/s -61%
iperf3 receive AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1390 MBit/s +10%
Aorus 17G XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1260 MBit/s
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
924 MBit/s -27%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
686 MBit/s -46%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
681 (655min - 689max) MBit/s -46%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
638 (625min - 645max) MBit/s -49%

Web Camera

We would rather not talk about the quality of the web camera. Like with most other laptops, the image quality is very poor (sharpness, colours, etc.). Moreover, the web camera is located below the screen, which means that it points up your nose. However, it can be hidden behind a sliding cover.

ColorChecker
17.6 ∆E
10 ∆E
13.5 ∆E
8.2 ∆E
12.2 ∆E
4 ∆E
9.9 ∆E
20.4 ∆E
11.9 ∆E
13 ∆E
5.3 ∆E
4.1 ∆E
20.4 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
13 ∆E
3.6 ∆E
11.9 ∆E
9.3 ∆E
2.9 ∆E
10.1 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
5.7 ∆E
ColorChecker Aorus 17G XB: 10.03 ∆E min: 2.9 - max: 20.41 ∆E

Accessories

The box includes the Aorus 17G, a quick-start guide and an almost 730-g 230-watt power adapter.

Maintenance

The maintenance options are typical for such a high-powered device. Once you undo 14 Torx screws on the underside, you will be able to remove the bottom cover by prying it away (we recommend starting at the RJ45 Ethernet port). Inside the chassis you will get access to the Wi-Fi module, the battery, two DDR4 RAM slots and two M.2-2280 slots. The cooling system consists of two fans, to each of which three heat pipes are connected. As per usual, both the CPU and the GPU are soldered-in and therefore cannot be replaced.

Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB
Aorus 17G XB

Input Devices

Keyboard

Gigabyte is especially proud of the mechanical keyboard. It is no wonder that typing on it is much more pleasant than on conventional keyboards. The switches from Omron have an extremely crisp, clear and well-defined actuation point that leaves the rest of the competition in the dust. All the keys are very well-sized, whether they be the typewriter keys or the function keys or the numeric keys. Another strong point is the very bright and even backlight, which can be customised in accordance with the user’s preferences (colours, modes, etc.).

NB During the course of our review, we never felt the need to connect an external keyboard – this does not happen very often. However, Gigabyte can still make some improvements when it comes to the layout. The layout is more or less compliant with the German standard, but we do not think that combining Delete and Insert as well as Home and Print was a particularly good idea. The fact that mechanical keyboards produce quite a lot of noise when typing should also be mentioned.

Mechanical keyboard...
Mechanical keyboard...
...with an RGB backlight
...with an RGB backlight

TouchPad

The TouchPad has a very smooth surface, which makes for effortless finger-gliding. It measures 10.5 x 7 cm (4.13 x 2.75 in). There is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to the precision. The same can be said about multi-touch support. With two-finger gestures, users can easily adjust the zoom on web pages and in documents. Scrolling is also effortless. 

The inputs at the bottom of the TouchPad, for the left and the right clicks, work relatively well, which is not something you can take for granted with a TouchPad that does not have dedicated mouse buttons. Many users will also be happy to see a fingerprint sensor in the upper left corner of the TouchPad. All in all, the input devices of the Aorus 17G cut rather fine figures.

Display

An additional strong reason to buy the Aorus 17G, besides the mechanical keyboard, is the 240-Hz screen. It improves the user experience not only when gaming but also in many other situations. For example, the mouse pointer moves exceptionally smoothly.

284
cd/m²
280
cd/m²
279
cd/m²
286
cd/m²
293
cd/m²
286
cd/m²
284
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
282
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B173HAN05.0 (AUO509D) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 293 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 285 cd/m² Minimum: 2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 293 cd/m²
Contrast: 1221:1 (Black: 0.24 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.27 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.06
ΔE Greyscale 1.34 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
73% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
72.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
70.6% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
Aorus 17G XB
AU Optronics B173HAN05.0 (AUO509D), IPS, 1920x1080
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B), IPS, 3840x2160
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Chi Mei 173HCE, CMN175F, IPS, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
AUO_B173HAN03, IPS, 1920x1080
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
AU Optronics B173HAN04.0, IPS, 1920x1080
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
AU Optronics B173HAN05.1, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
21%
0%
-8%
-12%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
70.6
86.5
23%
70.8
0%
63.8
-10%
60.6
-14%
70
-1%
sRGB Coverage
97.2
100
3%
98.5
1%
92.7
-5%
89
-8%
96.6
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
72.8
100
37%
72.2
-1%
65.3
-10%
62.1
-15%
72.3
-1%
Response Times
-181%
1%
4%
39%
51%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
16 ?(7.6, 8.4)
55.2 ?(26.8, 28.4)
-245%
17.2 ?(8.8, 8.4)
-8%
16 ?(8, 8)
-0%
6.8 ?(3.4, 3.4)
57%
5.6 ?(2.4, 3.2)
65%
Response Time Black / White *
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
26 ?(9.2, 16.8)
-117%
10.8 ?(6, 4.8)
10%
11 ?(6, 5)
8%
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
20%
7.6 ?(3.4, 4.2)
37%
PWM Frequency
26320 ?(25)
Screen
14%
-5%
-76%
-55%
-28%
Brightness middle
293
487
66%
384.2
31%
310
6%
299.3
2%
288
-2%
Brightness
285
475
67%
357
25%
281
-1%
294
3%
276
-3%
Brightness Distribution
95
95
0%
90
-5%
85
-11%
94
-1%
93
-2%
Black Level *
0.24
0.38
-58%
0.29
-21%
0.31
-29%
0.29
-21%
0.24
-0%
Contrast
1221
1282
5%
1325
9%
1000
-18%
1032
-15%
1200
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.27
1.19
6%
1.35
-6%
3.86
-204%
2.55
-101%
1.92
-51%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.24
2.43
-8%
3.45
-54%
7.8
-248%
4.73
-111%
4.57
-104%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.06
0.5
53%
1.42
-34%
2.9
-174%
1.14
-8%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.34
1.45
-8%
1.2
10%
4.48
-234%
3.5
-161%
3.08
-130%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2.21 100%
2.23 99%
2.5 88%
2.28 96%
2.42 91%
CCT
6542 99%
6557 99%
6580 99%
7542 86%
7101 92%
7055 92%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
73
88
21%
65.5
-10%
60
-18%
57
-22%
65
-11%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
94
100
6%
98.5
5%
93
-1%
88.7
-6%
96
2%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-49% / -9%
-1% / -3%
-27% / -52%
-9% / -35%
7% / -13%

* ... smaller is better

In other areas, the IPS panel of the Aorus 17G is also on the same level as the rest of the competition. Okay, the display brightness of about 285 cd/m² can only be described as mediocre and does not guarantee an enjoyable user experience outdoors, but thanks to a relatively low black value (0.24 cd/m²), the contrast ratio amounts to more than 1000:1. 

CalMAN: grayscale (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN: grayscale (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN: saturation (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN: saturation (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN: colours (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN: colours (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN: grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: colours (after calibration)
CalMAN: colours (after calibration)

The 17-incher does particularly well when it comes to colour reproduction. 94% of sRGB and 73% of AdobeRGB are very good values. Moreover, the Aorus 17G’s screen is X-Rite Pantone-certified, which means that colours on it appear very natural. Both the viewing angles and the response times are on the same level as the rest of the competition. 

Aorus 17G XB vs sRGB (94%)
Aorus 17G XB vs sRGB (94%)
Aorus 17G XB vs AdobeRGB (73%)
Aorus 17G XB vs AdobeRGB (73%)

NB The Aorus 17G’s display does not suffer from PWM flickering or screen bleeding. Gigabyte forwent Nvidia G-Sync technology to cut costs. Whether it is a good or bad thing is up to the user to decide.

In the sun
In the sun
Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

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
12 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 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 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 26 % 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
16 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7.6 ms rise
↘ 8.4 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. » 24 % 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)

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 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

System Settings

Like all other Gigabyte laptops, the Aorus 17G comes with the powerful utility known as Control Center preinstalled. It offers not only various ways to monitor the system (see screenshot 1) but also allows users to tune the performance of their system with a dozen or so sliders. In the menu called Manager, users can adjust the level of performance and change the power plan. We conducted all of our benchmarks with the default settings. Azure AI was also enabled.

Control Center
Control Center
Control Center
Control Center
Control Center
Control Center

Performance

Thanks to an octa-core CPU, a high-end GPU, a PCIe SSD and 16 GB of RAM, our review configuration is quite future-proof. In the next one to three years, the system will rarely be stretched to its limits.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
AS SSD Benchmark
CrystalDiskMark
 

Processor

The Intel Core i7-10875H is a 14-nm octa-core processor with 16 MB of L3 cache. It has a TDP of 45 watts and can process 16 threads simultaneously, thanks to Hyper-Threading.

Single-core benchmark
Single-core benchmark
Multicore benchmark
Multicore benchmark
GPU under load
GPU under load

The CPU also supports Intel’s Turbo Boost technology. Under optimal conditions, the Core i7-10875H can boost up to 5.1 GHz. However, in practice, the processor usually runs at lower clock speeds. In the single-core section of our Cinebench benchmark, the Comet Lake-based chip runs at 4.5 to 4.8 GHz. Under an all-core load, the CPU initially runs at 4.3 GHz, but after a short while the clock speeds drop to 3.5 to 3.6 GHz. You can easily see this from our Cinebench graph, which shows significantly lower results after the first benchmark run. 

095190285380475570665760855950104511401235133014251520161517101805Tooltip
Aorus 17G XB Intel Core i7-10875H, Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1613 (1597.83-1832.68)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB Intel Core i7-10875H, Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1572 (1548.11-1671.4)
Alienware m17 R2 P41E Intel Core i9-9980HK, Intel Core i9-9980HK: Ø1640 (1625.22-1699.96)

Anyway, when it comes to the Turbo Boost, the CPU of the Aorus 17G performs slightly better than that of Gigabyte’s own Aero 17 HDR. Here, the Alienware m17 R2 with the Core i9-9980HK trounces all other competitors.

Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
499 Points +3%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
486 Points
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
478 Points -2%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
429 Points -12%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
422 Points -13%
CPU (Multi Core)
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
4136 Points +8%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
3823 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
3431 Points -10%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
2738 Points -28%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
2357 Points -38%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
211 Points +4%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
203 Points
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
195 Points -4%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H
180 Points -11%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
175 Points -14%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
173 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1833 (1597.83min - 1832.68max) Points
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1754 Points -4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1671 (1548.11min - 1671.4max) Points -9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
1225 Points -33%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Intel Core i7-9750H
1180 Points -36%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Intel Core i7-9750H
1097 Points -40%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
389.5 Seconds * -34%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
317 Seconds * -9%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
290 Seconds *
7-Zip 18.03
7z b 4 -mmt1
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
5413 MIPS +1%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
5345 MIPS
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
4585 MIPS -14%
7z b 4
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
46702 MIPS
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
44829 MIPS -4%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
33364 MIPS -29%
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1293 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1233 Points -5%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
1128 Points -13%
Multi-Core
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
8139 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
7431 Points -9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
5909 Points -27%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.8 fps
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.1 fps -5%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
9.47 fps -26%
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
84.3 s * -59%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
53.1 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Intel Core i7-9750H
0.676 sec * -16%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.583 sec *
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.556 sec * +5%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1833 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
138 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
203 Points
Help

System Performance

The Aorus 17G takes first place in the PCMark 10 benchmark. Here, its lead over the competition ranges from 1 to 19%. Subjectively speaking, the overall user experience (boot-up times, loading times etc.) is on par with the rest of the competition.

PCMark 10 - Score
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6571 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6483 Points -1%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6049 Points -8%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5922 Points -10%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
5734 Points -13%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK, 2x SK Hynix PC601 NVMe 512 GB (RAID 0)
5502 Points -16%

DPC Latencies

When it comes to DPC latencies, the Aorus 17G deserves some criticism. Even though it performs very well in our LatencyMon benchmark, which involves web surfing, video playback and stress-testing with Prime 95, when we first launch programmes we often notice micro-freezes, which is quite annoying. Gigabyte should make some improvements here.

Latency
Latency
Latency
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6058 μs *
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
1933 μs * +68%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

The storage devices cannot be responsible for the poor latency performance. The 512 GB version of the Samsung PM981a SSD is used in many laptops which can achieve very high read and write speeds. Those who want more storage space will find an empty M.2 slot for PCIe or SATA drives under the hood.

Aorus 17G XB
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
2x SK Hynix PC601 NVMe 512 GB (RAID 0)
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-2%
-7%
-10%
-28%
-27%
Write 4K
123.4
123.4
0%
110.6
-10%
101.2
-18%
100.7
-18%
96.1
-22%
Read 4K
45.02
45.59
1%
41.46
-8%
44.61
-1%
41.03
-9%
40.86
-9%
Write Seq
2526
2320
-8%
2378
-6%
2295
-9%
1146
-55%
1317
-48%
Read Seq
2062
2013
-2%
2114
3%
2174
5%
1115
-46%
1030
-50%
Write 4K Q32T1
497.9
489.3
-2%
445.4
-11%
401.2
-19%
384.6
-23%
350.4
-30%
Read 4K Q32T1
579
559
-3%
509
-12%
475.5
-18%
429.5
-26%
404.1
-30%
Write Seq Q32T1
2982
2979
0%
2735
-8%
2397
-20%
1859
-38%
2396
-20%
Read Seq Q32T1
3440
3432
0%
3206
-7%
3337
-3%
3179
-8%
3194
-7%
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3440 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2982 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 579 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 497.9 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2062 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2526 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 45.02 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 123.4 MB/s

Graphics Card

Although many other manufacturers opt to use normal GPU models in notebooks with a height of 2.5 cm (~ 1 in), Gigabyte decided to go with the Max-Q versions of the RTX 2070 Super and the RTX 2080 Super instead. Max-Q variants generate less heat and draw less power.

3DMark 11 Performance
23962 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
49917 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
18852 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
7633 points
Help

However, in turn, buyers have to give up some performance. The RTX 2070 Super Max-Q in our review device comes with a base clock of 930 MHz instead of 1140 MHz. That being said, the amount of CUDA cores (2560) and the amount of VRAM (8 GB of GDDR6 memory) are identical to the standard version.

Thanks to GPU Boost, the Turing chip can increase its core clocks well above the base frequency. We did not observe any frame rate drops in our 60-minute stress test with The Witcher 3, during which the RTX 2070 Super Max-Q ran at 1350 MHz.

051015202530354045505560657075Tooltip
Aorus 17G XB GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ: Ø74.5 (70-80)

In our benchmark suite, the Aorus 17G is neck and neck with its comrade Aero 17 HDR, whose RTX 2070 Super Max-Q has a slightly higher core clock (on average about 1380 MHz) with the same settings in Control Center.

3DMark
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
5148 Points +17%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
5092 Points +15%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
4713 Points +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
4477 Points +1%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
4411 Points
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
4405 Points 0%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
8844 Points +20%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
8479 Points +15%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
8036 Points +9%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
7597 Points +3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
7468 Points +1%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
7358 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
23032 Points +10%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
22391 Points +7%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
21004 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
20917 Points 0%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
20914 Points 0%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
18877 Points -10%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
30910 Points +11%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
29220 Points +5%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
29052 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
28555 Points +2%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
27955 Points
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
27203 Points -3%

Gaming Performance

At its native Full HD resolution, our review configuration can run any modern game on the highest settings smoothly. In very demanding titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, it may struggle a bit. The RTX 2070 Super Max-Q can also achieve playable frame rates in some titles at 1440p. Those who want to game in 4K should take a look at a GeForce RTX 2080 (Super).

The Witcher 3
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
153.2 fps +8%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
152.2 fps +7%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
149.6 fps +5%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
145 (127min - 163max) fps +2%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
142 (120min) fps 0%
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
142 (118min) fps
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
87.4 fps +19%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
81 (72min - 91max) fps +10%
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
80.7 fps +10%
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-9980HK
78 fps +6%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
75.3 (63min) fps +2%
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
73.6 (62min) fps
low med. high ultra
GTA V (2015) 182 177 159 91.1
The Witcher 3 (2015) 142 73.6
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 163 147 138 129
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 121 104 87.6
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 110 99
Battlefield V (2018) 136 126
Dirt Rally 2.0 (2019) 151 86.9
Rage 2 (2019) 97.5 94.9
F1 2019 (2019) 152 141
Borderlands 3 (2019) 77.2 58.9
GRID 2019 (2019) 103 69.7
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 (2019) 117 99.6
Gears Tactics (2020) 109 82.2

Emissions

System Noise

When using the default settings, the fans even spin in idle operation and are usually audible. Here, the Alienware m17 R2, the Lenovo Legion Y740-17, the Razer Blade 17 and the Asus ROG GX701GXR can do better than 35 to 36 dB. However, the fans of the Aorus 17G rarely ramp up. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.933.633.632.634.32535.839.443.141.542.73131.633.234.831.432.14030.234.834.230.632.45033.33429.428.532.66327.63728.726.631.88028.929.626.926.330.910027.928.92725.332.31252929.52724.832.516030.732.230.726.332.720030.930.126.722.931.225031.728.125.821.832.9315332926.12133.940033.630.326.32035.850035.231.626.418.936.863034.129.324.418.135.580034.73125.318.136.5100035.630.525.617.737.712503630.92518.737.7160037.332.524.718.239.9200037.731.82417.639.5250035.829.62417.838.2315034.930.621.517.837400035.2261917.838500030.723.218.81833.1630025.219.918.21828.2800021.118.617.917.922.81000019.818.618.217.921.21250019.618.618.217.819.51600020.319.218.817.920.4SPL46.741.435.430.448.8N5.53.82.31.46.4median 33median 29.5median 24.7median 18.1median 33.9Delta5.23.93.71.25hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAorus 17G XB

Under load, the Aorus 17G produces about as much noise as the rest of the competition. 47 to 49 dB is loud and annoying enough that some users will feel the need to connect a headset to avoid hearing the noise.

Noise Level

Idle
35 / 36 / 41 dB(A)
Load
47 / 49 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30 dB(A)
Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
i9-9980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Noise
-1%
6%
14%
10%
6%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
29.1
3%
30.3
-1%
28.2
6%
30
-0%
Idle Minimum *
35
35
-0%
29.4
16%
30.3
13%
28.2
19%
32
9%
Idle Average *
36
36
-0%
29.4
18%
30.3
16%
28.2
22%
33
8%
Idle Maximum *
41
38
7%
31.5
23%
30.5
26%
30.8
25%
34
17%
Load Average *
47
47
-0%
49.7
-6%
40.8
13%
42
11%
40
15%
Witcher 3 ultra *
48
49
-2%
49.5
-3%
40.5
16%
51
-6%
49
-2%
Load Maximum *
49
54
-10%
53.3
-9%
40.8
17%
53
-8%
50
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Internal temperatures show that there is plenty of room for lowering the fan speeds. Despite the fact that both the CPU and the GPU clocks were well above their base frequencies, the system ran at only about 70 °C (158 °F) in our The Witcher 3 stress test.

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

Things look different when it comes to the surface temperatures. While the wrist rest area never gets hot, the temperatures on the underside can reach up to 59 °C (138.2 °F). This is why we do not recommend putting the Aorus 17G on the lap when gaming.

Max. Load
 38 °C
100 F
40 °C
104 F
48 °C
118 F
 
 33 °C
91 F
39 °C
102 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 29 °C
84 F
30 °C
86 F
29 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 48 °C = 118 F
Average: 36.3 °C = 97 F
59 °C
138 F
58 °C
136 F
46 °C
115 F
57 °C
135 F
56 °C
133 F
44 °C
111 F
39 °C
102 F
39 °C
102 F
37 °C
99 F
Maximum: 59 °C = 138 F
Average: 48.3 °C = 119 F
Power Supply (max.)  48 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.3 °C / 97 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 48 °C / 118 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 59 °C / 138 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.1 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 34 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30 °C / 86 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-1.1 °C / -2 F).
Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
i9-9980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Heat
-4%
-24%
1%
6%
-7%
Maximum Upper Side *
48
53
-10%
54.2
-13%
40.7
15%
43
10%
50
-4%
Maximum Bottom *
59
59
-0%
61.4
-4%
42.2
28%
47.2
20%
47
20%
Idle Upper Side *
26
27
-4%
37.8
-45%
31.9
-23%
27.2
-5%
33
-27%
Idle Bottom *
29
29
-0%
38.6
-33%
33.9
-17%
30
-3%
34
-17%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

The stereo speakers at the front of the chassis sound all right. Our analysis also reveals the audio quality to be quite average. The lows are especially poorly reproduced.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.635.42541.543.23131.434.84030.635.35028.541.56326.633.28026.331.610025.331.812524.834.516026.345.620022.956.825021.861.63152161.24002068.750018.970.563018.17880018.180.9100017.778.5125018.773.3160018.270.6200017.671.1250017.867.7315017.868.7400017.873.350001870.963001869.3800017.964.91000017.962.11250017.865.51600017.965SPL30.485.5N1.463.9median 18.1median 68.7Delta1.24.830.635.338.538.929.931.728.336.227.237.226.940.124.235.624.637.923.947.223.444.721.754.920.559.119.960.218.668.118.769.417.977.117.67917.376.819.373.818.773.217.571.517.370.117.372.517.474.517.572.717.373.917.466.517.360.817.364.517.36930.185.61.366.8median 17.6median 69.41.76.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAorus 17G XBGigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Aorus 17G XB audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 40% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 32% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 19% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Energy Consumption

There are no anomalies in terms of energy consumption for a Max-Q notebook. Thanks to Nvidia’s Optimus technology, the Aorus 17G draws only about 20 to 23 watts (with occasional spikes) in idle operation. Under load, the power consumption shoots up to 243 watts, which is very similar to the maximum power draw of the Aero 17 HDR.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 1.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 20 / 23 / 38 Watt
Load midlight 105 / 243 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.
Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
i9-9980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
Power Consumption
8%
-36%
5%
11%
-11%
Idle Minimum *
20
16
20%
24.7
-24%
15.7
21%
16.2
19%
32
-60%
Idle Average *
23
19
17%
35.9
-56%
26.3
-14%
20.4
11%
34
-48%
Idle Maximum *
38
30
21%
69.6
-83%
28
26%
26.1
31%
36
5%
Load Average *
105
109
-4%
141.8
-35%
136
-30%
96.5
8%
95
10%
Witcher 3 ultra *
158
167
-6%
185.8
-18%
160
-1%
182.9
-16%
155
2%
Load Maximum *
243
246
-1%
235.4
3%
177
27%
214.3
12%
187
23%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The battery life of the Aorus 17G is also very similar to that of the Aero 17 HDR. With a battery runtime of up to 10 hours (idle operation, 1% brightness), the Aorus 17G is one of the longest-lasting gaming notebooks. 7.5 hours of Internet surfing at 50% brightness is also a very good result. This is not surprising because Gigabyte’s 17-incher comes with a 94-Wh battery. However, most other competitors feature 70- to 76-Wh batteries.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
9h 58min
WiFi Websurfing
7h 30min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 14min
Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, 94 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, 94 Wh
Alienware m17 R2 P41E
i9-9980HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-17IRHg-81UJ001VGE
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 70 Wh
Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
-5%
-47%
-56%
-42%
-56%
Reader / Idle
598
592
-1%
426
-29%
229
-62%
295
-51%
246
-59%
WiFi v1.3
450
372
-17%
290
-36%
178
-60%
280
-38%
182
-60%
Load
134
140
4%
31
-77%
73
-46%
86
-36%
69
-49%
H.264
166
168

Pros

+ stable and high-quality chassis
+ X-Rite Pantone certification
+ mechanical keyboard
+ good battery life
+ Thunderbolt 3
+ 240 Hz

Cons

- produces a lot of noise under load

Verdict

In review: Aorus 17G XB. Test device provided courtesy of: Gigabyte Germany.
In review: Aorus 17G XB. Test device provided courtesy of: Gigabyte Germany.

While the GPU performance is not that remarkable, the Aorus 17G offers three special features, which make the gaming laptop quite interesting.

First, there is the design. Instead of using a traditional black colour scheme, Gigabyte offers a grey chassis that is very rigid and looks premium. Another plus is the large battery, which guarantees long battery runtimes. 

The mechanical keyboard is the main special feature, though. It provides a great typing experience. If you get to use the Aorus 17G’s keyboard, you will never want to go back to using traditional laptop keyboards. 

Aorus 17G XB - 05/14/2020 v7
Florian Glaser

Chassis
86 / 98 → 87%
Keyboard
89%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
69 / 80 → 86%
Weight
58 / 10-66 → 86%
Battery
77 / 95 → 81%
Display
89%
Games Performance
94%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
82 / 95 → 86%
Noise
61 / 90 → 67%
Audio
76%
Camera
38 / 85 → 44%
Average
77%
87%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Aorus 17G XB Laptop Review: The mechanical keyboard rocks
Florian Glaser, 2020-05-18 (Update: 2021-03-12)