Verdict
With the Aorus Master 16, raw performance is clearly the top priority. Thanks to its high TDP and TGP settings, the processor and graphics card perform exceptionally well and get to flex their muscles. The rest of our AM6J test configuration is also well equipped, with 2 × 16 GB of DDR5 RAM and two 1 TB SSDs. Gigabyte did not cut corners on the display either: The fast 240 Hz OLED panel stands out with its respectable brightness, wide color gamut, and crisp contrast.
There is also little to complain about in terms of ports; for example, one of the USB-C ports supports USB4. The main compromises concern noise and heat. Under load, the 16-inch laptop gets quite warm and, above all, loud. Its fan control is less than ideal even when idling, as we will discuss later. Battery life is not particularly generous either: Despite its 99 Wh battery, the gaming laptop runs out of steam fairly quickly.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
A comparable configuration with a Core Ultra 9 275HX and GeForce RTX 5080 was listed starting at around €3,200 at the time of testing (e.g., at Computeruniverse).
Translator’s note: In the US, the same Intel-based Aorus Master 16 configuration is available from Amazon for around $3,000.
Specifications
Case, features, and input devices
Although the Master 16 is quite expensive, its chassis is made largely of plastic. That said, the base unit is more than adequately rigid. The lid, however, could offer greater resistance to twisting. The same applies to the hinges, which could be somewhat firmer, especially given that the maximum opening angle is severely limited to just under 130°. Buyers will also have to live with the dark surfaces quickly collecting fingerprints. The build quality, however, leaves little room for criticism. At around 2.3 kg, the Aorus is the lightest 16-inch laptop in our comparison group. Its competitors weigh between 2.6 and 3.3 kg.
There is some room for improvement in the wireless module. Despite supporting Wi-Fi 7, it delivered only mediocre transfer rates in our testing. The Full HD webcam is similarly mediocre. By contrast, the microSD card reader is surprisingly fast. As for physical connectivity, the laptop offers four USB ports in addition to HDMI 2.1, an audio jack, and an RJ45 Ethernet port (see photos). The USB-C ports support Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
Opening the chassis requires removing 10 Torx screws. Be careful: The front light bar is connected by a cable to the bottom cover. Inside, the Master 16 has two SO-DIMM slots and two M.2 slots, all of which are already occupied. We would describe the gaming laptop’s input devices as relatively good, but not outstanding. The layout of the keyboard, which features three-zone RGB backlighting, takes some getting used to. The touchpad’s main strength is its generous 13.5 × 9 cm size.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Average of class Gaming (718 - 4473, n=7, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UM | |
| Average Realtek 8922AE WiFi 7 PCI-E NIC (718 - 1772, n=2) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| iperf3 receive Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Average of class Gaming (788 - 3208, n=7, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UM | |
| Average Realtek 8922AE WiFi 7 PCI-E NIC (1642 - 1791, n=2) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
Display
As with the previously reviewed sibling model featuring a Core Ultra 9 275HX and GeForce RTX 5090, Gigabyte equips this version with a 16:10 OLED display. The panel has a resolution of 2,560 × 1,600 pixels and supports HDR. Despite its good average brightness of 467 cd/m², its highly reflective surface makes it poorly suited for outdoor use.
Thanks in no small part to its factory calibration, the display offers reasonably accurate colors, although there is still room for improvement. Other highlights include fast response times and an excellent black level. However, the screen also exhibits typical OLED weaknesses, such as flickering.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 468 cd/m²
Contrast: 15600:1 (Black: 0.03 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 4 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.71}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 3.8 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø4.96}
88.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 3D)
95.9% Display P3 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.597
CCT: 6626 K
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J Samsung ATNA60HU02-0, OLED, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Alienware 16 Area-51 AU Optronics B160QAN, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 NE160QDM-NZC, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 Samsung ATNA60HU01-0, OLED, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H ATNA60DL03-0 (SDC41AB), OLED, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 NE160QDM-NM9, Mini-LED, 2560x1600, 16", 300 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 0% | 1% | 4% | 2% | 1% | |
| Display P3 Coverage (%) | 95.9 | 96 0% | 99.1 3% | 99.5 4% | 95.3 -1% | 99.9 4% |
| sRGB Coverage (%) | 100 | 100 0% | 99.9 0% | 100 0% | 98.8 -1% | 100 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage (%) | 88.2 | 89.2 1% | 89.1 1% | 94.4 7% | 94.1 7% | 88.5 0% |
| Response Times | -2295% | -2001% | -19% | -31% | -3630% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * (ms) | 0.371 ? | 4.8 ? -1194% | 4.6 ? -1140% | 0.28 ? 25% | 0.24 ? 35% | 17.4 ? -4590% |
| Response Time Black / White * (ms) | 0.206 ? | 7.2 ? -3395% | 6.1 ? -2861% | 0.43 ? -109% | 0.43 ? -109% | 13 ? -6211% |
| PWM Frequency (Hz) | 1158 ? | 1438 ? | 960 | 20253 | ||
| PWM Amplitude * (%) | 40 | 29 27% | 47 -18% | 75 -88% | ||
| Screen | -215% | -150% | 19% | -20% | 34% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 468 | 554 18% | 545 16% | 490.4 5% | 435 -7% | 888 90% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 467 | 532 14% | 536 15% | 498 7% | 437 -6% | 859 84% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 96 | 88 -8% | 89 -7% | 97 1% | 96 0% | 94 -2% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | 0.03 | 0.52 -1633% | 0.41 -1267% | 0.08 -167% | ||
| Contrast (:1) | 15600 | 1065 -93% | 1329 -91% | 5438 -65% | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4 | 2.81 30% | 1.6 60% | 3.2 20% | 2.42 39% | 3.3 17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.59 | 8.32 -26% | 4 39% | 6.04 8% | 4.81 27% | 5.5 17% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.8 | 4.7 -24% | 2.4 37% | 1 74% | 3.11 18% | 3.8 -0% |
| Gamma | 2.597 85% | 2.3 96% | 2.25 98% | 2.24 98% | 2.48 89% | 2.46 89% |
| CCT | 6626 98% | 6476 100% | 6737 96% | 6373 102% | 6270 104% | 6267 104% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.65 | 0.8 | 0.84 | 2.03 | 1.5 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -837% /
-485% | -717% /
-400% | 1% /
6% | -16% /
-18% | -1198% /
-890% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 0.206 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.112 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.094 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 0 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (19.8 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 0.371 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.289 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.082 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 1 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (30.9 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 1158 Hz Amplitude: 40 % | ≤ 99 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 1158 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 1158 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 52 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 7738 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance
The test configuration clearly belongs in the high-end category. The Zen 5-based AMD processor, in particular, is a real powerhouse.
Test Conditions
The preinstalled GiMATE utility offers several performance profiles, and we used Game mode for our measurements. For everyday use, however, we recommend using no more than Balanced mode because of the extremely high noise levels. This profile keeps the system noticeably quieter (see table).
| Mode | Energy Saving | Balanced | Gaming |
| Cyberpunk 2077 noise level | 41 dB(A) | 51 dB(A) | 59 dB(A) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 frame rate (FHD/Ultra) | 111.6 fps | 135.4 fps | 144.5 fps |
| GPU power draw | 100 W | 150 W | 165 W |
| CPU PL1 | 65 W | 90 W | 145 W |
| CPU PL2 | 140 W | 140 W | 145 W |
| Cinebench R15 Multi score | 4,972 points | 5,806 points | 5,893 points |
Processor performance
The Ryzen 9 9955HX3D not only rivals Intel’s flagship Core Ultra 9 275HX, but even outperforms it by a few percent overall. Its 16 cores, 32 threads, and 128 MB of L3 cache speak volumes. The processor also deserves praise for its consistent sustained performance, as demonstrated by our Cinebench loop test.
Cinebench R15 Multi Endurance Test
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance rating | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (80619 - 84943, n=3) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (10227 - 85542, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (230738 - 372155, n=3) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (51376 - 372155, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (9630 - 9750, n=3) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (2180 - 10115, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (32252 - 33636, n=3) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average of class Gaming (4424 - 33636, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (122088 - 196829, n=3) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (25115 - 196829, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (160619 - 163423, n=3) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (39258 - 247074, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (2436 - 2517, n=3) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (574 - 2531, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (42676 - 45384, n=3) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (5509 - 45446, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (12271 - 89891, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J (v8.20.8100) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (38765 - 44266, n=3) | |
System and storage performance
Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that the Master 16 also ranks near the top of the comparison group in the system benchmarks. Its fast SSDs contribute to these results, although some competitors perform slightly better in this area.
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| Performance rating | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Average of class Gaming | |
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (8859 - 10636, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming (5828 - 12414, n=92, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (11564 - 11806, n=2) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming (8810 - 11935, n=96, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (10793 - 19653, n=2) | |
| Average of class Gaming (6845 - 25323, n=94, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (14368 - 14805, n=2) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average of class Gaming (7602 - 19954, n=94, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (2126 - 2265, n=2) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Average of class Gaming (1366 - 2409, n=93, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (1914 - 2017, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average of class Gaming (1386 - 2254, n=93, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (2547 - 2729, n=2) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Average of class Gaming (1343 - 2786, n=93, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (1691 - 1833, n=2) | |
| Average of class Gaming (1226 - 2334, n=93, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (335 - 366, n=2) | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average of class Gaming (220 - 532, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (309 - 333, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average of class Gaming (165 - 354, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Average of class Gaming (391 - 590, n=99, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop (397 - 405, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 10636 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Average of class Gaming (21750 - 129946, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (56383 - 63173, n=3) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Average of class Gaming (22956 - 118858, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (59750 - 66539, n=3) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming (22297 - 135096, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (59506 - 72898, n=3) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Average of class Gaming (75.3 - 165.4, n=101, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D (96.1 - 103.6, n=3) | |
* ... smaller is better
* ... smaller is better
Sustained Read Performance: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU and gaming performance
The GeForce RTX 5080 is currently Nvidia’s second-fastest laptop GPU. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 VRAM is adequate in 2026, and the 16-inch laptop rarely runs into VRAM limitations, even in demanding games. Like the CPU, the graphics card delivered pleasingly consistent performance. We also encountered no anomalies in the 3DMark tests or our gaming benchmark suite. In general, the Master 16 can run nearly every game smoothly at maximum settings at its native QHD+ resolution of 2,560 × 1,600 pixels, even with ray tracing enabled.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 50397 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 41128 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 18453 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
| Performance rating - Percent | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming (47.3 - 169.9, n=111, last 2 years) | |
| Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J | |
| Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 | |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 | |
| Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 | |
| Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H | |
| Alienware 16 Area-51 | |
| Average of class Gaming (84.8 - 252, n=103, last 2 years) | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 280 | 252 | |||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 148.5 | ||||
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 177 | 175 | 123 | ||
| Cyberpunk 2077 (2023) | 169.3 | 144.5 | 99.8 | ||
| Resident Evil Requiem (2026) | 168.3 | 87.5 | 56.9 | ||
| Death Stranding 2 (2026) | 109.5 | 87.5 | 67 | ||
| Crimson Desert (2026) | 106.8 | 94.9 | 73.2 | ||
| Pragmata (2026) | 140 | 101.9 | |||
| 007 First Light (2026) | 100.9 | 96.3 | 66.4 | ||
| Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (2026) | 97 | 64 | 50 |
Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra FPS Chart
Emissions & energy
System noise
By far the biggest drawback of the 16-inch laptop is its excessive fan noise. Under load, the system approaches 60 dB(A) in Game mode, a level that most users will find uncomfortably loud. The fans also ramp up considerably at times while the laptop is idling or performing simple tasks—an area in which other manufacturers do a better job.
Noise level
| Idle |
| 28 / 29 / 35 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 58 / 60 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 25 dB(A) | ||
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Alienware 16 Area-51 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop | Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 16% | 11% | 20% | 16% | 12% | |
| off / environment * (dB) | 25 | 23.6 6% | 24 4% | 22.9 8% | 23 8% | 24.1 4% |
| Idle Minimum * (dB) | 28 | 25.4 9% | 24 14% | 22.9 18% | 23 18% | 25.6 9% |
| Idle Average * (dB) | 29 | 27.8 4% | 30.1 -4% | 22.9 21% | 23 21% | 25.6 12% |
| Idle Maximum * (dB) | 35 | 28.1 20% | 30.1 14% | 26.3 25% | 23 34% | 25.6 27% |
| Load Average * (dB) | 58 | 28.8 50% | 41.1 29% | 27.8 52% | 40.46 30% | 47.2 19% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (dB) | 59 | 50.4 15% | 54.2 8% | 54.2 8% | 59.75 -1% | 55.5 6% |
| Load Maximum * (dB) | 60 | 56.4 6% | 54.2 10% | 53.9 10% | 59.75 -0% | 55.5 7% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
In addition to producing more noise, the Master 16 also reaches higher temperatures than some of its competitors in certain areas. During our stress test with FurMark and Prime95, parts of both the top and bottom surfaces exceeded 50 °C.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 50 °C / 122 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 52 °C / 126 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 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 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-6.2 °C / -11.2 F).
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Alienware 16 Area-51 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop | Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 18% | 13% | 18% | 12% | 11% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * (°C) | 50 | 43.8 12% | 39.6 21% | 42.6 15% | 39 22% | 46.3 7% |
| Maximum Bottom * (°C) | 52 | 40 23% | 49.7 4% | 41.2 21% | 51 2% | 44.3 15% |
| Idle Upper Side * (°C) | 35.8 | 26.3 | 32.6 | 36 | 30 | |
| Idle Bottom * (°C) | 35.2 | 27.3 | 32.4 | 38 | 31.1 |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Sound quality is decent to good overall, with the usual weakness in bass reproduction.
Aorus Master 16 AM6J audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 20% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 134%
Alienware 16 Area-51 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 17% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 134%
Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (9.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 134%
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (9.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 3% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 134%
Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.36 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 14% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 134%
Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 7% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 134%
Power consumption and battery life
While the Intel/RTX 5090 version appeared to be affected by an idle-power-consumption bug, the current model posted unremarkable readings of around 14 to 19 watts.
The older test unit performed better on battery power, however. Whereas it lasted just under 7 hours in our Wi-Fi test, the AMD/RTX 5080 version managed only a little over 5 hours.
| Off / Standby | 0.1 / 1.4 Watt |
| Idle | 14.4 / 16.8 / 19.3 Watt |
| Load |
151 / 338 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Alienware 16 Area-51 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop | Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop | Average of class Gaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -48% | 3% | -64% | -31% | -2% | 3% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 14.4 | 27 -88% | 10.8 25% | 28.5 -98% | 25 -74% | 13.2 8% | 13.1 ? 9% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 16.8 | 33.5 -99% | 17.7 -5% | 38.8 -131% | 29.4 -75% | 16.8 -0% | 19.1 ? -14% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 19.3 | 41.4 -115% | 18.8 3% | 45.6 -136% | 31 -61% | 17.1 11% | 24.7 ? -28% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 151 | 124.7 17% | 139.4 8% | 132.2 12% | 109 28% | 164.2 -9% | 111.8 ? 26% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (Watt) | 272 | 256 6% | 295 -8% | 318 -17% | 290 -7% | 284 -4% | |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 338 | 367.2 -9% | 359.3 -6% | 384 -14% | 325 4% | 392.8 -16% | 261 ? 23% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * (Watt) | 249 | 291 | 319 | 292 | 282 |
* ... smaller is better
| Aorus Master 16 AM6J R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, 99 Wh | Alienware 16 Area-51 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, 96 Wh | Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, 90 Wh | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, 99 Wh | Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop, 99 Wh | Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 R9 9955HX3D, GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop, 99.8 Wh | Average of class Gaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery runtime | -46% | 50% | 4% | 29% | 13% | 36% | |
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 5.2 | 2.8 -46% | 7.8 50% | 5.4 4% | 6.7 29% | 5.9 13% | 7.05 ? 36% |
| Reader / Idle (h) | 3.1 | 6.91 ? | |||||
| H.264 (h) | 11 | 5.8 | 7.95 ? | ||||
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra 150cd (h) | 0.8 | ||||||
| Load (h) | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.468 ? |
Notebookcheck overall rating
Those who can tolerate the sometimes excessive fan noise—or switch to a more moderate performance mode from the outset—will find the Aorus Master 16 to be a very powerful gaming laptop.
Aorus Master 16 AM6J
- 07/29/2026 v8
Florian Glaser
Total Sustainability Score: Comparison of possible alternatives
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 83.5%  | Aorus Master 16 AM6J AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1000 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $4,899.99 GIGABYTE - AORUS Master 16 G... 2. $3,499.99 GIGABYTE - AORUS Master 16 G... 3. GIGABYTE - AORUS MASTER 16 G... | 2.3 kg | 24.5 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI OLED |
2. 85.7%  | Alienware 16 Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $2,426.16 Alienware 16 Area-51 Gaming ... 2. $3,799.99 Alienware 16 Area-51 Gaming ... 3. $3,358.57 Alienware 18 Area-51 Gaming ... List Price: 3500 USD | 3.3 kg | 28.5 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI IPS |
3. 87.3%  | Asus ROG Strix G16 G615 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,323.97 ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) Ga... 2. $2,355.00 ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) Ga... 3. $2,424.99 ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) Ga... List Price: 3299€ | 2.6 kg | 30.8 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI IPS |
4. 87.5%  | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i 16 Gen 10 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 4200 USD | 2.6 kg | 26.65 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI OLED |
5. 85.1%  | Aorus MASTER 16 AM6H Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 4.75 Euro | 2.5 kg | 29.9 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI OLED |
6. 89.4%  | Schenker XMG Neo 16 A25 5090 AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB NVMe | Amazon: List Price: 4480€ | 2.9 kg | 27.9 mm | 16.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI Mini-LED |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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