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Gigabyte Aero 14 v8 (i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti, QHD) Laptop Review

More CPU power. Gigabyte has refreshed its slim 14-inch laptop with a new six-core processor. Read on for what effect this has on performance, fan noise, temperature and power consumption.
Gigabyte Aero 14

We have the Gigabyte Aero 14 in for review following our recent look at the latest Aero 15X. Just like the latter device, Gigabyte has updated the Aero 14 from a quad-core Kaby Lake Core i7-7700HQ to Intel’s new Coffee Lake architecture, namely the hexa-core Core i7-8750H.

Gigabyte Aero 14-K8 (Aero 14 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1493 MHz, Memory: 3500 MHz, GDDR5, ForceWare 388.92, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2400, single channel, one of two slots occupied, 32 GB maximum
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 2560 x 1440 pixel 210 PPI, AU Optronics B140QAN01.5 (AUO1536), IPS, QHD, 60 Hz, X-Rite Pantone, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Crucial MX300 CT525MX300SSD1, 525 GB 
, SATA III SSD. Two M.2-2280 drive bays
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Cannon Lake PCH
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Audio combo port; headphones and microphone, Card Reader: SD,SDHC,SDXC, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 20 x 335 x 250 ( = 0.79 x 13.19 x 9.84 in)
Battery
94.24 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 150 W power supply, driver DVD, warranty card, documentation, RJ45 USB adapter, Adobe Reader XI, MS Office 365 Trial, selection of manufacturer tools, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.886 kg ( = 66.53 oz / 4.16 pounds), Power Supply: 470 g ( = 16.58 oz / 1.04 pounds)
Price
1800 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Besides the CPU upgrade, the Aero 14 mainly benefits from cosmetic upgrades. For example, more of the USB ports now support the current Gen 2 USB 3.1 standard, while Gigabyte has upgraded its Smart Manager program. Gigabyte has stuck with using DDR4 2400 RAM. By contrast, the Aero 15X is equipped with faster DDR4 2666 RAM.

Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte Aero 14
Gigabyte Aero 14

At a first glance, the new Aero 14 has the same display and graphics card as its predecessor. The choice of an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and a 60 Hz 2560x1440 IPS display should position the Aero 14 as an all-around device and so as not to overwhelm its cooling system.

Smart Manager
Smart Manager
Smart Dashboard
Smart Dashboard
Smart Update
Smart Update

The Aero 14 competes among other 14-inch gaming notebooks like the Razer Blade, the MSI GS43VR and the Schenker XMG P407, against which we will be comparing the new Gigabyte laptop. When looking at comparative performance, bear in mind that all our comparison devices are powered by Kaby Lake processors, so they lack the power of Intel’s Coffee Lake architecture. Since this new Aero 14 shares so much with its 2017 predecessor, we will not examine the case, the connectivity or the input devices. Information on these areas can be found here.

Size Comparison

349 mm / 13.7 inch 247 mm / 9.72 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.1 kg4.67 lbs345 mm / 13.6 inch 245.1 mm / 9.65 inch 22.1 mm / 0.87 inch 1.9 kg4.25 lbs345 mm / 13.6 inch 236 mm / 9.29 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.06 lbs335 mm / 13.2 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.9 kg4.16 lbs335 mm / 13.2 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.9 kg4.14 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Multimedia
  (17.6 - 205, n=61, last 2 years)
93 MB/s +18%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
79 MB/s
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II))
77 MB/s -3%
SCHENKER XMG P407
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76 MB/s -4%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19.54 MB/s -75%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=57, last 2 years)
122.4 MB/s +41%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II))
88 MB/s +1%
SCHENKER XMG P407
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s 0%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19.83 MB/s -77%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +98%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
582 MBit/s +46%
SCHENKER XMG P407
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
439 MBit/s +10%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
399 MBit/s
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
389 MBit/s -3%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +65%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
681 MBit/s
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
680 MBit/s 0%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
556 MBit/s -18%
SCHENKER XMG P407
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
480 MBit/s -30%

Display

While the new Aero 14 appears to share the same 14-inch 2560x1440 display as its predecessor, there are some significant differences. Gigabyte has gone with an AU Optronics display instead of the LG Philips display found in last year’s model. Additionally, there is no G-Sync this time around, possibly to improve battery life. Please see the table below for a more detailed comparison between the two displays.

238
cd/m²
258
cd/m²
255
cd/m²
232
cd/m²
256
cd/m²
249
cd/m²
251
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B140QAN01.5 (AUO1536) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 258 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 249.7 cd/m² Minimum: 8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 256 cd/m²
Contrast: 914:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.21 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.13 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
70.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.42
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
AU Optronics B140QAN01.5 (AUO1536), IPS, 2560x1440
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
LG Philips LP140QH1-SPF1 (LGD049A), IPS, 2560x1440
SCHENKER XMG P407
LG Philips LP140WF3-SPD1 (LGD046D), IPS, 1920x1080
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
ID: LGD046D, Name: LG Philips LP140WF3-SPD1, IPS, 1920x1080
Razer Blade (2017)
LP140WF3-SPD1, IPS, 1920x1080
Display
-6%
-12%
-9%
Display P3 Coverage
69.1
65.1
-6%
64.5
-7%
66.3
-4%
sRGB Coverage
96
91.2
-5%
82.1
-14%
85.9
-11%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
70.3
65.9
-6%
60
-15%
62.8
-11%
Response Times
21%
11%
39%
37%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
47.2 ?(24, 23.2)
40 ?(19.6, 20.4)
15%
47 ?(14, 33)
-0%
31.6 ?(15.6, 16)
33%
25.2 ?(18, 17.2)
47%
Response Time Black / White *
34 ?(19.6, 14.4)
25.2 ?(13.2, 12)
26%
27 ?(5, 22)
21%
19.2 ?(10, 9.2)
44%
24.8 ?(13.2, 11.6)
27%
PWM Frequency
130 ?(95)
21190 ?(99)
21370
Screen
-82%
-82%
-59%
-85%
Brightness middle
256
277
8%
298
16%
306.6
20%
272
6%
Brightness
250
252
1%
282
13%
291
16%
277
11%
Brightness Distribution
90
84
-7%
80
-11%
86
-4%
84
-7%
Black Level *
0.28
0.27
4%
0.27
4%
0.28
-0%
0.26
7%
Contrast
914
1026
12%
1104
21%
1095
20%
1046
14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.21
4.26
-252%
4.42
-265%
3.9
-222%
4.59
-279%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.11
8.37
-297%
8.57
-306%
9
-327%
8.49
-302%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.13
4.32
-282%
4.11
-264%
2
-77%
4.28
-279%
Gamma
2.42 91%
2.37 93%
2.5 88%
2.14 103%
2.23 99%
CCT
6422 101%
7298 89%
6329 103%
6626 98%
6848 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62
59
-5%
54
-13%
56.1
-10%
55
-11%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96
91
-5%
82
-15%
86.1
-10%
83
-14%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-22% / -53%
-28% / -56%
-10% / -36%
-24% / -65%

* ... smaller is better

While the contrast of this year’s display is slightly lower than that of last year’s Aero 14, the new Aero 14 has better brightness uniformity and color-space accuracy than last year’s model.

CalMAN – Grayscale (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN – Grayscale (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN – Saturation Sweeps (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN – Saturation Sweeps (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN – ColorChecker (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN – ColorChecker (X-Rite Pantone)
CalMAN – Grayscale (Native Color)
CalMAN – Grayscale (Native Color)
CalMAN – Saturation Sweeps (Native Color)
CalMAN – Saturation Sweeps (Native Color)
CalMAN – ColorChecker (Native Color)
CalMAN – ColorChecker (Native Color)

The Aero 14 has the X-Rite Pantone certification to thank for its high display color accuracy. Testing last year’s model in Native Color model with the X-Rite profile measurements from this year’s model resulted in significantly better results and higher scores for last year’s Aero 14.

Gigabyte Aero 14 sRGB accuracy – 96%
Gigabyte Aero 14 sRGB accuracy – 96%
Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array
Gigabyte Aero 14 AdobeRGB accuracy – 62%
Gigabyte Aero 14 AdobeRGB accuracy – 62%

Unfortunately, the QHD display has comparatively poor response times. Some gamers may be put off by 34 ms black-to-white and 47 ms gray-to-gray reaction times. By contrast, last year’s LG panel responded in 25 and 40 ms, respectively.

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
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.6 ms rise
↘ 14.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
47.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24 ms rise
↘ 23.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 79 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

The Aero 14 is primarily a multimedia notebook that, thanks to modern technology, is also suitable for occasional gamers. For example, Nvidia Optimus technology reduces power consumption by only turning on the dedicated GPU when needed. This means that the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 chip handles graphics when the Aero 14 is idling or running graphically undemanding tasks like office programs, watching videos or browsing the web.

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

Processor

Intel has released the Coffee Lake series in response to AMD’s Ryzen processors. Coffee Lake CPUs not only have ample clock speeds, but they also have many cores.

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU Load
GPU Load

While the Kaby Lake generation brought quad-core CPUs to notebooks en masse, Coffee Lake introduces six-core processors with 12 threads in parallel thanks to Hyper-Threading. The Aero 14 is powered by an Intel Core i7-8750H that has 9 MB L3 cache and a clock speed up to 4.1 GHz.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=95, last 2 years)
249 Points +42%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
162 Points -7%
Razer Blade (2017)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
154 Points -12%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
154 Points -12%
SCHENKER XMG P407
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
149 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=102, last 2 years)
2279 Points +114%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1064 Points
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
744 Points -30%
SCHENKER XMG P407
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
738 Points -31%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
732 Points -31%
Razer Blade (2017)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
729 Points -31%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (2.6 - 3.21, n=3, last 2 years)
2.85 Points +45%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.96 Points
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.78 Points -9%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.71 Points -13%
SCHENKER XMG P407
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.66 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (19 - 31.6, n=3, last 2 years)
24 Points +98%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.14 Points
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.19 Points -33%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.15 Points -33%
SCHENKER XMG P407
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.08 Points -33%

The Core i7-8750H leaves the older Core i7-7700HQ far behind in benchmarks despite not always working at its maximum potential Turbo Boost speed of 3.9 GHz. In multi-core tests, the Core i7-8750H fluctuates between 2.2 and 3.9 GHz. In Cinebench R15 and Cinebench R11.5, the Aero 14 performs up to 43 and 48% faster than its predecessor.

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Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.96 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
12.14 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
175 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1064 Points
Help

System Performance

The Aero 14 performs well but potentially not as good as it could. While the Aero 14 outperformed its predecessor by 9% in PCMark 10, the 2018 model has a significantly slower SSD than its predecessor. In daily use though, the Aero 14 boots quickly and is as snappy as we have come to expect from a modern notebook.

We must also praise the Aero 14 for its consistency when running on either battery or on mains power. The Witcher 3 ran just 10% slower on battery than it did on mains power. Typically, 3D performance is far worse on battery than on mains power for other notebooks.

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=81, last 2 years)
6551 Points +38%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS128G39MNC-3510A
4807 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Crucial MX300 CT525MX300SSD1
4750 Points
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL
4339 Points -9%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +30%
SCHENKER XMG P407
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4069 Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL
3962 Points +2%
Razer Blade (2017)
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256
3958 Points +2%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS128G39MNC-3510A
3918 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Crucial MX300 CT525MX300SSD1
3894 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +6%
SCHENKER XMG P407
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
5234 Points +5%
Razer Blade (2017)
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256
5008 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Crucial MX300 CT525MX300SSD1
4973 Points
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL
4822 Points -3%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SK Hynix HFS128G39MNC-3510A
4672 Points -6%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3894 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4973 points
PCMark 10 Score
4750 points
Help

Storage Devices

The Aero 14 has taken a step backwards compared with its predecessor in terms of SSD performance. The Samsung SM961 PCIe drive inside last year’s Aero 14 is significantly faster than this year’s Crucial MX300 SATA III SSD. The Crucial SSD is limited to 500 MB/s for technical reasons.

Benchmark scores highlight the stark difference in performance between the two drives. AS SSD benchmark results show that the Samsung SM961 has 394% faster sequential read speeds and 183% faster sequential write speeds. However, the speed at which Windows operates relies largely on how quickly the system can process small files. As such, there is no big disadvantage between a SATA III drive over PCIe in daily use. Gigabyte’s choice of SATA III over PCIe could be cooling related as PCIe drives traditionally get quite hot. Potentially, Gigabyte compromised on a SATA III drive to compensate against a more powerful and quite possibly warmer CPU.

The Aero 14 has two M.2 drive bays and one of them is occupied by the Crucial MX300 SSD. Incidentally, there is no 2.5-inch drive bay. This omission does allow for a relatively large battery though.

Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
Crucial MX300 CT525MX300SSD1
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL
SCHENKER XMG P407
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
SK Hynix HFS128G39MNC-3510A
Razer Blade (2017)
Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV256
AS SSD
232%
243%
13%
Seq Read
491
2425
394%
2607
431%
509
4%
Seq Write
471.4
1335
183%
1313
179%
366.6
-22%
4K Read
19.42
48.6
150%
53
173%
30.35
56%
4K Write
71.8
121.4
69%
140.9
96%
86.2
20%
Score Read
409
1829
347%
1840
350%
455
11%
Score Write
397
1181
197%
1158
192%
435
10%
Score Total
1020
3894
282%
3879
280%
1126
10%
Crucial MX300 CT525MX300SSD1
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 524 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 483.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 217.6 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 193.3 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 469.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 411.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 25.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 76 MB/s

Graphics Card

The Aero 14 is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. This GPU has 4 GB GDDR5 VRAM, support for DirectX 12, and it sits between Nvidia’s mid-range and high-end Pascal GPUs.

3DMark 11 Performance
9109 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
26663 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6856 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
2512 points
Help

GeForce GPUs can automatically increase their clock speed if there is sufficient cooling, just like Core iX processors. The GTX 1050 Ti can boost up 1,759 MHz under load. Clock speeds leveled off at around 1,700 MHz in Unigine Heaven 4.0 benchmarks. The GTX 1050 Ti performed equally well during our 60-minute play of The Witcher 3 set to full details at Full HD. Generally, The Witcher 3 played at a constant frame rate.

0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra

The GTX 1050 Ti performed well in synthetic benchmarks, too. Looking at just GPU scores, the Aero 14 is comparable to other GTX 1050 Ti devices. Meanwhile, GTX 1060-equipped devices like the Razer Blade and the MSI GS43VR performed about 40% better than the Aero 14.

3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=86, last 2 years)
13601 Points +78%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
11979 Points +57%
Razer Blade (2017)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
10853 Points +42%
SCHENKER XMG P407
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
8376 Points +10%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7637 Points
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
7608 Points 0%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=86, last 2 years)
18365 Points +100%
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
15074 Points +64%
Razer Blade (2017)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile
13870 Points +51%
SCHENKER XMG P407
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
10402 Points +13%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
9716 Points +6%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
9181 Points

Gaming Performance

As the graph below demonstrates, the GTX 1050 Ti struggles to play games at the Aero 14’s QHD native resolution. Practically all games were noticeably jerky at Ultra, while the Aero 14 often struggled even at medium to high details. Hence, we would recommend playing games at Full HD (1920x1080).

Far Cry 5 - 2560x1440 Ultra Preset AA:T
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
27 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (25 - 27, n=2)
26 fps -4%
Kingdom Come: Deliverance - 2560x1440 Ultra High Preset
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
17.9 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (16.9 - 17.9, n=2)
17.4 fps -3%
Fortnite - 2560x1440 Epic Preset
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
34.8 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (28.8 - 34.8, n=2)
31.8 fps -9%
Star Wars Battlefront 2 - 2560x1440 Ultra Preset
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
26 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (19.5 - 26, n=2)
22.8 fps -12%
Need for Speed Payback - 2560x1440 Ultra Preset
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
34 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (30.3 - 34, n=2)
32.2 fps -5%
Call of Duty WWII - 2560x1440 Extra / On AA:Filmic T2X SM
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
39.9 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (30.8 - 39.9, n=2)
35.4 fps -11%
Assassin´s Creed Origins - 2560x1440 Ultra High Preset
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
26 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (20 - 26, n=2)
23 fps -12%
ELEX - 2560x1440 Ultra / On AA:SM AF:16x
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
21.8 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (19.6 - 21.8, n=2)
20.7 fps -5%
The Evil Within 2 - 2560x1440 Ultra Preset AA:FXAA + T
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
21.1 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
 
21.1 fps 0%
Middle-earth: Shadow of War - 2560x1440 Ultra Preset AA:T
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
22 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (20 - 22, n=2)
21 fps -5%
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus - 2560x1440 Extreme Preset AA:SM AF:16x
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
23.2 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
 
23.2 fps 0%

The GTX 1050 Ti performs much better with games set to Full HD. We found that all but the most CPU-intensive games played well at this resolution. We had to drop image quality a further step down to play games like The Evil Within 2 and Final Fantasy XV. In other words, the GTX 1050 Ti is fine for casual gamers. Avid gamers would probably only be happy with at least a GeForce GTX 1060.

low med. high ultraQHD
The Witcher 3 (2015) 47.1 26
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 44 33
The Evil Within 2 (2017) 32.8 30.7
ELEX (2017) 44.9 34.3 21.8
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017) 49.3 44.3 23.2
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 43 36 26
Call of Duty WWII (2017) 69 53.8 39.9
Need for Speed Payback (2017) 56.3 52.4 34
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) 58.3 41.4 26
Fortnite (2018) 79.2 58 34.8
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 37.4 24.6
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 37.5 27.7 17.9
Far Cry 5 (2018) 44 40 27

Emissions

Fan Noise

The Aero 14 is not directly comparable to its predecessor in terms of emissions. After the poor experiences we had with setting the fan profiles of both the Aorus X9 and the Aero 15X to ‘Gaming’, we used the ‘Normal’ fan mode instead. This resulted in the fans remaining pleasantly quiet at around 31/32 dB with the Aero 14 at idle. The fans tended to become audible as the Aero 14 booted or during program installations and Windows updates.

Fan noise at idle
Fan noise at idle
Fan noise under load
Fan noise under load
Speaker noise levels
Speaker noise levels

The Aero 14 gets loud only under load, during which the fans sit between 46 and 53 dB. This is loud for a GTX 1050 Ti notebook, the main culprit being the hexa-core CPU. A quad-core CPU like the Core i5-8400H or the Core i5-8300H would have been a better choice for the overall concept of the Aero 14 in our opinion given its graphics performance.

Fortunately, the Smart Manager tool allows for manual fan control to keep those fans in check. There is also a ‘Quiet’ fan mode that keeps the fans completely quiet, ideal when working in quiet environments and for noise-sensitive users.

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 32 / 37 dB(A)
Load
50 / 53 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)
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
SCHENKER XMG P407
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
Razer Blade (2017)
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
Average of class Multimedia
 
Noise
-0%
5%
-5%
6%
20%
off / environment *
30
30
-0%
29
3%
28
7%
24.1 ?(19.4 - 29.6, n=92, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
31
32
-3%
31
-0%
33
-6%
30
3%
24.6 ?(20.1 - 31.8, n=92, last 2 years)
21%
Idle Average *
32
33
-3%
32
-0%
34.5
-8%
30
6%
25.1 ?(20.1 - 31.8, n=92, last 2 years)
22%
Idle Maximum *
37
38
-3%
36
3%
35
5%
30
19%
26.6 ?(20.1 - 36.8, n=92, last 2 years)
28%
Load Average *
50
46
8%
43
14%
54.2
-8%
51
-2%
39.8 ?(24.2 - 59.7, n=91, last 2 years)
20%
Witcher 3 ultra *
46
46
-0%
56.7
-23%
Load Maximum *
53
53
-0%
48
9%
54.2
-2%
51
4%
47.6 ?(29.6 - 62.9, n=92, last 2 years)
10%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The way in which the Aero 14 manages its surface temperatures at idle does not reflect how it performs under load. The case stays impressively cool at idle or when running simple tasks, with surface temperatures remaining below 30 °C. By contrast, the Aero 14 heats up considerably under load. After an hour of stress tests, the rear third of the case heats up to 53 °C on the top and 59 °C on the bottom. Our test device stayed cooler when playing games like The Witcher 3, with the same areas reaching 48 °C and 50 °C, respectively. Even so, we would recommend putting the Aero 14 on a table when gaming rather than on your lap.

Stress test
Stress test
Top case surface temperatures under full load using the Optris PI 640
Top case surface temperatures under full load using the Optris PI 640
Bottom case surface temperatures under full load using the Optris PI 640
Bottom case surface temperatures under full load using the Optris PI 640

It is the usual picture under the hood. While the GTX 1050 Ti reaches a moderate 78 °C during Furmark and Prime 95 stress tests, the Core i7-8750H reaches 90 °C. This is relatively high, but not critically so. The GPU throttles only under extreme conditions, while the CPU remains at 3.0 GHz even at full load.

Max. Load
 48 °C
118 F
50 °C
122 F
53 °C
127 F
 
 43 °C
109 F
45 °C
113 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 34 °C
93 F
35 °C
95 F
36 °C
97 F
 
Maximum: 53 °C = 127 F
Average: 42.8 °C = 109 F
55 °C
131 F
59 °C
138 F
52 °C
126 F
51 °C
124 F
52 °C
126 F
44 °C
111 F
38 °C
100 F
39 °C
102 F
38 °C
100 F
Maximum: 59 °C = 138 F
Average: 47.6 °C = 118 F
Power Supply (max.)  49 °C = 120 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42.8 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 53 °C / 127 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 59 °C / 138 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.3 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 39.9 °C / 104 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 36 °C / 96.8 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-7.2 °C / -13 F).
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
SCHENKER XMG P407
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
Razer Blade (2017)
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
Average of class Multimedia
 
Heat
1%
3%
-15%
-1%
Maximum Upper Side *
53
51
4%
49
8%
47.8
10%
44 ?(26 - 67, n=94, last 2 years)
17%
Maximum Bottom *
59
58
2%
50.8
14%
63.2
-7%
46.5 ?(25 - 69, n=94, last 2 years)
21%
Idle Upper Side *
24
24
-0%
26.3
-10%
29.8
-24%
28.6 ?(21.2 - 41.7, n=92, last 2 years)
-19%
Idle Bottom *
24
25
-4%
24.1
-0%
33.2
-38%
29.3 ?(21.4 - 39.8, n=92, last 2 years)
-22%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

The Aero 14 has 2.0 speakers that are supported with Dolby Atmos software. The sound is surprisingly good for a compact notebook, although it is never going to be as good as what a headset or external speakers can achieve. Notwithstanding, the Aero 14 outperforms the Razer Blade as demonstrated by our audio analysis.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.549.22534.541.43129.832.94037.838.15029.628.86327.927.980293110034.934.512528.439.616025.655.720026.762.425022.867.231520.269.840019.271.250018.468.663017.870.680017.769.110001867.9125017.764.2160017.267.9200017.266.8250017.463.7315017.364.9400017.463.7500017.365.5630017.364.3800017.362.61000017.464.41250017.366.41600017.256.5SPL30.178.5N1.448median 17.7median 64.9Delta2.74.931.633.231.631.73031.735.331.435.330.229.930.230.538.330.529.827.229.833.92633.943.226.443.250.723.850.751.723.451.746.222.546.250.321.150.356.920.456.96219.96261.519.361.560.418.360.465.517.865.568.317.568.365.417.865.46617.6666917.76968.117.768.163.517.863.563.51863.561.718.261.763.318.263.35318.45349.918.449.946.718.346.741.718.441.77730.37738.91.438.9median 61.5median 18.3median 61.57.51.37.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseGigabyte Aero 14-K8Razer Blade (2017) UHD
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 0.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 9% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Razer Blade (2017) UHD audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 59% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The Aero 14 consumes less power than its predecessor despite the higher core count. We measured the Aero 14 consuming between 7 and 13 W at idle. Contrast this with the Schenker XMG P407, which consumes between 10 to 24 W when idling. Our test device consumes between 73 to 143 W under load, demonstrating that the Aero 14 has good energy-saving mechanisms and efficient components.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.6 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7 / 10 / 13 Watt
Load midlight 73 / 143 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
SCHENKER XMG P407
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
Razer Blade (2017)
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
-22%
-35%
-15%
-5%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
7
9
-29%
10
-43%
9.1
-30%
7.5
-7%
7.28 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=93, last 2 years)
-4%
Idle Average *
10
14
-40%
15
-50%
11.9
-19%
12.1
-21%
11.8 ?(4.6 - 43, n=93, last 2 years)
-18%
Idle Maximum *
13
19
-46%
24
-85%
12.2
6%
14.3
-10%
14.6 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=93, last 2 years)
-12%
Load Average *
73
84
-15%
82
-12%
77
-5%
73.5
-1%
77.3 ?(14.3 - 147, n=92, last 2 years)
-6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
96
95
1%
126.4
-32%
108
-13%
Load Maximum *
143
149
-4%
124
13%
153
-7%
110.2
23%
119.3 ?(44 - 247, n=92, last 2 years)
17%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The relatively low power consumption and high capacity 94 Wh battery ensure that the Aero 14 has above average battery life. Our test device lasts just under three hours when running 3D tasks at full brightness and manages 19 hours when idling at low brightness. By comparison, the Schenker XMG P407 lasted just over seven hours at idle with its 45 Wh battery. In our Wi-Fi test, the Aero 14 lasted 11 hours at medium brightness. In daily use, such as browsing the web and playing videos, you can expect the Aero 14 to last a long time.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
17h 37min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 02min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 9min
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, 94.24 Wh
Gigabyte Aero 14-K7
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, 94.24 Wh
SCHENKER XMG P407
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, 45 Wh
MSI GS43VR 7RE-069US
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, 61 Wh
Razer Blade (2017)
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, 70 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
-17%
-58%
-60%
-18%
-25%
Reader / Idle
1057
955
-10%
443
-58%
537
-49%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
-12%
WiFi v1.3
662
536
-19%
241
-64%
173
-74%
545
-18%
560 ?(262 - 1204, n=92, last 2 years)
-15%
Load
189
146
-23%
92
-51%
79
-58%
96.9 ?(39 - 215, n=73, last 2 years)
-49%
H.264
470
213
680 ?(319 - 1481, n=49, last 2 years)

Verdict

Pros

+ X-Rite Pantone certification
+ slim and lightweight case
+ premium case materials
+ well made
+ long battery life
+ understated design
+ practical manufacturer tools
+ Thunderbolt 3

Cons

- no narrow bezels like the Aero 15
- average display reaction times
- high fan noise under load
The Aero 14 v8, test device courtesy of Gigabyte Germany.
The Aero 14 v8, test device courtesy of Gigabyte Germany.

The 2018 Gigabyte Aero 14 is an impressive all-in-one device. The Aero 14 has a sturdy, stylish and slim case while being powerful enough for professional or private use.

The Aero 14 handles this balancing act better than almost any other laptop. The combination of a Core i7-8750H and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti means that the Aero 14 can get loud when running 3D applications. Fortunately, Gigabyte provides fan modes that can keep the Aero 14 silent at idle and when completing simple tasks.

There are no major drawbacks either. While the display response time could be better, the Aero 14 is designed with more than just gaming in mind. The high resolution and X-Rite Pantone color accuracy show that Gigabyte is aiming the Aero 14 at the professional sector too. There is even Thunderbolt 3, while most buyers will be satisfied with the speakers. 

The biggest highlight is its battery life, which makes the Gigabyte Aero a great all-rounder.

Gigabyte Aero 14-K8 - 05/14/2020 v7
Florian Glaser

Chassis
81 / 98 → 83%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
63 / 80 → 78%
Weight
64 / 20-72 → 85%
Battery
89 / 95 → 93%
Display
90%
Games Performance
78 / 90 → 87%
Application Performance
86 / 90 → 95%
Temperature
81%
Noise
66 / 95 → 69%
Audio
75%
Camera
50 / 85 → 59%
Average
76%
84%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Gigabyte Aero 14 v8 (i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti, QHD) Laptop Review
Florian Glaser, 2018-04-23 (Update: 2018-04-27)