Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB Laptop Review: Super Max-Q at the Start

The competitors of the Aero 17 include other 17-inch gaming notebooks with a Max-Q chip such as the Alienware m17 R2, the MSI GS75 Stealth 9SG, the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701GXR, and the Razer Blade Pro 17. The latter notebooks are listed as the comparison devices in our charts. 

Since Gigabyte apparently did not make any changes in the case, we are not discussing the case, the connections, or input devices further. You can find the corresponding information in the review of the predecessor.

One of the strongest arguments for the purchase of the Aero 17 HDR XB is surely the UHD display, which had already been used in the old model (AUO B173ZAN03.2). 3840x2160 pixels ensures a high pixel density and produce an extremely sharp picture, with the GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q hitting its limit in demanding games, as we will see later.

The same goes for the color accuracy. Via X-Rite Pantone certification, Gigabyte ensures a very accurate and natural color reproduction, which is also confirmed by our CalMAN tests (see screenshots). All the measured values are within the ideal range, really making an additional calibration unnecessary, since it could hardly bring any improvements.

As we already indicated, the Aero 17 HDR XB is not only targeted for gamers but also for the content creator segment. The 17-inch laptop turns out to be a very versatile device, which due to its fairly subdued design, also strikes a good figure beyond the desk at home.

Using Cinebench R15, we evaluated whether and how well the Aero 17 can use its CPU Turbo. The result: In the single-core applications, the i7-10875H can achieve between 4.2 and 5.0 GHz, while on the other hand, the clock speed is reduced after a short time to 4.3 - 3.6 GHz when all the cores are under load. This fact can be seen very well in the chart below. At least the performance drops significantly less than in the old Aero 17, whose Cinebench score dropped by almost 300 points after the first run. In the new model, this is only a drop of about 100 points.

If you look at the multi-core benchmarks, the CPU power places it between the predecessor and the Alienware m17 R2, which are both equipped with a Core i9-9980HK. So the performance jump of the new Intel generation remains within limits.

The system performance of the Aero 17 HDR XB is beyond any doubt. 6483 points in PCMark 10 correspond to the first place among the comparison devices with 7 to 18% distance to the second. Since Windows 10 is running on a modern PCIe SSD, the operating system responds incredibly fast (load times, program starts, installations, etc.). Only the boot time could have been even shorter. 

There is nothing standing out in terms of the storage solution. In contrast to the predecessor that was run by an Intel SSD, Gigabyte now uses a Samsung drive. The PM981a is used (sometimes without the "a" in the label) in a lot of gaming laptops and convinces with a very good performance during reading as well as writing. Those who want to expand the storage can also add a second M.2 SSD to the Aero 17.

We would describe the Super version of the RTX 2070 Max-Q with the words "fine tuning." Besides the increased amount of shaders (2560 vs. 2304), the optimized storage, and a few fresh features (Optimus and G-Sync simultaneously + dynamic TDP adjustment as long as the notebook manufacturer integrates this), Nvidia leaves a lot how it was. Both Turing models are still manufactured in the 12-nm process and contain 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM with a 256-bit interface.

The basic clock speed of the GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q is 930 MHz. However, in practice significantly higher values are achieved thanks to the automatic GPU boost. During 3D applications, we were able to tickle between around 1300 and 1400 MHz on average out of the high-end GPU. As our 60-minute test with the The Witcher 3 role-playing game confirms (1920x1080, Ultra settings), the frame rate remains relatively constant during longer load, without showing any drops or anything similar.

The Aero 17 HDR XB traverses the benchmark course in parts significantly ahead of the predecessor. In 3DMark 11 and the various tests of the current 3DMark, the performance plus is between 15% and 33% despite the rather subtle GPU innovations.

Even though the RTX 2070 Super Max-Q is very powerful, you should slightly decrease the resolution while gaming. 3840x2160 resolution often overtaxes the graphics chip, at least in maximum settings. Unfortunately, the integrated panel cannot handle the typical WQHD resolution of 2560x1440, and only 1920x1080 pixels is available as the next best 16:9 resolution, which is a bit annoying. 

Due to the high resource requirements, we would generally recommend the FHD version of the Aero 17 more for gamers. The RTX 2070 Super Max-Q can handle 1920x1080 pixels effortlessly even in demanding games. The 4K version tends to be more for content creators who know how to appreciate a large color space. 

Like almost all gaming notebooks, we also have to criticize the Aero 17 HDR XB for its hefty noise production. 47 to 54 dB under load screams for the use of a headset.

As long as you don't change to the Quiet mode, the 17-inch notebook is also very audible in idle operation. Between 35 and 38 dB is the worst value in our test field. The fans never deactivate while using the High Performance mode.

If we dare take a brief look inside the case, we will find a maximum CPU temperature of 90 °C (194 °F) and a maximum GPU temperature of 83 °C (181 °F), which are quite high. However, there is no throttling of the components even under full load.

For an Optimus device with a Max-Q GPU, the power consumption is neither low nor particularly high. While the 17-inch notebook draws between 16 and 30 watts of power during idle operation, it is between 109 and 246 watts under load.

Usually, gaming notebooks don't offer a long battery life, but the Aero 17 HDR is one of the few exceptions here. The main reason for the good result is the combination of the graphics switching with the big battery. The competitors do not even come close to 94 Wh, offering only 70 to 80 Wh instead. Although the predecessor lasted even slightly longer away from the charger, about 6 hours of Internet surfing via WLAN at medium brightness is still respectable. Under perfect conditions (no load, minimum display brightness), the 17-inch notebook lasts for almost 10 hours. During 3D applications, the device lasts for about 2 hours.