Gigabyte Aorus 15-SA (Core i7-9750H, GTX 1660 Ti, 144 Hz FHD) Laptop Review

An all-round gamer. The Gigabyte Aorus 15-SA handles all modern triple-A games with ease thanks to its Core i7-9750H processor, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU and 16 GB RAM. Gigabyte complements this with a 512 GB NVMe SSD and a 15.6-inch 144 Hz IPS panel. However, the latter has low maximum brightness, while the 15-SA suffers from poor battery life and lacks ports like Thunderbolt 3.

Sascha Mölck, 👁 Florian Glaser (translated by Alex Alderson), Published 06/17/2019 🇩🇪 🇪🇸 ...

You would be forgiven for thinking that we have already covered the Gigabyte Aorus 15-SA. The 15.6-inch gaming laptop is the sibling to the Aorus 15-W9 and Aorus 15-X9, which we have also reviewed this year. The 15-SA comes with an Intel Core i7-9750H processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, 16 GB of DDR4-2666 RAM and a 512 GB PCIe SSD.

We shall compare the 15-SA against other midrange and comparably priced 15.6-inch gaming laptops. Our comparison devices will include the Alienware m15, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX531GM, the Lenovo Legion Y530, MSI GS65 8RF, Razer Blade 15 and Gigabyte’s own Aero 15 Classic-XA.

Since Gigabyte only separates the Aorus 15-SA, Aorus 15-W9 and Aorus 15-X9 by internal components, we shall skip straight to the Display section of this review. Please see our Aorus 15-X9 review for our thoughts on the case, connectivity, input devices and speakers. We have also covered the Display section in greater detail in the above review too.

Test device courtesy of Gigabyte DE

Download your licensed rating image as PNG / SVG

Aorus 15-SA (15 Series)

Processor

Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H

Graphics adapter

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1455 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, GDDR6, 192-bit connection, ForceWare 430.86

Memory

16 GB

, SO-DIMM DDR4-2666, dual-channel, two SO-DIMM slots, both occupied

Display

15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8), IPS, 144 Hz, Full HD, glossy: no

Mainboard

Intel Cannon Lake HM370

Storage

Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8, 512 GB

, 2 x M.2 2280 (SATA/NVMe) & 1 x 2.5-inch drive bay

Soundcard

Realtek ALC298 @ Intel Cannon Point PCH - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)

Connections

3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combined 3.5 mm headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: MicroSD

Networking

Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW) (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 24.4 x 361 x 246 ( = 0.96 x 14.21 x 9.69 in)

Battery

62 Wh, 4070 mAh Lithium-Ion

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

Camera

Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix

Additional features

Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 180 W power supply, Control Center, 24 Months Warranty

Weight

2.127 kg ( = 75.03 oz / 4.69 pounds), Power Supply: 510 g ( = 17.99 oz / 1.12 pounds)

Price

1900 Euro

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

see all specifications

[+] Add to comparison

» Compare devices

Size Comparison

Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Aorus 15-SA Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Razer Blade 15 Base Model DIN A4 ❌

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming (450 - 1580, n=39, last 2 years)	1141 MBit/s ∼100% +67%
Aorus 15-SA Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)	683 MBit/s ∼60%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)	678 MBit/s ∼59% -1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter	662 MBit/s ∼58% -3%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter	658 MBit/s ∼58% -4%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Wireless-AC 9260	653 MBit/s ∼57% -4%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Wireless-AC 9560	650 (456^min - 801^max) MBit/s ∼57% -5%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165	144 (113^min - 190^max) MBit/s ∼13% -79%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming (423 - 1700, n=39, last 2 years)	1230 MBit/s ∼100% +84%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)	696 MBit/s ∼57% +4%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter	688 MBit/s ∼56% +3%
Aorus 15-SA Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)	670 MBit/s ∼54%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Wireless-AC 9260	666 MBit/s ∼54% -1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter	660 MBit/s ∼54% -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Wireless-AC 9560	646 (611^min - 665^max) MBit/s ∼53% -4%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165	293 (186^min - 315^max) MBit/s ∼24% -56%

Display

Gigabyte has equipped our review unit with an LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8) panel, which is something of a mixed bag. The 1080p display has low reaction times and a 144 Hz refresh rate, which should please gamers. However, its 254.2 cd/m² peak brightness is too low for a laptop at this price, as is its 950:1 contrast ratio. We would expect a display to reach at least 300 cd/m² peak brightness with a 1000:1 contrast ratio for a gaming laptop that costs almost 2,000 Euros (~$2,246). Only the Zephyrus S GX531GM and m15 meet these criteria of our comparison devices too though, so the 15-SA is not alone here.

The 15-SA has stable viewing angles and decent colour-space coverages just like the 15-W9 and the 15-X9. All three devices have the same panel, although they achieved subtly different results in our tests. This is expected though as every display is unique, even ones in the same batch.


262 cd/m²	248 cd/m²	255 cd/m²
260 cd/m²	266 cd/m²	264 cd/m²
243 cd/m²	240 cd/m²	250 cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8)

X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 266 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 254.2 cd/m² Minimum: 12 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 266 cd/m²
Contrast: 950:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.11 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 1.37
ΔE Greyscale 3.94 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
93% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
93.6% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.53

Download ICC File (X-Rite i1Pro 2)

	Aorus 15-SA LG Philips LP156WFG-SPB2 (LGD05E8), IPS, 1920x1080	Razer Blade 15 Base Model BOE NV156FHM-N61, IPS, 1920x1080	Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM AU Optronics B156HAN08.2, IPS, 1920x1080	Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH LG Display LP156WFG-SPB2, IPS, 1920x1080	MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin AU Optronics B156HAN08.0 (AUO80ED), IPS, 1920x1080	Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q AU Optronics B156HAN, IPS, 1920x1080	Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Sharp LQ156M1JW03 (SHP14C5), IGZO, 1920x1080
Display		-3%	-1%	-2%	1%	-2%	2%
Display P3 Coverage	64.3	66.3 3%	64.9 1%	62.5 -3%	66.2 3%	63.5 -1%	65.3 2%
sRGB Coverage	93.6	86.6 -7%	90.1 -4%	93 -1%	92.1 -2%	89.4 -4%	95.5 2%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage	65.6	63.3 -4%	65.8 0%	63.8 -3%	67.2 2%	64.5 -2%	66.5 1%
Response Times		-163%	35%	9%	-7%	-5%	8%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *	15.6 ?(8, 7.6)	39.2 ?(19.6, 19.6) -151%	7 ?(4, 3) 55%	15 ?(8, 7) 4%	17.6 ?(9.2, 8.4) -13%	18 ?(9.2, 8.8) -15%	15.2 ?(7.6, 7.6) 3%
Response Time Black / White *	12.8 ?(8.4, 4.4)	35.2 ?(20.4, 14.8) -175%	11 ?(6, 5) 14%	11 ?(7, 4) 14%	12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2) -0%	12 ?(6.8, 5.2) 6%	11.2 ?(6.8, 4.4) 12%
PWM Frequency		21190 ?(99)					23580 ?(24)
Screen		-17%	-2%	-16%	10%	-14%	3%
Brightness middle	266	273.6 3%	323 21%	305 15%	254 -5%	353.6 33%	266 0%
Brightness	254	262 3%	309 22%	284 12%	262 3%	346 36%	248 -2%
Brightness Distribution	90	86 -4%	93 3%	83 -8%	89 -1%	86 -4%	89 -1%
Black Level *	0.28	0.3 -7%	0.29 -4%	0.52 -86%	0.22 21%	0.3 -7%	0.31 -11%
Contrast	950	912 -4%	1114 17%	587 -38%	1155 22%	1179 24%	858 -10%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *	3.11	3.22 -4%	4.33 -39%	3.63 -17%	2.37 24%	4.55 -46%	2.78 11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *	5.84	7.61 -30%	7.64 -31%	8.18 -40%	4.71 19%	7.91 -35%	5.96 -2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *	1.37	4.1 -199%		1.31 4%	1.84 -34%	3.37 -146%	0.91 34%
Greyscale dE 2000 *	3.94	1.4 64%	4.12 -5%	4.77 -21%	1.58 60%	4.1 -4%	3.58 9%
Gamma	2.53 ^87%	2.24 ^98%	2.43 ^91%	2.54 ^87%	2.48 ^89%	2.27 ^97%	2.46 ^89%
CCT	6210 ^105%	6636 ^98%	7427 ^88%	7500 ^87%	6785 ^96%	7434 ^87%	7186 ^90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)	60	56.4 -6%	59 -2%	59 -2%	60 0%	57.9 -3%	62 3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)	93	86.2 -7%	90 -3%	93 0%	92 -1%	88.9 -4%	96 3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)		-61% / -33%	11% / 3%	-3% / -11%	1% / 6%	-7% / -11%	4% / 3%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ

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
12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 8.4 ms rise
12.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 4.4 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 0.1 (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 (21.9 ms).
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
15.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 8 ms rise
15.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↘ 7.6 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 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ

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: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18982 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

Gigabyte has equipped the 15-SA with an array of potent hardware including a hexa-core CPU and a cutting-edge GPU. The device has no problems with playing all modern triple-A games smoothly on its 144 Hz display. Heavy video-editing is well within its capabilities too. Our review unit currently retails for around 1,900 Euros (~$2,134), for reference. Gigabyte sells other configurations too.

Test Conditions

The 15-SA comes with Gigabyte Control Center preinstalled, which contains numerous settings including the option to change the fan curve, the RGB keyboard backlighting and the power mode among others. We left our review unit on the Auto power mode for our tests, which Gigabyte claims includes active AI functionality. We only used the Windows 10 power modes for our battery life tests.

Processor

Gigabyte equips the 15-SA with a Core i7-9750H processor, a hexa-core chip based on Intel’s Coffee Lake Refresh architecture. The Core i7-9750H offers a good compromise between performance and power consumption, just like its predecessor, the Core i7-8750H. The Core i7-9750H has a 45 W thermal design power (TDP) and a 2.6 GHz base clock speed, which it can boost to 4 GHz on six cores thanks to Intel Turbo Boost. The CPU can increase the clock speed by 100 MHz for every one fewer core that it uses, culminating in a 4.5 GHz maximum Turbo Boost clock speed on a single core.

These specifications sound good on paper, but our review unit cannot match them in practice. The CPU fluctuated between 2.6 GHz and 3.9 GHz in Cinebench R15 Multi 64bit, with it averaging 3.4 GHz, around 600 MHz short of its maximum potential. Likewise, the CPU operates at between 300 and 400 MHz less than it is capable of in single-core benchmarks like CB R15 Single 64Bit. Some cores only reach 3.6 GHz though, for some reason. The CPU also operates at between 2.5 GHz to 2.9 GHz in multi-threaded benchmarks and 0.8 GHz to 4.2 GHz in single-threaded benchmarks when running on battery.

System information during a Cinebench R15 Single 64Bit benchmark

System information during a Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark

System information during a Heaven 4.0 benchmark

We also subjected our review unit to a loop of the CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark, which we left running for 60 minutes to determine how the system managed its CPU performance under sustained load. The 15-SA initially scored 1,129 points before throttling back to 1,088 points by the fourth run through. The CPU constantly maintains turbo clock speeds here and averaged around 1,090 points for the remainder of the benchmark loop.

Our graph below is an ambiguous picture. On the one hand, the 15-SA consistently outscores the Aero 15 Classic-XA, which Gigabyte also equips with a Core i7-9750H and does not throttle as hard as the former device does too. Our review unit trounces most of our Core i7-8750H powered comparison devices throughout our benchmark loop too, but it somehow lags behind the Legion Y530 and the m15, despite them also having Core i7-8750H processors. In short, the 15-SA does not get the most from its CPU, which is unsurprising considering that it can only keep it at around 3.4 GHz in multi-core benchmarks.

Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1093 (1085.04-1129.94)

Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø864 (856.88-926.63)

Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø985 (977.23-1096.32)

Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1118 (1106.5-1218.62)

MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø981 (927.26-1023.23)

Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø1164 (1146.3-1213.67)

Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H, Intel Core i7-9750H: Ø1007 (976.09-1115.02)

CPU clock speeds during a CB R15 Multi 64Bit loop

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit

33467

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit

6659

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit

1130 Points

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit

173 Points

Help

... in comparison

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming (79.2 - 312, n=244, last 2 years)	258 Points ∼100% +49%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Intel Core i7-8750H	175 Points ∼68% +1%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Core i7-8750H	175 Points ∼68% +1%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H	175 Points ∼68% +1%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	175 Points ∼68% +1%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	173 Points ∼67%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H	172 Points ∼67% -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	168 Points ∼65% -3%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming (400 - 5663, n=245, last 2 years)	2763 Points ∼100% +145%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H	1219 Points ∼44% +8%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H	1218 Points ∼44% +8%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	1130 Points ∼41%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	1115 Points ∼40% -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	1096 Points ∼40% -3%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Intel Core i7-8750H	1053 Points ∼38% -7%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Core i7-8750H	923 Points ∼33% -18%

Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming (5847 - 11940, n=24, last 2 years)	8551 Points ∼100% +28%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	6704 Points ∼78% +1%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	6659 Points ∼78%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	6416 Points ∼75% -4%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming (35806 - 85088, n=24, last 2 years)	55868 Points ∼100% +67%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	33694 Points ∼60% +1%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	33467 Points ∼60%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	32791 Points ∼59% -2%

Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming (169 - 825, n=239, last 2 years)	667 Points ∼100% +59%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	429 Points ∼64% +2%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	420 Points ∼63%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming (930 - 13769, n=239, last 2 years)	6562 Points ∼100% +171%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	2427 Points ∼37% 0%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	2419 Points ∼37%

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	23246 Points ∼100% +6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	22650 Points ∼97% +4%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	21849 Points ∼94%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	4166 Points ∼100% +1%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	4143 Points ∼99%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	3998 Points ∼96% -3%

Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Gaming (27071 - 71700, n=31, last 2 years)	47164 Points ∼100% +108%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	23396 Points ∼50% +3%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	22699 Points ∼48%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	22276 Points ∼47% -2%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Gaming (5812 - 8936, n=31, last 2 years)	7450 Points ∼100% +43%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H	5218 Points ∼70% 0%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H	5194 Points ∼70%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H	4995 Points ∼67% -4%

Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)	1272 ms * ∼100% -18%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)	1116 ms * ∼88% -4%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)	1075 ms * ∼85%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)	1072 ms * ∼84% -0%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H	799 ms * ∼63% +26%
Average of class Gaming (421 - 882, n=218, last 2 years)	544 ms * ∼43% +49%

Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming (63457 - 105526, n=53, last 2 years)	86926 Points ∼100% +145%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H	37762 Points ∼43% +7%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)	36178 Points ∼42% +2%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)	35433 Points ∼41%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)	33402 Points ∼38% -6%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)	29297 Points ∼34% -17%

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Gaming (325 - 541, n=29, last 2 years)	441 Points ∼100% +82%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)	249.6 Points ∼57% +3%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)	249.4 Points ∼57% +3%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 44)	249.3 Points ∼57% +3%
Aorus 15-SA Intel Core i7-9750H (Edge 44)	242.8 Points ∼55%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model Intel Core i7-8750H (Edge 42.17134.1.0)	205.2 Points ∼47% -15%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Intel Core i7-8750H	205.1 Points ∼47% -16%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The 15-SA motors through system performance benchmarks like PCMark 10, in which it scored more than all our comparison devices overall. In short, its powerful CPU, GPU and fast SSD should be sufficiently future-proofed for several years to come.

PCMark 7 Score		7445 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2		5081 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2		6075 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2		5913 points
PCMark 10 Score		5761 points
Help

... in comparison

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming (4477 - 9331, n=197, last 2 years)	7405 Points ∼100% +29%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	5761 Points ∼78%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	5697 Points ∼77% -1%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G	5426 Points ∼73% -6%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	5125 Points ∼69% -11%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8	5102 Points ∼69% -11%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ	5095 Points ∼69% -12%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	4896 Points ∼66% -15%

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming (3570 - 6657, n=40, last 2 years)	5136 Points ∼100% +1%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	5081 Points ∼99%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	4851 Points ∼94% -5%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ	4665 Points ∼91% -8%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8	4560 Points ∼89% -10%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	4440 Points ∼86% -13%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	4425 Points ∼86% -13%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G	4418 Points ∼86% -13%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	6035 Points ∼100% +2%
Average of class Gaming (4622 - 7085, n=39, last 2 years)	6004 Points ∼99% +2%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	5913 Points ∼98%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ	5621 Points ∼93% -5%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8	5579 Points ∼92% -6%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	5543 Points ∼92% -6%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G	5407 Points ∼90% -9%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	5395 Points ∼89% -9%

Storage Devices

Gigabyte has equipped the 15-SA with a 512 GB Intel 760p SSD, which utilises the NVMe protocol and four lanes of PCIe 3.0. The M.2 2280 drive has approximately 427 GB upon first use, with Windows 10 occupying the remainder of its capacity. The Intel 760p SSD achieved exemplary transfer speeds in CrystalDiskMark and finished ahead of all the drives in our comparison devices bar another Intel 760p in the Aero 15 Classic-XA.

The 15-SA has an additional M.2 2280 slot for adding a second NVMe or SATA III SSD should you need more storage. If you are feeling adventurous, you could even run the system in RAID 0 for faster transfer speeds. There is room for a 2.5-inch drive too, giving the 15-SA a total of three storage options. Gigabyte includes the necessary mounting frame and SATA III cable for adding a 2.5-inch drive.

CrystalDiskMark 3.0

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6

AS SSD

Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8

Sequential Read: 2342 MB/s

Sequential Write: 1406 MB/s

512K Read: 1013 MB/s

512K Write: 1175 MB/s

4K Read: 29.69 MB/s

4K Write: 130.5 MB/s

4K QD32 Read: 594 MB/s

4K QD32 Write: 428 MB/s

	Aorus 15-SA Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8	Razer Blade 15 Base Model Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8	Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ	MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ	Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G	Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA Intel SSD 760p SSDPEKKW512G8
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6		-6%	-26%	-11%	-8%	-23%	6%
Write 4K	104	112.5 8%	100.8 -3%	108.9 5%	95.3 -8%	107.4 3%	115.5 11%
Read 4K	55.1	43.09 -22%	48.75 -12%	40.23 -27%	40.13 -27%	42.91 -22%	58 5%
Write Seq	1519	1450 -5%	975 -36%	1390 -8%	1883 24%	467.5 -69%	1555 2%
Read Seq	2486	1392 -44%	1344 -46%	964 -61%	1322 -47%	2335 -6%	2590 4%
Write 4K Q32T1	320.5	356.1 11%	283.7 -11%	314.2 -2%	309.9 -3%	289.7 -10%	369.3 15%
Read 4K Q32T1	431.8	406.9 -6%	330.3 -24%	369.2 -14%	353.7 -18%	354.4 -18%	441.7 2%
Write Seq Q32T1	1498	1451 -3%	986 -34%	1506 1%	1919 28%	460.9 -69%	1547 3%
Read Seq Q32T1	2868	3272 14%	1579 -45%	3446 20%	2466 -14%	3111 8%	2969 4%

Graphics Card

Gigabyte equips the 15-SA with a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, which is currently the most powerful GTX 1600 series card on the market. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti does not support DLSS or ray tracing like its RTX 20 series counterparts though, nor does it have tensor cores. Our review unit achieved expected results in 3DMark benchmarks for a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti-powered device, which puts the 15-SA on par with its GeForce GTX 1070-powered competitors and significantly ahead of those equipped with GeForce GTX 1060 GPUs like the Zephyrus S GX531GM.

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti supports DirectX 12 and 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM along with a 1,455 MHz base clock speed, which it can boost up to 1,590 MHz. The GPU can exceed that boost clock speed if it does not reach its critical operating temperature or its maximum power limit, which explains why the one in our review unit can peak at 1,890 MHz. The GPU can only temporarily maintain this though and typically operates at 1,755 MHz in synthetic benchmarks. It averaged 1,815 MHz while running The Witcher 3 though, so it appears that Gigabyte has done a good job at optimising the 15-SA’s cooling system.

The 15-SA also has a UHD Graphics 630 GPU, which Intel integrates within the CPU. However, Gigabyte disables this at the factory and does not include any graphics-switching technology like NVIDIA Optimus. Hence, the NVIDIA card always remains active, the effects of which we shall cover in the Power Consumption section of this review.

3DMark 06 Standard Score		38166 points
3DMark 11 Performance		17701 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score		167159 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score		33672 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score		13409 points
3DMark Time Spy Score		5944 points
Help

... in comparison

3DMark | 3DMark 11

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming (781 - 53059, n=241, last 2 years)	27748 Points ∼100% +83%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q	17335 Points ∼62% +14%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q	16010 Points ∼58% +6%
Aorus 15-SA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile	15164 Points ∼55%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q	14780 Points ∼53% -3%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile	11640 Points ∼42% -23%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q	11366 Points ∼41% -25%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile	11332 Points ∼41% -25%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming (224 - 22547, n=241, last 2 years)	11061 Points ∼100% +86%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q	6716 Points ∼61% +13%
Aorus 15-SA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile	5931 Points ∼54%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile	3626 Points ∼33% -39%

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming (1029 - 72070, n=233, last 2 years)	37568 Points ∼100% +80%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q	22005 Points ∼59% +5%
Aorus 15-SA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile	20862 Points ∼56%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q	20573 Points ∼55% -1%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q	18687 Points ∼50% -10%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile	14569 Points ∼39% -30%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q	14351 Points ∼38% -31%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile	12620 Points ∼34% -40%

Gaming Performance

The 15-SA has no problems with playing all modern triple-A titles at maximum graphics in 1080p. Only Metro Exodus and The Witcher 3 averaged below 60 FPS of the games that we tested on our review unit, but both are still playable. You may have to reduce the graphics settings if you want to game in 4K on an external monitor though.

The Witcher 3 | BioShock Infinite | GTA V | X-Plane 11.11 | World of Tanks enCore

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming (8.61 - 216, n=236, last 2 years)	107.1 fps ∼100% +88%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H	64.1 fps ∼60% +12%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H	57.1 (46^min) fps ∼53%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H	54.2 fps ∼51% -5%
MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H	52.7 fps ∼49% -8%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H	41.4 fps ∼39% -27%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H	40 fps ∼37% -30%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H	38.5 fps ∼36% -33%

BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Average of class Gaming (last 2 years)	162.9 fps ∼100% +16%
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H	150.3 fps ∼92% +7%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H	140.3 fps ∼86%
Alienware m15 GTX 1070 Max-Q GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H	136.8 fps ∼84% -2%
Lenovo Legion Y530-15ICH GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H	114.2 fps ∼70% -19%
Razer Blade 15 Base Model GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q, i7-8750H	112 fps ∼69% -20%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H	109.4 fps ∼67% -22%

GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x
Average of class Gaming (6.38 - 167.7, n=225, last 2 years)	101.8 fps ∼100% +49%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H	68.1 fps ∼67%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H	51 fps ∼50% -25%

X-Plane 11.11 - 1920x1080 high (fps_test=3)
Average of class Gaming (12.4 - 166.2, n=251, last 2 years)	95.7 fps ∼100% +20%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H	79.8 fps ∼83%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H	70.4 fps ∼74% -12%

World of Tanks enCore - 1920x1080 Ultra AA:TSSAA HQ
Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic-XA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H	129.1 fps ∼100% +8%
Aorus 15-SA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H	119.3 fps ∼92%

We also ran The Witcher 3 for 60 minutes at maximum graphics in 1080p to check how the system managed performance under sustained load. We leave the playable character stationary for the entire play-through, for reference. Frame rates always remained playable save for a short aberration, although they had dropped by around 20% by the end of the test.