Gigabyte has cut corners on the Aorus 15G XC in order to equip it with an RTX 3070

Despite the slightly darker color, the new Aorus looks surprisingly similar to its predecessor from last year. A closer look at the device will show the first of many savings Gigabyte has decided to apply to the this year's update: Instead of the usual metal case, the new Aorus 15G is cloaked in plastic.     

Experts on the Aorus will notice the next difference as soon as they open the device: Instead of the much-praised mechanical keyboard, our test unit features a "normal" keyboard, albeit with good background lighting. A look at the touchpad reveals the missing fingerprint sensor. The missing Thunderbolt support is invisible but all the more disappointing. This significantly limits connectivity.   

Why did Gigabyte decide to cut so many of the predecessor's features? The additional costs of an RTX 3070 can hardly have been the reason. Perhaps the Aorus was simply too expensive for a lot of gamers - after all, the Gigabyte is offering the newer model for a slightly lower price. Nonetheless, as users who are familiar with the predecessor we can't get help feeling that the series' quality standard has dropped due to the many omissions. Find out more in our complete review of the Aorus 15G XC.