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Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC Laptop in review: Debut for Nvidia Ampere

Old case, new GPU. Judging solely by the exterior of the Aero 17 HDR, you would think that not much has changed. But the device features a new GPU under its hood. We tested the best configuration available, equipped with a GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop.
Comet Lake Geforce Gaming Laptop
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR

Gigabyte currently has two versions of the new Aero 17 HDR available on its website. The model ending in XC is equipped with a Core i7-10870H and a GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop while the model we have tested ends in YC and features a Core i9-10980HK and a GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop.  

Both editions share a matte 4K display with HDR support that is supposed to cover 100% of the AdobeRGB color space (more on that in a bit). We have no precise information on the size of the storage device or RAM. Our test unit was equipped with two 1-TB SSDs and a total of 64 GB of RAM (2x 32-GB DDR4-3200). The device is available at a starting price of $3.700.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC (Aero 17 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i9-10980HK 8 x 2.4 - 5.3 GHz, Comet Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1245 MHz, Memory: 1500 MHz, 105 W TDP ( including 15 W Dynamic Boost), GDDR6, ForceWare 461.23, Optimus
Memory
64 GB 
, 2x 32 GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200, Dual Channel, all slots occupied
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 3840 x 2160 pixel 255 PPI, AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B), IPS-level, 4K / UHD, X-Rite Pantone, 100 % AdobeRGB, glossy: no, HDR, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel HM470
Storage
ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4, 1024 GB 
, 2x NVMe SSDs, all slots occupied (M.2 2280)
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Comet Point-LP PCH - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 1 microphone and 1 headset jack, Card Reader: SD (UHS-II), 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8125 2.5GBe Family Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000/2500MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 21.4 x 396 x 270 ( = 0.84 x 15.59 x 10.63 in)
Battery
99 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 W, Keyboard: Fusion RGB Per-Key Backlit, Keyboard Light: yes, 230-W-Netzgerät, Control Center, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.76 kg ( = 97.36 oz / 6.08 pounds), Power Supply: 712 g ( = 25.12 oz / 1.57 pounds)
Price
3899 EUR
Links
Gigabyte homepage
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

The Aero 17 HDR's competition includes other slim 17-inch notebooks with high-end GPUs such as the Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS, the MSI Creator 17 A10SGS (both featuring the 2080 Super Max-Q) and the Aorus 17G XB (2070 Super Max-Q). These notebooks will appear as comparison devices in our tables.

Possible competitors in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
87.6 %
01/2021
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU		2.8 kg21.4 mm17.30"3840x2160
82.4 %
08/2020
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		2.6 kg18.7 mm17.30"1920x1080
82.5 %
07/2020
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		2.4 kg20 mm17.30"3840x2160
86.5 %
05/2020
Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		2.7 kg26 mm17.30"1920x1080
87 %
04/2020
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		2.7 kg21 mm17.30"3840x2160

As the case is more or less identical with that of its predecessor we will not be going into detail on this, connectivity or input devices in this review. Please refer to our review of the Aero 17 HDR XA for further information on these aspects. Gigabyte only made minor changes to a few details. For example, the lid now has a new printed pattern. The ports have also been adapted slightly (one of the Type-C ports had to give way for a DisplayPort).

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR

Size comparison

❌
405 mm / 15.9 inch 276 mm / 10.9 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.7 kg6.02 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 18.7 mm / 0.736 inch 2.6 kg5.78 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 21.4 mm / 0.843 inch 2.8 kg6.08 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 270 mm / 10.6 inch 21 mm / 0.827 inch 2.7 kg5.86 lbs396 mm / 15.6 inch 259 mm / 10.2 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 2.4 kg5.27 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

SDCardreader

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Aorus 17G XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
212 MB/s +9%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
207 MB/s +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
194 MB/s
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=97, last 2 years)
98.1 MB/s -49%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Aorus 17G XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
247 MB/s +16%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
245 MB/s +15%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
213 MB/s
Average of class Gaming
  (25.8 - 269, n=92, last 2 years)
121.1 MB/s -43%

Communication

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1410 MBit/s +18%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1390 MBit/s +17%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1270 MBit/s +7%
Aorus 17G XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1260 MBit/s +6%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1190 MBit/s
Average of class Gaming
  (885 - 1412, n=2, last 2 years)
1149 MBit/s -3%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (447 - 1645, n=127)
1104 MBit/s -7%
iperf3 receive AX12
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1390 MBit/s +4%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1340 MBit/s 0%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1340 MBit/s
Average of class Gaming
  (881 - 1700, n=2, last 2 years)
1291 MBit/s -4%
Aorus 17G XB
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650x Wireless Network Adapter (200NGW)
1260 MBit/s -6%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1260 MBit/s -6%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
  (523 - 1684, n=128)
1191 MBit/s -11%

Webcam

ColorChecker
15.8 ∆E
18.4 ∆E
19.8 ∆E
13.7 ∆E
19.4 ∆E
13.8 ∆E
15 ∆E
26.7 ∆E
16.1 ∆E
12.4 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
19.2 ∆E
14.5 ∆E
18.7 ∆E
5.9 ∆E
19 ∆E
17.7 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
17.8 ∆E
14.5 ∆E
6.8 ∆E
7.6 ∆E
ColorChecker Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC: 14.55 ∆E min: 2.33 - max: 26.68 ∆E

Display

One absolute highlight of the Aero 17 HDR is its outstanding display. If you ignore the meagre response time (over 50 ms gray to gray) and frequency (60 Hz), the UHD screen delivers a good to very good performance.

452
cd/m²		460
cd/m²		467
cd/m²
440
cd/m²		458
cd/m²		428
cd/m²
434
cd/m²		446
cd/m²		432
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 467 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 446.3 cd/m² Minimum: 3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 458 cd/m²
Contrast: 1238:1 (Black: 0.37 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.52 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.66
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
100% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
99.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
87.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.145
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B), IPS-Level, 3840x2160, 17.30		Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Sharp SHP14DC, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30		MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
B173ZAN05.0 (AUO278E), Mini-LED IPS-Level, 3840x2160, 17.30		Aorus 17G XB
AU Optronics B173HAN05.0 (AUO509D), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30		Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
AUO B173ZAN03.2 (AUO329B), IPS, 3840x2160, 17.30
Display
-14%
-8%
-16%
-0%
Display P3 Coverage
87.3
73.6
-16%
82
-6%
70.6
-19%
86.5
-1%
sRGB Coverage
100
99.7
0%
97.5
-2%
97.2
-3%
100
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
99.9
73.7
-26%
84
-16%
72.8
-27%
100
0%
Response Times
79%
65%
61%
-6%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
51.6 ?(25.6, 26)
5 ?(2.2, 2.8)
90%
16 ?(7.6, 8.4)
69%
55.2 ?(26.8, 28.4)
-7%
Response Time Black / White *
24.8 ?(10, 14.8)
8 ?(3.6, 4.4)
68%
8.8 ?(1.2, 7.6)
65%
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
52%
26 ?(9.2, 16.8)
-5%
PWM Frequency
26600 ?(83)
Screen
-23%
-48%
-7%
7%
Brightness middle
458
308
-33%
996
117%
293
-36%
487
6%
Brightness
446
310
-30%
952
113%
285
-36%
475
7%
Brightness Distribution
92
76
-17%
93
1%
95
3%
95
3%
Black Level *
0.37
0.34
8%
0.68
-84%
0.24
35%
0.38
-3%
Contrast
1238
906
-27%
1465
18%
1221
-1%
1282
4%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.52
1.49
2%
4.21
-177%
1.27
16%
1.19
22%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.51
3.97
-58%
6.79
-171%
2.24
11%
2.43
3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
0.66
0.99
-50%
2.03
-208%
1.06
-61%
0.5
24%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.9
2.3
-21%
4.1
-116%
1.34
29%
1.45
24%
Gamma
2.145 103%
2.193 100%
2.207 100%
2.38 92%
2.21 100%
CCT
6534 99%
6981 93%
7491 87%
6542 99%
6557 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
100
74
-26%
84
-16%
73
-27%
88
-12%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
96
-4%
97
-3%
94
-6%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
14% / -9%
3% / -32%
13% / -0%
0% / 4%

* ... smaller is better

Thanks to its high luminosity of an average of 446 nits, the 17-inch device is not only suitable for use indoors but can also been taken outside. Only few high-end laptops offer this level of brightness. The mini LED panel on the MSI Creator 17 is the only one in our comparison field that offers significantly higher brightness. The Aero 17 HDR also has a good contrast ratio of 1200:1, which should satisfy most buyers. The same goes for the black value of 0.37 nits. 

CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Color saturation
CalMAN: Color saturation
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Grayscales (after calibration)
CalMAN: Grayscales (after calibration)
CalMAN: Color saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: Color saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (after calibration)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (after calibration)

One of the panel's real fortes is its color space. Gigabyte correctly claimed that the 4K screen covers the AdobeRGB color space entirely, which hardly any laptop can do – no matter the category.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC vs sRGB (100%)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC vs sRGB (100%)
Subpixel
Subpixel
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC vs AdobeRGB (100%)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC vs AdobeRGB (100%)

The display scores even more points for its color accuracy. The X-Rite Pantone certification means that the panel is very accurate out of the box, which our Calman measurements confirm (see screenshots). The viewing angles are on par with most IPS displays. Note: All display measurements were made while the HDR function was deactivated.

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
24.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10 ms rise
↘ 14.8 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. » 52 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
51.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 25.6 ms rise
↘ 26 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. » 86 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 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: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17844 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Testing conditions

The preinstalled Control Center enables users to customize the system with numerous settings ranging from the keyboard backlighting (per key RGB), to fan settings or performance. Our tests were completed in the "auto" profile which automatically regulates things like energy settings. The fan was set to "normal" during all benchmarks except for the 3D benchmark (where it was set to "gaming").  

Control Center
Control Center
Control Center
Control Center
Control Center
Control Center

Performance

The Aero 17 HDR YC's lavish features – for which the manufacturer is charging a handsome sum – mean that the device is very future proof. The 64 GB of DDR4 RAM should suffice for the next few years, the same goes for the 2 TB of storage capacity. In addition, we have an octa-core processor and a GPU that supports ray tracing. 

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

Processor

The Core i9-10980HK in our test unit is an octa-core chip from Intel's Comet Lake generation that was manufactured using the old 14-nm process (AMD now manufactures using a 7-nm process). The 45-Watt chip can work up to 16 threads simultaneously thanks to hyperthreading and had a basic clock rate of 2.4 GHz. Its Turbo Boost can increase this to up to 5.3 GHz under load.

Single core rendering
Single core rendering
Multi core rendering
Multi core rendering

According to Cinebench R15, the CPU of the Aero 17 has a clock rate of 4.3 - 5.0 GHz during single core scenarios and 4.1 - 4.3 GHz when all cores are under load. However, the performance drops significantly after the first round. Starting with the second round of our Cinebench loop, our Core i9-10980HK performs below the level of most 10875H competitors.

095190285380475570665760855950104511401235133014251520161517101805Tooltip
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC Intel Core i9-10980HK: Ø1468 (1385.62-1761.11)
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1561 (1522.36-1646.36)
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1291 (1283.24-1369.77)
Aorus 17G XB Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1613 (1597.83-1832.68)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB Intel Core i7-10875H: Ø1572 (1548.11-1671.4)

Ergo: The surcharge for the expensive processor is not really worth the money. In order to offer a good price-performance ratio, Gigabyte should have either limited its configuration options to the sexta-core models or chosen an AMD CPU instead.

Cinebench R15 | Blender | 7-Zip 18.03 | Cinebench R20 | Geekbench 5.5 | HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 | LibreOffice | R Benchmark 2.5
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 318, n=229, last 2 years)
269 Points +27%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
211 Points 0%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
211 Points
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
203 Points -4%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
202 Points -4%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
197 Points -7%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=230, last 2 years)
3134 Points +78%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1833 (1597.83min - 1832.68max) Points +4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1761 (1385.62min - 1761.11max) Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1671 (1548.11min - 1671.4max) Points -5%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
1646 Points -7%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
1370 (1283.24min - 1369.77max) Points -22%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
356 Seconds * -19%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
317 Seconds * -6%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
299 Seconds *
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
290 Seconds * +3%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
281 Seconds * +6%
Average of class Gaming
  (87 - 1259, n=223, last 2 years)
197.3 Seconds * +34%
7-Zip 18.03
7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Gaming
  (2685 - 7581, n=225, last 2 years)
6156 MIPS +13%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
5444 MIPS
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
5413 MIPS -1%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
5345 MIPS -2%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
5284 MIPS -3%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
5284 MIPS -3%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
5277 MIPS -3%
7z b 4
Average of class Gaming
  (11386 - 140932, n=225, last 2 years)
78161 MIPS +76%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
46702 MIPS +5%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
44947 MIPS +1%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
44947 MIPS +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
44829 MIPS +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
44485 MIPS
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
40008 MIPS -10%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (169 - 855, n=226, last 2 years)
702 Points +38%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
507 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
499 Points -2%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
486 Points -4%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
479 Points -6%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
461 Points -9%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Gaming
  (930 - 13769, n=226, last 2 years)
7538 Points +114%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
3917 Points +11%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
3823 Points +8%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
3526 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
3431 Points -3%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
3155 Points -11%
Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (158 - 2210, n=230, last 2 years)
1819 Points +35%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
1344 Points
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
1307 Points -3%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1293 Points -4%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
1287 Points -4%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
1233 Points -8%
Multi-Core
Average of class Gaming
  (1946 - 22200, n=230, last 2 years)
13793 Points +69%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
8176 Points
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
8139 Points 0%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
7474 Points -9%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
7431 Points -9%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
6988 Points -15%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Average of class Gaming
  (3 - 37.6, n=228, last 2 years)
21.5 fps +79%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.8 fps +7%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.8 fps +7%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
12.1 fps +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
12 fps
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
10.3 fps -14%
LibreOffice - 20 Documents To PDF
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
84.3 s * -64%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
54.6 s * -6%
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
53.1 s * -3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
51.4 s *
Average of class Gaming
  (32.8 - 332, n=222, last 2 years)
49.2 s * +4%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
47.7 s * +7%
R Benchmark 2.5 - Overall mean
Aorus 17G XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.583 sec * -4%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.583 sec * -4%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.58 sec * -3%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
Intel Core i9-10980HK
0.561 sec *
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Intel Core i7-10875H
0.556 sec * +1%
Average of class Gaming
  (0.3609 - 4.47, n=225, last 2 years)
0.4679 sec * +17%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1761 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
137 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
211 Points
Help

System Performance

It is not surprising that the Aero 17 HDR YC offers great system performance. The PCMark 10 result of 6512 points indicate very potent hardware. The system also feels very fast subjectively - as you would expect from a high-end notebook.

PCMark 10 - Score
Average of class Gaming
  (5235 - 9852, n=195, last 2 years)
7608 Points +17%
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6571 Points +1%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
6512 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6483 Points 0%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
5758 Points -12%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
5231 Points -20%
PCMark 10 Score
6512 points
Help

DPC latencies

Gigabyte could have made some improvements in terms of latencies. The LatencyMon tool measures fairly high values in our latency test (surfing the web, streaming video, Prime 95) and categorizes certain real-time applications as "critical".

Latencies
Latencies
Latencies
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
6058 μs * -74%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
3490 μs *
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
1933 μs * +45%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
973 μs * +72%
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
453 μs * +87%

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

We are perfectly happy with the storage devices. Gigabyte has equipped our test configuration with two NVMe SSDs with a capacity of 1000 GB each. The M.2 drives can compete with the competition's Samsung SSDs (the PM981 is very common) for the most part. The SSD tandem in our Aero 17 HDR handles both small files and large blocks of data at the usual modern day speeds.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4		Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR		MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB		Aorus 17G XB
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ		Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-10%
-9%
-3%
-4%
Write 4K
141.2
120
-15%
158.7
12%
123.4
-13%
123.4
-13%
Read 4K
46.48
45.24
-3%
41.59
-11%
45.02
-3%
45.59
-2%
Write Seq
2433
2090
-14%
2388
-2%
2526
4%
2320
-5%
Read Seq
1742
2246
29%
1623
-7%
2062
18%
2013
16%
Write 4K Q32T1
565
392.5
-31%
432.6
-23%
497.9
-12%
489.3
-13%
Read 4K Q32T1
655
348.4
-47%
526
-20%
579
-12%
559
-15%
Write Seq Q32T1
3028
3015
0%
2438
-19%
2982
-2%
2979
-2%
Read Seq Q32T1
3424
3445
1%
3457
1%
3440
0%
3432
0%
AS SSD
-18%
-5%
-12%
-15%
Seq Read
2674
2744
3%
2815
5%
1791
-33%
1762
-34%
Seq Write
2458
1351
-45%
2278
-7%
2193
-11%
2309
-6%
4K Read
52.1
47.24
-9%
49.59
-5%
50.7
-3%
49.45
-5%
4K Write
113.4
109.1
-4%
139.1
23%
116.8
3%
117.1
3%
4K-64 Read
1881
1118
-41%
1603
-15%
1525
-19%
1237
-34%
4K-64 Write
2849
1926
-32%
1711
-40%
1958
-31%
1986
-30%
Access Time Read *
0.102
0.064
37%
0.059
42%
0.07
31%
0.076
25%
Access Time Write *
0.033
0.034
-3%
0.027
18%
0.032
3%
0.032
3%
Score Read
2201
1439
-35%
1934
-12%
1755
-20%
1463
-34%
Score Write
3208
2170
-32%
2078
-35%
2294
-28%
2334
-27%
Score Total
6524
4283
-34%
4977
-24%
4972
-24%
4581
-30%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-14% / -14%
-7% / -6%
-8% / -8%
-10% / -11%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3424 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 3028 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 655 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 565 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1742 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2433 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 46.48 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 141.2 MB/s

Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

While the desktop versions that are based on Ampere architecture are quite convincing apart from the steep power consumption and the catastrophic availability (even months after the release), the notebook models will cause a lot of discussions. Due to the cooling-related limitations, Nvidia had to massively reduce the TDP of the RTX 3080 Laptop, which has lead to a similar reduction in terms of performance. The desktop version's 320 Watt have been reduced to 80 to 150 Watt for the mobile version (105 Watt @ Aerio 17 HDR YC) - that's less than half.

3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
40788 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
20998 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
9567 points
Help

Notebook users will also have to accept cutbacks in other areas. For example, the number of shaders has been reduced from 8704 to 6144 and the base clock rate has dropped from 1440 to 780 to 1110 MHz, depending on the TDP level. Unlike the last generation, the two versions can't really be considered the same graphic card, which makes the designation 3080 inconvenient, particularly as many manufacturers often don't openly communicate the TDP. The result will be increased confusion and insecurity for potential buyers. 

3DMark | 3DMark 11
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=231, last 2 years)
29653 Points +18%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
25129 Points
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
23649 Points -6%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
21004 Points -16%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
20914 Points -17%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
19655 Points -22%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (224 - 22547, n=228, last 2 years)
12115 Points +26%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
9646 Points
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
8906 Points -8%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
7468 Points -23%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
7372 Points -24%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
7358 Points -24%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (280 - 14457, n=146, last 2 years)
7810 Points +28%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU
6094 Points
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
4497 Points -26%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
4477 Points -27%
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
4411 Points -28%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=226, last 2 years)
40756 Points
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
32995 Points
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
28555 Points
Aorus 17G XB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q
27955 Points
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
26292 Points

Due to the low TDP, the RTX 3080 Laptop can hardly distinguish itself from its predecessors. The Aero 17 HDR YC is only about 10 percent faster than a good 2080 Super Max Q notebook (Asus GX701LXS) and 30 percent faster than a good 2070 Super Max Q notebook (Aero 17 HDR XB) in our Time Spy 3DMark test. At least the 3D performance remains fairly constant over a long period of time, as shown in our 60-minute test of The Witcher 3 (FHD/Ultra). 

05101520253035404550556065707580859095100Tooltip
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK, ESR01TBTLCG-EAC-4: Ø95.4 (91-101)

Gaming Performance

Even though demanding games cannot always be displayed in maximum details at the native resolution of 3840 x 2160, the GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop does offer a lot of gaming power. Less demanding and/or older titles can be displayed smoothly at 4K in full graphic splendor. That would have been unthinkable only a few years ago. Find out how the Aero 17 HDR YC fares in individual games in the table displayed below. 

The Witcher 3
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=222, last 2 years)
117.9 fps +23%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK
96.1 (74min) fps
Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
82.6 (69min) fps -14%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
75.3 (63min) fps -22%
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
75.1 (62min) fps -22%
Aorus 17G XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
73.6 (62min) fps -23%
3840x2160 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Gaming
  (50.6 - 167.6, n=48, last 2 years)
106.9 fps +58%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, i9-10980HK
67.5 (55min) fps
MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
49.8 (43min) fps -26%
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, i7-10875H
49.7 (44min) fps -26%
low med. high ultraQHD4K
GTA V (2015) 179 172 154 90.7 88
The Witcher 3 (2015) 175 96.1 67.5
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 152 137 129 122 101
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 115 102 83.8 63.5
Battlefield V (2018) 149 142 117 74.9
Apex Legends (2019) 144 144 138 78
Far Cry New Dawn (2019) 113 100 90 58
Metro Exodus (2019) 92.5 74.2 57.9 38.2
The Division 2 (2019) 123 96 69 38
Anno 1800 (2019) 83.3 47 45.6 30.5
Control (2019) 94.8 62.3 30.9
Borderlands 3 (2019) 103 85.5 62.5 34.9
Need for Speed Heat (2019) 97.5 93.4 77.5 51
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) 102 98.4 86.1 49.1
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2019) 93.1 61 50.3 32.8
Crysis Remastered (2020) 88.9 61.5 49.3 29.3
Star Wars Squadrons (2020) 246 237 176 105
FIFA 21 (2020) 249 248 241 193
Watch Dogs Legion (2020) 103 73 56 32
Assassin´s Creed Valhalla (2020) 72 65 54 36
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War (2020) 100 92 68.9 39.8
Immortals Fenyx Rising (2020) 98 92 76 50
Cyberpunk 2077 1.0 (2020) 67.6 60.6 42.3 21.4

Emissions

System Noise

Although the 17-inch device cannot be considered quiet, the Aero 17 HDR YC is calmer that most of its competition despite its powerful CPU/GPU combination. We measured an average noise level of 42 dB(A) during The Witcher 3, which is similar to the Asus Zephyrus S17 (the fan mode "gaming" adds another couple of dB). Most gaming laptops reach over 45 or even 50 dB(A) in this scenario. The Aero 17 HDR YC is similarly inconspicuous while idling, where it reaches a noise level of 30 to 32 dB(A) (short peaks up to 36 dB(A)). Naturally, the noise levels vary depending on the performance and fan profile (the device can be silent in quiet mode, for example). 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.937.231.528.6292528.233.131.126.122.231393931.932.627.44024.531.925.919.629.75034.933.433.218.442.96328.121.722.117.435.88022.518.320.217.129.410024.818.718.814.832.212527.719.521.515.430.616031.123.526.720.23220029.523.223.620.529.625030.722.124.321.232.131532.223.126.519.634.240031.622.925.31633.350032.123.426.219.935.263036.821.724.917.836.580032.520.424.113.644.3100032.519.724.213.235.7125034.320.725.912.237.8160035.220.226.112.238.620003519.22511.838.4250033.31923.812.236.8315032.615.924.612.936.340003415.220.413.137.3500030.7151913.335.8630027.514.416.513.432.1800023.314.114.913.4281000018.814.114.613.223.91250016.314.314.612.718.51600016.814.815.412.116.7SPL44.93135.626.349.2N51.42.30.86.8median 31.6median 19.5median 24.1median 13.4median 34.2Delta4.23.93.32.84.3hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseGigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC

Noise Level

Idle
30 / 32 / 36 dB(A)
Load
45 / 49 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 26 dB(A)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU		Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		Average of class Gaming
 
Noise
-3%
-7%
-11%
-12%
7%
off / environment *
26
25
4%
30
-15%
30
-15%
30
-15%
24.1 ?(19.5 - 29.9, n=180, last 2 years)
7%
Idle Minimum *
30
32
-7%
32
-7%
35
-17%
35
-17%
25.7 ?(21.9 - 41.6, n=181, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Average *
32
35
-9%
33
-3%
36
-13%
36
-13%
27.4 ?(21.9 - 42.1, n=181, last 2 years)
14%
Idle Maximum *
36
43
-19%
40
-11%
41
-14%
38
-6%
30.8 ?(21.9 - 47, n=181, last 2 years)
14%
Load Average *
45
44
2%
47
-4%
47
-4%
47
-4%
43.2 ?(25.2 - 62.9, n=181, last 2 years)
4%
Witcher 3 ultra *
42
41
2%
46
-10%
48
-14%
49
-17%
Load Maximum *
49
45
8%
48
2%
49
-0%
54
-10%
53.5 ?(43 - 68.2, n=181, last 2 years)
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

The disadvantage of the moderate noise level is that it causes high temperatures. While the surfaces remain below the 30 °C mark for the most part while idling, the bottom of the base unit heats up to 60 °C in some areas during 3D operation, which is why we wouldn't recommend keeping the device on your lap while gaming. The inside of the device heats up noticeably as well. After 60 minutes of The Witcher 3, the Core i9-10980HK and the GeForce RTX 3080 settle down at around 80 °C. The temperatures were similar during our stress test with the tools FurMark and Prime95,  but the GPU throttled and the CPU turbo was hardly active at all.  

The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Stress test
Stress test
Full load top
Full load top
Full load bottom
Full load bottom
Max. Load
 44 °C
111 F		51 °C
124 F		47 °C
117 F		 
 34 °C
93 F		41 °C
106 F		40 °C
104 F		 
 34 °C
93 F		35 °C
95 F		35 °C
95 F		 
Maximum: 51 °C = 124 F
Average: 40.1 °C = 104 F
55 °C
131 F		58 °C
136 F		45 °C
113 F
55 °C
131 F		54 °C
129 F		41 °C
106 F
38 °C
100 F		38 °C
100 F		39 °C
102 F
Maximum: 58 °C = 136 F
Average: 47 °C = 117 F
Power Supply (max.)  45 °C = 113 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.1 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 51 °C / 124 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 58 °C / 136 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.7 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 42.1 °C / 108 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-11.1 °C / -20 F).
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU		Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		Average of class Gaming
 
Heat
5%
-5%
7%
4%
5%
Maximum Upper Side *
51
57
-12%
52
-2%
48
6%
53
-4%
46.1 ?(28.2 - 60, n=180, last 2 years)
10%
Maximum Bottom *
58
51
12%
59
-2%
59
-2%
59
-2%
49.4 ?(30 - 66, n=180, last 2 years)
15%
Idle Upper Side *
29
28
3%
34
-17%
26
10%
27
7%
31.3 ?(21.2 - 42.8, n=180, last 2 years)
-8%
Idle Bottom *
34
28
18%
33
3%
29
15%
29
15%
32.5 ?(22.6 - 45, n=180, last 2 years)
4%

* ... smaller is better

Speaker

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.6292526.125.73132.636.34019.631.15018.443.76317.429.98017.13110014.834.812515.434.316020.241.620020.553.625021.263.431519.663400166450019.971.863017.878.380013.677100013.275.5125012.273.7160012.271.3200011.872.2250012.266.5315012.972.1400013.175.8500013.374.2630013.475.6800013.468.81000013.263.71250012.761.11600012.163.1SPL26.385.6N0.867.6median 13.4median 68.8Delta2.86.235.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseGigabyte Aero 17 HDR YCApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 38% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 22% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Thanks to the graphics switching technology (Nvidia Optimus), the 17-inch device is very frugal in idle mode and during simple applications that are taken care of by the processor's integrated graphics chip. Under load, the positive side of the RTX 3080 Laptop's low TDP becomes visible. We measured a consumption of 113 - 237 Watt, which is very decent for the available performance. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.9 / 2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 17 / 21 / 33 Watt
Load midlight 113 / 237 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 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU		Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q		Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q		Average of class Gaming
 
Power Consumption
12%
-7%
-7%
3%
8%
Idle Minimum *
17
10
41%
15
12%
20
-18%
16
6%
13.8 ?(2 - 64, n=177, last 2 years)
19%
Idle Average *
21
16
24%
20
5%
23
-10%
19
10%
19.2 ?(8 - 67, n=177, last 2 years)
9%
Idle Maximum *
33
29
12%
42
-27%
38
-15%
30
9%
27 ?(9 - 101.1, n=177, last 2 years)
18%
Load Average *
113
143
-27%
150
-33%
105
7%
109
4%
111.1 ?(32.1 - 202, n=177, last 2 years)
2%
Witcher 3 ultra *
157
146
7%
170
-8%
158
-1%
167
-6%
Load Maximum *
237
205
14%
210
11%
243
-3%
246
-4%
251 ?(64.5 - 418, n=176, last 2 years)
-6%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Graphics switching technology and the large 99-Wh battery (was 94 Wh) make the Aero 17 HDR YC a mobile companion that doesn't always have to rely on mains power supply. The battery lasts over 10 hours while idling at minimum brightness and around 6 hours while browsing the web at average brightness. Both these results are very good for a gaming notebook. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
10h 20min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 54min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 32min
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC
i9-10980HK, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU, 99 Wh		Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, 76 Wh		MSI Creator 17 A10SGS
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, 82 Wh		Aorus 17G XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, 94 Wh		Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XB
i7-10875H, GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q, 94 Wh		Average of class Gaming
 
Battery Runtime
-41%
-27%
23%
17%
-5%
Reader / Idle
620
208
-66%
434
-30%
598
-4%
592
-5%
543 ?(57 - 1290, n=83, last 2 years)
-12%
WiFi v1.3
354
170
-52%
266
-25%
450
27%
372
5%
369 ?(57 - 745, n=179, last 2 years)
4%
Load
92
88
-4%
67
-27%
134
46%
140
52%
84.5 ?(40 - 173, n=141, last 2 years)
-8%

Pros

+ great 4K display (brightness, color space, ...)
+ stable and high-quality case
+ good input devices
+ abundant connectivity
+ good battery life
+ slim build
+ unobtrusive design

Cons

- secondary functions not backlit
- high temperature development
- inconvenient webcam position
- very expensive

Verdict

Aero 17 HDR YC: Test unit provided by Gigabyte Germany
Aero 17 HDR YC: Test unit provided by Gigabyte Germany

Despite the availability of Ampere notebooks being all but secure, Gigabyte has presented their Aero 17 HDR YC with a technical update. This is a well-made high-end notebook that - like its predecessor - is characterized by its particularly outstanding 4K display and the strong battery.

The flat, high-quality case also offers good input devices and sufficient ports (including Thunderbolt 3). The device's other elements (RAM, storage device etc.) are good as well.

We have mixed feelings about the GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop. Sure, its graphics performance is very good for notebook standards, but its speeds are nonetheless extremely limited compared to the desktop version.

Download your licensed rating image as SVG / PNG

Price and availability

The device is available on Newegg for $3.700 at the time of testing. 

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC - 01/26/2021 v7
Florian Glaser

Chassis
87 / 98 → 89%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
69 / 80 → 86%
Weight
58 / 10-66 → 86%
Battery
68 / 95 → 72%
Display
94%
Games Performance
96%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
77 / 95 → 81%
Noise
70 / 90 → 78%
Audio
77%
Camera
39 / 85 → 45%
Average
76%
88%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR YC Laptop in review: Debut for Nvidia Ampere
Florian Glaser, 2021-01-26 (Update: 2021-04-14)