Gigabyte Aorus 15G Gaming Laptop Review

The latest game news from IGN - one of my fave channels ever - check it out A little under a year ago, I was beyond excited to finally get my hands on a gaming laptop with Intel’s 10th Generation H-series processor and an RTX 2070 inside of it. It was the Gigabyte Aorus 15G, and all things considered, it was a fantastic laptop. Fast forward to early 2021, however, and now I have yet another version of the Aorus 15G on my desk. Only this time it has an Intel Core i7-10870H (compared to an i7-10875H in last year’s build) and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 with Max-Q. And while on the outside there aren’t many, if any, differences between the two laptops, what’s on the inside is what really matters here. During CES 2021, Nvidia revealed the mobile versions of the RTX 30-series processors, all which promise improved performance and impressive gaming specs on a laptop. For the last few weeks I’ve been testing the just-released Aorus 15G, and well, it’s been a treat.

Gigabyte Aorus 15G – Specs

Here are the specifications of the Gigabyte Aorus 15G I've been testing:

• Model: Gigabyte Aorus 15G XC
• Display: 1‎5.6-inch FHD anti-glare IPS LCD 240Hz (1920x1080)
• Processor: 1‎0th Gen Intel Core i7-10870H 2.2GHz (16M cache, 5.0GHz Turbo)
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 with Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)
• Memory: 32GB 3200MHz DDR4
• OS: Windows 10 Home
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Webcam: 720p webcam
• Ports: 3x USB 3.2 Gen. 1 x USB 3.2 Gen. 1 Type-C, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x miniDisplayPort 1.4, 1 x 3.5mm headphone/audio jack, 1 x SD card reader, 1 x RF-45 Ethernet jack
• Connectivity: WiFi 6 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0
• Dimensions: 14 x 9.6 x 0.9-inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 4.4-pounds
• Price: $1,799

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Gigabyte Aorus 15G – Design

If it’s not broke don’t fix it, right? And that’s exactly what Gigabyte is doing here with the Aorus 15G. To my memory, it’s nearly identical to the 2020 15G, except that the model I have on my desk right now is a dark gray, almost black. On the smooth lid is a silver Aorus logo, and nothing else. Opening the lid, the first thing you notice is the individually-lit RGB keyboard keys and the honeycomb-like texture above them. This doesn’t have a mechanical keyboard, which is a bummer. The chiclet keys, however, have been a pleasure to type and game on. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=c75448ad-014d-42a4-a3b7-f365a6267dd5"] The power button is centered with the display and blends into the textured pattern. Just above the power button is the 720p webcam – yes, it’s below the screen. Although, depending on the position of the privacy switch out of the box, you may not even realize that the webcam is there. When the switch is pushed to the right your camera is covered and unusable. To the left allows the camera to see you, and provides for some great up-the-nose shots. The reason the webcam is below the 15.6-inch display is because the bezels on either side and the top are impressively thin. They surround a display which boasts a 240Hz refresh rate and a 1920 x 1080 resolution. The Aorus 15G has an abundance of ports, allowing you to connect quite a few different things without the need for a hub. On the left side of the deck, from front to back, is an RJ 45 Ethernet port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, miniDisplayPort 1.4 connection and an HDMI 2.1 port. Flanking the opposite side in the same order, you’ll find two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C port, a full-size SD card reader and the charging port. When the ports end, you’ll find vents for the cooling system until you get to the back edge of the housing. Below the keyboard is a trackpad of moderate size, but I didn’t use it much, opting instead to use a gaming mouse connected to the laptop. When I did use the trackpad, it was smooth if not a little finicky when it came to dragging files across the desktop or figuring out where the imaginary border that separates left and right click was located. With its small bezels and brightly lit keyboard, there’s a lot to like about the Aorus 15G’s design. It’s not over done and doesn’t scream “look at me I’m a gaming laptop,” yet it has an edge to it that’s easy to appreciate. I would, however, give up the thin bezel around the top of the display for a better placed webcam.

Gigabyte Aorus 15G – Performance and gaming

Inside this build is a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870H processor, an Nvidia RTX-3070 with Max-Q tuning, 512GB of SSD storage and 32GB of memory. The spec sheet makes it out to be a workhorse, and indeed it is. Here’s a look at its benchmark results compared to the MSI GS66 Stealth with an RTX 3080, and the Razer Blade Advanced with an RTX 2080 Super:

Benchmarks	Gigabyte Aorus 15G XC	MSI GS66 Stealth	MSI GS66 Stealth (QHD Perf)	Razer Blade 15 Advanced
Price as tested	$1,799	TBA	TBA	$2,799
CPU	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i7-10870H	Intel Core i7-10875H
GPU	Nvidia RTX 3070 w/Max-Q	Nvidia RTX 3080	Nvidia RTX 3080	Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
3DMark Time Spy	8851	9623	N/A	7680
3DMark Fire Strike	19229	19725	N/A	16593
3DMark Night Raid	44820	40996	N/A	35805
Total War: Three Kingdoms	113	83	53	64
Borderlands 3	77	89	65	65
Metro Exodus	52	64	56	48.98
Unigine Heaven 4.0	116	124	78	103
PCMark 10	6403	5892	N/A	5467
PCMark 10 Battery Test	4:41	5:44	N/A	6:14

  As you can see, the 15G trades scores with the GS66, besting it in one test, and falling behind in the next. Overall, it’s much closer than I thought it would be. As for comparisons to the Blade Advanced, while that’s a powerful machine, it can’t keep up with the Aorus 15G. All benchmarks on the 15G were run without the Azure AI feature enabled, which in my anecdotal testing revealed a 10-20% boost in performance, as was the case on last year’s 15G build. Outside of regular everyday tasks like watching videos on YouTube or a Twitch stream and browsing, all of which the 15G handled with relative ease, I spent a lot of time playing Warzone. I ran several tests, keeping an eye on the average frames per second over the course of the last minute by using the Xbox Game Bar overlay. I recorded the scores and then averaged them for each different test scenario. Before I started capturing any numbers for the first test, I went into the Aorus Control Center application and turned the CPU to Boost and the GPU to Turbo, both of which were as high as they could go. I played a few rounds of Call of Duty: Warzone with RTX enabled at 1080p and all graphics settings as high as they could go. The 15G averaged 134 FPS with RTX on, and 131 with it turned off. One thing to note here, the GPU temp hit 86-degrees Celsius and stayed there for the duration of any match. I enabled the GPU temp overlay that's built into Warzone, and it turns red when it hits that temperature, otherwise I wouldn’t have noticed it. After a few games, I set the CPU and GPU back to their default performance settings and gave Warzone another shot, taking measurements with RTX turned on and off. With RTX on, the 15G put up a respectable 124 FPS. With RTX off, it was almost the same, with an average of 125 FPS. Better yet, the temperature stayed right around 83-degrees Celsius. The display looks good, but quickly transitions to great with Pantone color tuning turned on. The colors have a realistic feel without being blown out. As I previously mentioned, I’d see a small boost when I had the Azure AI feature enabled, but that also forced the fans to kick on full blast in an attempt to control the system’s temperature. Speaking of the fans, they’re loud when you’re pushing the system to its performance limits. Loud enough that I wasn’t able to discern which direction enemy footsteps or random sniper shots were coming from. In spite of the fans, the speakers sound good when you’re not gaming. Still, I’d recommend you have a reliable pair of headphones handy if you’re going to do any gaming at all. That’s to be expected, though. My loudest complaint about this 15G build is its SSD with only 512GB of space. I pushed it to its limits after just a few games and programs. It’s really not a lot for a dedicated gaming machine.

Gigabyte Aorus 15G – Battery life

Gigabyte claims the 15G will power through 8 hours of use when on battery, and just like most of these tests, I saw lower battery life than the manufacturer’s claim. I ran IGN’s standard battery benchmark test, which uses PCMark 10’s Modern Office battery benchmark. The test mimics real world use cases and simulates someone working on the laptop. Prior to running the test, I adjust the display brightness to 50%., turn off all extraneous connections (Bluetooth, GPS) and the keyboard backlight, but leave Wi-Fi turned on. The Aorus 15G lasted 283 minutes, or 4 hours and 41 minutes, before it powered down. That’s 21 minutes longer than last year’s Aorus 15G, and nothing to discount. A battery life of four hours on a gaming laptop, while becoming more common, is a welcome feature. If you take the time to fine-tune system performance in the ControlCenter app, you can likely squeeze more out of the battery, but it’d be far fetched to hit the company’s 8 hour estimate.

Gigabyte Aorus 15G – Software

Gigabyte continues to take a hands-off approach to preinstalled software, including only what’s necessary. This time, the Aorus Control Center was pre installed and available out of the box, allowing me to install other applications and driver updates using the Smart Utilities tab. I still struggle to find the reasoning for not including some of the headlining apps, like Azure AI, out of the box instead of making the user hunt down how to install it (it’s not entirely obvious, and if I hadn’t struggled with this process a year ago, I likely would have struggled again). [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=I%20respect%20and%20appreciate%20the%20fact%20that%20Gigabyte%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20load%20its%20products%20up%20with%20bloatware%20and%20unneeded%20apps"] Heck, there’s a sticker on the deck of the housing that advertises Microsoft Azure AI as a feature of the 15G, yet I had to hunt down where to install it. The Control Center is your one-stop-shop for core system tweaks, like switching the CPU and GPU to Boost and Turbo modes, respectively. You can also create shortcuts for apps, control the Fusion lighting on the keyboard, and view your battery or storage drive’s health. It’s handy, but I didn’t spend much time using it and don’t suspect you will either. Outside of the extra work it requires to get the system completely set up, I respect and appreciate the fact that Gigabyte doesn’t load its products up with bloatware and unneeded apps.

Purchasing Guide

Gigabyte has three different models of the Aorus 15G, with the one I reviewed sitting right in the middle of the other two at a $1,799 price. The higher end Aorus 15G YC is nearly identical, except that it has an RTX 3080 w/Max-Q and 1TB of storage for $1,999. The Aorus 15G KC drops to an RTX 3060 and 16GB of memory for $1,499.99. If I were buying any of these models, I’d pick up the Aorus 15G YC for the $200 premium over the XC, gaining a faster GPU and more storage for little money.

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