GIGABYTE AERO 15X
The original Gigabyte Aero 15X was already at the top of its game when it came to slim and lightweight gaming laptops. Its thin bezels were ahead of its time, and the edge-to-edge IPS display was vibrant and gorgeous to look at.
However, its 60Hz panel was still a glaring weakness for a gaming laptop. Gigabyte obviously realized this, and 2018’s Aero 15X now boasts a 144Hz
IPS display for silky smooth gameplay.
That’s not the only change however, and the laptop also sports a range of other small improvements.
For starters, the keyboard now supports N-key rollover, or 80 simultaneous key presses to be specific, so you shouldn’t run into problems for games that require you to execute complicated combos. In addition, there are per-key lighting customizations so you have access to nearly limitless options.
For such a thin laptop, the keyboard is surprisingly springy and o ers nice feedback. The slightly concave keys also help guide your ngers into place.
The SD card reader has also been upgraded to a faster UHS-II interface, which supposedly delivers up to 12 times quicker read and write speeds than the USB 3.0 interface on the previous model.
Finally, the dual 2-watt speakers add support for Dolby Atmos, but you shouldn’t expect too much from them. While audio comes through clearly enough, the speakers are still lacking in the lower frequencies.
The Aero 15X’s display remains one of the best I’ve seen on a laptop. Colors appear spot-on and vibrant, with pleasing contrast levels. My only complaint is that the screen can feel a little dim, so a boost in brightness would have been nice.
The razor-thin bezels on the Aero 15X are some of the thinnest on a gaming laptop.
The screen is gorgeous to look at, but some sacrifices had to be made to accommodate the thin bezels, and the webcam sits at the bottom, just as it did on the previous model.
Unfortunately, the touchpad is merely average. It’s not a Windows Precision Touchpad, and it overall feels less precise than the one on the new Razer Blade. It also doesn’t support certain three- or fourfingered Windows 10 gestures.
The ebony aluminum chassis feels well put together, and it now comes in a new all-black color scheme. The laptop is also marginally thinner and lighter than its predecessor, measuring just 18.9mm thick and weighing 2kg.
I thought the Aero 15X v7 was a little on the heavy side, so I’ll take whatever weight reductions Gigabyte can work into this model.