Today we're taking a closer look at the Gigabyte Aero 15X (2018 model), which was launched alongside Intel's new H-series Java Lake processors a couple of weeks ago. Bringing up to six cores and 12 threads to the laptop form factor, we've covered the new CPUs in depth already, so at present our focus is on Gigabyte'due south latest premium laptop.

We looked at the original Aero xv last year and were pretty impressed with nearly aspects. The Aero 15X is not a massive departure from what we had earlier, but we there are hardware improvements and other changes that assistance refine the laptop. And Gigabyte is primal to stress this isn't just a gaming laptop, merely a motorcar designed for productivity, and that shows with features like an Ten-Rite certified brandish.

Key to this 2018 refresh is the Intel Core i7-8750H, which brings half dozen cores to laptops for the first time and presents a decent upgrade over the older quad-core Core i7-7700HQ, particularly for productivity. The GPU options stay the same: a GeForce GTX 1060 in the base model and a GTX 1070 Max-Q in the Aero 15X version we're looking at today. The SSD is still 512GB and nosotros become a single 16GB stick of DDR4.

Another central improvement is the new 15.6-inch 1080p display. This new panel volition no doubtfulness be used beyond a wide range of laptops, as information technology provides a 144 Hz refresh rate for the first time at this size. Previously we were limited to 120Hz on most laptops, and so the 24Hz increase is squeamish for those who like gaming at the upper cease of frame rates.

Y'all don't get M-Sync with this laptop, which I idea was a little foreign though it's likely to keep costs downward. G-Sync would accept improved the smoothness of games, particularly when running beneath 60 FPS, only provided you are pushing into the 80+ FPS range, not having adaptive sync isn't a massive outcome.

In fact, let'southward talk a fleck more near this display, because it's ane of the more interesting aspects of this laptop.

The Aero 15X has super slim bezels around iii of the sides, which makes the overall size of this laptop smaller and maximizes the screen you lot get in the available space. I really love this sort of design and wish more than companies would opt for this blazon of bezel setup.

Information technology does have a few drawbacks, nearly notably the webcam position below the display that gives a rather unpleasant angle to your video calls. I don't personally use the webcam very often, and then it's not a big deal for me, but anyone that is a frequent user should be aware of this merchandise-off.

Gamers get to bask the 144Hz refresh rate of this panel, just professionals don't miss out at all. The Aero 15X, like its predecessor, is 10-Rite Pantone certified, meaning the display is factory calibrated to the sRGB standard. This is important for professionals that demand color accurate displays, and while the calibration is provided through a software profile, it's meliorate than the complete lack of calibration you get with virtually laptop displays.

Brightness has increased compared to last year'south model to around 320 nits, up from 280 nits, and that brings a pocket-size increase in contrast. Viewing angles are withal quite adept, too.

Thanks to calibration, average temperature and gamma are almost spot on, with relatively fifty-fifty performance across the greyscale range. My Aero 15X unit is less accurate than the original Aero xv, at an average greyscale deltaE of 1.62 as opposed to 0.52, but both results are under 2.0 which is pretty expert. Information technology'southward also likely that simply 1 display profile was created for all Aero 15X laptops, so there will exist some natural variance betwixt units.

Saturation and ColorChecker results sit at a dE of ii.34 and 2.59 respectively, so again effectually ane.0 college than with the original Aero fifteen. Not every bit rock solid accurate equally I'd like to see, and every bit we got with the original model, only information technology's all the same a pretty respectable result and certainly a lot improve than nearly laptops. Gaming laptops in item are frequently fairly inaccurate, but the Aero 15X is good in this regard and provides that extra refresh rate.

The pattern and construction hasn't changed significantly compared to the original Aero fifteen. The torso is a mix of metal and plastic, with several seams around the identify that doesn't give it quite the same premium experience as the best metallic-body laptops. The edges in particular are a trivial strange, though I practise like the color options for the lid.

The good news is the body is extremely solid, with basically no flex in any area, fifty-fifty if yous're mashing the keyboard. Speaking of the keyboard, once once again yous get an individually RGB LED backlit keyboard with a solid tactile feel and a handy numpad. I actually like how this keyboard feels to type on, so information technology's perfect for whacking together a Discussion document, and naturally information technology'due south good for gaming, as well. The ELAN trackpad is okay, though I'd still adopt a college-end trackpad with ameliorate, more than precise tracking.

If you lot like ports, the Aero 15X has got enough of them. Three USB iii.0 type-A ports, a Thunderbolt iii USB-C port, Ethernet, HDMI ii.0, mini-DisplayPort 1.4, a unmarried 3.5mm audio jack, and a fast UHS-II SD card reader.

The Aero 15X'due south chassis is very portable, at eighteen.9mm thick and approximately 4.iv pounds (2.0 kg) heavy not including the necessary power brick. It's non the slimmest or lightest laptop I've seen with these specs, but it's more compact, extremely solid, and far more portable than cheaper, thicker gaming laptops. Afterwards all, you're paying for the portability, and Gigabyte has delivered.

Amazingly, these sorts of dimensions take been achieved without skimping on the battery, which remains at a huge 94 Wh.

Want to know what's within the Aero 15X? With a T6 screwdriver and a spudger, it's straightforward to remove the bottom panel, exposing a standard layout. The battery sits at the lesser, while there's a dual-fan cooler with two heatpipes at the top, sending heat abroad from the central GPU and CPU to the remarkably tiny heatsinks. In the front right corner you'll spot a spare M.2 slot compatible with NVMe and SATA drives, while in that location'south also a free DIMM slot. Yes, the Aero 15X comes configured with single-channel memory.

Considering the extra performance you can get with dual-channel retention, which I'll go through in just a moment, I'd highly recommend grabbing an extra 16GB stick of DDR4-2666 and slotting it straight in. Unfortunately with current retention prices, this could cost you as much as $200, and while information technology'southward nice Gigabyte leaves a complimentary DIMM slot for you to upgrade to 32GB, out of the box functioning is reduced.