GigaByte Aero 15

GigaByte is well known for its computer components, particularly graphics cards and motherboards, but the brand is also a major force in laptops - gaming laptops in particular.

The GigaByte Aero 15 is the company's 2017 flagship. Numerous professional testers have praised not only its gaming capabilities, but thanks to its pared down build, also its viability as a general-purpose laptop.

GigaByte Gaming Laptop: Hardware & Performance

Measuring 250 x 335 x 20 mm and weighing 2.1 kg, the GigaByte Aero 15 may be large - but not in the universe of gaming laptops. Not only has the brand managed to squeeze a 15.6 inch display into a chassis sized for a 14 inch model, it has also cut weight down enough to enable a reasonable degree of portability.

The 15.6 inch Full HD TFT display is X-RIte Pantone certified and delivers sharp, detailed images for an extremely satisfying viewing experience. Colours could be more vibrant, but the matte quality of the display is also easier on the eyes during long gaming sessions. The brand is expected to release the product with a Quad HD display later in the year, but this would negatively impact battery life and raise the price.

The keyboard is comfortably tactile, providing plenty of feedback. The RGB backlighting is fully customisable, and you can control fan speed via the function keys. The touchpad is acceptable, though not perfect. It isn't Microsoft certiified, which means that it doesn't support the common and convenient multi-touch gestures many users now rely on.

Connectivity is solid. The machine is equipped with a mini DisplayPort, HDMi 2.0 input, 3x USB 3.0, USB Type-C, headphone and microphone jacks, a memory card slot, and of course WiFi and Bluetooth. You also get a webcam and stereo speakers.

Gaming performance is outstanding. The Aero 15 easily managed everything testers threw at it. Thanks are due to the strong internals, which include:

• Processor: Intel Core i7 7700 HQ (Kaby Lake), clocked at 2.8 GHz with maximum turbo of 3.8 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB expandable to 32 GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5
• Storage: 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD

GigaByte Aero 15 Price UK

If you're looking for a productivity laptop that offers some light gaming on the side, then the GigaByte Aero 15 is not the right choice for you. Instead it represents the opposite - it's a product for users who prioritise gaming but also have the need to accomplish some productivity-related tasks on the side. It will set you back at least £1900, but most professional testers believe that it is worth this price.

If you're looking for light gaming on a budget, we recommend you check out the Dell Inspiron 15-7000.

GigaByte's top competitors in the gaming laptop market are: HP, Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Razer, and MSI.