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Review: Aorus X7

by Parm Mann on 29 January 2014, 17:00

Tags: AORUS, Gigabyte (TPE:2376), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab77f

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Conclusion

Armed with a quad-core Intel Haswell processor, 16GB of memory and not one but two GeForce GTX 765M GPUs, the X7 offer a levels of performance that historically has been limited to laptops twice as thick.

The X7 is a signal of Aorus' intent. Entering a market as fiercely competitive as gaming laptops is a daunting task, yet the Gigabyte subsidiary is off to a promising start with an eye-catching product that attracts attention for many of the right reasons.

Built into a slim aluminium frame, the X7 is a gaming laptop that precariously attempts to balance style and substance. Measuring just 22.9mm thick, this 17.3in machine is slight in appearance and full-blooded in use. Armed with a quad-core Intel Haswell processor, 16GB of memory and not one but two GeForce GTX 765M GPUs, the X7 offer a levels of performance that historically have been limited to laptops twice as thick.

The end result is an admirable first attempt, yet while our initial reaction is positive, the X7 has perhaps been too eager to make a lasting impression. Launching the world's thinnest, lightest GTX SLI gaming laptop has created the desired amount of hype, but looking past the marketing reveals a shortcoming in battery life.

All signs suggest that we won't witness gaming-laptop perfection until the next-generation of lower-power GPUs. Until then, the Aorus X7 offers a tricky compromise: be prepared to sacrifice battery life and you'll be rewarded with a level of performance that no other thin laptop can match.

The Good

Will play the latest games in full-HD
Quad-core Intel Haswell processor
Dual GeForce GTX 765M graphics
Comfortable backlit keyboard
Extremely fast storage array
Surprising sound system
Can drive three external screens
Memory can be expanded to 32GB
Wireless AC, Killer NIC and five USB ports

The Bad

Mediocre battery life
Can get loud when gaming
SLI comes at the expense of Optimus

HEXUS.awards


Aorus X7

HEXUS.where2buy

The Aorus X7 gaming laptop is now available to purchase from Overclockers UK.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



HEXUS Forums :: 7 Comments

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TN panel … not on my list for a large screen laptop.
One question.
Why a number pad on a gaming laptop? Is it needed for gaming?
Myss_tree
TN panel … not on my list for a large screen laptop.
One question.
Why a number pad on a gaming laptop? Is it needed for gaming?

Sometimes the extra buttons are nice for macros or whatever, but you can't make the main keyboard any bigger, it's already full size above 15" so what are you suggesting goes there instead?
This is what I like, 1080p in 17“ (not 3K or 4K in 15” hate those things) and shows promising results in the benchmarks which I expected to be worse but they are at the best for gaming and that is perfect for a lot.
8ms screen response is not 5 or 2,i would have considered with a faster display
Too big. Give me a 14inch version.