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Review: Aorus X7 Pro

by Parm Mann on 23 October 2014, 15:30

Tags: AORUS

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Conclusion

Aorus's familiar-looking machine ups the ante with an improved IPS display, a Core i7-4870HQ processor and, not one, but two GeForce GTX GTX 970M GPUs.

Aorus is determined to extend the life of its X7 chassis, and with good reason - this remains one of the trendiest 17.3in gaming laptops around.

With the introduction of the third-generation X7 Pro, Aorus's familiar-looking machine ups the ante with an improved IPS display, a Core i7-4870HQ processor and, not one, but two GeForce GTX GTX 970M GPUs.

Put those ingredients into the mix with a couple of SSDs and dual-channel DDR3 memory and gaming performance is better than ever. The X7 Pro delivers exceptional frame rates in most games at the native 1080p with all the eye candy turned on, and put simply, we've never seen a gaming laptop as capable as this.

The laptop's gaming credentials are excellent, there's no doubt about that, but Aorus's relentless pursuit of speed has left room for improvement in other areas. Battery life is still lacking, CPU throttling remains an issue, and fan noise is as prominent as ever.

Such drawbacks were understandable in first- and, perhaps, second-generation designs. But this is now a third-generation revamp, and with the price tag rising to Ā£1,999, the X7 Pro's shortcomings are becoming harder to ignore. Willing to accept the trade-offs? Then make no mistake, the X7 Pro is very, very fast.

The Good
 
The Bad
Incredible gaming performance
Dual GTX 970M graphics
High-speed M.2 storage array
Thin for a 17.3in gaming laptop
 
Mediocre battery life
Gets loud when gaming
CPU will throttle under load



Aorus X7 Pro

HEXUS.where2buy

The Aorus X7 Pro gaming laptop is available to pre-order at Overclockers.co.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 :: 12 Comments

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While the drawbacks are understandable for a system that's this thin, it does make you wonder why don't they shut the gpus when in battery mode and add a docking cooling station for gaming sessions.
nice spec but too heavy
Just seems pointless overkill in the GPU department don't you think? What's the point in 130-odd FPS? As the review mentions, the setup demands a higher res really. Don't understand why you'd pay the premium over something that can run titles comfortable over 60fps with better battery life. If you're hooking it up to an external display it kind of defeats the point..!
Considering that you cannot easily upgrade the CPU and GPU in most laptops,it would mean you would get good longevity as a gaming machine I suspect.
Personally, I could never justify such a lap top when I have a desktop to do all that hi-res gaming stuff, and a laptop for mobile work related stuff.