Tech review: Gigabyte Aorus 5 is a decent and affordable gaming laptop

The Aorus 5 is solidly mainstream in both pricing and performance. PHOTO: GIGABYTE

Gaming laptops like the Gigabyte Aorus 5 (available on Amazon, Lazada and Shopee) are the bread and butter of the genre.

The Aorus 5 is solidly mainstream in both pricing and performance. Its price ($2,199) is identical to that of the Lenovo Legion 5i and the Acer Nitro 5. All three notebooks have very similar hardware, such as a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics chip, 16GB of system memory and Wi-Fi 6 support.

The star of the Aorus 5 is arguably the capable yet budget-friendly Nvidia graphics chip. In my testing, the 1660 Ti ran the latest games, such as Doom Eternal and Metro Exodus, without a hitch.

It clocked around 114 frames per second (fps) in Doom Eternal and around 42fps in Metro Exodus at both games' Ultra setting. Both tests were conducted at the 1,920 x 1,080-pixel screen resolution.

In comparison, Gigabyte's premium Aorus 15G gaming notebook, which has a higher-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super graphics chip, was only slightly faster in Doom Eternal at 124fps.

Of course, there is a catch. Unlike the RTX 2060, the GTX 1660 Ti does not support ray tracing, a graphics rendering technique that produces more realistic lighting by simulating the path that light would take in a scene.

But ray tracing takes an enormous toll on performance, even for a high-end RTX graphics chip. Hence, the average gamer looking for the best performance will probably choose not to enable ray tracing.

Another feature that gamers are demanding is a high refresh rate display. The Aorus 5 has this covered with a 144Hz screen that should make a difference for those switching from a standard 60Hz display. While higher-end gaming notebooks may boast screens with a 240Hz or a 300Hz refresh rate, I am satisfied with a 144Hz display, as I find it impossible to distinguish between 144Hz and 240Hz displays.

The screen itself is an in-plane switching (IPS) panel that offers good viewing angles. Colours look neutral while the screen brightness is adequate.

Design-wise, the Aorus 5 looks fairly bland in black. Like the chassis of most mainstream notebooks, its 2.2kg plastic chassis is chunky. It also creaks slightly when I exert pressure on the palm rest.

But the Aorus 5's ample girth is put to good use - there are plenty of ports and connectors, including an Ethernet port, a USB-C port and a mini-DisplayPort.

Given the notebook's budget-friendly slant, the keyboard unsurprisingly lacks per-key RGB illumination. You can only choose from among 15 colours for the backlight, instead of the 16.8 million colours for a higher-end model. The keys, though, are bouncy with good tactile feedback and decent key travel.

Thanks to its good cooling system, the keyboard feels cool and comfortable even while running a video game for hours. But because its exhaust fans are at the sides of the laptop, warm air was constantly being blown at my mouse-holding right hand. This is my biggest grouse with the Aorus 5.

Like most gaming notebooks, the Aorus 5 has poor battery stamina. It lasted 4hr in The Straits Times video-loop test with the screen brightness set to maximum.

FOR

Competitive price

Good performance for its price

144Hz refresh rate display

AGAINST

Direction of heat exhaust

Plastic chassis feels creaky in some places

SPECS

Price: $2,199

Processor: Intel Core i7-10750H (2.6GHz)

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GDDR6 6GB

RAM: 16GB DDR4

Screen size: 15.6 inches, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels

Connectivity: USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, HDMI, Mini-DisplayPort, SD card reader, Ethernet port, headphone jacks

Battery: 49 watt-hour

RATING

Features: 4/5

Design: 3.5/5

Performance: 4.5/5

Value for money: 4/5

Battery life: 3.5/5

Overall: 4/5

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