GIGABYTE AERO X16 Review: The Ultimate Student Laptop
Table of Contents
University life is an exhilarating yet demanding journey, filled with academic pressures, social engagements, and countless responsibilities. Amidst this whirlwind, one tool stands out as having a profound impact on a student’s daily life: their laptop.
Given the necessity of staying on campus and frequently needing to study or work on the go, a capable and reliable laptop isn’t just a luxury—it’s an absolute must.
Today, we turn our attention to the GIGABYTE AERO X16, a laptop that we believe is specifically crafted to meet these unique demands. Why do we think so? Join us as we delve into our comprehensive review to uncover its strengths and suitability for the modern student.
GIGABYTE AERO X16 Overview
Build
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 is engineered with portability at its core, boasting an impressively slender profile of just 16.7 millimeters in thickness and a weight of approximately 1.9 kilograms. Its exterior features an exquisite anodizing and sandblasting finish, achieved through GIGABYTE’s exclusive surfacing technology, which imparts a premium texture and feel.
A distinctive iridescent NIL nameplate adds a touch of sophistication, glowing in multiple layers to showcase silicon-grade craftsmanship. Available in both classic Space Gray and a refreshing Lunar White, the laptop’s chassis is constructed from plastic, yet feels remarkably compact for a 16-inch device.
While its 2kg weight may not make it the absolute lightest on the market, it remains comfortably manageable for daily commutes in a backpack. The inclusion of the Lunar White color option also offers a welcome departure from typical laptop aesthetics, allowing users to stand out from the crowd.
Display
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 truly shines with its 16-inch IPS display, featuring a modern 16:10 aspect ratio and stunning 4-sided super-slim bezels. This patented design results in an impressive 92% screen-to-body ratio, delivering a truly immersive visual experience.
The panel boasts a WQXGA resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, complemented by a fast 165 Hz refresh rate and a swift 3ms response time, ensuring smooth and fluid visuals. GIGABYTE claims 100% sRGB color gamut coverage, and the display is Pantone Validated for precise color reproduction—a significant advantage for professionals and students in creative fields who demand high color criticality and adherence to industry standards.
Further enhancing the visual experience are Adaptive Sync for tear-free gaming and a TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certification, designed to reduce eye strain during extended use. Each display is also factory pre-calibrated, promising out-of-the-box accuracy.
However, our independent tests revealed an 87.2% sRGB gamut coverage, a noticeable deviation from the advertised 100%. We also observed a slight bias towards green hues, and without the ability to individually adjust RGB brightness, this ultimately contributed to the lower color gamut coverage in our findings.
Audio
For its audio capabilities, the GIGABYTE AERO X16 is equipped with two 2W speakers, enhanced by Dolby Atmos® technology. This setup aims to deliver spatial immersion and realistic audio through virtual 5.1.2-channel surround sound.
In practice, the laptop’s speakers perform adequately for typical laptop use. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking or disappointing about their performance; they are simply decent. For users seeking a more enriched audio experience, especially for media consumption or gaming, investing in a good pair of headphones would be a worthwhile consideration.
Keyboard
The AERO X16 features a Golden Curve Keyboard, distinguished by its larger key caps that are subtly curved inward, creating a comfortable, dish-like structure. Each key boasts a 0.15mm dish, a significant 106% increase in key cap size, and a generous 1.7mm travel distance.
This design collectively provides a comfortable and remarkably silent typing experience, suitable for both intense gaming sessions and prolonged work tasks, operating at less than 30 dB.
Complementing the keyboard is an enlarged touchpad, offering enhanced on-device control and precision. The keyboard also includes a 1-zone RGB backlight, allowing for a touch of personalization.
I/O
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 offers a comprehensive and versatile selection of I/O ports, catering to a wide range of connectivity needs. On the left side, you’ll find a DC-in port for power, an RJ45 Ethernet port for high-speed wired network access, an HDMI 2.1 port for external displays, one Type-A USB 3.2 Gen1 port, and a cutting-edge Type-C USB4 port. The USB4 port is particularly impressive, supporting up to 40Gbps bandwidth, DisplayPort™ 1.4 for video output, and Power Delivery 3.0 for rapid charging of compatible devices.
The right side of the laptop houses an additional Type-A USB 3.2 Gen1 port, a Type-A USB 2.0 port, and a convenient 3.5mm audio jack for mic/headphone combos. The inclusion of an RJ45 Ethernet port is a pleasant surprise, significantly boosting the laptop’s network capabilities. This is especially beneficial for content creators who frequently work with large media files and rely on network-attached storage (NAS) for efficient data transfer and access.
GIGABYTE AERO X16 Internal
CPU
At the heart of the GIGABYTE AERO X16 lies the latest AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processor. Our review unit is powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 Processor, featuring 8 CPU cores and 16 threads, capable of reaching a maximum boost clock of up to 5 GHz, backed by a 16MB cache.
A standout feature of this processor is the integrated XDNA NPU (Neural Processing Unit), which delivers up to 50 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) of AI performance. This dedicated NPU supports AMD Ryzen AI features, specifically designed to accelerate a wide array of AI-driven tasks, making the laptop highly capable for modern AI workloads.
GPU
For graphics prowess, the laptop features the powerful GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. This GPU comes equipped with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM and operates at up to 85 Watts Max TGP (Total Graphics Power), which includes a 15W Dynamic Boost. Built upon the advanced NVIDIA Blackwell architecture, these GPUs offer up to 798 AI TOPS, providing exceptional AI performance for demanding applications.
The system fully supports NVIDIA DLSS 4 for enhanced gaming performance and image generation, and leverages NVIDIA Studio to accelerate creative applications and facilitate AI-assisted workflows, making it an ideal choice for content creators. Furthermore, a MUX Switch is integrated, allowing users to seamlessly switch between the integrated GPU for extended battery life and the discrete GPU for maximum performance when needed.
GPU: Benchmark
To assess the raw graphical power of the GIGABYTE AERO X16, we ran several industry-standard benchmarks:
- 3DMark Speed Way: The laptop scored 2851, indicating strong performance in DirectX 12 Ultimate scenarios.
- 3DMark Steel Nomad: It achieved a score of 2535, showcasing its capability in demanding gaming workloads.
- 3DMark Port Royal: In ray tracing performance, the AERO X16 scored 7254, demonstrating its ability to handle modern graphical effects.
- NVIDIA DLSS Feature Test: With DLSS off, the test yielded 15.62 frames per second (fps). When DLSS was enabled, the performance dramatically improved to 64 fps, highlighting the significant boost this technology provides for compatible titles.
Cooling
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 employs the advanced WINDFORCE Infinity Cooling system to maintain optimal thermal performance within its thin chassis. This system incorporates a pair of 12V power-enhanced fans, meticulously designed to generate high thermal-efficient airflows.
A notable feature is the 0dB Ambience experience, which allows for silent operation in low-power scenarios, dynamically managed by GIGABYTE’s proprietary AI Cooling capabilities via GiMATE. The cooling system is further enhanced by 3D VortX Air-Channeling, featuring two-sided inlets and four-way outlets to ensure efficient three-dimensional airflows. This comprehensive cooling solution is complemented by an Icy Touch Design, which helps maintain a cool surface on the laptop during intensive use, enhancing user comfort.
Battery
The laptop is powered by a substantial 76Wh Li Polymer battery, designed to offer considerable longevity on the go. It supports fast charging, capable of replenishing 50% of its capacity in just 30 minutes, and also features PD 3.0 Type-C Charging for added convenience and compatibility with universal chargers. GIGABYTE officially claims up to 14 hours of battery life for the AERO X16.
However, in our real-world test using PCMark10, we managed to achieve only 6 hours and 1 minute of use. This discrepancy is primarily attributed to our benchmarking process, which was conducted with the dedicated GeForce RTX 5070 GPU actively engaged. If the laptop were to operate predominantly on its iGPU, it is highly probable that it would approach the advertised 14-hour battery life.
GIGABYTE AERO X16 AI Features
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 is positioned as a Copilot+ PC, designed to deliver a new generation of AI-enhanced computing experiences. Central to its AI capabilities is GiMATE, GIGABYTE’s proprietary AI agent. GiMATE offers a range of AI functionalities tailored to user needs and can be conveniently controlled via voice commands using the “Press and Speak” feature.
GiMATE also provides several optimized modes—Balance, Game, Creator, Power Saving, and Online Meeting—each meticulously designed to handle different usage scenarios and optimize performance accordingly. The laptop also incorporates AI Cooling through its WINDFORCE Infinity system, further optimizing thermal management with intelligent algorithms.
Beyond GiMATE, AI-enhanced performance and graphics are significantly boosted by the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 50 Series Laptop GPUs. These GPUs introduce features like NVIDIA DLSS 4, which not only multiplies performance but also enables advanced image generation, and NVIDIA Studio, which accelerates creative applications and facilitates AI-assisted workflows for professionals.
As a Copilot+ PC, the AERO X16 supports a suite of Windows AI experiences, including “Create with Cocreator” for generative AI art, “Connect with Live Captions” for real-time subtitles across various audio sources, and various effects to enhance video calls, improving your appearance and engagement in virtual meetings.
GIGABYTE AERO X16 User Experience
Video Editing
For creative professionals and students working with multimedia, the GIGABYTE AERO X16 proves to be a highly capable machine. We put it to the test with Davinci Resolve, and the results were impressive. The laptop demonstrated excellent responsiveness and smooth performance, making 4K video editing a remarkably fluid experience.
While our independent display tests indicated that the screen’s sRGB coverage didn’t quite reach the advertised 100%, it still proved more than sufficient for displaying accurate and vibrant colors crucial for video work. We remain confident that GIGABYTE will release a future update enabling individual adjustment of RGB brightness values, which would further enhance the display’s precision for color-critical tasks.
Gaming
Although the GIGABYTE AERO X16 is primarily designed with content creation in mind, its robust internal specifications suggest it’s no slouch when it comes to gaming. To gauge its capabilities, we ran a demanding title like Cyberpunk 2077.
With all settings maxed out and NVIDIA DLSS enabled, the AERO X16 managed to achieve an impressive 172 frames per second (fps). This outstanding performance clearly demonstrates that while the laptop is engineered for creators, it is perfectly capable of handling even the most graphically intensive games, offering a smooth and immersive gaming experience.
GIGABYTE AERO X16 Conclusion
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 stands out as a highly compelling option for the modern student and we confidently recommend it. It artfully combines portability with a potent mix of high-performance components, making it a true all-rounder for both demanding academic work and leisure.
While some minor shortcomings exist, such as the display’s color accuracy and real-world battery life under heavy load, the laptop’s overall package is incredibly strong. Priced at RM 7,299, it offers substantial value for its hardware. The pros of this device include its powerful AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU, excellent performance for creative tasks and demanding games, a high-resolution and high-refresh-rate display with slim bezels, comprehensive I/O, advanced AI features, and fast charging.
On the other hand, the cons are that the display’s sRGB coverage falls short of the advertised 100%, real-world battery life is shorter than claimed, and the chassis is made of plastic.
With its cutting-edge AMD and NVIDIA components, this laptop is not just a tool for today but has also earned the Hello Express Silver Award and is likely to remain a relevant and powerful device for years to come, making it an excellent investment for any student.
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GIGABYTE AERO X16
The GIGABYTE AERO X16 is an excellent all-rounder, offering power and features that are highly relevant for students.
Positives
- Powerful AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5070 GPU.
- Excellent performance for creative tasks like video editing and demanding games.
- High-resolution, high-refresh-rate display with slim bezels.
- Comprehensive and versatile I/O, including an RJ45 Ethernet port.
- Fast charging and PD 3.0 Type-C charging support.
Negatives
- Display's sRGB coverage falls short of the advertised 100%.
- Real-world battery life is shorter than claimed, especially with the dedicated GPU active.
