Gigabyte Aorus 17G

Strong, mean, desktop rivaling machine?

- SAM LEWIS

SINCE GIGABYTE debuted the world’s first RTX-based laptop in 2020, it’s been pushing the boundaries of performance in this form factor. With the new Aorus line-up comes high-performance GeForce RTX 3000-series laptop GPUs, and in this 17G model, we’re blessed with an RTX 3070. Should be interesting.

First we have to address the elephant in the room: The 17G is huge. But is that such a bad thing? Its large size and chunkier body provide more airflow, resulting in better cooling. And the build quality is superb, with a unibody design that feels incredibly rigid and reassuringly solid, though it’s a little heavy.

You wouldn’t want to sling this in a backpack on your commute—even if you could fit it in; it’s more of a “put it anywhere and play” size. The battery is 99Wh, lasting most of the day, but you’ll need to plug it into the grid for the best gaming experience.