Gigabyte Aorus 17G Review

[Korwin]

The 2021 refresh of Gigabyte’s Aorus 17G continues the company’s tradition of embracing bold gamer aesthetics, presenting a design that confidently reflects its performance-driven identity. Like other Aorus laptops, this model features sharp, angular details, an aggressively styled hinge, generous venting, and a full mechanical keyboard—elements that make no attempt to disguise the machine’s gaming pedigree. Upon first opening the lid, the interior can appear somewhat cluttered, largely because of the numerous stickers highlighting the laptop’s premium features, such as its RTX graphics and ultrafast 300Hz display. However, once those promotional labels are removed, the 17G reveals a more refined and intentional design language: one that looks distinctly gaming-focused without veering into garish or overly ostentatious territory.

The lid is a good example of this restraint. Sporting a clean, matte black finish, it resists fingerprints fairly well and is adorned only by a single, centered logo. This minimalistic approach creates a sleek first impression. The hinge, although angled to fit the Aorus aesthetic, has pleasantly rounded edges that make the design feel more mature. One notable design compromise is the webcam location, positioned beneath the display. While this placement is less than ideal for video calls, it at least contributes to the laptop’s thin top bezel and helps maintain the tight, modern look of the screen.

Although the 17G avoids some of the louder visual flourishes found on other gaming machines, it remains a physically imposing device. Its dimensions—15.9 x 10.8 x 1 inch—place it firmly in the larger category of gaming notebooks. Only Asus’ ROG Strix Scar 17 comes close in footprint, measuring 15.7 x 11.53 x 1.02 inches. In contrast, Razer’s Blade Pro 17 proves that powerful laptops can be more compact, coming in at 15.5 x 10.24 x 0.78 inches. Alienware’s m15 R4, with similar RTX-powered internals, is also comparatively portable, ranging from 0.7 to 0.8 inches thick depending on the configuration.

Despite its bulky profile, the Aorus 17G shows some restraint in weight. At 5.95 pounds, it is hardly light, but it still undercuts several of its closest competitors. Only the Alienware m15 R4, at 5.25 pounds, offers a more manageable carry. Meanwhile, both the Strix Scar 17 and Blade Pro 17 weigh more, at 6.28 and 6.06 pounds respectively. Although none of these machines could be mistaken for ultraportables, the Aorus’ relative weight advantage adds a small measure of practicality for users who need mobility.

One benefit of the laptop’s large chassis is the ample room for connectivity. On the left side, the Aorus provides two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, an SD card reader, an RJ-45 Ethernet jack, and two separate 3.5mm audio jacks—one dedicated to headphones and the other to microphones, a welcome improvement over the combined jacks most laptops use. The right side houses another USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, along with a Thunderbolt 3 connector and outputs for both Mini DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1. The power input is also located here. One omission, however, is notable: the laptop lacks any sort of lock slot, which may matter to users prioritizing physical security.