One of biggest hitters at COMPUTEX 2023 is the AERO 17X in its 2023 version. This is a favorite among visitors (even Jensen signed one), featuring everything that GIGABYTE could throw at the 17 inch form factor.
Now this exact model has been around for months, so it is already considered “almost not new” by some outlet’s standards. Kidding side, what sets this laptop apart from its fellow 17-inchers are basically the following: the Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU and its 17.3 inch QHD 240Hz panel. For reference, ASUS launched its ROG Strix Scar 17 flagship months after this one with comparable specifications. Suffice to say, competition around this space just got a little tighter.
External Design
The AORUS 17X is deceptively slim for its class with a 21.8 mm thin chassis. This is partly due to its CNC milled frame and pretty bonkers cooling solution – more about that later.
Compared to the said ROG model, the AORUS 17X felt more solid due to the materials and coating used – no cap. There’s less flex and it felt more premium to touch which is what I would expect for a device that would cost upwards $3,000 USD.
Display
Featuring a 17.3 inch 240 Hz IPS panel, this laptop churns out great colors on top of its wide gamut nature. I cannot say for certain how accurate it is but its 100% DCI-P3 coverage is telling that it is no slouch. It also comes with a proper Full HD webcam and is Windows Hello certified.
I wish I knew more about its display’s specifications, especially its response time and input latency. I wish to know more about its brightness level and contrast ratio too. Let me know more GIGABYTE!
Keyboard and Touch
Now the keyboard layout is perhaps what I also like the most about it. Unlike the ROG laptop I’ve tried, this one fits a full-size one (considering the platform) and with proper arrow keys as well. The AORUS 17X’s keyboard layout actually reminds me of the 97-key mechanical keyboards. As for its typing experience, I think I would still prefer my Logitech MX Keys by a small margin.
This laptop’s touchpad is made out of glass no doubt. Can’t really comment about its precision though.
What’s Inside
Obviously, we cannot dissect what’s shown at COMPUTEX so we’ll just run down how impressive its cooling solution is. Dubbed as the WINDFORCE Infinity, this cooling solution spans the entire width of the gaming laptop. Featuring a vapor chamber, it extracts the heat from the CPU and GPU towards the quad fan setup that sucks air below and effectively blows it out towards the side and rear-facing heat-sinks.
The AORUS 17X comes with powerful components and with that comes massive electricity bill – or power requirements rather. Sure, the 99 Wh battery could get you a day out of it doing menial tasks but do not expect the battery to hold enough juice while gaming. There’s a reason why it comes with a massive 330 W power brick on top of its 86 W PD capable Type-C port.
Speaking, the AORUS 17X has desktop class connectivity – but maybe a mini PC would be more accurate. It has 3x USB Type-A port, a single Type-C port, a combo jack, full size HDMI and a MiniDP port. Internet connectivity on the other hand is a courtesy of a Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth V5.2 combo along with a 2.5 GbE LAN port.
For more information about this flagship notebook from GIGABYTE, check it out on its landing page here.
 Gaming Laptop){kind=link}