Gigabyte Aero 14

Just saw this on the gigabyte website

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5902#kf

Looks like possibly quite a good portable gaming machine. Anyone know of any further news on it?

 

Looks like they're alligning the aorus/gigabyte aesthetic. If it had TB3 I'd be all over it.

 

It does look better than the previous 14inch models. but I hope they ditched those cheap keyboard trays. I also hope that the overall build quality is better. If they have the reliability under control they might be worth a shot again.

 

Hmm, looks like they posted/leaked this early. Gigabyte will officially announce it at Computex. I've had hands-on with this notebook. I think it's an amazing machine. First-rate quality, keyboard, touchpad, screen, and performance. It's lightyears ahead of the P34W in every way, especially the keyboard. Didn't get the chance to stress test it to see what temps are like, but we should [hopefully] have a review unit in June or so.

Charles

 

Even more importantly- the 92,000 whr battery! That's what I'm talkin about!
Shame it only has 1 USB C though. I'd like to see either 2 USB C or 1 TB3 so the docking options remain.

 

I hope this is true, but in the past you reviewed some units if i remember correctly? And their falws where never pointed out while the build quality was quite poor.

 

I used to think the build quality of the p34w was good as well, just because I didn't know what to look for. I think people have higher standards now than they used to, due to aluminum chassis being more popular.

 

As noted, standards have changed over the years. What was considered good yesterday, may not be by tomorrow. The P34W doesn't have bad quality, but the Aero 14 ups the bar significantly.

Charles

 

I had 3 P34W's in my posession from 3 different shops in Europe all 3 arrived flawed with crooked trackpad buttons, uneven laptop bases, a **** ton of flex etc.

They were subpar in terms of build quality then, and they are now. Especially compared to the competition they felt very poor. This laptop was launched only a year ago. Samsung did that type of aluminum better, Asus did, MSI did and reviewers simply do not mention this everytime. While the general consensus on this forum is that the quality definitely lacks.

From 9 laptops models I have had in my posession the past 10 years the Gigabyte was by far the most poor laptop.

 

Sounds like Gigabyte took the feedback to heart, then, because the Aero 14 is, as I noted, better in every way I could identify. The build is strong and rigid. I don't know what the pricing will be; my guess, is that it's similar to the P34W's price point.

Charles

 

I emailed gigabyte sales about this and future TB3 support. They said "when we get TB3 models, we'll advertise on the page" and they would get back to me with release date info and where to buy when that information was available.

 

CUrious about it then. I used a lot of GIgabyte products in the past. Around 12 motherboards in 15 years and they where all great. SO it woul dbe nice if they could succeed in the notebook realm.

 

OMMMMFFFFFFFGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOPE THEY MAKE A 15INCH WITH NUMPAD THEN HEAVEN IS HERE
p.s. don't mind it being thicker, make sure it is cool please...
p.p.s: ever plan on releasing a laptop for much less intense gaming user with the same specs???

Btw, if there is a reason why the laptop market is declining, it must be because some genius marketing dude suggested to focus on fully gaming laptops without batteries, high performance dual-core laptops, a high gamut display that charges you way more than the panel cost itself, "great" after-sales/ pre-sales customer service and the most FRUSTRATING thing: all day battery life with your laptop on sleep mode!!!!!!

GREAT WORK GIGABYTE, GREAT WORK INDEED! Hope you can revive the laptop market and bring upon a revolution from the way things were.

 

Once again, I'm really liking the form factor and minimalist, Aorus-like styling coming from Gigabyte. Seems a bit too deep, but nothing yarring. With a 94.24Wh battery in a 1.89kg 14-inch machine, I'm hoping they've managed to lower the idle power consumption (maybe the fans aren't always on?), which has hindered a great battery life in the past. Not sure how well dumping all the heat from a 970M and i7 processor over the screen like a MBP will work, even if the vents are sizeable. A bit surprised to see them incorporate a glossy touchpad, considering how Aorus notebooks have been taking flak from reviewers for using them. Personally, I don't find the glide properties of it to be bad if it is the same, but you'd think they'd take the criticism to heart.

 

Yep. My V5 came with uneven base/track pad buttons and also more flex than what I am comfortable with. The only thing that made it feel premium was the weight. Other than that the P34W felt like crap to me.

 

Funny story about the p34: i brought it into work and showed my coworker. "Cost me 1600 but it's one of the most powerful laptops of the size"
(Inspecting laptop) "1600 baht? Hmm not bad!"

1600 baht is about 40 usd

 

Looks like a nice laptop with some inherent flaws in terms of hardware. First off, it has a 1440p screen. This isn't really an issue in and of itself, but it is no secret that higher resolutions drop overall gaming performance and eat up more VRAM. Then, consider that the graphics cards available with this laptop, the GTX 965M and 970M, are the "lower end" versions (built with 2GB and 3GB dedicated graphics memory, respectively, as opposed to the 4GB and 6GB versions that are also available).

So, what you end up with is a high resolution screen with a low amount of graphics memory. This is counter-intuitive, as higher resolutions typically require a greater amount of graphics memory. With 1440p, you can expect to be pushing your VRAM consumption well over 2GB on ultra settings in most modern games, with some (like Shadow of Mordor or GTA V) exceeding 3GB of VRAM usage on ultra. In other words, Gigabyte should have provided more VRAM headroom at 1440p.

Fine, you say, I'll just run things at 1080p. However, there are issues here as well. From what I've read, 1440p screens don't scale well to 1080p resolution due to the uneven pixel ratio between 1080p and 1440p (as opposed to the perfect 1:4 of 1080p to 4k). In other words, while you can indeed drop resolution settings down on a 1440p screen, you are likely going to run into blurring and other issues when dropping to 1080p. In a way, it would have been better to just have a 4k screen on this laptop.

Unless they release a 1080p version of this laptop, I would wait for the next generation of mobile GPUs to hit before getting this thing. Gigabyte will probably do a refresh, and the new cards will likely have more VRAM. I would also like to see a 15.6" version of this laptop with a numpad keyboard. Throw in 1080p or more VRAM and I'm sold.

 

I recommend every potential laptop buyer on the market now to wait till the new pascal mobile gpu's arrive. The 970M will quickly become obsolete when they arrive. Its already now just enough to play modern games on medium settings.

 

For what it's worth, I've never noticed any blurring at 1080p on QHD/QHD+ screens. I don't think the screen is an issue at all- frankly, 1080p should be killed on screens above 13.3".

 

Windows Scaling is far from perfect. Certain software, like Adobe Photoshop, doesn't even support it, which makes such software almost unusable on very high-res displays like 3K/4K.
Also, 3K/4K displays take up quite a bit of processing power, reducing overall battery life vs. a 1080p display. 2,560x1,440 is a decent middle ground. On a 14" display though, some scaling (125-150%) will probably be required for readable text.
So, 1080p still has practical advantages.

I talked with Gigabyte, the Aero 14 will ship before mid-June to the US, and the price range will be $1,499-$1,699.

We'll have our hands-on Gigabyte Aero 14 article up soon.

Charles

 

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one as well

 

Here's the hands-on!
http://www.notebookreview.com/feature/hands-gigabytes-aero-14-gaming-notebook/

Charles

 

Newer photoshop

There is a mistake in the hands on. the P34Wv3 was partly aluminium (but very thin) and plastic.

 

Here are the full size images.

Charles

 

Here's two more (5 allowed to attach per post).

I have contacts at Gigabyte, if you have any questions, I can pass it by them.

Charles

 

Well first thank you Charles for the hands-on!

2 Questions:
Are the Fans running constantly or will they turn off when in idle / under low load? One thing that I really like on my P34G (v1) is that the fans switch off most of the time.
Is it possible to remove the heatspreaders/pipes to re-apply thermal paste onto the GPU and CPU or are they soldered/underneath battery etc? - The P34G was really easy on this, a few screws and you were good to go. This can massively decrease both load and idle temperature.

On a sidenote: the german manual for the Aero contains a ton of grammar and spelling errors. If your contact can forward it I'll fix em.

 

Hi Charles, thanks for the info. I would like to know UK availability for the laptop and also if there are plans to release an iteration with the upcoming nvidia 1070m?

Thanks

 

1: Tb3
2: 1070m!

 

Thanks - I sent off the questions, I'll post back when I have answers!

I'm working on getting a review unit.

Speaking of cooling, here's an image I took during Gigabyte's presentation of the Aero 14's cooling.


Charles

 

Thanks Charles, any pics of the charger aswell?

Hopefully this thing manages the heat well and doesnt have to throttle, looks like a potential buy for me.

 

Some german website ( winfuture) has a hand-on video which shows the underside and the power adapter:
The adapters appears in a similar look like the Razer Blade one and has a USB-Charging port.



The underside shows an even bigger mesh directly under GPU and CPU. That could do a big deal in cooling + that will make cooling-pads with fans a lot more efficient.



EDIT: what I just found out, there a 3 different backlight-colors for the uppermost macro key, orange, light green and purple (probably one for each different lid).

 

Actually from my point of view, the reason why Gigabyte incorporated a 970m instead of 1070m is mainly because of price and the market Aero 14 is aiming at. With 1070m on the verge, I believe Gigabyte must have managed to get a good deal on 970m from Nvidia, plus it is not like a 970m is a totally unusable card even in the future. You should factor in the price which Aero 14 is at and compare to similar laptops, you will realize there's not even a competition! Besides, you must understand not only GAMERS are looking for laptops with capable cooling system and good specs, there are still users from graphic designing, image/ video editing as well, those who doesn't really put much focus into gaming such that they can "tolerate" the use of 970m/ 965m. Also, it may because of the release date as well. Some just can't afford to wait until August or later. Not to mention the fact of the 94WH BATTERY, with some clever software optimization, this thing can literally last longer than some business laptops.

@Charles P. Jefferies may I ask the difference between the power consumption of a QHD and Full HD screen, say at the same brightness? Or from your experience any idea of the battery life difference between those 2 panels?

If possible, I would like you to enquire Gigabyte on these questions as well:
1. Any plan for a 15.6" Aero?
2. Color gamut of the screen. Also, will all Aero 14 have the same panel?
3. Is the exhaust vent pointing towards the screen? If so, any long term side effect on the panel?

Thanks, hopefully there's a review soon.

 

I'll ask about whether they have plans for a 15.6-inch version.
The color gamut is 70% sRGB.
The Razer Blade employs a similar thermal design, where the exhaust points at the screen. I haven't heard any reports of that causing problems with the display. You might check the Razer Blade owner's lounge.

I received a reply back from Gigabyte. Here's the answers I received.

--The Aero 14 USB Type-C does NOT have Thunderbolt 3 support
--The fans do turn off when the notebook idles
--UK availability is also mid-June, with the price point $1,499-$1,699 (they quoted US$)

There has been no word on mobile Nvidia Pascal (1070M, etc). Nvidia's presentation at Computex 2016 was completely absent of mobile. So right now, it's a waiting game.

Charles

 

Hey Charles, could you clarify on the color gamut? As I came across in laptopmag's hands-on: http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/gigabyte-aero-14-specs-details It is mentioned a more than 70% NTSC not sRGB which would actually makes more sense.

 

Hey guys, just to be 100% sure... on the last image, there is an issue with the casing, right?
It looks like that the screws there are missing, so it doesn't look tight.

 

What a shame, this was looking almost my perfect laptop on paper oh well, back to the search...

 

I'll see what Gigabyte says. I believe you're right it would make sense that it's NTSC.

That one had all the screws removed in the base for some reason, so the edge isn't flush. Not an issue with the notebook.

Charles

 

Hmmm I wonder which would have a better build quality, this or the Aorus x3 plus v5? Am up for a new laptop in a few months to replace my old G46vw and I really like the X3 but with its price point and not so good build quality makes me think twice. And considering i'll be able to save a couple more of bucks with the Aero. Thanks for the suggestions

 

I think the Aero 14 feels more solid than the Aorus X3 Plus. Also, the keyboard on the Aero 14 is a lot nicer feeling, with a better layout too.

Charles

 

Hey Charles, based on your experience with the Aero, which laptop would you say have around the same feeling? X3? P55 v5? Does the nicer feeling comes from a better tactile feedback or a better key depth?

From the pictures, besides the macro keys, it also have a row of end, page down/up, home button right?

 

The Aero 14 has dedicated Home/End/PgUp/PgDn keys along the right side.
The P55W is mostly plastic from what I could tell. Pretty reasonable quality overall, but it's not aluminum like the Aero 14.

The keystrokes on the Aero 14's keyboard have a good amount of throw, enough to offer ample tactile feedback. They're crisp and have good cushioning at the bottom of the keystroke, so they don't feel like just tapping plastic squares. Additionally, the keyboard deck has no perceptible flex. Out of all the Gigabyte/Aorus notebooks I've reviewed, the Aero 14 in my mind unquestionably has the best keyboard to date.

Charles

 

Ughh why couldn't they go with Pascal or even Polaris, I'd be all over this...The new pascal sagers are looking too thick for my taste, but it's too early to judge....

 

Where can I see the pascal sagers?

 

http://videocardz.com/60935/geforce...a-pg611-board-spotted-gp102-400-gpu-confirmed

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/mobile-gtx-1080.792410/

Not much...but just based on what we have so far..

 

Any idea of when we can expect Australian release?

 

No, but for releases in general: (from personal communication)
"We are glad to tell that AERO14 will be released in Taiwan next week (week25, 2016) The product will be shown next week in Taiwan online shop - PChome. You may please check the online shop for purchasing detail"

 

The way I see it, the aero 14 is a good contender for macbooks. I know this sounds strange, but i personally think one of the main reasons for buying a macbook is for the battery life and the thin size. But somehow, thin size also means fewer ports and a fake mouse button... Either way, my biggest worry about the gigabyte is heat and build quality. Now, by heat, we all know that thin fans are whiny and not very pleasant. Not only do they sound bad, they don't cool as well as a bigger fan or a laptop with a bigger chassis. The other thing is screen flex, which I thought was a big deal with the gigabyte P something something laptops, as well as keyboard flex and crappy keyboards in general. If all of this is fixed, then It may be very very impressive and a huge jump in gaming + battery life. All those threads "gaming laptop with amazing battery life" have been solved! Or at least that's how I see it...

 

a friend of my cam back from the show and made a movie as well. Same as me he was disappointed in the P34W series as it was unreliable and as a buyer for a computer chain he was hesitant to sell it in that chain of stores. But he was quite positive about the Aero 14. Might test it. Hope this means that Gigabyte is stepping up its game and really offer premium products.

 

Hey guys, has anybody gotten updated info regarding release date and price? Techradar ( http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc...-and-netbooks/gigabyte-aero-14-1322622/review) showed that it is within $1499 to $1699, which is nice. However, there a Taiwanese website ( http://www.techbang.com/posts/43823...ing-specifications-are-hidden-in-the-fuselage) which shows 63900 TWD which is in huge contradiction.

Personally, I am looking for a laptop asap, but after I've heard about Aero 14 which starts at 1500 usd, I got so excited and am still waiting to this day. So, would like to ask you guys should I keep waiting?

 

See our article. Gigabyte told me US$1,499 - $1,699.

Charles