Gigabyte is along for the Coffee Lake-H ride with new versions of its Aero and X-series gaming laptops sporting Intel 8th generation processors.
Aeros Of All Sizes
Gigabyte teased a new version of its Aero 15 and 15X last month with a short but direct video that showcased new 1080p 144Hz and 4K 60Hz display options. We suspected that Gigabyte wouldn’t go into further details about its specifications because of the impending arrival of Coffee Lake-H processors, and we weren’t far off the mark. The new Aero 15 and 15X both feature the new Intel Core i7-8750HQ processor, a direct upgrade from the i7-7700HQ from the previous iterations. However, the remaining specifications remain mostly unchanged (the 15 still sports a GTX 1060; the 15X features a GTX 1070), but the Aero 15 and 15X did get some more juice under the hood with an upgraded 94.24WH lithium-polymer battery.
There’s also a new Aero 14 gaming laptop sporting an 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750-HQ, with 16GB of DDR4-2400 memory, and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GPU feeding a 14” QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS display. Storage specifications will likely vary, but the Aero 14 features two M.2 slots that support PCIe x4 and SATA SSDs (but only one supports SATA).
X-Series Revamped
Gigabyte also updated its Aorus-branded X5, X7 DT, and X9 DT gaming laptops, offering more performance in a larger chassis compared to the Aero lineup. The X5 v8 and X7 DT v8 both sport new Intel Core i7 processors and have room for two M.2 PCIE SSDs and one 2.5” HDD, but the components are vastly different beyond the CPU and storage. The X5 features Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics powering a 15.6” 1920 x 1080 144Hz IPS display with Nvidia G-Sync onboard, and it can support up to 32GB (2 x 16GB) of DDR4-2666 memory. However, the X7 takes the fast 1080p 144Hz G-Sync display to a 17.3” clamshell and upgrades the GPU to a GeForce GTX 1080. It also has a higher RAM capacity of up to 64GB (4 x 16GB). The flagship X9 DT resembles the previously released Aorus X9 (with RGB adorned chassis and dual GTX 1070 SLI graphics) is equipped with an unlocked Core i9-8950HK processor, along with the same GPU, memory, and storage configuration options as the X7 DT v8.
Pricing And Availability
Here in the U.S., Gigabyte is launching the Aero 15 and two models of the 15X with static configurations priced at $1,999, $2,299, and $2,499, respectively. All three models are equipped with an Intel Core i7-8750HQ processor with 16GB (1 x 16GB) DDR4-2666 memory and a 512GB PCie NVMe SSD. The Aero 15 sports a GTX 1060, but the 15X models have GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics under the hood. The 15X can be equipped with a 1920 x 1080 144Hz or 3840 x 2160 60Hz display.
The Aorus X5 v8, X7 DT v8, and X9 DT start at $2,599, $2,999, and $3,899, respectively. They also have a static configuration, with the X5 and X7 featuring a Core i7-8850H, 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 memory, a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, and a 1TB HDD. The 15.6" X5 sports a GTX 1070, but the 17.3" X7 steps it up to a GTX 1080, and both feature a 1920 x 1080 144Hz IPS G-Sync display. The X9 takes sits at the top of the price and performance heap, featuring an Intel Core i9-8950HK and a GTX 1080 with 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-2666, a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, and a 1TB HDD under a 17.3" 144Hz IPS G-Sync display.
All of the new Gigabyte Aero and Aorus X-series gaming laptops are available for pre-order today and will ship out on April 16.
