In the world of laptops, it’s the devices that support gaming that have evolved the most. At their original inception they were big, heavy, noisy, expensive brutes with virtually no battery life. In recent years, however, they’ve evolved to become almost ultraportable. This was a change that many creative professionals picked up on, and led that professional crowd to start using gaming laptops for digital design, editing and rendering.
And while the hardware in these speedy machines was originally designed for LANs more than swanky studios, the gaming laptop’s newfound broader appeal has meant it’s had to constantly change, and today these devices are more cool, quiet and sophisticated than ever. In 2020, gaming laptops have evolved again thanks to Gigabyte’s AORUS 15G professional-gaming laptop. If you’ve ever needed a high-performance laptop for any reason, prepare to want this one.
Built to esports specifications
Designed in conjunction with the G2 Esports team, right from the beginning Gigabyte sought to make the AORUS 15G the perfect laptop for pro gaming. Based on the team’s input, three key requirements were settled on: a high refresh-rate screen, portability to suit their frequent travel to tournaments plus, the pièce de résistance, a mechanical keyboard for extreme keystroke feedback.
Were the pro-gamers impressed with what Gigabyte achieved with the AORUS 15G? You bet they were! G2 Esports professional CS:GO player Kenny S had this to say: “The AORUS 15G is the best travel companion I could wish for, it's very light and thin, packs a lot of power, has a 240Hz screen and an amazing mechanical keyboard. Playing on the way is now easier than ever.”
Indeed, a truly powerful gaming laptop has never been easily portable, but that all changes with the AORUS 15G. Pro Esports players are always on the move, attending tournaments across the country and around the world, and this is a dream machine for them. You, too, can benefit from this Esports-driven engineering and enjoy maximum power with minimum weight.
In years gone by, attempts at implementing mechanical keyboards into gaming laptops have resulted in some of the most unholy, unwieldy, ‘portable’ computers ever made, but the AORUS 15G isn’t one of those: by using Omron’s B3KL Low Profile Clicky Switches, it’s managed to keep the thickness down but still offer a premium mechanical experience. This new low-profile variant of Omron’s popular B3K switch took three years to develop due to the complex miniaturisation process. They utilise top-quality, gold-plated contact points and result in keys that are only slightly higher than typical Scrabble-tile models seen across the market. They offer 2.5mm key travel with a 1.6mm actuation point and are rated as having a 15 million keystroke lifespan, which is three-times more durable than most rivals. This enables precise, fast and robust operation and ensures that every command registers instantly through a shorter trigger distance – with both tactile and audible clicky feedback for additional accuracy assurance.
It also looks awesome thanks to the RGB Fusion 2.0 technology that manages the individually lit, programmable, backlighting which can even highlight keys so that some appear brighter than others, to improve identification. Omron is one of the world’s leading mechanical keyboard switch manufacturers and its specially designed, low-travel gaming keyboards are exclusive to AORUS.
Looking sharp & dressing smart
Above the keyboard is the fast-refresh-rate, 15.6-inch screen which allows for buttery-smooth gameplay thanks to the choice of either 144Hz or 240Hz display technology – the latter is the new display standard for many major esports tournaments. This ensures that stuttering, tearing, input lag and ghosting are banished and pixel-perfect accuracy is further improved. Visual quality hasn’t been sacrificed for speed either: colours look fantastic thanks to X-Rite Pantone Calibration (plus a ΔE<1 rating) and there’s plenty of screen real-estate thanks to the minuscule, 3mm bezel surrounding it.
Enclosing everything is the CNC-machined aluminium unibody chassis, which takes its design cues from some of the world’s most-desirable sports cars. It looks good enough to draw envious gazes at LANs and yet is sophisticated enough to fit into a conservative, executive office – all while being robust enough to take a pounding when travelling.
A laptop with an ultimate exterior naturally needs an ultimate interior to ensure bottleneck-free performance. As such, the AORUS 15G is available with your choice of Core i9 or Core i7 octa-core Intel 10th-generation processors, which allow for multitasking and multiple displays to be used alongside interruption-free gaming. The AORUS 15G is also available with all options of Nvidia RTX graphics, from 2080 to 2060, plus the GTX 1660 Ti GPU for budget-minded folk and those who don’t need fancy ray-tracing or AAA-game eye candy.
There’s also two M.2 slots, both of which support super-speedy NVMe PCIe hard drives (and one also supports SATA). Meanwhile, AI technology derived from Microsoft Azure allows the laptop to learn from your behaviour, and will increase performance and efficiency in response to your usage patterns.
Keep your cool & be prepared
If you’re worried about the heat that such high-end components generate, don’t be: Gigabyte has things covered with its new Windforce Infinity Cooling System, which uses two large 7cm fans, five heatpipes and four exhaust vents. This makes it 37% more efficient than its impressive predecessor and ensures that stability is assured plus, peak performance is possible while running cool and quiet.
Connectivity is top-notch too. On the left are a full-sized HDMI 2.0 port, mini DP 1.4, USB 3.2 (Gen1), 3.5mm audio jack plus a Gigabit Ethernet socket which works with Killer networking for lag-free gaming. On the other side are two, USB 3.2 (Gen1) ports, Thunderbolt 3 plus an SD card reader so, whether you’re working, playing or both, there’s little that you can’t connect to. Other features include an HD webcam, precision touchpad, dual 2W speakers, Nahimic 3 audio technology plus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
All of the AORUS 15G’s incredible power, functionality and features are available in a package that’s just 2.5cm thick and weighs only 2.2kg. It also houses a 94Wh battery, that can last up to 8 hours, making it one of the most powerful and flexible portable PCs ever produced. When you factor in supreme performance with great features like the OMRON mechanical keyboard, all in a thin and light form factor it all adds up to be an outstanding machine that is perfect for professional gamers – and if it’s good enough for them it’s going to be amazing for everyone else!
With prices ranging from $3,399 to $4,999 there’s a model for every kind of gaming enthusiast. Plus, thanks to Gigabyte’s pedigree and reputation for build quality – coupled with its 2-year international warranty – you can rest assured that your investment won’t let you down. For more information on the AORUS 15G, click here to visit the official Gigabyte website.
Where to buy
The AORUS 15G is available directly from the following Australian retailers:
Gigabyte EOFY laptop deals
From now until July 31, Gigabyte Australia is running a special EOFY laptop promotion, with up to $600 off selected models and a range of prizes to be won. Click here for more info:
