A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is more affordable and offers great portability with its lightweight design and long battery life, making it suitable for general use and day-to-day tasks. However, the Gigabyte Aero 17, while more expensive and heavier, provides significantly more power for engineering applications, 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming, thanks to its high-performance CPU, GPU, and larger memory capacity. It has a larger, higher-resolution display which is better for detailed work but results in a shorter battery life, so it's less convenient for on-the-go use. Choose the MacBook Air if you prioritize mobility and battery life, or the Aero 17 for demanding tasks and a larger screen. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2
7.9
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its integrated M1 GPU, is sufficient for some 3D tasks but struggles with demanding games, and its 60 Hz screen refresh rate is low for fast-paced gaming, while many popular games aren't compatible with macOS. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17 comes with a powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a higher refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is much better suited for intensive gaming and 3D rendering tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3
8.8
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers a fanless operation for silent work and is lighter and thinner, which enhances its portability for engineering and design tasks, although it has less RAM, a less powerful CPU, and integrated GPU than the Gigabyte Aero 17, leading to lower performance in intensive applications. The Aero 17, on the other hand, comes with a high-performance CPU, more RAM, and dedicated GPU, and its superior screen quality makes it well-suited for demanding engineering software and design work, but it is heavier and not as portable as the MacBook Air.
Content Creation
7.8
8.4
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Screen Quality
7.5
9.2
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Air boasts a high-resolution Retina display with ample brightness, ensuring crisp text and vibrant images, but the Gigabyte Aero 17's larger, brighter, and higher-resolution panel provides an even better viewing experience. The MacBook Air covers a respectable range of colors, suitable for engineering and design tasks, but the Aero 17 excels with a wider color gamut, essential for professional-grade color work. However, when it comes to 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops, with the MacBook Air's refresh rate adequate for casual use but not optimized for high-speed 3D rendering.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
8.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$2,071
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
7.6
8.1
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its light weight and high battery life offers great portability and sufficient power for general use, balancing a solid CPU and good screen quality with a quiet, fanless design. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aero 17, while heavier and with lower battery life, provides superior performance with a stronger CPU, more RAM, and a high-quality screen, making it more suited for demanding applications beyond general use.
Software Development
7.7
7.9
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | Gigabyte Aero 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $2,071 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 15.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 368 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Gigabyte Aero 17
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Gigabyte Aero 17
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. LG Ultra 16
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. ASUS TUF Gaming F17
VS
Compare Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs. Dell G15 5520
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 17 vs. Framework Laptop 13 (2023)
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 17 vs. Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
VS
Compare Gigabyte Aero 17 vs. MSI Raider GE77Hx
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,695
Recommendations made
22,468
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
