The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is a more affordable and portable option with longer battery life, making it suitable for general use and lightweight tasks. However, if you need superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, engineering tasks, or intensive gaming, and don't mind a higher price and reduced portability due to its size and shorter battery life, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, with its powerful processor, advanced graphics, and higher RAM, would be the better choice. 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 Aorus 17H
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
8.7/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020), with its less powerful integrated GPU and lower 60Hz refresh rate, offers satisfactory 3D performance that can support some less demanding applications, but its macOS may restrict the availability of popular games.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is appreciated for engineering and design due to its high-quality screen, with its Apple M1 chip providing competent CPU and GPU performance for many applications, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H's powerful Intel CPU, larger RAM, and high-end Nvidia GPU make it very suitable for more intensive engineering and design tasks. However, the MacBook Air is significantly more portable and offers silent operation, factors to consider if mobility and a quiet work environment are priorities.
Screen Quality
7.5/10
8.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, and software development.
When considering laptops for different uses, the MacBook Air's screen has a high resolution and brightness which makes it excellent for general use, while its wide color gamut satisfies most engineering and design requirements. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H offers impressive screen quality for general activities due to its vibrant display, and its color accuracy is beneficial for engineering and design tasks. However, for 3D and gaming, the Gigabyte's lower refresh rate compared to specialized gaming laptops can make fast-paced visuals less smooth, which is a drawback for those specific activities.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17H has 6 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
Poor
13.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$2,280
$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 Aorus 17H costs $2,280.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is a highly portable choice with a light weight and solid battery life, making it ideal for general use with its efficient Apple M1 chip and high-resolution screen. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, while less portable due to its larger size and weight, offers superior performance with a powerful Intel processor and abundant RAM, alongside a high-quality screen, catering well to general use and more demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 17H to be 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.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
"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."
"Overall though, it’s *lots of swearing* fast, seriously. For work, rendering, gaming, it doesn’t matter, this is a true weapon of performance that’s going to run rings around most high-end desktop systems. If you absolutely have to game at ultra-high refresh rates on the go (but within thinking distance of a plug socket), this is the ticket. I can’t see such an extreme being that appealing to everyone, but if you take your gaming seriously, or even professionally, there’s nothing else out there that comes close that you can still fit in your backpack and travel with."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Gigabyte Aorus 17H
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.
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.
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