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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a lighter, more portable laptop with longer battery life for general use, and prefer macOS, the MacBook Air is an ideal choice. Conversely, if you require more power for 3D rendering, machine learning, or specialized engineering applications, and you are a Windows user, the Gigabyte Aero 17 offers superior performance, a larger, higher-resolution screen, albeit with a shorter battery life and increased weight which affects portability. Remember that the MacBook Air may save you some money, whereas investing in the Aero 17 will cost more but provide you with a machine equipped for intensive tasks including gaming. 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 (2022)
- Very good for software development
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent 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
6.4
7.9
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
2560 x 1664
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 (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is limited in its 3D capabilities primarily due to the integrated Apple M2 GPU, which is decent for basic functions but lacks the power for high-end 3D rendering, and it offers a standard screen refresh rate typical for non-gaming tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.1/10
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 (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with its Apple M2 chip, offers solid performance for engineering and design but is outclassed by the Gigabyte Aero 17's Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, making the latter superior for these tasks. While the MacBook Air excels in portability and has a silent operation due to its fanless design, the Aero 17 boasts a larger and higher resolution screen, more memory, and storage, enhancing its suitability for demanding engineering and design workloads.
Screen Quality
7.6
9.2
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 17 for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air is favored for general use and engineering because of its high-resolution display and accurate color representation, which are essential for visual clarity and design accuracy; however, its lower refresh rate makes it less suitable for 3D applications. The Gigabyte Aero 17, with its exceptional color gamut coverage, excels for engineering and design tasks where precise color fidelity is critical. Still, gamers and 3D designers may find its screen less favorable due to a suboptimal refresh rate despite its high resolution and quality panel.
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
Excellent
Fair
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent 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 (2022) 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
$839
$2,071
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.1
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.4/10
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 (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is well-suited for general use with its lightweight design, good battery life, and high-quality display, making it highly portable and convenient for on-the-go tasks, though it has less RAM and storage than the Gigabyte Aero 17 which offers a larger, high-resolution screen and better performance due to a more powerful CPU and extra RAM, better suited for intensive tasks but at the cost of reduced battery life and increased weight. Despite these differences, both laptops offer quality keyboards and speakers, with the MacBook Air standing out for its silent operation and the Aero 17 having superior heat management.
Content Creation
7.9
8.4
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
8.0
7.9
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 is good.
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 (2022) and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Gigabyte Aero 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$839 | $2,071 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | March 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 5.73 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 15.6" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 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 | 52.6 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 368 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 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 | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 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 (2022)
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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
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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 (2022) 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.
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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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