The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with an integrated GPU and a standard 60Hz refresh rate display, provides limited performance for 3D applications and gaming. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 15X with its high-end Nvidia RTX GPU and a high refresh rate display of 240Hz, offers a superior experience for gaming and 3D tasks, along with Windows 11 which supports a wider array of popular games compared to MacOS.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.2/10
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
301.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 15X for engineering and design, and software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its high-resolution Retina display and excellent brightness, delivers vibrant and crisp visuals perfect for everyday tasks and design work where color accuracy is key; it covers a wide color gamut, benefiting engineering and design professionals. However, its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for 3D applications which rely on smooth motion. The Gigabyte Aorus 15X, while also offering a quality display with good resolution and brightness for daily use and sufficient color space for most engineering tasks, falls short for gaming and 3D due to its modest refresh rate, although it may still be serviceable for less demanding gaming scenarios.
Battery
15.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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
Good
13.6in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,600
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Gigabyte Aorus 15X costs $1,600.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Gigabyte Aorus 15X are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is designed for portability and silent operation with its lightweight, fanless design and has a high-quality display, but it offers less power and storage capacity compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 15X, which boasts a high-performance CPU and GPU, extensive storage, and superior RAM for more demanding tasks. While the MacBook Air has exceptional battery life making it ideal for on-the-go use, the Aorus 15X, though heavier and with shorter battery life, is better suited for intensive workloads like gaming or professional applications thanks to its robust hardware.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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
8.0/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Gigabyte Aorus 15X 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."
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15X is a strong showing of Raptor Lake and RTX 4000 series. While the Aorus had trouble keeping up in older games like Grand Theft Auto V, it nudged past the competition in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It also flexed its next-generation muscle in Far Cry 6 and Borderlands 3. While we were impressed with the overall build quality and design of the Aorus 15X, the keyboard lacked good tactile feedback. The display performed well in real-world testing despite its on-paper shortcoming with brightness, but the speakers are lackluster at best."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Gigabyte Aorus 15X
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,295
Recommendations made
21,948
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.