If you prioritize a lightweight, portable laptop with long battery life and mainly use it for general tasks, the MacBook Air would be suitable, especially as it costs less. Conversely, the Aorus 17, more expensive and considerably heavier, is designed for high-performance activities like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, with its powerful Intel processor and Nvidia graphics, albeit with shorter battery life. 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 Aorus 17
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
6.4/10
8.1/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) handles 3D tasks decently with its own integrated GPU, designed for everyday use and high efficiency, but its lower screen refresh rate and absence of dedicated gaming hardware make it less ideal for intensive 3D applications and gaming. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17 is better suited for gaming and 3D rendering due to its powerful NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and high refresh rate display, which provide smoother visuals and support for more demanding graphics tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
8.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is considered very good for engineering and design thanks to its high-performance CPU, double the RAM, and powerful dedicated Nvidia GPU compared to the Apple MacBook Air, which has an efficient CPU and integrated graphics suitable for less intensive tasks.
Software Development
8.0/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 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.
Screen Quality
7.6/10
8.0/10
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, engineering and design, and software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The MacBook Air's screen offers high resolution and brightness, making it clear and vibrant for everyday tasks, while its wide color gamut ensures accurate color representation which is crucial for engineering and design work. However, its lower refresh rate might not be ideal for the smooth visuals required in 3D applications. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17's screen, while good for general use and engineering due to its resolution and color accuracy, may not match the high refresh rates preferred for fluid gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
Excellent
Fair
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair 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 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$849
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $849 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 costs $1,700.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with its efficient Apple M2 CPU, 8 GB RAM, and high-quality screen, is highly portable and offers long battery life for general use. In comparison, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, equipped with a more powerful Intel i7 CPU, doubled RAM, and larger screen, is less portable due to its weight and size but delivers exceptional performance suitable for more demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.9/10
8.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1664
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 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 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 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Gigabyte Aorus 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.
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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