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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The MacBook Air (2022) is known for its thin and light design, making it highly portable and ideal for general use like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption; it also tends to have a strong battery life. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H is a gaming laptop, which means it's heavier and less portable but offers superior performance for 3D applications, machine learning, gaming, and engineering software. If portability and battery life are your top priorities, the MacBook Air may be the better choice. However, if performance for high-demand tasks is critical, then the Aorus 17H would be the way to go, keeping in mind you'll sacrifice some portability and 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 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
6.4
8.7
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1664
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 (2022) is only fair.
The MacBook Air, with its integrated Apple M2 GPU and standard 60 Hz refresh rate screen, offers adequate performance for less demanding 3D tasks, but may fall short for intense gaming, which also suffers from limited available game titles due to MacOS compatibility. In contrast, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, with its powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU and high 360 Hz refresh rate screen, excels in gaming and demanding 3D applications, making it a superior choice for users prioritizing top-tier visual performance and compatibility with a wide range of games on Windows.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.1/10
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 (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
8.3
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17H for engineering and design, and software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a better screen for gaming and AI, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air likely has a high-resolution display with vivid colors and excellent brightness, making text and images sharp and easy to see for everyday tasks. For engineering and design, its color accuracy, including a wide coverage of color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, ensures that professionals can trust the color representation for their work. However, for 3D applications, where a high refresh rate is crucial to render smooth motion, the MacBook Air's display falls short compared to specialized gaming displays that prioritize faster refresh rates.
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
Excellent
Poor
13.6in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.4
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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
$799
$2,370
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $799 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H costs $2,370.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Gigabyte Aorus 17H are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Content Creation
7.9
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
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 17H 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
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17H 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 Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Gigabyte Aorus 17H |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$799 | $2,370 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 10.16" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 5.9/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
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 Aorus 17H
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Dig into reviews and images
eTeknix
Peter Donnell | February 2023
"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 (2022) 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.
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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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About the laptop team
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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
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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.
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