For general use with excellent portability and battery life, and a need for a high-quality display with strong colors, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is suitable; it is lighter and has fanless operation which makes it silent. If performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering is a priority, and you need more storage and memory out of the box, plus the capability for intensive gaming, the Gigabyte Aorus 17G with its high-powered Intel processor and Nvidia GPU is better suited, though it comes at a higher price and lower portability due to its larger size and weight. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
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 17G
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.6/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air's GPU may handle basic 3D tasks but falls short for more advanced gaming, which the Gigabyte Aorus 17G's superior GPU handles with ease, also offering a high screen refresh rate for smoother gameplay. While the MacBook Air's operating system limits game compatibility, the Aorus is fully equipped to run a wide variety of popular games, complemented by its high-quality CPU and screen.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.5/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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
8.1/10
7.2/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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
7.8/10
8.0/10
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
300Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
282.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17G for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17G has a better screen for gaming and AI.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Air's screen offers clear, vivid images with bright colors due to its high-resolution and panel quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17G, despite having a good display, might have less impressive color brightness and clarity. In the realm of engineering and design, the MacBook Air shines with its wide color gamut, providing accurate color representation essential for detailed work, whereas the Aorus 17G, while also good, may fall short in color precision. However, for 3D applications, the lower refresh rate of the MacBook Air could hinder smooth movement rendering, making the Aorus 17G's higher refresh rate more suitable for such tasks despite its resolution and panel type being less optimal compared to general use criteria.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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
Fair
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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 15 (2023) has best in class build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17G has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$2,329
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17G costs $2,329.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte Aorus 17G 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.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
7.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 17G and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both good for engineering and design.
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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17G compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
"The Aorus 17G isn't among the top RTX 3080 laptops due to its relatively low TGP of 105 watts. The device's gaming performance is average for an RTX 3080. For maximum performance, competitors like the Lenovo Legion 7 or the Alienware m17 R4 are recommended With the Aorus 17G, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded gaming laptop. However, the device generates a high noise level. Throttling is not an issue. The CPU and GPU can develop their performance uniformly. Nevertheless, the device produces a lot of noise under load - more than many competitors."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Gigabyte Aorus 17G
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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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Laptops Expert
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