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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air 15 offers a balance between price, performance, and portability; it's lighter, has a high-resolution screen and a longer battery life, which makes it ideal for general use and travel. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H has a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, better performance for 3D tasks, machine learning, and gaming due to its more powerful processor and graphics card; however, it's heavier, more expensive, and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable but excellent for intensive engineering tasks and 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 15 (2023)
- Very good for software development
- 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 17H
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
8.7
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.6/10
2880 x 1864
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 15 (2023) is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.6
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.3/10
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 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good for engineering and design primarily due to its powerful integrated Apple M2 chip, which is efficient yet capable for various workloads, supported by high screen quality; however, with less RAM and storage, it can be limited when dealing with very large or complex projects.
Software Development
8.1
7.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is 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.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.3
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air 15 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.
The Apple MacBook Air's screen offers high resolution and brightness, which makes it appealing for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, but for engineering and design, its wide color coverage ensures accuracy in color-critical work. However, its refresh rate isn't high enough for smooth 3D applications, which can detract from the experience in animation or gaming. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, while offering acceptable brightness and resolution for general and engineering use, falls short in gaming and 3D due to a refresh rate that doesn't match the standards required by fast-paced visuals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 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
Very Good
Poor
15.3in
SIZE
17.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good 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 15 (2023) 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
$1,299
$2,200
$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 17H costs $2,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
351.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.9/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte Aorus 17H are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) with its efficient CPU and longer battery life is easy to carry, making it ideal for general tasks on the go, whereas the Gigabyte Aorus 17H, with its more powerful CPU, higher RAM, and better gaming graphics, is better suited for performance-driven tasks but is less portable and has a shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.0
8.0
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte Aorus 17H and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very good for content creation.
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 15 (2023) and the Gigabyte Aorus 17H compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | Gigabyte Aorus 17H |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $2,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | January 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 1.18'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 5.95 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 15.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 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 | 66.6 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 360Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 351 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 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 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"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."
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 15 (2023) 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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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.
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