Given your needs, consider that the MacBook Air is known for its lightweight and fanless design, offering silent operation, a high-resolution display, and an efficient processor that's great for general use, long battery life, and portability. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aorus 7 gearing towards gaming with a high-refresh-rate screen and powerful graphics card making it suitable for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and engineering software, but with increased weight and likely shorter battery life which impacts portability. If performance in gaming and engineering tasks are priority and you're okay with a heavier laptop and more frequent charging, consider the Aorus 7. If portability, battery life, and a high-resolution display matter more for general use, go for the MacBook Air. 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
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 7
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5/10
7.8/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.1/10
2880 x 1864
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 7 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has an integrated GPU and a standard screen refresh rate, which may limit graphics performance and fluidity in 3D applications compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 7, which boasts a dedicated Nvidia GPU and a high refresh rate, making it more suitable for gaming and 3D experiences. Additionally, the MacBook Air runs macOS, which does not support many popular games, whereas the Aorus 7 runs Windows, which is widely compatible with gaming titles.
Engineering and Design
7.6/10
8.1/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is good.
The Gigabyte Aorus 7 is favored for engineering and design due to its superior CPU, double the RAM, and a more powerful GPU compared to the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023), which although has a high-resolution screen and is lighter and quieter for portability, is less suited for resource-intensive tasks.
Software Development
8.1/10
7.4/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
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 7 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
8.3/10
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 7 for engineering and design, software development, and content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 has a better screen for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air’s display offers crisp images and vibrant colors due to its high resolution and panel type, coupled with excellent brightness levels, making it ideal for general use and engineering where color accuracy is key. However, its lower refresh rate holds it back for 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. Meanwhile, the Gigabyte Aorus 7 provides a balance with good color representation and acceptable brightness for daily tasks and design work but falls short in the gaming and 3D category, as its refresh rate doesn’t match the higher standards required for optimal gaming experiences.
Battery
15.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 7 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 7 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 7 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$1,190
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the Gigabyte Aorus 7 costs $1,190.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and Gigabyte Aorus 7 are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is excellent for general use due to its high-quality screen, lightweight design, and long battery life, making it very portable while the powerful Apple M2 CPU and adequate RAM handle everyday tasks smoothly. The Gigabyte Aorus 7 also serves well for general use with a superior CPU and more RAM for multitasking, plus a larger screen, but its bulkier build and shorter battery life make it less convenient for on-the-go usage.
Content Creation
8.0/10
7.6/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte Aorus 7 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the Gigabyte Aorus 7 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 Gigabyte Aorus 7 is a gaming laptop that is pitched at perhaps the hardest market to get right: the mid-range. So, unlike high-end gaming laptops that can throw the latest and greatest components together in a bid to attract gamers with plenty of money to spend, or budget gaming laptops that can make wise cuts that are justified as long as the price is low enough, mid-rangers like the Gigabyte Aorus 7 have to balance the two."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) or the Gigabyte Aorus 7
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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