If you are seeking a laptop primarily for gaming or heavy graphical work, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 provides strong performance and a high-quality display but is less portable due to its size and weight. Meanwhile, the Gigabyte A7 is better suited for general use and those who prioritize portability and better battery life, though it may not handle intensive tasks as well as the ASUS. When considering cost, the Gigabyte A7 is typically more budget-friendly, but if investing in higher performance and a premium experience for gaming or demanding engineering software is your goal, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 could be worth the extra expense. Remember, with higher price comes generally better performance but at the cost of 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 ASUS ROG Strix G18
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good battery life
Best in class speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gigabyte A7
The Gigabyte A7 has no clear advantages over the ASUS ROG Strix G18.
Key differences
General Use
8.3/10
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
422.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 surpasses the Gigabyte A7 in general use due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, larger and higher-resolution screen with better color accuracy, and larger battery capacity, although it's less portable due to its size and heavier weight.
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
7.3/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
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
8.9/10
7.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte A7 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 takes the lead in engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU and GPU, doubling storage space, and providing a higher resolution and brighter screen for detailed work, although it's heavier and less portable than the Gigabyte A7. In contrast, the Gigabyte A7, while still capable with a solid processor and GPU, has a lower screen resolution, reduced brightness, and less color space coverage, making it less optimal for color-critical engineering tasks; however, it is more portable and lighter.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.3/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for content creation, while the Gigabyte A7 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
7.0/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte A7 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
8.7/10
7.3/10
18.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the Gigabyte A7 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the ASUS ROG Strix G18's screen likely offers a combination of higher resolution and better brightness compared to the Gigabyte A7, enhancing readability and clarity. In engineering and design, the ASUS model probably has wider color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color reproduction which is critical for detailed work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate on the ASUS screen may lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness, while the Gigabyte, despite its drawbacks in resolution and color, may offer a higher refresh rate essential for fast-paced visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte A7 has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
7.8/10
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and Gigabyte A7 both have good build quality, though the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,299
$940
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a price of $2,299 and the Gigabyte A7 costs $940.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte A7 to have only fair portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the Gigabyte A7 compare to other laptops
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
"In terms of looks, the Gigabyte A7 X1 is certainly not a trendy, slim, and ultra-mobile gaming laptop. But it does what it's supposed to do, namely bringing games smoothly onto the screen, very well. Both the processor and the GeForce RTX 3070 are able to unleash their performance without restrictions thanks to the well-ventilated case. The Gigabyte A7 X1 brings modern games smoothly onto the screen and offers excellent maintenance options."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the Gigabyte A7
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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