The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, being lighter and with a higher portability score, is suitable if you're on the go often. It offers a better display with higher resolution and color coverage, making it ideal for creative work and entertainment. However, despite its powerful processor and GPU, it has less battery life compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 17, which can last longer on a single charge. The Aorus, with its larger screen and extreme refresh rate, is tailored for gaming and rapid movements on-screen. Choose the Aorus if you prefer a solid gaming experience and longer unplugged usage over portability and screen quality. 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 Zephyrus M16
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aorus 17
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
9.0/10
8.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
627.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
267.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aorus 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 likely offers a high-resolution display with strong color accuracy and brightness, making it excellent for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work like engineering and design. However, its low refresh rate hinders its ability to deliver the best experience in fast-paced gaming and 3D applications, where smooth motion is key. Conversely, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 might also boast a fine display for daily use and work with colors, its similar shortfall in refresh rate limits its appeal to gamers and professionals working with dynamic 3D content.
Battery
4.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aorus 17 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
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.9 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
8.5/10
7.4/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,059
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a price of $2,059 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 costs $1,700.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both good for general use.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 stands out for general use due to its high-quality screen with greater color accuracy, higher brightness levels, and better resolution, offering a visually superior experience, and its lightweight and compact design make it easy to carry. The Gigabyte Aorus 17, while slightly less portable due to its larger size and heavier build, compensates with a higher battery capacity for longer use and a number pad which enhances productivity for users who frequently input numbers.
Gaming and AI
8.5/10
8.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
360Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 stands out because it includes a higher-end GPU which is better for gaming and 3D applications and a high screen refresh rate, which makes for smoother visuals in fast-paced scenes. Meanwhile, the Gigabyte Aorus 17, although it has a slightly less powerful GPU than the ASUS, offers a higher screen refresh rate which can benefit fast-moving gaming situations.
Engineering and Design
8.8/10
8.4/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both very good for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 stands out with its higher-end CPU and GPU, which make it better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks than the Gigabyte Aorus 17, although both have ample RAM and high-quality IPS displays . The Zephyrus M16's screen has a higher resolution and color accuracy, which benefits detailed visual work, whereas the Aorus 17 offers a larger screen and marginally better battery life but at the expense of higher weight and lower portability.
Content Creation
8.2/10
8.0/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 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.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.5/10
9.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Gigabyte Aorus 17 are both good for software development.
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 ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and the Gigabyte Aorus 17 compare to other laptops
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
"The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is a powerful high-end gaming machine. The Aorus 17 is a potent gaming notebook in a 17.3-inch format designed for FHD gaming at maximum settings. A Core i7-12700H processor and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU make this possible. A lightning-fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the necessary storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Aorus 17 XE4, Gigabyte delivers a well-rounded, high-performance gaming notebook."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 or the Gigabyte Aorus 17
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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