If budget is a concern, the ASUS Vivobook 17, featuring a modest Intel i3 processor and integrated graphics, offers affordability while catering to basic needs such as web browsing, office tasks, and media consumption. However, for more demanding activities like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Gigabyte A7 comes equipped with a potent AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, delivering substantially better performance at the expense of a higher price and slightly less portability. The A7 also benefits from more RAM and storage, a higher refresh rate display for smoother visuals, and enhanced features such as Ethernet connectivity and keyboard backlighting, making it more suitable for intensive use despite having a shorter battery life compared to the Vivobook. 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 Vivobook 17
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte A7
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.0/10
7.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte A7 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 is equipped with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics GPU, which typically offers modest graphics performance, making it fair for gaming and 3D applications, while its 60 Hz screen refresh rate is standard for non-gaming tasks.
Engineering and Design
6.3/10
7.6/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte A7 is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a lower-tier CPU and integrated graphics, which may slow down engineering and design tasks, whereas the Gigabyte A7 features a higher-tier CPU and a powerful dedicated GPU, making it better suited for demanding work. Additionally, the Gigabyte A7 offers more RAM and a higher screen refresh rate, which can enhance multitasking and the smoothness of visuals, although it is heavier and less portable compared to the lighter ASUS Vivobook 17.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
7.3/10
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
263.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
318.0 nits
The Gigabyte A7 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has fair screen quality for general use because its panel type, resolution, and brightness are adequate for everyday tasks, but not standout; whereas for engineering and design, its color reproduction is sufficient but not top-tier, lacking wide color gamuts such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. The Gigabyte A7, with its good screen quality, steps up with a better panel and resolution that can render detailed images crisply and with more accurate colors for general use and professional design work, although it still falls short for gaming and 3D due to a lower refresh rate that can make fast-paced visuals less smooth.
Battery
6.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has 6 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
17.3in
SIZE
17.3in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has good portability, while the Gigabyte A7 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.2/10
The Gigabyte A7 has good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$429
$940
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a price of $429 and the Gigabyte A7 costs $940.
The Gigabyte A7 and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both good for general use.
The ASUS Vivobook 17 has a less powerful CPU and lower RAM compared to the Gigabyte A7, making the latter better for general use due to its stronger performance. Despite the similarity in screen size and quality, the higher portability and better battery life of the ASUS could favor users needing mobility, but the Gigabyte's superior storage, and better heat management and speaker quality give it an advantage for more demanding tasks.
Content Creation
7.0/10
7.3/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Gigabyte A7 and ASUS Vivobook 17 are both 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
6.9/10
7.0/10
6.2/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte A7 to be good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 17 is only fair.
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 Vivobook 17 and the Gigabyte A7 compare to other laptops
"The ASUS Vivobook 17 is an affordable 17-inch laptop with passive cooling. On one hand, you get a really quiet and cool work device with a good system performance, many connections, good maintenance options, speakers acceptable for multimedia enjoyment, and a sharp and clear matte FHD IPS display with the Asus VivoBook 17 (F712JA). On the other hand, the USB-C port lacks Power Delivery and DisplayPort, and the display, a higher brightness and better color space coverage."
"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 Vivobook 17 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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