If you're looking for a more affordable option that is lighter and offers decent performance for everyday tasks and light workloads, the ASUS Vivobook S 15 stands out as a solid option. However, if higher performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming is a priority, and you're willing to invest more and handle a heavier and larger laptop, the Gigabyte Aero 17, with its superior graphics and processing power, may be the better choice. 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 S 15
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 17
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is only fair.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a lower-tier GPU, the Vega 8, and a standard screen refresh rate of 60Hz, making it fair for gaming and 3D tasks. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a faster 120Hz screen refresh rate, which makes it very good for gaming and high-fidelity 3D experiences.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
8.8/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is good.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 surpasses the ASUS Vivobook S 15 in engineering and design use due to its superior Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX graphics, which are crucial for demanding engineering software and design rendering, as well as its 4k Mini LED screen that offers higher resolution and color accuracy for precise visual works. While both have the same amount of RAM, contributing to smooth multitasking, the Aero 17's screen quality, coupled with a higher-performing CPU and GPU, justifies its edge despite being less portable and having a shorter battery life than the Vivobook S 15.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 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
7.4/10
7.9/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and ASUS Vivobook S 15 are both good for software development, though the Gigabyte Aero 17 is somewhat better.
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
6.3/10
9.2/10
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
267.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
368.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook S 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 offers an adequate display with respectable resolution and brightness for everyday tasks but lacks wider color coverage crucial for precise engineering and design work, and its slower refresh rate does not suit the high-speed visuals needed in gaming and 3D applications. The Gigabyte Aero 17, with its superior resolution and brightness, excels in general use and offers a high color range, making it ideal for engineering and design professionals who need color accuracy for their work. However, despite its high-quality display, the Aero 17 falls short in refresh rate, which is vital for the smooth rendering necessary in gaming and 3D modeling.
Battery
9.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has 9 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 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
15.6in
SIZE
17.3in
3.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0/10
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has very good build quality, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$908
$2,071
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 has a price of $908 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 costs $2,071.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gigabyte Aero 17 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook S 15 is good.
The ASUS Vivobook S 15 is suitable for general use with a solid CPU and sufficient RAM for everyday tasks, a decent screen, and good portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, making it easier to carry and use on-the-go. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 17 also performs well for general use with a strong CPU and the same amount of RAM, a higher-resolution and brighter screen for superior visual quality, but it is less portable due to its larger size, heavier weight, and shorter battery life which might limit its mobility.
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How the ASUS Vivobook S 15 and the Gigabyte Aero 17 compare to other laptops
"Internals make Asus VivoBook S15 laptop a compelling option. The Asus multimedia laptop may look rather below-average with its modest black chassis, lack of a dedicated GPU, limited RAM and meagre port selection without Thunderbolt support. But your impression of the device will start changing once you set your eyes on its high-contrast OLED capable of producing deep blacks and highly accurate colours. And your opinion will change completely when the VivoBook is switched on. The AMD CPU can effortlessly keep up with powerful rivals from Intel. The integrated Radeon graphics blows away Intel's iGPU when it comes to graphics workloads such as rendering and simpler games."
"Not only is the Aero 17 a very good laptop for gamers but also for content creators. With the upgrade to the Intel Core i9-11980HK, Gigabyte particularly improved the system performance. In addition, the hardware package is rounded by the extremely fast SSD and 32 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode. Compared to the predecessor, the battery life is reduced only moderately, and the 4K display also basically keeps its good qualities."
Get a great deal on the ASUS Vivobook S 15 or the Gigabyte Aero 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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