The Gigabyte Aero 16 is less expensive and has a higher-resolution OLED screen which offers vivid colors and deep blacks, making it suitable for tasks like photo editing. However, its gaming performance is less robust than the Razer Blade 18, which has a more powerful CPU and GPU, a higher RAM, and a much faster screen refresh rate, better suited for intensive gaming and demanding tasks like 3D rendering or machine learning. The Razer also has a higher build quality and better heat management but costs more, is heavier, and has a shorter battery life compared to the Aero 16. If portability and battery life are very important to you, and you mainly engage in general use and creative tasks, Aero 16 could be more appropriate. If you need top-tier performance for gaming or professional work and can handle a heftier price tag and lower battery life, the Razer Blade 18 would 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 Gigabyte Aero 16
Good portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Razer Blade 18
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.0/10
8.5/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.1/10
The Razer Blade 18 and Gigabyte Aero 16 are both very good for general use, though the Razer Blade 18 is somewhat better.
The Razer Blade 18 outpaces the Gigabyte Aero 16 in general use primarily due to its more powerful CPU, greater RAM, and higher screen quality, which contribute to superior performance and display. However, the Aero 16 offers better portability and longer battery life, which are important considerations for those who prioritize ease of movement and less frequent charging.
Gaming and AI
7.8/10
8.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
6.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 is good.
The Razer Blade 18 offers superior gaming and 3D performance with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate for smooth visuals, compared to Gigabyte Aero 16's Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and a modest refresh rate. While both feature quality screens, the Razer Blade 18's emphasis on higher graphical horsepower and faster refresh rates makes it excel in demanding gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
9.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 18 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 is very good.
The Gigabyte Aero 16, with its solid CPU and high-quality OLED screen, is very good for engineering and design since it can handle complex tasks and display precise colors, but the Razer Blade 18 is considered excellent due to its superior CPU, more RAM, and the latest powerful GPU which is crucial for the most demanding engineering software. The Razer Blade 18's larger screen and high refresh rate also contribute to a smoother experience, though its greater weight makes it less portable than the Aero 16.
Software Development
7.9/10
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 18 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 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
8.4/10
8.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3840 x 2400
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has a better screen than the Razer Blade 18 for general use, and engineering and design, while the Razer Blade 18 has a better screen for gaming and AI, content creation, and software development.
The Gigabyte Aero 16 excels in general use and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution display and superior color accuracy, making fine detail work and color-sensitive projects look exceptional but falls short in gaming due to a lower refresh rate, which can make fast-paced visuals less smooth. The Razer Blade 18 provides a balanced experience for general and engineering uses with a blend of high resolution and good color gamut coverage, ensuring both sharp images and reliable color representation. However, similar to the Aero 16, gaming suffers on the Razer Blade 18 as its refresh rates are not tailored for the high-speed rendering needed in many modern games.
Battery
7.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 18 has 4 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
18.0in
5.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has good portability, while the Razer Blade 18 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 18 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aero 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,260
$10
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Gigabyte Aero 16 has a price of $1,260 and the Razer Blade 18 costs $10.
The Razer Blade 18 and Gigabyte Aero 16 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.
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How the Gigabyte Aero 16 and the Razer Blade 18 compare to other laptops
"The Gigabyte Aero 16 is a workstation laptop for light gaming. It's design is still muted, with a silver chassis alongside a black keyboard and trackpad that provides some contrast. The Gigabyte Aero’s full-size chiclet-style keyboard is enjoyable to type on thanks to its snappy feel and responsiveness. The 4K+ AMOLED display is good, but it could be better. It doesn’t handle true black very well and suffers from strong reflections and glare. The Gigabyte Aero excels at productivity performance and can keep up with other gaming laptops in 1080p. But it has very few ports and its refresh rate leaves a bit to be desired."
"Razer made a powerful laptop in the Blade 18, showing off a beautiful and fast display and the same high-quality build we’ve come to expect from this product line. It’s also quite expensive, which is hardly a surprise, but bears repeating even in this price range. It’s pricier than the Scar 18 despite an inferior GPU and half the storage, so you really have to want the Blade 18’s design to justify the cost."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 16 or the Razer Blade 18
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.
About Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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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