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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a robust build, a high-quality screen with touch functionality, and longer battery life for tasks like web browsing and office productivity, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 with its OLED display is the better choice. However, the Gigabyte Aero 17, with its strong graphics performance and quicker refresh rate, is better suited for 3D modeling, machine learning, and gaming, although it sacrifices some battery life and portability due to its larger size and weight. Both laptops offer ample storage and high-resolution screens, but picking the Aero 17 implies a more substantial design geared towards creative professionals, whereas the ThinkPad aligns with premium business use, including better portability and keyboard 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 Gigabyte Aero 17
- Good for gaming and AI
- Excellent overall display quality
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for software development
- Good portability
- Good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.1
8.6
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
368.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Gigabyte Aero 17 are both very good for general use, though the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is somewhat better.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 excels in general use over the Gigabyte Aero 17 mainly because it has a higher RAM capacity, which supports better multitasking, and a superior OLED screen that provides exceptional color accuracy and contrast. Additionally, the ThinkPad Z16 is lighter and thinner, enhancing portability and offering longer battery life than the Aero 17, making it more suitable for on-the-go use.
Gaming and AI
7.9
6.7
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is only fair.
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.
Screen Quality
9.2
8.5
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
368.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for content creation.
For general use, the Gigabyte Aero 17's screen delivers crisp images and bright display due to its high resolution and panel type, providing an immersive experience for everyday activities. In the context of engineering and design, both the Gigabyte Aero 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offer wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color representation vital for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion and fast response times are key, these laptops may not satisfy users due to lower refresh rates compared to dedicated gaming laptops with panels optimized for these activities.
Battery
5.5 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has 5.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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
Fair
Good
17.3in
SIZE
16.0in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.9in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,071
$1,120
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Gigabyte Aero 17 has a price of $2,071 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.8
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
7.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aero 17 is equipped with a high-performance Intel i7 CPU, an Nvidia RTX GPU, and a Mini LED screen which provides vivid colors and high brightness, making it suitable for graphic-intensive engineering and design tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 comes with a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, AMD RX GPU, and an OLED touch-enabled display with higher screen resolution and contrast ratio, ideal for precise engineering design but with less GPU performance compared to the Aero 17. Both laptops offer large storage and high RAM capacity; however, the ThinkPad is more portable with its lower weight and has better battery life, alongside an excellent keyboard and speaker quality, which may be preferable for extended fieldwork and presentations.
Content Creation
8.4
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Gigabyte Aero 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
7.9
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3840 x 2160
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to be very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 17 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.
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
The Gigabyte Aero 17 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 both have very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Gigabyte Aero 17 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aero 17 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,071 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.6'' x 9.5'' x 0.92'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.73 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.6" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.5" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 5.5 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | Mini LED | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3840 x 2160 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 368 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 6.5/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aero 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mike Wobker | May 2021
"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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2022
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Gigabyte Aero 17 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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