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Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks is your main requirement, and you're not concerned about the lack of portability and higher price, the Gigabyte Aorus 15 with a high refresh rate display and strong GPU may be the best. However, if you prioritize a higher quality display, better battery life, and a more portable and premium business laptop with a higher RAM and storage capacity, then despite its lower performance in intensive gaming, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 would be the way to go. The ThinkPad also has a touchscreen feature and better build quality, which could be significant if you value these attributes. 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 Aorus 15
- Very good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
- Very good for general use
- Very good for software development
- Very good overall build quality
- Good portability
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
8.6
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
316.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
6.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 is good.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 stands out for general use due to its higher-quality OLED screen, double the storage, and a more powerful RAM compared to the Gigabyte Aorus 15. Furthermore, the ThinkPad Z16 offers better portability, slightly longer battery life, and an excellent keyboard, making it more suited for users who prioritize these aspects along with a robust general-use experience.
Gaming and AI
8.0
6.7
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
6.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is very 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.
Software Development
7.6
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for software development, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 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
8.0
8.5
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
316.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
General use laptops like the Gigabyte Aorus 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 prioritize display attributes such as resolution and brightness, ensuring clarity and vividness in everyday tasks from browsing to watching videos. For engineering and design workflows, where fine detail and color accuracy are key, the Lenovo's excellent coverage of professional color gamuts like DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB makes it more suitable than the Gigabyte. However, for gaming and 3D applications that require smooth motion, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates which are crucial for these activities.
Portability
Fair
Good
15.6in
SIZE
16.0in
5.2 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
8.0
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the Gigabyte Aorus 15 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,500
$1,120
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has a price of $1,500 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
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Key similarities
Engineering and Design
8.4
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is equipped with a high-performance CPU, ample RAM, and a powerful GPU, making it suitable for demanding engineering tasks and design programs, and its high-quality IPS screen with a high refresh rate ensures smooth visuals. In comparison, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 offers a superior OLED screen with higher resolution and color accuracy, which benefits detailed engineering work, though it pairs a capable CPU with less powerful graphics, potentially limiting some 3D design applications.
Content Creation
8.0
8.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1440
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Gigabyte Aorus 15 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.
Battery
6.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Gigabyte Aorus 15 has 6 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.
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How the Gigabyte Aorus 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Gigabyte Aorus 15 | Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,500 | $1,120 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 9.6'' x 1.02'' | 14'' x 9.4'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.29 lbs | 4.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.2" | 13.95" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.6" | 9.35" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-12700H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 99 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1440 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 316 nits | 393 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.8/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 1 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Gigabyte Aorus 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | December 2022
"The Gigabyte Aorus 15 is a power-hungry gaming beast. The Aorus 15 is designed to run games at QHD and high to max settings. But it also cuts a good figure in other demanding applications such as video editing and rendering. This is made possible by the Core i7 12700H and GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop inside the machine. A lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 TB) allows for short loading times."
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 Aorus 15 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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