In terms of hardware, a lot has carried over from the previous generation.
The CPU is still Intel’sCore i7-8750Hfor most models, with ani9-8950HKoption available.
Memory ranges from 8GB up to 32GB depending on the configuration, though 16GB models come with single-channel memory.
The battery remains 94 Wh, in what comes off as the same chassis.
So what are the changes?
The big one is the upgrade from a GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, to the newRTX 2070 Max-Q.
There are a few upgrades on the software side, too.
The downside is the webcam is still sitting below the screen.
The laptop is solidly built, using a combination of metal and plastic.
This is also reflected in the size and weight.
Portability always comes at a price.
I/O is very good: two USB-C ports, one Thunderbolt 3 jot down-C and the other USB 3.1.
There’s a further three USB 3.1 ports, two gen-1 and one gen-2.
Then you get Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an SD card reader.
No need for dongles with this machine, it has basically everything.
It’s a big upgrade.
For productivity, theCore i7-8750Hwith 32GB of RAM performs exactly as expected (read our full review).
Comparing the new Aero 15 X9 to the older Aero 15X v8, performance is roughly equivalent.
There were a few workloads like Cinebench where the new model is a little slower.
There were a handful of workloads like Handbrake where performance is on par.
And there were a few tasks where the new model is faster.
For tasks like 7-Zip and MATLAB, there’s a performance advantage because to this.
Then we also see some improvements in GPU-accelerated applications.
It’s worth pointing out that the Aero 15 X9 has several different performance profiles.
Aside from manual controls there’s quiet, normal and gaming fan profiles.
In addition we have the AI features, of which there are two modes.
The AI modes didn’t do much to enhance the performance.
For gaming, the AI modes are an improvement upon the Normal fan mode, especially the cloud mode.
However using either the Gaming mode, or setting fan speeds to maximum, provides better performance again.
For our gaming tests which we’ll get to in a moment, we used the Gaming mode.
This is still early days for the Aero 15 X9 and this system.
A few other quick productivity comparisons before moving into gaming performance.
For gaming performance we’ve done afull breakdown on the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Qusing this exact system.
While the Gigabyte Aero 15 performs well for its hardware, the cooling solution isn’t that great.
In better news, noise levels while using the laptop for productivity tasks is a lot better.
Thermally the laptop gets quite hot, hotter than the previous Aero 15X v8.
Thicker gaming laptops are closer to the 75 to 80C mark.
The chassis of the laptop also gets hot.
Most other laptops vent out the sides and back, either behind the display or onto the desk.
Directly below this, the keyboard can be over 40C.
The average thermal performance surprises us considering what the Aero 15 looks like internally.
We guess there are just some inefficiencies in the design.
However the profile has been generated incorrectly.
We noticed this oversaturation right away, everything is extremely vibrant on this panel.
Proper calibration should allow both sRGB and wide gamut content to be mapped properly with just a single profile.
The panel quality is there, it’s just the calibration that’s letting it down.
That’s a nice bonus.
The improved trackpad is a long overdue addition.
These changes have been made without sacrificing other elements that already made this laptop great.
It’s still a well-built, portable design with a huge battery.
The Core i7-8750H performs well, making the laptop great for productivity.
There’s plenty of I/O and easy internal upgradeability for both the RAM and storage.
The per-key RGB backlight keyboard is still one of the best in its class.
With that said, two of our primary concerns with this laptop design haven’t been addressed.
The cooler is still loud and it runs hot to deliver performance equivalent to other systems.
The webcam position is also not great, a by-product of this early bezel-free design.
Whether the Aero 15 X9 is a good purchase comes down to what price you could get one at.
Right now, for a decent hardware loadout you’relooking at $2,400.
But these GTX 1070 Max-Q laptops won’t be around for much longer… For pure performance, there are faster options available in thicker, heavier chassis.
BothAsusandGigabyte offer the full RTX 2070GPU in their thicker chassis for $2,000.
That’s a better value option if you don’t see yourself moving the laptop around very much.
