Gigabyte Aero 15 (2017) Review

Gigabyte Aero 15 brings the very specific colours of the rainbow

Sure, it's got a discrete graphics card, an Intel i7 Core processor and a superslim aluminium construction,
but the most impressive thing about Gigabyte's Aero 15 laptop is the screen. A partnership with colour measurement firm X-Rite means that the Aero 15's display can reproduce true-to-life colours. So yes, it's got the robust, vivid display you'd expect, but it does so completely automatically.

Key specs

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Graphics
• Intel Core i7 processor
• 5 mm bezel
• X-Rite Pantone certified display
• 15.6" HD 1,920x1080 or UHD 3,840x2,160 display
• 356 mm x 250 mm x 19.9 mm (14x9.8x0.7 inches).
• 2.1 kg (4.6 pounds)
• RGB backlit keyboard
• Aluminium chassis

Looking at that rundown, it's the checklist you're normally ascribe to a premium laptop. Small footprint, impressive display, a ton of grunt under the hood with discrete, full-size graphics card and an i7 processor. Where it gets interesting is the X-Rite Pantone certification on the display.

Gigabyte and X-Rite Pantone have developed a version of their factory calibration process that they've rolled out across the Aero 15s. Every laptop goes through the process, which automatically sets Gamma, Whitepoint, and Gray Balance to sRGB standard.

What does that actually mean? You'll see better, truer colours on the display and won't need to fiddle with colour settings yourself.

Rounding it out is the machined aluminium construction and a full suite of connections, including Thunderbolt and HDMI ports. An amazingly thin bezel also squeezes that 15.6-inch display into a petite footprint. Yeah, you'll run pretty much anything on this, but it's a compact solution for professionals, first and foremost.

The Aero 15 will be available in May for $1,899 or AU$2,899. That converts to about £1,465. It'll come in a standard black or a very eye-catching orange. Go with the orange. That's the HD, 1,920x1080-resolution model. There's also a UHD 4K model coming in Q3, pricing to be announced.