Gigabyte Aero 15 Oled XA: a laptop for Oled panel players

Presentation

A few months after our test of the Aero 15 Classic SA, we are testing the Aero 15 Oled XA, a compact gaming laptop. If the chassis has not really evolved, the components change seriously; we thus find a Core Intel i7-9750H coupled to an RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics circuit and 16 GB of DDR4 at 2 667 MHz.

In addition, as its name suggests, this Aero 15 offers a 4K Oled display. And if you are looking for competitors on the market, you will have to turn to the GS ranges at MSI, Tritton 500 at Acer or Blade at Razer.

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Screen

This is one of the main advantages put forward by Gigabyte on this Aero 15: its Amoled 60 Hz panel (produced by Samsung) with a definition of 3,840 x 2,160 px with HDR400 support. On paper, the recipe is envious and the first feeling is very good. But there again, a few details make us say that the whole is not perfect. For example, for some unknown reason, HDR rendering was activatable under Windows, but not in certain games (Far Cry 5, Assassin's Creed Odyssey).

We are also dealing with a glossy slab, which was confirmed by our reflectance measurement (98.8%). The display is therefore not comfortable in the brightest rooms. If there is nothing wrong with the maximum brightness (401 cd / m²), the afterglow (1 ms), or the contrast (absolutely perfect), the colorimetry could have been better adjusted: the average dE of 5.3 (we expected less than 3 ) is just passable, like the average temperature (6 120 K against 6 500 K expected). We hoped better from a screen that has a Pantone calibration logo.

But we can especially ask the question of the relevance of a 4K display on this type of diagonal, especially for a laptop dedicated to the game. We thus compared the same sequence of play (in static) in 4K on the Aero and in Full HD on a GS65: beyond the quality gain specific to Oled technology, the gain in finesse is not at all obvious between the two definitions. In addition, if the RTX 2070 Max-Q onboard is clearly perfectly cut to play in 1920 x 1080 px, it clearly does not have the resources to face 4K and sees its bit rate cut in half. Fortunately, it will be possible in all cases to play in Full HD, with a scaling effect that we deemed imperceptible.

Remember all the same that apart from the small faults that we have just highlighted, the Oled screen of this Aero 15 offers a good general quality.

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Performances

Armed with a latest generation 6-core / 12-thread Intel processor and 16 GB of slightly overclocked memory, this model was unlikely to fail our CPU tests. And unsurprisingly, it gets an excellent rating, the same as that of the Legion Y540, which offered the same configuration. It can be seen in both cases that the processor stabilizes around 3GHz when it is working on a multi-threaded task.

To complete this performance chapter, we note that the Aero range now has the Azure AI. This functionality resulting from a partnership with Microsoft intends to improve the management of the computer (CPU, GPU, cooling, etc.) by using the principles of artificial intelligence. The PC sends its operating data to Microsoft which, by dint of data collection and learning, returns more and more optimized operating rules. This system can operate in a spirit of data sharing, or in one direction, which would be to take advantage of the experiences retrieved by Microsoft on other machines, while protecting confidentiality. Unfortunately, if the activation of this function did trigger behavioral modifications, these did not seem essential to us. Obviously, this system will have to be studied over a longer term to measure its concrete effects.

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Games

By reading this test, you can now imagine that the Aero 15 Oled is an excellent gaming companion. Its RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics circuit is perfectly exploited. Concretely, during our standardized tests and in "Normal" operating mode, the Aero 15 Oled sends on average 66 fps under The Witcher 3, 81 fps under Far Cry 5 and 69 fps under Monster Hunter World.

These results are similar to those of the Legion Y540 in RTX 2060, but remember that if the Max-Q and non-Max-Q GPUs share the same specifications in terms of computing units, their operating frequencies differ, at l advantage of non- Max-Q versions. It is therefore quite logical that the measured performances approach the RTX 2070 Max-Q of an RTX 2060 and not of a classic RTX 2070.

For the form, we carried out a few punctual tests in native definition (3840 x 2160 px). Unsurprisingly, the graphics circuit is not sized to provide such a definition and therefore offers poor performance.

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Mobility / Autonomy

With a footprint of 1.8 x 35.6 x 25 cm and a weight of 2 kg, the Aero 15 is certainly not a featherweight, but it is rather in the lower range of laptops called gaming.

Its 94.24 Wh Li Polymer battery allows it to last 4 h 32 min under our test protocol. A time away obviously far from those of truly nomadic models, which can hold without flinching 3 to 4 additional hours. However, compared to laptops in its class, we believe that the result remains correct.

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Audio

With loudspeaker openings reduced to a union minimum, the audio circuit can hardly find a favorable field of expression. The sound is compressed, devoid of bass and very tight on the mids. It is practical for a conversation under Skype, much less for any other multimedia or video game use, even if, unfortunately, we stay here in the average of the services offered by this type of PC. Although we have a fairly nasal and unnatural reproduction of the voices, their intelligibility is ensured.

To really enjoy a film or a game, it would be better to go through the headphone jack: it reproduces the signal in a particularly faithful manner, whether in terms of frequency response, dynamics or stereophony. The power it delivers will be enough to plug in the vast majority of headsets on the market.

To control the entire system, Gigabyte uses two complementary software systems: a Realtek solution for basic settings (equalization, balance, sampling rate) and a Nahimic solution for more advanced effects, such as surround rendering.

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Conclusion

It is beautiful, it is fine, it is powerful, but the Aero 15 Oled is not perfect. Its small faults are certainly not prohibitive, but they necessarily weigh in the balance, especially for a machine sold at this price. The cooling would have deserved more attention and the interest of a 4K display is questionable, even if this aspect can be a consequence of the choice of the Oled technology of the panel. Remember, however, that this Aero 15 is nonetheless a very beautiful machine, very functional, and capable of deploying significant power without sacrificing too much on its nomadic side. And this Oled screen, beyond its native definition, offers superb in-game images and undeniable added value.

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