Product Listing

Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic XA review: Intel Core i7-9750H vs. Core i7-8750H

By Koh Wanzi - 5 May 2019
Launch SRP: S$3699

Performance benchmarks

Test setup and performance

Here's a full list of the notebooks we're looking at:

  • Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic XA
  • ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX531GW
  • Lenovo Legion Y740
  • Razer Blade 15

I've included two other laptops that are also equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q and the previous generation's Intel Core i7-8750H processor to provide a measure of how much additional performance the 9th-generation chip offers. In addition, the Razer Blade 15 was included to show how the Aero 15 Classic XA stacks up against a GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q.

The Aero 15 Classic XA ships with the same AI features that were introduced on the Aero 15Y v9. It's supposed to intelligently distribute power between the CPU and GPU, depending on the task at hand. It does confer a small boost in synthetic benchmarks, and it's definitely unique, but it also feels slightly gimmicky and isn't really a stand-in for raw performance.

Test notebooks compared
  Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic XA Lenovo Legion Y740 ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX531GW Razer Blade 15 (2019)
  Gigabyte Aero 15 Classic XA Lenovo Legion Y740 ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX531GW Razer Blade 15 (2019)
Launch SRP
  • From S$3699
  • From S$3600
  • From S$3698
  • From S$4679
Processor and Chipset
  • Intel Core i7-9750H (2.6GHz, 12MB L3 cache)
  • Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2GHz, 9MB L3 cache)
  • Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2GHz, 9MB L3 cache)
  • Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2GHz, 9MB L3 cache)
Operating System
  • Windows 10 Pro
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 10
System Memory
  • 16GB DDR4-2666 dual-channel RAM
  • 32GB DDR4-2666 dual-channel RAM
  • 16GB DDR4-2666 dual-channel RAM
  • 16GB DDR4-2667 dual-channel RAM
Video & Display
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  • 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel 240Hz IGZO display
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  • 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel 144Hz IPS G-Sync display
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
  • 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel 144Hz IPS-type display
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
  • 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel 144Hz IPS display
Storage
  • Intel 760p 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
  • 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
  • Samsung PM981 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Optical Drive
  • None
  • None
  • None
  • None
Connectivity
  • Killer E2500 LAN
  • Killer Wireless-AC 1550i
  • Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
  • Bluetooth 4.1
  • Intel Wireless-AC 9560
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • Intel Wireless-AC 9560
  • Bluetooth 5.0
Audio
  • Built-in stereo speakers with Nahimic 3
  • Built-in Dolby Atmos speakers
  • Built-in stereo speakers
  • Built-in stereo speakers
I/O Ports
  • 2x USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-A
  • 1x USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-A
  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
  • 1x Thunderbolt 3
  • 1x audio combo jack
  • 1x SD card reader
  • 1x RJ-45
  • 1x USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-A
  • 2x USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-A
  • 1x Thunderbolt 3
  • 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 1x RJ-45
  • 1x 3.5mm mic/headphone combo jack
  • 1x USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-C
  • 1x USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-C
  • 1x USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-A
  • 2x USB 2.0
  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 1x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack
  • 1x Kensington Lock
  • 1x microphone-in, headphone-out jack
  • 1x Thunderbolt 3
  • 3x USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-A
  • 1x HDMI 2.0b
  • 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.4
Miscellaneous
  • Per-key RGB illumination
Battery Type
  • 94.24Wh Li-ion polymer
  • 57Wh
  • 60Wh
  • 80Wh Li-ion polymer
Dimensions
  • 356.4 x 250 x 18.9mm
  • 361.42 x 267 x 22.45mm
  • 360 x 268 x 15.35-16.15mm
  • 355 x 235 x 17.8mm
Weight
  • 2.0kg
  • 2.2 kg
  • 2.1 kg
  • 2.14 kg

I ran the notebooks through the following benchmarks:

  • PCMark 10
  • PCMark 8
  • 3DMark
  • Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
  • Far Cry 5
  • Tom Clancy's The Division
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider

 

How does it do in daily computing tasks?

Overall, the Aero 15 Classic XA turned out very mediocre results. Despite its higher clocked Core i7-9750H chip, the Aero 15 still failed to beat the older notebooks, largely due to its lackluster performance in the gaming benchmark in PCMark 10 Extended.

Having said that, I should add that this notebook's performance should not be taken as a representation of how the Core i7-9750H performs compared to the Core i7-8750H. As you'll notice here and in the gaming benchmarks as well, the laptop doesn't seem able to keep up with its counterparts, and I think that's a problem that's rooted more in performance throttling due to cooling issues rather than the new chip itself. Furthermore, OEMs have quite a lot of control over how they tune the entire system's performance profile, so it's also possible that Gigabyte just decided to go with something less aggressive. 

Either way, I'll have to wait till I get my hands on more notebooks equipped with the 9th-generation Intel Core processors to get a better idea of how the new chip performs. 

 

How fast is it in games?

It's really disappointing that the Aero 15 Classic XA still falls behind laptops equipped with the older and lower clocked Core i7-8750H. I can't say for sure what exactly the problem is, especially since there's a slightly confusing array of performance options to choose from.

For starters, there's the AI features powered by Microsoft Azure AI (you'll have to refer to the manual to see what each mode does since it's not immediately apparent), which I tested out with select games. I did notice an increase of a handful of frames in Far Cry 5 and a smaller increase in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, but the results were pretty much unchanged for Tom Clancy's The Division and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. From my limited testing, it looks like there are inconsistent gains across the board, so I don't think it's that big of a game changer. And even then, in Far Cry 5, which showed the largest benefit, the improved result only brought the Aero 15 Classic XA to the same level as the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S and Lenovo Legion Y740, still an unimpressive result given that the Gigabyte laptop has a more powerful processor. 

On top of that, Gigabyte's Control Center software has a section called Device Information, under which you can supposedly control the CPU clock speeds and GPU power draw. Mind you, I only knew this because of the review guide Gigabyte provided me, and it's not stated anywhere in the software itself or even in the user manual. 

Gigabyte's Control Center software provides more controls for performance and fan speeds.

Basically, to theoretically achieve the best possible performance, you want to put the power plan in high performance mode and click the numbered squares to ensure that all of them are lit up in orange. The confusing interface aside, I find it troubling that even after taking these steps to ensure maximum performance, the laptop still underperformed. For good measure, the laptop's fans were even set to run at full speed.

Nevertheless, the Aero 15 Classic XA was still 3 per cent behind the Lenovo Legion Y740 in 3DMark Fire Strike and an alarming 12 per cent behind in Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
7.5
  • Design 8
  • Features 8.5
  • Performance 7
  • Value 7.5
  • Mobility 9
The Good
Gorgeous and bright display with 240Hz refresh rate
Good build quality and slim, compact design
Excellent keyboard and Windows Precision Touchpad
Absolutely stellar battery life
The Bad
Performs worse than competitors
Runs very hot and noisy
Webcam still located in bottom bezel
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.