Gigabyte Aorus 16X 2024 review: Gaming power without the premium price tag

Gigabyte’s Aorus 16X 2024 aims to deliver top-tier specs without the premium markup. Boasting an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, an NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU, and a vibrant 2K display, the Aorus 16X has positioned itself as a real contender, especially for gamers seeking powerful, stable performance on a budget.

Design and Build

Starting with the design, the Aorus 16X embodies a refined look that sets it apart from flashier, RGB-packed gaming laptops. Its sleek, aluminium lid and dark onyx-grey chassis are tastefully understated, striking a balance that appeals to gamers who might need their laptop to blend seamlessly into professional settings. There’s a subtle light bar along the back hinge that complements its “sports car-inspired design,” as Gigabyte describes it. This touch adds personality without overwhelming the overall aesthetic.

At a little over 2.3 kilograms, the Aorus 16X is solidly built for a gaming laptop, and the build quality is consistent throughout. The hinges are sturdy with minimal wobble, and while the screen does have some flex, that’s expected in a 16:10 display. The plastic casing is high-quality and thankfully resists fingerprints, so it’s easy to keep looking sleek and clean.

Port Selection: Plenty of Options, but an Unusual Layout

The port selection on the Aorus 16X is generous, making it ready for gamers, creators, and those who need connectivity on the go. You’ll find USB Type-A, USB Type-C, a microSD card reader, HDMI 2.1, and an Ethernet port, along with Thunderbolt 4 support. The only design quirk is that the power port and most of the connections are located along the sides rather than the back, which some users might find inconvenient.

Keyboard and Trackpad: Typing with Style and Precision

The keyboard on the Aorus 16X is a traditional chiclet-style layout, designed with gaming and general productivity in mind. Typing feels comfortable, and the keys have a satisfying level of travel and responsiveness, avoiding the mushiness common in other gaming laptops. The keyboard features three zones of LED lighting, with transparent W, A, S, D, and Q, E, and R keys that highlight critical control points, especially useful during intense gameplay.

The trackpad is spacious and responsive, with smooth tracking that keeps up well whether you’re navigating documents or multitasking across screens. It’s a small feature, but one that makes a noticeable difference during everyday use.

Display: Immersive, Accurate, and Bright

The Aorus 16X sports a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600 resolution display with a 165Hz refresh rate, offering immersive and smooth visuals whether you’re deep into a game or editing photos. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you a bit more vertical real estate, which is great for productivity tasks or side-by-side window arrangements. The Pantone validation also ensures precise colour accuracy, a huge advantage for designers and content creators who need a dependable display.

The display’s brightness, rated at 400 nits (reaching 500 nits with HDR), is fantastic, even for well-lit spaces. This screen isn’t an OLED, but it provides great colour and contrast, while the matte finish reduces glare, so you won’t be constantly tilting for the best view.

Performance: Pushing the Limits with Intel i9 and RTX 4070

Powering the Aorus 16X is Intel’s Core i9-14900HX processor paired with NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 GPU, a dynamic duo that provides seamless gaming and multitasking. With its 24 cores (8 Performance, 16 Efficiency), the i9-14900HX handles demanding tasks effortlessly, especially when paired with the 32GB DDR5 RAM in our test model. The Aorus 16X also offers a WiFi 7 module, so you’re ready for the latest high-speed wireless connectivity.

Gaming on the Aorus 16X is where it truly shines. In testing, games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Cyberpunk 2077, and F1 2022 held strong frame rates even at 2560 x 1600 resolution. For instance, Shadow of the Tomb Raider ran at an average of 97 fps, while Cyberpunk 2077 held around 47 fps at high settings. Lowering some of the more taxing settings could push these numbers even higher, making it possible to tailor performance to your needs.

AI-powered performance tuning also helps squeeze out extra power when needed. This AI functionality, managed through Gigabyte’s Control Center, optimises settings based on the tasks at hand, balancing performance and power use efficiently.

Cooling: Quiet Under Pressure—Mostly

Gaming laptops are notorious for their loud fans, and the Aorus 16X is no exception, though it manages to stay relatively quiet under moderate loads. Gigabyte’s Windforce cooling system works well to keep temperatures down, but the fans can become quite loud when running games or heavy applications. That said, the system effectively prevents thermal throttling, allowing the CPU and GPU to maintain their performance even during extended play sessions.

Battery Life: Lasting Power on a Big Battery

With a 99Wh battery, the Aorus 16X delivers surprising endurance for a gaming laptop. During our testing, it held up for nearly 8 hours of web browsing, video streaming, and document work, a rare feat for high-performance gaming machines. Gaming on battery alone, of course, is more limited, with about two hours of playtime at reduced settings. But the battery performance here shows Gigabyte has made strides in efficiency, especially for day-to-day tasks.

Webcam and Audio: Quality Visuals, Punchy Sound

The FHD webcam does an admirable job, producing clear and sharp visuals, and includes Windows Hello facial recognition for fast logins. However, there’s no physical shutter, a minor downside for those conscious about privacy.

The Aorus 16X’s speakers are solid performers, delivering punchy, clear sound supported by Dolby Atmos. While they may lack deep bass, the overall audio experience is still enjoyable and more than adequate for both gaming and entertainment.

Verdict: A Gaming Laptop that Sets New Standards for Value

The Gigabyte Aorus 16X 2024 is a standout for gamers and creators alike, combining powerful specs, great visuals, and thoughtful design elements—all at a price that feels fair. With its Intel i9 and RTX 4070 setup, it handles demanding games and professional workloads with ease, while the battery life and display quality make it versatile enough for a wide range of tasks.

There are minor drawbacks—the fans get noisy, and USB-C charging isn’t fully reliable—but these are hardly dealbreakers in a laptop that hits so many high notes. If you’re after a machine that can handle high-performance gaming, design work, and day-to-day use, the Aorus 16X is a rock-solid choice that punches above its price tag.