Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen vs Gigabyte Aero 16 Comparison

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Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen

17.3 inches | June 2021

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Gigabyte Aero 16

16 inches | January 2022

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Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen vs Gigabyte Aero 16 Comparison Overview

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR...

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Gigabyte Aero 16

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Gigabyte Aero 16

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In this review, we will be comparing Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16, two laptops by Gigabyte. Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen was introduced to market in June 2021 and Gigabyte Aero 16 was launched in January 2022. There is only 7 months difference between Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16 are members of Gigabyte's Aero series of laptops. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Gigabyte Aero Series History

	Release Date	Screen Size	Dimensions	Weight
Gigabyte Aero 16 OLED 2023	January 2023	16.0"	354 x 255 x 18-22 mm	2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)
Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED 2023	January 2023	14.0"	311 x 220.8 x 17 mm	1.49 kg (3.29 lbs)
Gigabyte Aero 16	January 2022	16.0"	356 x 248.5 x 22.4 mm	2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)
Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED Intel 11th Gen	June 2021	15.6"	356 x 250 x 19.9 mm	2 kg (4.41 lbs)
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen	June 2021	17.3"	396 x 270 x 21.5 mm	2.5 kg (5.51 lbs)

Here is a brief look at the main features of Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Gigabyte Aero 16 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen Key Specs

Launched in June 2021
17.3" IPS LCD, 16:9 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 11800H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB
8GB Ram
396 x 270 x 21.5 mm (15.59 x 10.63 x 0.85 inches)
Weight: 2.5 kg (5.51 lbs)

Gigabyte Aero 16 Key Specs

Launched in January 2022
16.0" Mini LED, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700H
GPU: GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile 8GB
16GB Ram
356 x 248.5 x 22.4 mm (14.02 x 9.78 x 0.88 inches)
Weight: 2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen over Gigabyte Aero 16

Display Size	17.3 inches vs 16 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Screen PPI	255 ppi vs 189 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	3840 x 2160 pixels vs 2560 x 1600 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
Max Brightness	500 nits vs 370 nits	Brighter Screen
Number of Microphones	2 vs 1	Better Sound capture
Speaker Loudness	88 dB vs 85 dB	Generates higher sound levels
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs No	Easy login with fingerprint
USB-C Port Type	v4.0 vs v3.2	Faster USB-C connection
HDMI Port	1x HDMI 2.1 vs No	Connect to external monitors directly via HDMI cable
Display Port	Yes vs No	Option to use Display port to connect to external monitors
Ethernet RJ45 Port	Yes vs No	Connects to the local network via Ethernet RJ45
SD Card Reader	Yes vs No	Read & Write SD Cards with the built-in reader
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers

Reasons to choose Gigabyte Aero 16 over Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen

Weight	2.30 kg vs 2.50 kg	0.2 kg lighter
Screen-to-Body Ratio	~83.9% vs ~77.2%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	5.7 mm vs 6.5 mm	0.8 mm thinner bezels
Noise Level	52 dB vs 59 dB	Less fan noise
Refresh Rate	165 Hz vs 60 Hz	Smoother media experience
Contrast Rate	1000000:1 vs 1479:1	more pleasing colors
DCI-P3 Color Gamut	100% vs 86.8%	Wider DCI-P3 Color Gamut
GPU FLOPS	16 TFLOPS vs 14.4 TFLOPS	Faster RAM Type
RAM Type	DDR5 vs DDR4	Faster RAM
RAM BUS	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	3x USB 3.2 vs 1x USB 4.0

Common Strengths of Gigabyte Aero 16 and Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen

Launch Dates	June 2021 vs January 2022	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Coating	Matte vs Matte	Less reflections on the screen
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Upgradable RAM	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the RAM size
RAM Type	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x) vs PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Fast RAM type
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs Yes	Option to increase the Storage size
SSD Type	NVMe vs NVMe	Faster Data Transfers
Wi-Fi Standard	v6 vs v6E	Fast and Reliable Wi-Fi Connections
Bluetooth Standard	v5.2 vs v5.2	Fast and Reliable Bluetooth Connections
Thunderbolt Port	v4 vs v4	Fast data and power transfer via Thunderbolt Port
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Gigabyte Aero 16 and Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen vs Gigabyte Aero 16: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and the Gigabyte Aero 16.

Physical Specs
Weight	2.5 kg (5.51 lbs)	2.3 kg (5.07 lbs)
Surface Area	1069 cm2 (165.7 inches2)	885 cm2 (137.1 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~77.2%	~83.9%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.5 mm	~5.7 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.14 kg/inch	0.14 kg/inch
	0.308 lbs/inch	0.308 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	White

Comparison of the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and the Gigabyte Aero 16 External Dimensions

Weight

Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen weighs 2.5 kg (5.51 lbs), whereas the Aero 16 weighs 2.3 kg (5.07 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen 2.50 kg

Avg: larger than 17.0" 2.74 kg

Gigabyte Aero 16 2.30 kg

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 2.07 kg

Thickness Comparison

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen 21.50 mm

Avg: larger than 17.0" 24.26 mm

Gigabyte Aero 16 22.40 mm

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 20.35 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen is 0.14 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Gigabyte Aero 16 is 0.14 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2-in-1 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen vs Gigabyte Aero 16: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	Intel Core i7 11800H Intel Core i9 11980HK	Intel Core i7 12700H Intel Core i9 12900H Intel Core i9 12900HK
Base Frequency	1.9-2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz
Number of Cores	8	14
Number of Threads	16	20
L3 Cache	24 MB	24 MB
Integrated GPU	Intel UHD Graphics for 11th Gen (32 EU)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96EU)
CPU Fabrication Process	10 nm	10 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1563	1750
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	8909	12242
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1504	1800
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	12182	16309

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Gigabyte Aero 16.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 11800H

Laptops with: Intel Core i7 12700H

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile 16GB	GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Mobile 8GB GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile 16GB
Base Clock Frequency	1110 MHz	915 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	1560 MHz	1410 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	115 W	115 W
Nvidia Optimus	Yes	Yes
Type	Dedicated	Dedicated
FLOPS	15.97 TFLOPS	16.60 TFLOPS
Memory Size	8 GB	8 GB
Memory Type	GDDR6	GDDR6
Memory Bus	256 bit	256 bit
Memory Speed	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective	1750 MHz 14 Gbps effective
Shading Units Cores	5120	5888
TMUs	160	184
ROPs	80	96

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen has a FLOPS value of 14.4 TFLOPS whereas the Gigabyte Aero 16 ' has a FLOPS value of 16 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Gigabyte Aero 16 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	1x8 GB	2x8 GB
RAM Clock	3200 MHz	4800 MHz
RAM Type	DDR4	DDR5
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Max RAM Size	64 GB	64 GB
Total Slots	2	2
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 3.0 (4x)	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)

The Aero 16 provides a larger RAM capacity of 16 GB, which allows for smoother multitasking and improved performance in memory-demanding tasks compared to the Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen's RAM capacity of 8 GB.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR (Intel 11th Gen)	Gigabyte Aero 16
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✔ Good performance.	✔ Good performance.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	99 Wh	99 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	Yes	Yes
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Right	Right
Charge Power	230 W	230 W
Voltage	15.2 V
AC Adapter Weight	726 gramm	726 gramm

Furthermore, both laptops have the same battery capacity of 99 Wh, ensuring comparable battery performance.

Battery Comparison

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen 99 Wh

Avg: larger than 17.0" 76.88 Wh

Gigabyte Aero 16 99 Wh

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 74.15 Wh

STORAGE
The Aero 16 offers a larger max storage capacity of 4 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen's storage capacity of 2 TB.

Storage Options	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB
Upgradable	Yes	Yes
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen vs Gigabyte Aero 16: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Gigabyte Aero 16 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen has a display size of 17.3".On the other hand, Aero 16 has a smaller 16.0" display.The total usable screen area of the Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen is 825cm² / 128inch² whereas the Aero 16's total usable screen area is 742cm² / 115inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen features a higher pixel density with 255 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen 255 PPI

Avg: larger than 17.0" 141 PPI

Gigabyte Aero 16 189 PPI

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 169 PPI

Refresh Rate
The Aero 16 offers a higher refresh rate of 165 Hz, resulting in smoother motion and improved visual experience.

Brightness
The Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen offers a higher maximum brightness of 500 nits, delivering a brighter screen.

Brightness Comparison

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen 500 nits

Avg: larger than 17.0" 368 nits

Gigabyte Aero 16 370 nits

Avg: 16.0-16.9" 413 nits

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen vs Gigabyte Aero 16 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Aero 16 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v6E, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen is equipped with 3x USB 3.2 USB-A ports. Aero 16 does not have USB-A ports.
Both Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16 have USB Type-C ports. Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen has 1x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports, while Aero 16 has 3x USB 3.2 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
Both Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16 are equipped with Thunderbolt 4 ports.

HDMI
Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen features an HDMI port (1x HDMI 2.1) for connecting to external monitors. Aero 16 does not have an HDMI port.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen is equipped with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards. Aero 16 does not have an SD Card Reader.

Audio Jack
Both Aero 17 HDR Intel 11th Gen and Aero 16 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v6	v6E
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5.2
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	3x USB 3.2	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	1x USB 4.0	3x USB 3.2
Thunderbolt (latest: 4)	Thunderbolt 4	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	No
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	1x v1.4	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	No
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	Yes	No
SD CardReader	Yes	No
Proprietary Charging Port	Yes	Yes