Review on 💻 GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR XD - Ultimate 4K Creator Laptop with RTX 3070, Intel Core i7, and 1TB SSD by Jason Unruh

Buying this laptop is further proof that good specs don't always equate to a great product. I had a choice between Gigabyte 17" and MacBook Pro 16" and finally chose AERO because of the impressive screen and graphics card. It must be said that I feel the remorse of buyers' conscience. The bad: Terrible web/nose cam: I don't know why Gigabyte even includes this monster. This is completely useless as it allows everyone in your Zoom meeting to examine your nostrils in detail. The camera is case mounted so it cannot be adjusted unless you lift the entire laptop. In the world of remote work, a good, handy webcam is a MUST. Dropping $2500 and realizing you still need an extra webcam to put on your screen is a joke. GIGABYTE PLEASE FIX. Charging Port: This is on the right-center of the laptop, which gets in the way of your mouse if you're short on space and are right-handed. Most coffee shops I go to have tiny tables, and given the size of this 17.3-inch laptop, there's very little space inside. Battery life: I'm a graphic designer and occasionally work in 3D. Using Photoshop/Illustrator and Dimension, I can't get more than 1 hour of battery life from this thing even on sleep mode. The screen changes brightness: Yes, it gets darker or lighter if you don't adjust it. Not the end of the world, but annoying. Screen goes black: I've been using this laptop for a month and so far have had at least 5 instances where the screen went completely black for a second or two. gigabytes wtf? Annoying keyboard: I'm used to Macs where you press F11 or F12 to change the volume. In this thing, you have to hold down the function button to adjust the volume, so it becomes a two-handed operation. I find this very annoying as the volume control is the most customizable feature and should be as intuitive as possible. RGB Keyboard: This is a developer's laptop, not a gamer's. When the keyboard pulses like a rainbow on acid, it's not only annoying, it's also extremely tasteless. If you want to compete with the MacBook, please remove this trick 12-year-olds love. Now for the good: The thing is fast. The screen is beautiful. The GPU sucks. It's 10x (10!) faster 3D rendering than my 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's relatively thin and doesn't look too crappy (except for the RGB keyboard), which thankfully can be turned off. About $2,500 cheaper than a Mac with similar specs. . However, the Mac has better ergonomics. ports. Useful but due to its shortcomings I have to use one USB port for an external camera and another for a mouse. So it's a mixed bag. Summary: This laptop is great if you leave it on all the time and use it as a desktop. Carrying it around and working on the go isn't an option since you only have about an hour. Gigabyte needs to invest more in usability testing of its products.