Traditional gaming laptops like this Gigabyte Aorus 17G XB are not exactly in vogue now that the spotlight is on the latest thin and light systems. And while it's true that their slim form looks great when you walk into a meeting with them under your arm and adds a professional touch to the meeting, their thinness can also be a detriment, as we saw with the MSI GS66 Stealth.

The issue here is that performance is the most important requirement for gaming, and for that you need a case with space that can be filled with cooling to keep everything running optimally. Basically, you need a thicker than average case that is thin and light.

A case like the one wrapped around the Aorus 17G. It is not thick by any means, but at 26mm, it goes against the trend of the latest gaming laptops.

Gigabyte has made good use of that extra internal space, giving the Aorus 17G an intelligent specification. As for the processor, it's an Intel Comet Lake-H Core i7 10875H, an 8-core, 16-thread chip with a base clock of 2.3 GHz, boostable up to 5.1 GHz. [However, this peak performance depends on the performance profile used, and in tests with the default "Normal" profile, Turbo hovers around the 4.8GHz mark, which is still healthy enough.

What is a little different on this machine is the memory. Gigabyte uses 3,200 MHz DDR4, but it is set to run only at 2,933 MHz; there is no easy way to change this in the BIOS, so you are stuck with a somewhat slower operating frequency. However, an NVMe SSD is a much easier proposition, and while 512GB is not large, it is super fast and can easily add storage as long as you are content to tackle the 14 Torx screws on the underside of the machine.

The graphics subsystem is powered by a Max-Q spec RTX 2070 Super. This allows 2,560 CUDA cores to run at a base clock of 930 MHz, boosted to 1,155 MHz when in use. 8 GB of GDDR6 makes it future-proof enough to handle real-time ray tracing at the machine's native resolution of 1080p. 1080p at the machine's native resolution.

We should also mention a few screens that work well with the RTX 2070 Super, which may only boast 1080p resolution, but supports a healthy 240Hz refresh rate. If you want to play games where twitch reactions are important, this automatically makes this machine more interesting. Gigabyte decided there was no room for a webcam on top of the display and instead placed it just behind the round power button at the bottom of the screen. This makes the bezel around the screen very thin, but it makes for a rather unsightly angle when the webcam is actually in use. There is a slide button that gives you complete control over the webcam. This is basic, but a really good way to control the webcam.

As for input options, the keyboard is decent mechanical with Omron switches, and the touchpad is not bad for a change. You still need a mouse for gaming, but the touchpad is sufficient for general Windows pointing.

Let's get back to the keyboard: at first glance it looks like a chiclet (or island) type, but the operation is immediately recognizable as mechanical. The travel is good, there is a click with every press, and since it is clearly a gaming machine, the keyboard can be made to glow in a variety of ways. The keyboard area is indented for more key travel, which takes some getting used to, especially when hitting space, but if you persevere, you will be rewarded with a better keyboard experience than you are used to on a laptop.

As for performance, there is much to like. It may not have the fastest CPU or GPU, but it still offers a high-quality gaming experience in all games. Smooth 1080p gaming at the highest settings is well within this machine's capabilities, and should be for some time yet. [Of course, with RTX on, the machine will be pushed harder than you'd like, but the Aorus 17G XB does well in games like Metro Exodus, which hit 49 fps with RTX on. For reference, playing on the "High" setting instead of "Ultra" produced a smooth 65 fps. Shadow of the Tomb Raider recorded 53 fps with RTX Shadow on and 87 fps at the "High" setting.

It is worth noting that DLSS 2.0 makes a difference in game performance with respect to RTX performance, but even so, its actual implementation is limited to games that support RTX.

The chassis is roomy and does not get as noisy or hot as some laptops we have seen recently. Even under load, the CPU stays below 80°C and the GPU scores up to 74°C, which is good compared to the MSI GS66 Stealth and Asus Zephyrus G14. Of course, selecting a high-performance "gaming" preset would result in higher noise levels. Of course, a higher performance "gaming" preset would result in a higher noise level, but we love our ears too much to operate at this level every day.

Battery life is reasonable and not too exciting. It will last less than two hours if you're playing games, and longer for less-entertaining uses; the PCMark 10 productivity benchmark recorded 6.5 hours. It may not be the best choice for taking to meetings, but it delivers power where it matters (though it's a bit on the heavy side, weighing in at 6 pounds).

Despite its great performance and mostly quiet operation, the Aorus 17G XB is still not in the "must buy" box. The aesthetics are a little too utilitarian. It is a little too chunky. The materials are a little too functional. It lacks the wow factor that you need when you invest this much money in a gaming machine, which is a shame because unlike the MSI GS66 Stealth, it has power.

Overall, the Aorus 17G XB is a good, if not amazing, gaming laptop. If you buy it, you'll be pleased with its performance, but you probably won't love it like you should love a $2K machine.