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Aorus, a notebook gaming brand that belongs to Gigabyte Technology, introduced its most advanced gaming laptop computer yet at the Consumer Electronics Show 2015. The Aorus X5 notebook boasts two yet-unannounced GeForce GTX 965M graphics processing units as well as 15.6” ultra-high-definition (UHD) display with 4K resolution based on Sharp’s IGZO technology.
The new Aorus X5 laptop is based on an unknown Intel Core i-series processor with DDR3 memory and a solid-state drive. The graphics sub-system of the new laptop is powered by two Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M graphics processing units which deliver 15 per cent more performance than Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M mobile graphics solution, according to manufacturer. At present Aorus does not reveal exact configurations of the system, but claims that it scores P12000 points in 3DMark11 Performance benchmark.
One of the key innovations of the Aorus X5 is its 15.6” display that is made by Sharp. The monitor uses an IGZO panel with 3840*2160 resolution, which makes the X5 laptop one of the industry’s first notebooks with a 4K 15.6” screen. While the display delivers crystal-clear resolution, it should not consume more energy than standard 15.6” panels since IGZO technology promises to reduce power consumption compared to contemporary thin-film-transistor panels, such as TN, IPS or *VA.
Although the laptop is clearly very powerful and employs two graphics processing units, it is not very thick (22.9mm) or heavy (2.5 kilograms). In fact, its weight and dimensions are similar to those of non-gaming laptops released several years ago.
Battery life of the laptop remains unknown. Moreover, it is unclear whether the laptop supports Nvidia Optimus dynamic graphics switching technology that is designed to switch off discrete GPUs when the laptop uses its battery power. Therefore, it is not clear whether it will be possible to use this notebook as a normal mobile PC for work on the go.
The Aorus X5 will be available in the second quarter of the year at a price-point between $2299 and $2799.
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KitGuru Says: The combination of high-performance graphics sub-system and a 4K UHD IGZO display is clearly something that should appeal to gamers. I am not sure whether 4K resolution is something you must have on a 15.6” monitor and how will Windows 8.1 look in this case, but in general, when it comes to resolution, the higher the better. If you are in the market for a relatively small form-factor gaming notebook, then the Aorus X5 is a machine to look at.
Kitguru, Optimus is disabled on ALL models which use SLI. If you’re fancy like the Alienware M18x R2 and Alienware 18s were, you could use MUX switches to swap from dGPU to iGPU with a restart, but it disabled the ability to use eDP panels for the screen (and thus disabled the ability to get high refresh rate screens etc). But Optimus is not compatible with SLI. Thankfully.
Also that thing’s CPU is going to overheat like crazy.
“Thankfully”?
For high end machines, optimus is little but a detriment. It kills nVidia’s display set up options and if external displays are wired to run through the iGPU instead of the dGPU (which some people do) you’re limited to 1080p 60fps machines regardless of the power in your system or the connector used. Imagine if I couldn’t use a 120Hz screen or something with two 980Ms? No bueno
Beware on the warranty that Aorus provides with their notebooks, it is really substandard compared to other gaming brands I’ve had. I have personally been without my Aorus X3+ for over 7 weeks now as it’s sat in gigabyte’s UK repair centre awaiting parts. Also, Gigabyte do not cover screen assembly with their warranty, no matter if it’s a month old or nearing the end of warranty— it’s a repair that will be charged back to the owner.
Did your LCD have an issue? If it’s a simply repair (like a bad Wifi Card) I don’t get why they charge you for screen assembly… if you dropped the machine or something and have a broken LCD, warranties do not normally cover accidental LCD damage unless you pay for it. So you need to be specific.
Nope, not the LCD nor the WiFi aerials held within the screen, but the chassis assembly itself. The assembly came apart at the right hand hinge just over a month of having my X3+ (you can see the area from the pic attached). This wasn’t on result of a fall or misuse, the laptop has been treated with the most precious of care (as most people treat their expensive gaming machines).
Maybe they thought it was accidental damage? I don’t know. Their warranty should have covered something that was as a result of a defect. Oh well, I’m glad my P370SM3 is still in good condition.
Nope, I posted the full conversation with the customer service representative about it to notebookreview forums: http://forum.notebookreview.com/gigabyte/761197-official-aorus-x3-x3-owners-lounge-3.html
If you can’t be bothered reading, clarification quote from the repair centre: “Unfortunately this is correct gigabyte do not accept the panel coming away as a manufacturing fault. I am sorry to hear you feel like this but in other incidents we have had to charge for this repair to be done.”
I replied on your thread. Good to know to avoid Aorus. I’ll definitely be able to tell more people about this.
The lack of screen assembly warranty not just Aorus by the sounds of things (one would have thought every manufacturer would cover the full workmanship of their laptops), but it was identified by the service centre as being Gigabyte in general. If I knew this prior to purchasing it, I would have taken my money elsewhere.
Alas, my case is almost resolved (fingers crossed), and may have been an isolated one. I cannot fault the actual laptop itself, the laptops are fantastic (when they work), but the warranty has really put me off purchasing another Aorus or Gigabyte laptop.
Service is just as much a part of a good machine as the build quality is. Dell’s low-end consumer laptops have had disgusting build quality in the past, but their service made up for it. HP on the other hand, had both terrible build quality AND bad service.
If your machine is decent when working and support is bad, then it’s a system I’ll never recommend to anyone.
Where can I buy this laptop
what is the country of origin of Aurus,its relativly new?