Aorus X7 Pro V5 Gaming Laptop Review

Aorus X7 Pro V5 Review

Manufacturer: Aorus
UK price (as reviewed): £2,499 inc VAT (review sample - availability TBC, 32GB RAM, 2 x 256GB SSDs), £2,387 inc VAT (16GB RAM, 1 x 512GB SSD), £2,200 inc VAT (16GB RAM, 1 x 256GB SSD)
US price (as reviewed): TBC

Hot on the heels of the new revision of Aorus's gorgeous 13.9in gaming laptop, the Aorus X3 Plus V5, we now have the new 17in model - the Aorus X7 Pro V5. This is essentially a tweaked version of the Aorus X7 Pro Sync we looked at last year with several key additions, but a somewhat similar specification too.


The obvious move is ditching the Intel Broadwell-based Core i7-5850HQ and making the move to Skylake, with the new Core i7-6820HK. This is a fairly potent CPU with 8MB versus 6MB L3 cache found in the CPU of its predecessor (this is also more than the Core i7-6700HQ found in the latest 13.9 X3 model too, along with 100MHz higher base and turbo frequencies), although the frequencies are the same as the older Broadwell CPU. However, its slightly odd 'HK' designation is actually very interesting - it has an unlocked multiplier. This is potentially useful if you're aiming at replacing your desktop with this beast and you can read more about how it impacted on the performance later on.


The 17in IPS anti-glare screen appears to be much the same as the older model too and thankfully sports the same resolution - 1,920 x 1,080. There are of course smaller, cheaper laptops that offer higher resolutions, but you'll never be able to game with all those pixels and get smooth frame rates.


It's a sensible option from Aorus given the X7 Pro V5 is first and foremost a gaming machine. That said, given the performance of its predecessor, if you do want to game at higher resolutions, it should be perfectly capable of hooking up to a 2,560 x 1,440 monitor and still offer smooth framerates. As if the exterior wasn't impressive enough, the interior is equally crazy. Despite sporting 32GB of RAM, there are two free memory slots and also a third M.2 port as well. The cooling system is mighty to say the least. The two blower fans did remain relatively quiet during testing but they do ramp up under high loads. There are four individual heatsink arrays, fed by six separate heat pipes and four exhaust vents.


The key feature here, however, is G-Sync. From our X7 Pro Sync review - Nvidia has created G-Sync to allow its GPUs to control the refresh rate of your monitor, with the benefit being the near elimination of tearing and stuttering for a much smoother gaming experience. Of course, it's not just the built-in display that's catered for here - any G-Sync capable monitor is compatible too, so the X7 makes for a pretty good desktop replacement if you fancy hooking up one of the many G-Sync screens out there with a separate keyboard and mouse too. You can see it in action in our review.


In any event, the balance in terms of GPU horsepower is a good one - you'll be able to play any current game at the native resolution and with G-Sync on you'll have a pretty nifty gaming experience. The X7 Pro V5 is available in a few different configurations, such as with 16GB DDR4 as opposed to the 32GB here (arguably worth it as 32GB is overkill for most of us), and the other key difference being storage arrangement. Availability of our sample's specification is sketchy at the moment, but apart from the RAM and storage arrangements, the two cheaper SKUs are identical.