Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED (2023) Review

About the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED

Here are the specs of the laptop we tested:

• Price as configured: $1,700
• Processor: Intel Core i7-13700H, 14-core/20-thread (six performance cores, eight efficient cores), max clock speed 5.0GHz
• Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4050 (discrete)
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR5-6400
• Storage: 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD
• Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 90Hz OLED
• Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C (DC-In only), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo headphone/microphone, microSD card reader
• Camera: 1080p front-facing webcam with IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition
• Weight: 3.28 pounds
• Dimensions: 12.3 x 8.7 x 0.67 inches
• Warranty: 1-year limited laptop warranty

The Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED has a Core i7-13700H instead of the slower, but more power efficient Core i7-1360P. The CPU is paired with Nvidia’s RTX 4050 discrete graphics card, which is more common to find in productivity laptops these days and remains an undeniable step up from Intel or AMD integrated graphics.

Pricing starts at $1,700, which falls in line with competitors like the Acer Swift X 14 ($1,500), the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED ($1,000, but lacks Nvidia graphics), and the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i ($1,870).

What we like

It’s small, but performance is mighty

The Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED is aimed at creators and other users with higher-than-average productivity demands, and its hardware backs that up. With an Intel Core i7-13700H processor paired with an Nvidia RTX 4050 discrete GPU, this laptop is prepared to do some heavy lifting in games and 3D productivity apps.

The Aero 14 OLED did fall behind the Acer Swift X 14 and Apple MacBook Air M2 15-inch in our single core benchmarks, both Geekbench 6 and Cinebench R23, but as you can see from the graphs, the Aero 14 OLED asserted itself in multi-core tests. The Acer Swift X 14 only achieved 8942 in this test (roughly 25% behind the Gigabyte), while the MacBook Air M2 15-inch fell behind with a score of 10013 (roughly 15% lower).

The Aero 14 OLED relies on Nvidia’s RTX 4050 to provide support in GPU tasks, hitting a 3DMark Time Spy score of 9713. That beat the Acer Swift X 14, which scored 8001—despite the fact the Swift X 14 also has Nvidia’s RTX 4050. It also beats Acer’s 2023 Nitro 16, an entry-level gaming laptop, with the same GPU according to our testing. Clearly, Gigabyte has chosen more aggressive performance settings for its laptops.

Game performance isn’t bad, either. The Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED achieved an average of 77 frames per second (fps) in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p resolution and Highest detail settings. Gaming laptops can achieve much better “real-world” performance—the Nitro 16 , for instance, achieved 114 fps in this game. Still, the Aero 14 OLED’s performance is solid for its category and shows the laptop can handle many modern titles at 30 to 60 fps.

It looks great and feels durable

Gigabyte successfully bucks the trend of boring 14-inch laptops with an attractive, distinctive design that stands out from the crowd without becoming overdone or garish.

The Aero 14 OLED makes a subdued first impression with a silver metal exterior adorned only by an “Aero” logo. Yet there’s a surprise: the Aero logo glows, much like the Apple logo on MacBook laptops sold a decade ago. It’s a nice touch, and one that helps the otherwise subtle laptop stand out.

You’ll find similar design elements inside. The silver metal look continues, but Gigabyte freshens things up with an eclectic take on the “Aero” name that scatters the letters across the touchpad. I also like the white keyboard, which is an unexpected inversion of the piano-black or gray keys most modern laptops use.

It’s a well-built laptop, too. The metal chassis uses thick, rigid panels across all surfaces including the keyboard and display lid, which minimizes flex. Gigabyte also opts for metal display hinges and a metal bottom panel—two areas where laptop-makers looking to cut costs will frequently switch to plastic.

None of this adds to the Aero 14 OLED’s size or weight. It tips the scales at just 3.28 pounds and measures a mere 0.67 inches thick. These figures undercut the Acer Swift X 14, Asus Zenbook 14X OLED, and both the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 and Slim Pro 9i. There are other Windows laptops (the LG Gram Style 14 and MSI Prestige 13 Evo, for example) that are dramatically lighter by as much as a pound, but chassis thickness doesn’t differ much.

The OLED screen is fantastic

As its name implies, the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED has a 14-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2880 x 1800 and a refresh rate of 90Hz. It’s far from unique (many laptops from Acer, Asus, MSI, and Samsung have the same OLED panel) but it’s still gorgeous.

OLED’s big advantage is contrast. Each pixel can turn on or off independently of those around it and, when off, reach a perfect minimum luminance of zero nits. Because of this, the display provides an effectively infinite contrast ratio. It looks immersive and lifelike, as if you’re staring into a window or portal instead of a flat display. The Aero 14 OLED’s display is no different.

Color performance is a highlight, too. Its OLED display can render 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 96% of the AdobeRGB color gamut. These results tie the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED, which achieved 100% of DCI-P3 and 97% AdobeRGB, but defeats the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i with Mini-LED display, which achieved 97% of DCI-P3 and 86% of AdobeRGB.

The Aero 14 OLED’s strong color performance provides a saturated, vivid image that makes games, movies, and other visual media look great. It’s also important for drawing, photography, and video editing, as a wide color gamut helps ensure the picture will look accurate to how it will appear on other displays.

Brightness is usually a weakness of OLED displays, but not in the Aero 14 OLED. It has a maximum SDR brightness of 507 nits which increases to 530 in HDR. That’s an improvement over most competitors. Alternatives like the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED and Acer Swift X 14 achieve less than 350 nits in SDR.

The keyboard and touchpad are pleasant to use

A beautiful OLED display is always a perk, but a laptop’s keyboard and touchpad are just as important for day-to-day work and leisure. Fortunately, Gigabyte doesn’t overlook these basic features.

The keyboard is typical for a laptop of its size but enjoyable to use. It has a large, spacious layout with attractive keys. Key feel is good with reasonable key travel and a firm bottoming action which provides modest tactile feedback. Some alternatives, like the Apple MacBook 15 M2, provide a more precise, tactile key feel. Still, I immediately felt at home on the Aero 14 OLED’s keyboard.

I can say the same of the touchpad. It measures roughly 4.5 inches wide and 3 inches deep, which isn’t remarkably large for a 14-inch Windows laptop. But it still provides enough space for Windows’ multi-touch gestures. It’s responsive, feels slick, and didn’t pick up unintended input as my hands moved across the keyboard.

What we don’t like

The bundled software needs improvement

The Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED is the first laptop of 2023 to genuinely confuse me. After starting the laptop, I was greeted with what appeared to be a loading screen for system software updates. But strangely, this screen didn’t appear as a window element—it instead seemed to lurk behind other windows. I thought someone tricked me by taking a screenshot of a loading screen and then making it the desktop background.

This was, in the end, a brief distraction. Yet it represents the quality (or lack of it) in Gigabyte’s software suite. The company’s software utilities, such as the Gigabyte Control Center, lack polish.

For example, the main menu that appears when opening the software appears mostly blank, which gives the impression that very few options exist. That’s not the case, but the options are tucked into small icons on the left-hand side. It’s an odd choice—why not place the options front and center?

There’s functional issues, too. The app’s font size is too small and can be difficult for anyone with anything but 20/20 eyesight to read. Options can be hard to find, because many are lumped together in a single General settings panel. And the volume control occasionally refused to work properly, forcing me to reboot the laptop.

I’m not usually one to complain about a laptop’s software utilities, but the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED’s is difficult to use. It’s not a dealbreaker, because most users won’t need to visit the software utilities frequently—but some will find the software confusing.

Connectivity is acceptable, but can’t power the laptop

The Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED’s connectivity looks excellent on paper. It has two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, a microSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone/microphone audio jack. One specification seems odd, however—the USB-C DC-In port that powers the laptop.

Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C usually supports power, but not on the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED. Both Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports support only video, so they can’t be used to charge the laptop. The USB-C DC-In port, meanwhile, supports power but not video or data.

That’s a problem for two reasons. First, the Aero 14 OLED doesn’t work properly with USB-C monitors that provide Power Delivery. The video and data connection will function, but the laptop won’t receive power, so the power brick must remain connected. Second, the Aero 14 OLED doesn’t work with third-party USB-C chargers. You’re stuck with what Gigabyte ships.

It’s a shame, because the Aero 14 OLED’s connectivity is otherwise strong. It includes a USB-A port, HDMI 2.1, and a microSD card reader. Wireless connectivity is strong, too, with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Gigabyte has covered most of the connection's owners will frequently use, but its half-baked USB-C charging is a blemish.

Battery life doesn’t stack up

The Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED’s size suggests it's a good fit for frequent fliers, students, hybrid workers, and anyone else who frequently uses a laptop on battery power. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

I recorded just 3 hours and 16 minutes of battery life in a standard battery test loop, which flips through predetermined browser tabs until the battery dies. That’s a terrible result for a modern laptop. The Acer Swift X 14 endured this test for more than six hours. Apple’s MacBook Air M2 15-inch achieved an outstanding 13 hours. Just over 3 hours is something we’d expect out of a souped-up gaming laptop, not a productivity laptop—and even then, 3 hours is on the lowest end of the spectrum.

I’m not a demanding user. I spend most of my time browsing the web and using Microsoft Office like Word and Excel, and yet squeezing more than four hours out of the Aero 14 OLED’s battery was a struggle.

Blame the GPU or, more precisely, how Gigabyte handles it. Some laptops support Nvidia Optimus, a feature that selectively disables the Nvidia GPU when its performance isn’t needed. The Aero 14 OLED regrettably lacks this feature, so the GPU frequently spins away in mundane tasks.

Battery size is also a concern, as the Gigabyte packs a modest 63 watt-hour battery. The Acer Swift X 14 lacks Nvidia Optimus, too, but has a larger 76 watt-hour battery, which assists in achieving a better result. The Apple MacBook Air 15 M2 also has a slightly larger 66.5 watt-hour battery.

Should you buy the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED?

Maybe, it has some quirks

There’s a lot to like about the Gigabyte Aero 14 OLED. It’s an attractive, lightweight 14-inch laptop that delivers great performance and has a fantastic display that makes day-to-day productivity tasks enjoyable. Compared to its peers, like the Acer Swift X 14 and Asus Zenbook 14X OLED, it tends to outperform in benchmarks and delivers a brilliant balance of quality across its design, keyboard, and touchpad. So far, so good.

But the Aero 14 OLED suffers from a few problems. Battery life is awful and severely holds back the laptop’s potential as a travel companion. That’s worsened by the laptop’s unusual USB-C connectivity, which doesn’t support third-party USB-C chargers. Gigabyte’s unpolished software is another blemish that creates an inconsistent and sometimes confusing user experience.

The Aero 14 OLED might be a good pick if you want a 14-inch laptop with solid performance for the price and don’t frequently travel—but if you need good battery life, or have little patience for half-baked software, you might be frustrated with this laptop.