Gigabyte Rolls Out Trio Of Aorus Coffee Lake Gaming Notebooks With Up To Core i9 Muscle

Pat yourself on the back if you resisted the urge to buy a gaming laptop in anticipation of Intel launching new 6-core/12-thread mobile processors. They are finally here, and we are seeing a whole bunch of new laptops pop up with these chips inside. That includes Gigabyte, which updated three of its laptop models through its Aorus gaming brand, including the 15.6-inch X5 and 17.3-inch X7 DT and X9 DT.

All three laptop models feature 8th generation Intel Core processors underneath the hood. Starting at the top, the Aorus X9 DT wields the fastest of the new mobile bunch, the Core i9-8950HK, an unlocked chip clocked at 2.9GHz to 4.8GHz, with 12MB of L3 cache and a 45W TDP. Paired with up to 64GB of DDR4-2666 RAM and a full speed (read: not Max-Q) NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, there is plenty of horsepower to drive the display's 1920x1080 (144Hz) IPS display.

On the storage front, the X9 DT supports up to three drives, including up to two M.2 NVMe SSDs and a single 2TB hard drive. And for connectivity, the X9 DT serves up Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Type C, and mini DisplayPort 1.4.


The other thing of note here is the mechanical keyboard with per-key RGB backlighting. According to Gigabyte, this is the "world's thinnest chassis with true laptop mechanical switches." It's not particularly light at 7.9 pounds, but measures just 0.9 to 1.18 inches, which is not too shabby for a gaming laptop.

Gigabyte's Aorus X7 DT is similarly configured, but sports a Core i7-8850H processor. This is also an 8th generation part from Intel with 6 cores and 12 threads, clocked at 2.6GHz to 4.3GHz with 9MB of L3 cache. Like the higher end chip, it has a 45W TDP, though Intel's partners have the option of configuring down to 35W, depending on cooling and performance goals.

For users who prefer a 15.6-inch form factor, that is where the X5 comes into play. It also has a Core i7-8850H processor, which Gigabyte pairs with a GeForce GTX 1070 GPU. Memory options top out at 32GB.

All three laptop models use the same 144Hz panel for fast action visuals at Full HD 1080p, and support G-Sync to smooth out gameplay and virtually eliminate tearing and stuttering. Unfortunately Gigabyte has not mentioned price or availability. If you're interested in one of these laptops, keep an eye on places like Amazon and Newegg.