The Aorus 17 is an interesting laptop, built thin and light, but with a full list of specifications that are truly top-level. There are several available configurations on the way, including one with an i9-12900HK and 3080 Ti for the US market. Pricing is unknown as of yet. That lack of information poses a problem when it comes time to evaluate this product.

I took my time working on this review because of that lack of pricing. However, since this laptop is available with the RTX 3060, RTX 3070 Ti, or RTX 3080 Ti, performance and pricing are going to vary widely depending on which model you are looking at. So rather than evaluating this laptop as its own, separate model, I chose to look at it as a platform, which it kind of is, really. All models feature the same 360 Hz screen, and most models feature the same i7-12700H I have here, which is interesting. There are then two models for each GPU type. Why two you ask? To answer that question, we need to look at the memory the system is using, and it varies, as it is either DDR4 or DDR5. That's six models of the Aorus 17 out there, potentially more. It would be really interesting to get my hands on the DDR4 model of the laptop I have here for a direct comparison.

As its own model, I'm pretty impressed with the performance this RTX 3080 Ti laptop offers while gaming, and what makes it most pleasing is just how relatively quiet this laptop is compared to others I have tested. It is really striking that the I7-12700H is limited to 45 W over long periods, and with that limit in place, it can often bounce at the stock 2.3 GHz on the P-cores if they are loaded. That's not that high of a frequency, but the performance is more than adequate in games for sure. The raw compute power of these cores at low speed shouldn't be overlooked. Of note is also that the 45 W limitation means those cores are running cool at full CPU load, which has the laptop itself run quiet; perfect for getting some rendering or photo editing done without it being distracting.

I have to take a moment to talk about the Microsoft Azure AI functionality, or lack thereof. Theoretically, we should see performance boosts in the right ways for different applications, as the system should be intelligent enough to adjust things like power limits or processor speed to match the demands of the task at hand. Along with that, the system adjusts the panel's brightness automatically, like your phone might do. In a way, this makes the Aorus 17 a smarter laptop than others out there, and combined with the rest of the features on tap, Azure AI should help the Aorus 17 stand out. Unfortunately, the implementation here could not really benefit from Azure AI in such a way.

Moving on and focusing on the important bits, this is a laptop built for high-end gaming, which it does extremely well. Pre-installed bloatware is minimal, there's a fast screen with great color and a top-level GPU to push it, and we have a per-key illuminated RGB keyboard with a numpad, good audio, and a thin and light chassis that also runs cool and quiet. What's not to like? There is a lot making a good argument for why this might be one of the best 17-inch laptops ever. We just need to find out the MSRP.