Portability and affordable price tag: review of the GIGABYTE GAMING A16 gaming laptop

While the news often focuses on expensive flagship offerings, the market also has many more affordable options for completely different products. Gaming laptops have not bypassed such options. Similar versions of laptops also have enough resources for fans of games and various tasks that require performance, and can often offer better portability. At the same time, the cost of basic gaming configurations is several times lower compared to top-end options. GIGABYTE has affordable models in stock, so in this review we will look at the capabilities of the new GIGABYTE GAMING A16.

GIGABYTE GAMING A16 Specifications

Package contents

As is standard in its class, the GIGABYTE GAMING A16 does not come with an extended package. The box contains only the laptop and a fairly compact power supply.

Most likely, the buyer will hardly need any peripherals that would "burden" the price. Moreover, in some cases, you can do without looking for a suitable backpack, because this model quite easily fit into my backpack, which is designed for laptops with a smaller diagonal by default. Therefore, we can safely assume that additional expenses for accessories can be avoided.

Design and usability

While flagship gaming laptops often have a "bright" exterior with a lot of lighting and various accents, the more affordable options have noticeably less of it. However, such laptops are not at all ordinary. Their cases also have enough "clues" that we are dealing with more than an ordinary "printing machine" and there are more hidden capabilities than might seem at first glance.

The new GIGABYTE GAMING A16 this year has a rather laconic top cover, where there is only a glossy company logo, which shimmers in different colors depending on the angle of view. More gaming elements were left to the top case, where you can see the model marking and decorative ribbed strips. Meanwhile, the cooling vents already indicate much more clearly that this is a gaming laptop, and not any other solution.

Interestingly, the bottom cover is more "decorated" than all the other sides. The stylized air intake holes and rather large inscriptions more clearly show the origin of the laptop. And it's a bit of a pity that the user will hardly see all this. However, perhaps if the entire design was exactly like this, it could be too much for those users who prefer a "calmer" appearance.

It is worth noting that despite its gaming credentials, the GIGABYTE GAMING A16 does not "knock you off" with its dimensions. Overall, the dimensions of the laptop are 358.3×262.5×19.45-22.99 mm. This is, of course, not an ultrabook, but still such a case is noticeably more portable than top-end solutions. And the weight of 2.2 kg also does not make transportation and travel between different workplaces so difficult. Of course, we have before us not the lightest of the 16-inch laptops, but it is also far from the heaviest. (And, by the way, not much larger than, for example, the popular non-gaming MacBook Pro 16.)

Perhaps the plastic case does not provide a "premium feeling" when working. But lovers of a more classic appearance will not have to pay extra for RGB decorations and more expensive manufacturing elements. And at the same time, the dimensions of the GIGABYTE GAMING A16 will suit those users who need portability. "Premium" is not promised at this price point, but in general there is nothing to complain about.

Display

The model is one, but the configuration options provide for two matrices. Of course, in both cases it is a 16-inch screen, but there are differences in other characteristics. Thus, the choice is between: 2560×1600 pixels, 100% sRGB coverage and 400 cd/m² brightness, or simpler - 1920×1200, 45% NTSC and 300 cd/m². The first option is better suited for working with images, and the second will consume less resources for games if the player fundamentally uses the native resolution.

The GIGABYTE GAMING A16 in our test model has a simpler Full HD option. It is pleasing that even in this version the image refresh rate reaches 165 Hz.

As for the image, 45% NTSC is also not as saturated coverage as you can see today. Again, perception will depend on previous experience. After 100% DCP-P3, of course, the picture will seem simpler. But if the owner does not have specific requirements for the image, using such a screen will still work. Personally, I would not say that I really lacked colors when preparing the review. But even if this model were more expensive, I would like to get a better matrix. In turn, the proprietary software does not offer any additional settings.

Traditionally for gaming models, the matrix has a matte finish. With the aforementioned 300 cd/m², this is quite enough for indoor use. Yes, during the day the backlight is mostly at close to maximum levels. On the other hand, such laptops do not often have to be on the street. So, for a workplace, the available capabilities will still be enough, although with practically no margin.

Ports

The GIGABYTE GAMING A16 top case has a good set of ports in a format that is quite common for gaming models. The left side has a power connector, RJ45, HDMI 2.1, USB-A 3.2 Gen1 and USB-C 3.2 Gen1 (with DP 1.4 and PD 3.0 support). The right side has a couple of different USB-A ports - 3.2 Gen1 and 2.0, and next to them is a combined audio.

There are enough interfaces, including three USB-A. Often similar and even more expensive models have fewer. True, some of the ports may be minimally obstructed under the right hand, but this is dictated by the cooling design.

Security

Another nice thing is the ability to quickly access the system. Windows Hello support is implemented using a webcam and an IR sensor, so when opening the laptop, you can do almost nothing to log in to the system.

These options work mostly well these days, and everything responds quite quickly, as expected. I like that the laptop "wakes up" almost without delay. Of course, it is desirable to have more lighting in the evening, otherwise you will still have to enter passwords. However, under normal conditions, there were no problems.

Moreover, there are even additional security features that allow you to automatically lock the system or reduce the brightness of the display as soon as the user moves away from the laptop. There is also a warning that "extra eyes" are looking at the screen. But all this will require constant operation of the camera, so the indicator above the screen will be constantly lit. And, probably, energy consumption will increase slightly if you work without a connected power supply.

Keyboard and trackpad

In the case of the GIGABYTE GAMING A16, we have a basic keyboard that provides single-zone RGB backlighting, and the Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys are integrated into the navigation block. The latter is also noticeably smaller, and closer to the options from ultrabooks, rather than gaming models. However, the NUM block is not hidden here, so the placement is more convenient for everyday work, and the distance between the keys remains comfortable for "blind" typing.

But: the 1.7 mm travel is an excellent indicator for laptop keyboards; the mechanisms can hardly be called very loud; there is a convenient Win key lock, and Copilot combines the classic Menu Key with Fn (it will come in handy for old-school users); and the function keys have a set of quick settings. And in fact, if the small navigation block is not a problem (I personally don't get used to it, so I wouldn't complain much), then overall I don't even want to ask for much more. Unless additional media control keys or programmable macros would be a good idea, but we'll leave such whims for more expensive laptops.

Under such a keyboard, the trackpad is placed in the center of the top case. With a size of approximately 133×90 mm, it is not a record in terms of area, but it is not at all small. The designers minimally "decorated" it with markings on the corners and a "+" in the center, which suggested additional gestures. But no - these are just decorations. Such things attract attention only when you first get acquainted with the device, and then they are practically invisible.

There are no questions about the touchpad. When working without a mouse, you can easily move the cursor without any additional settings, and standard gestures are also recognized without hesitation. I almost never had any accidental activations while typing or playing games, although sometimes I could slightly touch the trackpad with my palm. But you can also turn it off during games using Fn+F9. So, in general, there is nothing new here, but there are no significant comments about the manipulators.

Camera and sound

The capabilities of the standard 2-megapixel webcam are mediocre, as in most such cases. Video can be transmitted in Full HD resolution, and the quality will depend heavily on the lighting and placement of the light source. But such a camera will cover basic needs, although due to the lack of an NPU Windows will not offer additional effects.

For two microphones, AI assistance is still provided with three available operating modes. Only Conference mode will allow you to get rid of the majority of unnecessary sounds, with which you will also feel the "compression" of the voice. But the same thing happens with many other noise cancellation options. The quality will be enough to cover your primary needs, but for games it is still better to use an external microphone/headset.

The top case is also equipped with two speakers, which are usually directed downwards, which helps to "amplify" the sound from the surface under the laptop. The drivers are moderately loud, the power is enough for the room. And what was pleasantly surprising, even despite the low position of the model among the manufacturer's gaming laptops, their sound is relatively good.

Music playback still lacks bass. But despite this, the sound is quite clean and does not distort at maximum volume. Moreover, for most everyday scenarios, the sound is not lacking. However, you will still have to play with headphones, because the noise of the cooling system, which is typical for most gaming laptops, will interfere.

Productivity and software

GIGABYTE GAMING A16 is presented in a line with a choice of possible configurations. Among the processors, Intel Core i5-13420H/Core i7-13620H and AMD Ryzen 7 260 are available, and video accelerators from NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 in the very basic version, and from RTX 5050 to 5070 in the more expensive ones. Of course, there are display and memory options, but most of the other characteristics remain unchanged. But the price tag can also increase significantly.

The test model received a 10-core Intel Core i7-13620H (6 powerful cores up to 4.9 GHz, 4 energy-saving cores up to 3.6 GHz, 16 threads, 24 MB cache, 45 W), which is complemented by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 graphics chip (8 GB GDDR7, up to 1,560 MHz, up to 85 W). This is accompanied by 32 GB DDR5-5600 and a terabyte drive. The official cost of such a configuration is 59,999 hryvnias. The RAM can be increased to a maximum of 64 GB, and there are two slots for permanent memory, one of which is free in our case.

All models will also support tri-band Wi-Fi 6E (Intel), gigabit wired connectivity, and Bluetooth 5.2 for accessories.

An interesting point: the MUX Switch here is not in the proprietary utility for managing operating modes, but in EFI. Of course, in any case, switching to exclusively discrete graphics mode (or vice versa, to hybrid) requires a reboot, but it would be a little easier without unnecessary steps at this level. In everything else, we have a standard set of: Balance, Game, Creator, Power Saving and Online Meeting Mode. For each of them, you can minimally change the behavior of cooling, video and "household" functions.

For a thin case, the synthetic test results are relatively good. And let's take into account that here the manufacturer had to fight not only for low cost and dimensions, but also with the laws of physics. So in general, we can say that the engineers did quite well. To achieve higher performance indicators, it would have been necessary to significantly increase the case for cooling, losing portability. So we managed to find a certain balance.

Such a laptop also allows you to play comfortably. In the case of games, there was a small nuance: an unusual drop in FPS in, for example, GTA V, when the video accelerator was in Discrete mode (when, obviously, it should have been the other way around). It is also worth remembering that in our case the indicators indicated in the table are with a Full HD display, while a more expensive matrix would also be worth certain frames at the same settings. And 8 GB of video memory is not enough for the highest graphics settings in all games. And let me remind you again that we have a really compact case, and such ones do not always allow us to get similar FPS indicators.

Average FPS at the highest available graphics settings and native display resolution

You can also play for a long time without any problems. The proprietary WINDFORCE cooling consists of two coolers with ultra-thin "blades" (0.2 mm) and four heat pipes. Cold air is picked up from below and discharged through four side openings. At the same time, the working surface becomes warm, but not so much as to call it hot. The noise from the fans, which is typical for such laptops, is quite loud. However, when performing simple work, the fans may not turn on.

The system easily passes stability tests with almost no loss of performance, which is very good for such a top case profile. In AIDA, the average temperature was 88°C, and in two 3DMark tests it did not exceed 80°C. So the model is really capable of holding up under high loads. And even after playing for several hours in a row, the user should not have problems with stability.

If, on the contrary, you switch to energy saving and work without a connected power supply, the capabilities of the "hardware" are significantly limited. For everyday simple tasks, this will be imperceptible. For more complex tasks, of course, it will be quite noticeable. However, this option will allow you to extend the autonomous work, which for gaming models always remains a "sensitive spot".

The laptop won't need much additional software. The GiMATE proprietary application is universal for the manufacturer's gaming division, so experienced users may have already seen it. It will allow you to select the desired operating and battery modes, change certain parameters of the system's behavior, adjust the microphone noise reduction, keyboard backlight, turn off the activity indicators on the case, etc. All the necessary proprietary updates are also here. An interesting feature is the "built-in" chatbot, to which, for example, you can tell it that you want to play, and it will activate the gaming mode (although not always immediately). There is a separate GiMATE Creator application for fans of generative AI.

Battery life

Despite the different configurations, in all cases the GIGABYTE GAMING A16 is equipped with a 76 Wh battery. The PCMark 10 office test lasted 10 hours and 44 minutes, while the gaming test lasted an hour, which is standard for gaming models (with a slight "hook"). Almost a quarter of the charge is spent on watching a two-hour movie. So in general, we can say that a rather "aggressive" power saving mode will not be superfluous.

Also, in all cases, the laptop comes with a relatively compact 150 W power supply. Moreover, it takes a little more than an hour and a half to fully charge the battery. The USB-C port also supports PD 3.0, which under certain conditions will allow, for example, to leave the power supply at home and use a universal solution at work. But, of course, it depends on the work scenarios.