Buying a new laptop in 2026 often feels like more compromise than anything else. High memory prices make it hard to get a laptop that can do one thing right, let alone two. But Gigabyte’s new X16 and A16 models are designed as true do-it-all machines, without breaking the bank. They’re thin and light, have enough graphics power for gaming, and their processors are efficient enough that you can enjoy long battery life too.
If you’re looking for a new laptop that’s portable enough for school work and powerful enough to play with when the day’s done, the new Gigabyte Aero X16 and Gaming A16 are well worth considering.
Gaming Laptop Power, Working Laptop Features
Gigabyte
The Gigabyte Aero X16 is built around the high-performance, AMD Ryzen 9 270 CPU and paired up with 16GB of DDR5 memory for snappy operation, and excellent app support. Partnered with an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU with full support for the latest upscaling features like DLSS 4.5, and this laptop has all the grunt it needs to play just about anything at high frame rates.
But this machine can be serious too. Its a Copilot+ rated PC, so you can use some of the latest Windows AI productivity and generative features. Its 2,560 x 1,600 16-inch display looks sleek and modern, and the 165 Hz refresh rate makes on-screen motion look fluid and responsive in and out of games. That 3:2 aspect ratio is fantastic for reading longer documents and web pages, too.
If you’ve got some favourite external accessories, the range of USB-A and USB-C ports give you plenty of connectivity, and it supports Wi-Fi 6E for the most stable and speedy downloads and streams.
Battery life is particularly strong with this laptop, offering up to 12 hours of mixed use and several hours of dedicated gaming time – though you’ll get better performance with it plugged in. At just over four pounds, too, this is one machine you can carry around with you all day with ease.
The Gigabyte Aero X16 is available at Best Buy right now priced at $1,699.99.
Budget Gaming Can Look Good too
Gigabyte
Looking to make the most of a leaner budget? The Gigabyte Gaming A16 is built with that in mind. Its AMD Ryzen 170 CPU is a little older, but still plenty capable with its Zen 3 architecture, high-clock speed, and eight full-size cores for powerful multi-tasking. That’s paired up with 16GB of high-speed DDR5 memory, and an Nvidia RTX 5050 – an excellent little gaming GPU that punches well above its weight. With the included Windforce dual-fan cooling system, too, it’s impressively quiet.
There’s enough raw power there to play just about any game you like on its 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display. With support for DLSS 4.5 and multi frame generation, you can easily make this laptop play even demanding games at over 100 FPS if you play around with the detail settings. With a 165 Hz refresh rate, too, it’ll make that look buttery smooth.
There’s a half terabyte of storage space which is plenty for office work and playing a handful of your favorite games, but you can always expand that later thanks to the second M.2 SSD slot – you can even upgrade the memory when it comes down in price, too.
The Gigabyte Gaming A16 is available at Best Buy while stocks last, priced at $1,099.99.