GIGABYTE has built a new chassis for the GIGABYTE G5 GE and features a slightly reduced overall chassis from last-gen as well as more intricate details. As a budget-focused laptop, this model does compromise build materials to reduce cost but hard plastic does have its benefits in that its lighter than metal at this size. At 1.9kg, the GIGABYTE G5 GE is fairly light for a gaming model but it does feel toyish in some parts as the plastic does have a certain give to it when pressure is applied.
The previous bottom design had the entire bottom chassis indented with intake grooves. This has now changed with a much more open grill design on the upper half where most of the components reside. This serves as an open intake design allowing the most amount of air to flow thru. This does mean that its best to keep this laptop away from surfaces where it might suck up things that can clog up those fans like a cloth surfaces or a dusty desks.
Not visible in the previous angle is the design prints on the top cover of the GIGABYTE G5 GE. There are tech tampographs on the side of the chassis for visual appeal. Its nothing unique to GIGABYTE and I really wish they’d have kep the clean look to appeal more to users who want to be more discrete. The GIGABYTE logo has shifted to the right versus being on the center from last generation’s model. Other than that, the top cover remains bare with no key to detail to speak of.
If you’re familiar with GIGABYTE’s AERO line of laptops, the previous years’ models would feel like borrowed designs from the AERO family. This year, the G5 sports a much more original styling, most evident in the new grill vents. While we’re on the back, we also see a USB-C port on the back alongside an HDMI 2.1 port and a miniDisplayPort as well as the DC-IN power jack.
The LAN port has now been moved to the right side alongside a USB Type-C port and a microSD card reader, ditching the full-sized SD card reader from last model. Pretty bad move as most professional cameras uses SD card standards rather than microSD. On the right we get a pair of USB-A ports, 1 USB3.2 Gen1 and the other a mouse port as it runs only USB2.0. This is then joined by a pair of 3.5mm audio jacks, dedicated input and output. Lastly there is a Kensington lock notch on the corner.
Meh..mediocre