If you’re in the market for an affordable gaming laptop, you’ll definitely want to check out the review of the GIGABYTE G5 KF we’re presenting today. This gaming laptop offers excellent value for money, as it features an Intel Core i5-12500H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, all within a 15.6-inch FHD 144Hz display to get the most out of your gaming experience.
Before we begin the review, we’d like to thank NVIDIA for their trust in providing us with this laptop for analysis.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Technical Specifications
GIGABYTE G5 KF
Design
– Black plastic chassis
– WINDFORCE cooling system
Processor
– Intel Core i5-12500H (16 threads)
– 4 P cores (4.5 GHz) + 8 E cores (3.3 GHz)
– Power: 35W – 95W
– 18 MB Intel Smart Cache
– Alder Lake @ Intel 7
Graphics
– Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (75W) – 8 GB GDDR6
– Intel Iris Xe (80 EU @ 1.3 GHz)
Memory
– 2 x 8 GB DDR4 @ 3,200 MHz
Storage
– 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD
– Free M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot
Display
– 15.6-inch IPS (16:9)
– FHD (1920 x 1080) – 144 Hz
Operating System
– FreeDOS / Windows 11
Connectors
– 2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen2
– 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen1
– 1 x USB 2.0
– 1 x HDMI
– 1 x Mini-DP 1.4
– Micro-SD card reader
Sound
– 2 x 2W Speakers
– 3.5mm TRRS jack (headphones and microphone combo)
– 3.5mm TRS jack (microphone)
– DTS:X Ultra
Networks
– Realtek GbE
– Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211
– Bluetooth 5.2
Other
– HD Webcam
– Keyboard with 12-color lighting
Battery Life
– 54 Whr battery
– 150W adapter
Dimensions
– 360 x 238 x 22.7 mm
Weight
– 2.08 kg
Packaging and Accessories
We start the GIGABYTE G5 KF review by taking it out of a first neutral cardboard box, followed by a slightly more decorated one, which is the one seen in the image.
Inside, the laptop is protected by a foam frame and a cloth bag, with accessories separated on one side by a cardboard divider.
In addition to documentation, a screw and a thermal pad are included for optional SSD installation, as well as a 150W power adapter with its corresponding power cable.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Design
Now, let’s focus on the GIGABYTE G5 KF’s design in this review, which is relatively modern and with aggressive touches adorning one of its corners. It’s not the most eye-catching model, and the edges are quite simple, but overall it’s well finished and suitable for its price.
Its chassis has dimensions of 360 x 238 mm and a thickness of 22.7 mm, making it quite portable in combination with a weight of 2.08 kg.
Once opened and turned on, we can see that the GIGABYTE G5 KF features a 15.6-inch 16:9 display with compact bezels. Compared to older laptops, it will feel quite compact and portable, but it won’t stand out much against more recent models.
One notable aspect is the large mesh area on its base, which reveals the copper cooling system, but we’ll take a closer look at it once it’s opened.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Connectivity
In this G5 KF review, we now take a look at its connectivity, which is distributed between its sides and the rear edge.
On its left side, there is a Kensington lock connector, a USB 3.2 Gen1 port, a USB 2.0 port, and two 3.5mm audio jacks – one TRS for the microphone and one TRRS for use with headphones or a combined microphone.
On the right side, there is a micro-SD card reader, a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port, and an RJ-45 connector for the Realtek GbE network card. Additionally, it features an Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211 tri-band wireless network card with Bluetooth 5.2 support.
At the rear end, there’s another USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port, HDMI and mini-DisplayPort video outputs, and a power connector.
Keyboard, Touchpad, and Speakers
The GIGABYTE G5 KF has a chiclet-style 90% format keyboard, which includes a numeric keypad while maintaining a compact design. It also features LED lighting in 12 colors, giving you plenty of options for customization. However, it’s only a 6-key rollover, meaning it can register up to six simultaneous key presses – sufficient for most users.
The laptop also has a touchpad slightly offset to the left in the chassis and an HD webcam above the display.
In the sound department, the GIGABYTE G5 KF features two stereo speakers with their sound enhanced by DTS:X Ultra technology.
15.6-inch FHD Display
In this GIGABYTE G5 KF review, we now focus on its 15.6-inch 16:9 display. Specifically, it’s an Innolux IPS panel with the model number N156HRA-EA1. It offers an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 144Hz, making it ideal for playing modern titles with the power of its graphics card.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Hardware
In this GIGABYTE G5 KF review, we delve into the hardware section to see what components this model offers.
Intel Core i5-12500H Processor
First and foremost, we have the Intel Core i5-12500H processor, a member of the Alder Lake family built using Intel 7 technology. It features a hybrid architecture combining 4 high-performance cores running at up to 4.5 GHz and 8 efficient cores running at up to 3.3 GHz. In total, they provide 16 threads with the help of HyperThreading technology, with a minimum TDP of 35W and a maximum turbo TDP of 95W.
16 GB DDR4 RAM at 3,200 MHz
Alongside the processor is 16 GB of DDR4 RAM running at 3,200 MHz in a dual-channel configuration, utilizing two 8 GB modules. Although made by Crucial, they may not be the fastest modules to accompany the processor, but we’ll see that this doesn’t necessarily affect performance too much.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Graphics Card
The real gaming power of the GIGABYTE G5 KF comes from its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card. It’s a mid-range card, configured with a TDP of 80W – on par with similar models, as we’ve seen configurations as low as 65W and some reaching 140W.
Based on the same AD107 chip found in the desktop RTX 4060, this laptop-version RTX 4060 features 3,072 CUDA cores with a boost frequency of 2,010 MHz, 94 Tensor cores, and 24 RT cores. Furthermore, it has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory running at 2,000 MHz, which translates to 16 Gbps effective speeds and a 256 GB/s bandwidth via a 128-bit bus.
As for the integrated graphics on the Intel Core i5-12500H processor, they are Intel Iris Xe with a total of 80 execution units running at 1.3 GHz – basic enough for office and multimedia tasks, but not suitable for gaming.
Storage
The GIGABYTE G5 KF comes with a 512 GB GIGABYTE AG4512G-SI M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD. However, it offers sequential read/write speeds of 4.7/2.2 GB/s, making it closer to PCIe 3.0 models in performance, but still delivering good random data access. There’s also an additional free M.2 slot if you want to expand the storage capacity.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Performance Testing
For our GIGABYTE G5 KF review, we had to install Windows 11 to analyze its performance, as it comes preloaded with the FreeDOS operating system.
The first tests are performed on the Intel Core i5-12500H processor along with the 16 GB of DDR4 RAM running at 3,200 MHz. It’s clear that we have a mid-range laptop CPU, which delivers good performance for most tasks but is not on the level of more powerful models. As expected, the memory doesn’t achieve top performance, but this isn’t detrimental to its overall capabilities.
Synthetic Benchmarks
Continuing the GIGABYTE G5 KF review, we conduct some gaming-focused benchmarks. As anticipated, the 80W Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 sits between the 65W and 140W limited models. It offers performance similar to the previous generation RTX 3060 laptop cards and isn’t too far from the desktop RTX 3060, though it lags behind the desktop RTX 4060.
Gaming Performance
In gaming tests, the RTX 4060 can easily achieve 60 FPS in FHD Ultra settings. However, in order to fully utilize the 144 Hz screen, you’ll need to rely on DLSS technology and even reduce some in-game settings in most titles.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Temperatures and Noise
The GIGABYTE G5 KF features a WINDFORCE cooling system made up of two 59-blade fans connected by a total of four copper heat pipes.
During our tests, we found that the CPU’s temperature reaches around 69°C in demanding games and goes up to 85°C under stress tests, without causing thermal throttling. Meanwhile, the RTX 4060 sits at around 68°C at full performance, which is quite impressive for a card with such TDP.
However, it’s important to note that the noise level at peak performance reaches 58.5 dB, making it quite annoying if you don’t have background music or headphones on.
GIGABYTE G5 KF Battery Life
With a 3,410 mAh and 54 Whr battery, the GIGABYTE G5 KF offers roughly 3 hours of battery life for multimedia and office tasks. However, if you plan on gaming on the go, expect less than 1 hour of battery life.
Conclusion
Our GIGABYTE G5 KF review concludes that this laptop offers a well-balanced experience in all aspects. The combination of the Intel Core i5-12500H processor with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM at 3,200 MHz, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics delivers solid performance. Users can work smoothly and enjoy the 144Hz FHD screen with the help of technologies like DLSS 3.0. The laptop also offers good connectivity and a design that, while not the most elaborate, is well-made and suitable given its price point.
As a promotion during Black Friday week, the GIGABYTE G5 KF can be found for €799.96, making it an attractive option considering its features. Weighing in at 2 kg, it’s also quite portable for a 15.6-inch gaming laptop.
Main Benefits
+
Excellent performance-to-price ratio
+
80W RTX 4060 power sufficient for FHD Ultra gaming
+
15.6-inch FHD IPS display at 144 Hz
+
512 GB M.2 NVMe 4.0 SSD
+
Good USB and network connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E
+
Keyboard with 12-color LED lighting
Negative Aspects
–
High noise level at peak performance
Other Aspects
*
Limited battery life for gaming
We award the GIGABYTE G5 KF gaming laptop the Gold Award from El Chapuzas Informático.
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