A formidable 17in gaming laptop. Is there much call for large 17in laptops these days? Smaller, thinner ultra-portables now offer more power than ever before, yet while larger laptops are becoming a rare breed, there are instances where they still make sense. A 17in laptop can be an effective replacement for an ageing desktop, there's a lot to be said for the larger screen size, and for the enthusiast, a 17in form factor remains the best bet for maximum performance.

Aorus is of the same line of thinking, and for those willing to splurge on a high-end desktop replacement, it presents the £2,999 X7 DT v8. The price tag alone will have most readers trembling in their boots, yet this is the going rate for a 17in system outfitted with top-tier parts from Intel and Nvidia, and the Aorus X7 has the advantage of being a v8 model that has benefited from various tweaks and refinements over the years. This time around, the upgrades include a hexa-core Intel processor and a full-HD IPS display supporting Nvidia G-Sync at up to 144Hz.