More Details On Asus' Liquid-Cooled ROG Laptops, Plus A Thin And Light Strix

Asus’s ROG laptops are known for being hulking behemoths whose aggressive looks are matched only by their horsepower. The ROG line covered most gamers' needs, but the ultra high-end and thin and light segments were lacking. Asus is looking to fill the gaps with the GX700 and GX701, two massive laptops featuring a water-cooled dock, and the GL502, a thin and light laptop.

Asus released glimpses of the GX700 and GX701 during IFA and ROG Unleashed, but the water-cooled systems’ details were finally revealed today. The GX700 and GX701 feature an Intel Core i7-6820HK and a desktop Nvidia GTX 980, both of which are overclockable.

All of this overclocking potential means more heat, and the GX700 and GX701 are cooled by an external cooling module. The cooling system features a custom-sealing valve that pumps coolant through the laptop, passing the system’s hottest components. The coolant returns to the cooling module, where its heat is expelled by two 92mm radiators. Although the GX700 and GX701 are powerful systems by themselves, Asus said that they receive up to 500W of heat dissipation while attached to the cooling module, giving them a roughly 20% increase in performance and a 30% decrease in thermals for the CPU and GPU, respectively.

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Header Cell - Column 0 GX700VO-VS74K
ProcessorIntel Quad Core i7-6820HK 2.7GHz (Turbo up to 3.6GHz)
Operating SystemWindows 10 64-bit
Memory64GB DDR4 2800MHz
Display17.3" FHD 1980 x 1080 with in-plane switching technology and G-SYNC
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 8GB GDDR5
Storage2 x 512GB RAID 0 PCIE3x4 NVMe SSD
Card Reader2-in-1 Card Reader
Camera1280x720 HD Webcam
NetworkingIntel 8260 2x2 802.11acBuilt-in Bluetooth™ V4.1
I/OCombo Audio JackThunderbolt 3.0/USB 3.1 Type-C3 x USB 3.0Mini DisplayPortHDMI 2.0AC Adapter Plug
AudioDual 2W 22mm speakers3W 31mm subwoofer
Battery93Wh 6-cell Lithium-Ion
Power AdapterOutput : 19.5V DC, 9.5A, 180W19.5V DC, 16.9A, 330WInput : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
Dimensions16.89 x 12.16 x 1.3-1.37 inch (WxDxH)
WeightGX700/701: 8.6lbsDock: 10.14lbs

Strix Marks The Spot: Thin and Light ROG Strix GL502

Asus marks the first laptop entry into its Strix line with the ROG Strix GL502, a thin and light system. Although it shares the same ROG essence as its larger counterparts, the GL502 eschews the bold angles and large size for a sleeker aesthetic. The GL502 weighs in at just under 5 lbs and is less than an inch thick.

The Asus ROG GX700 and GX701 will be available starting in late June. The Asus ROG Strix GL502 is available now at select retailers.

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Header Cell - Column 0 GL502VY-DS71GL502VT-DS74
ProcessorIntel Quad Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 3.5GHz)Intel Quad Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 3.5GHz)
Operating SystemWindows 10 64-bitWindows 10 64-bit
MemoryUp to 16GB DDR4 2133 MHz16GB DDR4 2133 MHz
Display15.6" FHD 1980 x 1080 with in-plane switching technology (G-SYNC on certain models)15.6" FHD 1980 x 1080 with in-plane switching technology
GraphicsUp to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M 8GB GDDR5NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 6GB GDDR5
StorageUp to 256GB M.2 SATA3 SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HDD1TB 7200RPM + 128GB M.2 SATA3 SSD
Card Reader2-in-1 Card Reader2-in-1 Card Reader
Camera1280x720 HD Webcam1280x720 HD Webcam
NetworkingIntel 8260 2x2 802.11acBuilt-in Bluetooth™ V4.1Intel 8260 2x2 802.11acBuilt-in Bluetooth™ V4.1
I/OCombo Audio JackUSB-C Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)3 x USB 3.0Mini DisplayPortHDMIAC Adapter PlugCombo Audio JackUSB-C Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)3 x USB 3.0Mini DisplayPortHDMIAC Adapter Plug
AudioDual 2W 18mm speakersDual 2W 18mm speakers
Battery64Wh 4-cell Lithium-Ion64Wh 4-cell Lithium-Ion
Power AdapterOutput : 19.5V DC, 9.23A, 180WInput : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universalOutput : 19.5V DC, 9.23A, 180WInput : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
Dimensions15.35 x 10.47 x 0.92 inch (WxDxH)15.35 x 10.47 x 0.92 inch (WxDxH)
Weight4.85 lbs4.85 lbs

Alexander Quejado is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware and Tom’s IT Pro. Follow Alexander Quejado on Twitter. 

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  • dstarr3
    I don't understand. Why not just buy a desktop? The point of a laptop is portability, and this is as stationary as it gets. Not to mention that a desktop could be much more powerful for the same cost. Or at least as powerful for less.
    Reply
  • atheus
    Unveiling brand-new laptops with GTX 980 desktop GPU's two days before the GTX 1080 desktop GPU is released seems a little tragic. Granted, a GTX 980 does a fine job with 1080p, but anyone looking to drop this much coin on a cutting edge gaming laptop would likely be waiting on the one with double the performance per watt from the graphics card — especially if it were intended to drive a VR HMD.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    Since when were there 8GB GTX 980 cards?
    Reply
  • Zircon57
    Since when were there 8GB GTX 980 cards?

    For some reason the mobile versions of the desktop card were offered with 8GB instead of the normal 4GB.

    Have to agree that this launch has interesting timing if the mobile GTX 1080 is arriving soon.
    Reply
  • atheus
    18020681 said:
    Since when were there 8GB GTX 980 cards?

    For some reason the mobile versions of the desktop card were offered with 8GB instead of the normal 4GB.

    Have to agree that this launch has interesting timing if the mobile GTX 1080 is arriving soon.
    The thin one has a 980m/970m, the big ones have a desktop 980. Perhaps the point is aiming for a lower price point to use up some old stock?
    Reply
  • brettms71
    I don't understand. Why not just buy a desktop? The point of a laptop is portability.

    I don't understand why every time there is an article on gaming laptops, someone always says buy a desktop instead. While I agree this is a beast of weight and size, it helps companies push the design to get this stuff smaller and be innovative. And there is a market for it, since I have purchased gaming laptops for he last 5 years, and update them every 2 years. It works well.
    Reply
  • TechyInAZ
    I don't understand. Why not just buy a desktop? The point of a laptop is portability.

    I don't understand why every time there is an article on gaming laptops, someone always says buy a desktop instead. While I agree this is a beast of weight and size, it helps companies push the design to get this stuff smaller and be innovative. And there is a market for it, since I have purchased gaming laptops for he last 5 years, and update them every 2 years. It works well.

    Agreed. Not everybody has the space for even a small ITX gaming pc. Plus, these big gaming laptops are great if you are traveling and still want desktop performance and screen size.
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    I don't understand. Why not just buy a desktop? The point of a laptop is portability.

    I don't understand why every time there is an article on gaming laptops, someone always says buy a desktop instead. While I agree this is a beast of weight and size, it helps companies push the design to get this stuff smaller and be innovative. And there is a market for it, since I have purchased gaming laptops for he last 5 years, and update them every 2 years. It works well.

    Agreed. Not everybody has the space for even a small ITX gaming pc. Plus, these big gaming laptops are great if you are traveling and still want desktop performance and screen size.

    I'm sorry, but the laptop plus the massive water cooling unit is bigger than my Mini ITX build.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    18021766 said:
    I don't understand. Why not just buy a desktop? The point of a laptop is portability.

    I don't understand why every time there is an article on gaming laptops, someone always says buy a desktop instead. While I agree this is a beast of weight and size, it helps companies push the design to get this stuff smaller and be innovative. And there is a market for it, since I have purchased gaming laptops for he last 5 years, and update them every 2 years. It works well.

    Agreed. Not everybody has the space for even a small ITX gaming pc. Plus, these big gaming laptops are great if you are traveling and still want desktop performance and screen size.

    I'm sorry, but the laptop plus the massive water cooling unit is bigger than my Mini ITX build.

    The cooling unit is only for when docked to a GPU. So when you don't need mobility.
    Reply
  • lordmogul
    18021766 said:
    I don't understand. Why not just buy a desktop? The point of a laptop is portability.

    I don't understand why every time there is an article on gaming laptops, someone always says buy a desktop instead. While I agree this is a beast of weight and size, it helps companies push the design to get this stuff smaller and be innovative. And there is a market for it, since I have purchased gaming laptops for he last 5 years, and update them every 2 years. It works well.

    Agreed. Not everybody has the space for even a small ITX gaming pc. Plus, these big gaming laptops are great if you are traveling and still want desktop performance and screen size.

    I'm sorry, but the laptop plus the massive water cooling unit is bigger than my Mini ITX build.

    The cooling unit is only for when docked to a GPU. So when you don't need mobility.

    I can actually see a specific use case for big gaming laptops:
    People who move often while still having the desire to play games.
    Like those who who are studying and only return home for the weekends or changing placed often for work-related reasons.
    And while a big-a** gaming might be more expensive than a desktop system, it is still cheaper than multiple comparable desktop systems on all the places they will play games.
    Reply