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.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | GX700VO-VS74K |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Quad Core i7-6820HK 2.7GHz (Turbo up to 3.6GHz) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Memory | 64GB DDR4 2800MHz |
| Display | 17.3" FHD 1980 x 1080 with in-plane switching technology and G-SYNC |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 8GB GDDR5 |
| Storage | 2 x 512GB RAID 0 PCIE3x4 NVMe SSD |
| Card Reader | 2-in-1 Card Reader |
| Camera | 1280x720 HD Webcam |
| Networking | Intel 8260 2x2 802.11acBuilt-in Bluetooth™ V4.1 |
| I/O | Combo Audio JackThunderbolt 3.0/USB 3.1 Type-C3 x USB 3.0Mini DisplayPortHDMI 2.0AC Adapter Plug |
| Audio | Dual 2W 22mm speakers3W 31mm subwoofer |
| Battery | 93Wh 6-cell Lithium-Ion |
| Power Adapter | Output : 19.5V DC, 9.5A, 180W19.5V DC, 16.9A, 330WInput : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal |
| Dimensions | 16.89 x 12.16 x 1.3-1.37 inch (WxDxH) |
| Weight | GX700/701: 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.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | GL502VY-DS71 | GL502VT-DS74 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Quad Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 3.5GHz) | Intel Quad Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 3.5GHz) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Memory | Up to 16GB DDR4 2133 MHz | 16GB DDR4 2133 MHz |
| Display | 15.6" 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 |
| Graphics | Up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M 8GB GDDR5 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 6GB GDDR5 |
| Storage | Up to 256GB M.2 SATA3 SSD + 1TB 7200RPM HDD | 1TB 7200RPM + 128GB M.2 SATA3 SSD |
| Card Reader | 2-in-1 Card Reader | 2-in-1 Card Reader |
| Camera | 1280x720 HD Webcam | 1280x720 HD Webcam |
| Networking | Intel 8260 2x2 802.11acBuilt-in Bluetooth™ V4.1 | Intel 8260 2x2 802.11acBuilt-in Bluetooth™ V4.1 |
| I/O | Combo Audio JackUSB-C Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)3 x USB 3.0Mini DisplayPortHDMIAC Adapter Plug | Combo Audio JackUSB-C Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)3 x USB 3.0Mini DisplayPortHDMIAC Adapter Plug |
| Audio | Dual 2W 18mm speakers | Dual 2W 18mm speakers |
| Battery | 64Wh 4-cell Lithium-Ion | 64Wh 4-cell Lithium-Ion |
| Power Adapter | Output : 19.5V DC, 9.23A, 180WInput : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal | Output : 19.5V DC, 9.23A, 180WInput : 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal |
| Dimensions | 15.35 x 10.47 x 0.92 inch (WxDxH) | 15.35 x 10.47 x 0.92 inch (WxDxH) |
| Weight | 4.85 lbs | 4.85 lbs |
Alexander Quejado is an Associate Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware and Tom’s IT Pro. Follow Alexander Quejado on Twitter.