ASUS Announced Updated Gaming Laptops With Intel’s 8th Gen H-series Laptop CPUs
ASUS has refreshed their 2018 gaming laptop line-up with Intel’s latest H-series 8th Gen Coffeelake CPUs & this is a significant step-up in the performance section. The new H-series CPUs now go all the way upto 6-cores with Hyperthreading so, multicore stuff should be a lot faster compared to the previous generation. However, NVIDIA hasn’t released the 20-series cards as of now so, 10-series is what we’re getting here. Find the complete list of the newly announced gaming laptops & recommended Asus laptops below,
ASUS ROG Zephyrus GX501GI & Zephyrus M GM501
The ROG Zephyrus gets it’s own line up in 2018 with two new variants called the Zephyrus GX501GI & the Zephyrus M GM501.
Both of these laptops come with the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H CPU & NVIDIA Max-Q GTX 1080 (for the GX501 model) & GTX 1070 or GTX 1060 (for the GM501 model) GPUs. The Display is a 15.6 inch AHVA Panel with a response time of 3 milliseconds & a refresh rate of 144 Hz which is a step-up compared to last years model which only has 120 Hz. The Display also covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut.
This year ASUS again claims that the Zephyrus is the Worlds thinnest laptop with an 8th Gen H-series Intel Core CPU & Max-Q GTX 1080 inside. The laptop can also use an ROG exclusive AAS (Active Aerodynamic System) that activates some useful features like Anti-dust cooling, Fan overboost etc.
The Design of the new Zephyrus M has also been updated. So, the Keyboard & Trackpad have been shifted to the regular positions but, you do loose that awesome trackpad system that used to double as a numberpad.
The Zephyrus M will be starting at $1899 for the GTX 1060 model & will go all the way upto $2199 for the GTX 1070 Model. Here’s a detailed look at the specifications of both configurations.
Zephyrus M GM501GS | Zephyrus M GM501GM | |
---|---|---|
CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 3.9GHz on all 6 cores | Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 3.9GHz on all 6 cores |
Display | 15.6″ IPS-type AHVA 1080p 144Hz G-Sync 3ms response |
15.6″ IPS-type AHVA 1080p 144Hz G-Sync 3ms response |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB |
Memory | 16GB DDR4-2666 (max 32GB) | 16GB DDR4-2666 (max 32GB) |
Storage | 256GB M.2 NVMe x4 SSD (max 512GB) 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
256GB M.2 NVMe x4 SSD (max 512GB) 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
Networking | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.2 1 x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen2 over Thunderbolt 4 x USB 3.1 Gen2 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Bluetooth 4.2 1 x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen2 over Thunderbolt 4 x USB 3.1 Gen2 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Camera | HD webcam and array mic | HD webcam and array mic |
Battery | 4-cell Li-ion 55WH | 4-cell Li-ion 55WH |
Dimensions | 15.1″ x 10.3″ x 0.78″ 384mm x 262mm x 19.9mm |
15.1″ x 10.3″ x 0.78″ 384mm x 262mm x 19.9mm |
Weight | 5.5 lbs / 2.45 kg | 5.5 lbs / 2.45 kg |
MRP | $2199 USD | $1899 USD |
Both of the Zephyrus M variants are now available for pre-order in the United States & shall arrive soon to other countries as well.
The Zephyrus GX501GI has slightly different design aesthetics & some specs are different as well. So, here is a complete list of the specifications for the new GX501.
Zephyrus GX501GI | |
CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 3.9GHz on all 6 cores |
Display | 15.6″ IPS-type AHVA 1080p, 144Hz G-Sync 3ms response |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce Max-Q GTX 1080 8GB |
Memory | 24GB DDR4-2666 |
Storage | 512GB M.2 NVMe x4 SSD, 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
Networking | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.2 2 x USB-A 3.1 Gen1 2 x USB-A 3.1 Gen2 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen2 over Thunderbolt 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Camera | HD webcam and array mic |
Battery | 50WH |
Dimensions | 14.92″ x 10.31″ x 0.7″ (37.90 cm x 26.19 cm x 1.78 cm) |
Weight | 4.97 lbs / 2.25 kgs |
MRP | – |
The main difference in the GX501 is the more powerful GTX 1080 compared to the GTX 1070 on the GM501 and also the GX501 is thinner & lighter than the GM501. However, we still don’t have a price for the GX501GI.
ROG Strix GL503, Strix Scar & Strix Hero Edition
ROG Strix series laptops also have their CPUs upgraded upto an Intel Core i7-8750HQ & they come with upto a GTX 1070 (for the Scar variant).
The regular GL503 is the base variant while the Hero is made for MOBA players and the SCAR is made for players into E-sports like First person shooters. They come in similar chassis from last year however, the internals have actually changed. So, here’s the specification list for all the three models.
Strix GL503 | Strix GL503 Scar | Strix GL503 Hero | |
CPU | Intel Core i7-8750HQ, up to 3.9GHz on all 6 cores (an i5-model also available) | Intel Core i7-8750HQ, up to 3.9GHz on all 6 cores (an i5-model also available) | Intel Core i7-8750HQ, up to 3.9GHz on all 6 cores (an i5-model also available) |
Display | 15.6″ IPS, 1080P, 120Hz | 15.6″ TN, 1080P, 144Hz, 3ms response | 15.6″ TN, 1080P, 120Hz, 3ms response |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB |
Memory | 16GB DDR4-2666 (max 32GB) | 16GB DDR4-2666 (max 32GB) | 16GB DDR4-2666 (max 32GB) |
Storage | 256GB M.2 NVMe x4 SSD (max 512GB) 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
256GB M.2 NVMe x4 SSD (max 512GB) 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
256GB M.2 NVMe x4 SSD (max 512GB) 1TB FireCuda SSHD |
Networking | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.1 1 x USB-C 3.1 3 x USB-A 3.1 1 x USB-A 2.0 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Bluetooth 4.1 1 x USB-C 3.1 3 x USB-A 3.1 1 x USB-A 2.0 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Bluetooth 4.1 1 x USB-C 3.1 3 x USB-A 3.1 1 x USB-A 2.0 1 x HDMI 1.4 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Camera | HD webcam and array mic | HD webcam and array mic | HD webcam and array mic |
Battery | 64WH | 64WH | 64WH |
Dimensions | – | 16.34″ x 11.02″ x 0.94″ | 15.12″ x 10.31″ x 0.94″ |
Weight | – | 6.72 lbs / 3.05 kgs | 5.73 lbs / 2.60 kgs |
MRP | – | – | – |
The ROG Strix series actually covers the complete range of users from consumer level to professional level gamers. However, again no pricing info as of now.
ROG G703
The ROG G703 has been refreshed for 2018 & it is one of the very first laptops to ship with an overclockable Coffelake Core i9-8950HK CPU. In the Graphics side we have, a full fat GTX 1080 which ships overclocked right from the factory. Anyway, the specifications include,
G703 | |
CPU | Intel Core i9-8950HK, up to 4.8GHz on all 6 cores |
Display | 17.3″, 1080P, 144Hz G-Sync, 3ms response |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB |
Memory | Upto 64GB DDR4-2666 |
Storage | Up to 3 x 512GB NVMe SSD (Raid 0), Up to 2TB SATA HDD |
Networking | Intel 802.11ac Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi |
Connectivity | Bluetooth 4.1 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen2 over Thunderbolt 3 x USB-A 3.1 Gen2 1 x HDMI 2.0 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1 x 3.5-mm audio |
Camera | HD webcam and array mic |
Battery | 71WH |
Dimensions | 16.73″x 12.56″ x 2″ |
Weight | 10.36 lbs / 4.70 kgs |
MRP | – |
The G703 will definitely be super expensive & it’s not for everyone but, there are some people who want to spend that extra money towards the best possible mobile gaming experience & don’t care about portability that much. Looks like ASUS kept that option for those users as well.
There is also another laptop called the FX504 TUF Edition which is also powered by an i7-8750HQ CPU & a GTX 1050Ti just like the GL503 2018 & it has a 120Hz Display as well. However, seeing the track record of ASUS, the FX504 shall be more affordable compared to the GL503 Strix.