ASUS showcased their latest collection of both new models and model refreshes of their Republic of Gamers (ROG) line of gaming PCs at the ASUS ROG Re:Define 2019 event in NYC. We got another taste of the splash-making CES 2019 introduction of the ASUS ROG Mothership GZ700GX, giving us a brand new interpretation of the term “desktop replacement”. We got to see the latest in 15-inch ultraslim laptop gaming with the new ROG Zephyrus line. Then we took a look at the latest additions to the ROG Strix line, with offerings in both 15-inch and 17-inch models, each supporting the new ROG Keystone.
Pricings and availabilities for these products are aimed for Q2 2019, so continue to keep an eye on any or all of these products on the ASUS ROG website for updates.
Let’s dive into each…
ASUS ROG Mothership GZ700GX
Headlining the showcase, the ROG Mothership GZ700, teased at CES 2019, was in full display at the NYC showcase. “Re:Defining” the desktop replacement, the ROG Mothership GZ700 features a removable keyboard, transforming the 17-inch gaming laptop into an All-in-one gaming desktop layout. This not only acts as a boon to desktop real-estate, but it also allows the unit to stand upright and gain access to the best airflow scenario possible. With the keyboard out of the way, you now have access to four front-facing speakers, leaving the 29.9mm-thin CNC-machined aluminum body to be set up comfortably, wherever you need it placed on your desk.
The ROG Mothership features a factory overclocked 9th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, a factory overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 2080 GPU, and two display options: one for the gamer and the other for the creator. The gamer option features an FHD panel that refreshes at 144Hz with a 3 ms response time, while the content creator version utilizes a 60Hz 4K UHD display with full support of the Adobe RGB color gamut.
ASUS ROG Mothership GZ700GX Specs
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i9-9980HK |
| Display Options | 17.3-inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), IPS-level panel, 60Hz, 100% Adobe RGB, G-SYNC® 17.3-inch FHD (1920×1080) IPS-level panel, 144Hz, 100% sRGB, G-SYNC® |
| Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | 64GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage | 3 x 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe x4 SSD RAID 0 |
| Wireless | Intel® Wi-Fi 6 with Gig+ performance (802.11ax), Bluetooth™ 5.0 |
| Connectivity | 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 (Type-C) / Thunderbolt™ 3, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C with DisplayPort™ 1.4, 3 x USB 3.1 Gen2 (Type-A), 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 (Type‑A) / USB charger +, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x 3.5 mm headphone and microphone combo jack, 1x 3.5 mm microphone jack, 1 x RJ-45 jack, 1 x SD card reader, 1 x Kensington lock |
| Keyboard | Per-key RGB backlit chiclet keyboard w/ 2.5mm travel distance & N-key rollover |
| Audio | 4 x 4W w/ Smart Amp ESS DAC |
| Battery | 90Wh 6-cell Lithium-ion |
| AC adapter | 2x 280W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 14A, Input: 100-240 V AC, 50/60Hz universal |
| Dimensions | Size 410(W) x 320(D) x29.9(H) mm, Weight 4.8 kg |
New ASUS ROG Zephyrus Line
The ROG Zephyrus line of laptops are segmented into three core variants: Zephyrus S, Zephyrus M, and Zephyrus G. The ASUS ROG Re:Define 2019 event featured three new 15-inch laptop models, geared to satisfy the gamer and the creator alike.
The Zephyrus S is the highest of the tiers, featuring the best the ROG Zephyrus has to offer in the thinnest form factors possible. The highlighted addition to this line is the Zephyrus S GX502, sporting an 18.9mm thin chassis and weighing in just 2 kg. You have palm rests supported by honeycomb reinforcements to resist the kind of flexing you may experience in ultrathin laptops. The Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) with n-blades cool the GeForce RTX 2070 variant, allowing it to reach up to 1540MHz at 115W with ROG Boost in Turbo Mode. You also have the ability to jump between display options, with PANTONE Validated 144Hz for the creator and 240Hz with 3ms response times for the gamer.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX502 Specifications
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i7-9750H |
| Display | 15.6” FHD 240Hz/144Hz 3ms IPS-type PANTONE validated anti-glare w/ G-SYNC™ |
| Graphics Options | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2070 8GB GDDR6 NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage | M.2 NVMe PCIe® 3.0 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD with RAID0 support |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac 2×2 Wave 2) , Bluetooth® 5.0 |
| Connectivity | 1 x RJ45 jack, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ (with DisplayPort 1.4 and USB power delivery), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x 3.5mm mic in, 1 x Kensington Lock |
| Keyboard | RGB backlit chiclet keyboard w/ 1.2 mm travel distance & N-key rollover |
| Audio | ESS Sabre audio, 2 speakers with smart amplifier technology |
| Battery | 76Whrs 4-cell Lithium-ion |
| AC adapter | 230W AC Adapter, Output: 19.5V DC, 11.8A, Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal |
| Dimensions | Size 36.0 x 25.2 x 1.89 cm, Weight 2.0 kg |
The Zephyrus M is the mid-tier of the three Zephyrus variants, striving to tease with almost the kind the power and functionality that Zephyrus S offers, but at a more reachable price point. The Zephyrus M GU502 offers configurable video options that top off with the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060, while still leaving you with the ability to swap between PANTONE Validated 144Hz and 240Hz with 3ms response times. However, you don’t get the AAS cooling and expanding vent as seen in the Zephyrus S GX502. However, the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 doesn’t need AAS for cooling, and it reaches up to 1435MHz at 90W with ROG Boost in Turbo Mode.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GU502 Specifications
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i7-9750H |
| Display | 15.6″ FHD 240Hz/144Hz 3ms IPS-type anti-glare PANTONE® Validated |
| Graphics Options | NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6GB GDDR6 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | Up to 32GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage | M.2 NVMe PCIe® 3.0 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD with RAID0 support |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac 2×2 Wave 2) , Bluetooth® 5.0 |
| Connectivity | 1 x RJ45 jack, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ (with DisplayPort 1.4 and USB power delivery), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x 3.5mm mic in, 1 x Kensington Lock |
| Keyboard | RGB backlit chiclet keyboard w/ 1.2 mm travel distance and N-key rollover |
| Audio | 2 speakers with smart amplifier technology |
| Battery | 76Whrs 4-cell lithium-ion |
| AC adapter | 230W AC Adapter, Output: 19.5V DC, 11.8A, Input: 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz universal |
| Dimensions | Size 36.0 x 25.2 x 1.89 cm, Weight 1.9 kg |
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G variant, the Zephyrus G GA502, reaches for yet an even more affordable price point while still dealing out respectable PC horsepower in an ultraportable laptop. Here, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU is clocked up to 1335MHz at 60W with ROG Boost. This variant also rocks the AMD Ryzen 7 quad-core APU for its processor. While the Zephyrus G GA502 doesn’t necessarily offer the kind of video options seen the previously-mentioned Zephyrus models, you still have solid processing and video output with 7.1-channel virtual surround sound over headphones.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G GA502 Specifications
| Processor | AMD® Ryzen™ 7 3750H |
| Display Options | 15.6″ FHD 120Hz vIPS display, anti-glare 15.6″ FHD 60Hz vIPS display, anti-glare |
| Graphics | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6 |
| Memory | Up to 32GB DDR4 2400MHz |
| Storage | 512GB/256GB M.2 NVMe PCIe® SSD |
| Wireless | 1×1 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) , Bluetooth® 5.0 |
| Connectivity | 1 x RJ-45 jack, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type‑C™ w/ DisplayPort 1.4, 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type‑A, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x 3.5 mm audio combo jack, 1 x Kensington lock |
| Keyboard | White-backlit chiclet keyboard w/ N-key rollover and Overstroke |
| Audio | 2 x 1W w/ smart amplifier |
| Battery | 76Wh 4-cell Lithium-ion |
| AC adapter | 180W AC Adapter |
| Dimensions | Size 360 x 252 x 19.9 mm, Weight 2.1 kg |
New ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III and the ROG Strix Hero III
Also showcased were the latest pair of ASUS ROG Strix laptops, offered in both 15-inch and 17-inch models, the ROG Strix SCAR III and the ROG Strix Hero III. The ROG Strix SCAR III and the ROG Strix Hero III are two skins of the same essential product, employing a portable chassis with an upgraded aluminum lid. The ROG Strix SCAR III shows off a gunmetal grey finish while the ROG Strix Hero III flashes a midnight black as the exterior. Each design was a product of the collaboration between ROG and the BMW Designworks Group.
One of the key themes of this collaboration was the implementation of the ROG Keystone. The ROG Keystone is an NFC-enabled device that fits seamlessly into the chassis of these new ROG Strix products. When docked, they trigger customized system lighting and profiles while also granting access to a secret Shadow Drive on the machine. The Shadow Drive is hidden and encrypted whenever the keystone is not engaged in the chassis.
Each model can be configured with graphics up to the GeForce RTX™ 2070, which can clock up to 1540MHz at 115W via ROG Boost. While all displays sport 3ms grey-to-grey response times, the 15-inch variant of these machines sport displays with a refresh rate of up to 240Hz, while the 17-inch options can deal up to 144Hz. Configurations for each also allow up to the latest Intel Core i9-9880H CPU and up to 32GB of DDR4-2666 memory.
