It looks like a run-of-the-mill ultraportable. And you can use it like one if you prefer. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus, however, is a full-fledged gaming laptop that you can use to play the latest AAA games without having to be chained to a desk at home.
Measuring 16.9 mm thick, the laptop is barely bulkier than the MacBook Pro’s 15.5 mm enclosure, giving you a proper gaming PC that won’t burden you with neither heft nor bulk. No, ASUS didn’t pull off any magic tricks here to achieve the slim frame. Instead, it comes courtesy of Nvidia’s new Max-Q version of the GTX 1080 GPU, whose 50 percent better efficiency allows it to require minimal cooling (basically, fewer heatsinks and fans) compared to a standard graphics card.
Aside from the redesigned GPU, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus houses an Intel Core i7 CPU, up to 24GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage. It comes with a 15.6-inch 1080p display that boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and 100% sRGB coverage, along with an RGB-backlit keyboard that sports a 30-key rollover and 1.4mm of travel. ASUS, by the way, has moved the keyboard way out front in the laptop while the track pad gets moved to the right hand side – a setup that better mimics the way we play games on a desktop rig, all while allowing them to put the cooling units on the upper half of the panel.
Slated to hit stores end of June, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus will be priced starting at $2,299.