Shopping for a gaming notebook has gotten more intense. With the launch of the new AMD Ryzen processors, high-performance gaming is much more accessible even for the budget-conscious. Back in Computex this year, ASUS unveiled one of the first Ryzen-powered laptops, the ROG Strix GL702ZC.
Now, the ROG Strix is finally here in the Philippines. The gaming notebook rocks the Ryzen 7 1700 octa-core processor. The processor is complemented by an AMD Radeon RX 580 with 8GB of VRAM. Its 17.3-inch matte IPS screen is capable of up to 4K resolution.
It will be available in either Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 5 variants. The earlier will have 4K resolution while the latter will have 1080p.
Impressions
Recently, we got to try the ROG Strix before its launch here in the Philippines. It was sleek, sexy, and powerful. Our eyes are immediately drawn to its premium looks that straddle the line between badass gaming and smooth simplicity.
Despite having a chassis that’s only 1.3 inches thick, the ROG Strix (and its included charger) does carry quite a bit of heft. It’s heavy but that’s to be expected given the performance that it can churn out.
There’s no doubt that the ROG Strix represents the next generation of gaming. A quick benchmark test puts the Ryzen 7 above and beyond the Intel Xeon and i7 series by quite a jump. In terms of practicality, we tested the notebook with Tomb Raider, Firewatch, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The notebook carried the first two games at a comfortable 60fps at Ultra settings. Meanwhile, at Ultra settings, PUBG kept to a steady 30fps with some slight framerate skips when smoke or fog was on the screen. Playing at Medium to High settings, however, quickly peaked it up back to 60fps.
In terms of experience, the Strix was very relaxing to play with. The wide display was very immersive. The keyboard was pleasantly tactile to the touch. Heat was barely an issue.
Availability
The new ASUS ROG Strix will be available at either P99,995 (Ryzen 7) or P84,995 (Ryzen 5). Pre-orders are available now.
