Late last week Asus expanded its ROG Strix range to include its first laptop, the GL502, and its first wireless gaming headset. These followed hot on the heels of the first Asus ROG Strix Gaming motherboard.
ROG Strix GL502 Gaming Laptop
This is a 15.6-inch full Full HD IPS screened gaming laptop with G-SYNC (there's a 4K screen option available too). Buyers get to choose from either an Intel Core i7-6700HQ or i7-6820HK processor, and "up to" an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M graphics with 8GB of GDDR5 (though I see no further GPU options in the specs). System RAM is configurable from 4GB to 16GB of DDR4. Storage configurations are pretty flexible, thanks to both an M.2. NVMe slot and interface/capacity for a 2.5-inch SATA drive.
Asus boasts of this system being both compact and light, obviously attractive qualities if you wish to game-on-the-go. The Asus ROG Strix GL502 is, at most, 23.5mm thick and weighs in at 2.2Kg.
In such compact form factors cooling is paramount, and Asus says that it has designed a custom dual-fan cooling system with copper heatpipes to take heat away from both the CPU and GPU. It promises that the cooling system ensures stable performance however hard, and for however long, you push your system.
ROG Strix GL502VT/GL502VY specifications:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-6700HQ Processor 2.6 GHz (6M Cache, up to 3.5 GHz), Intel Core i7-6820HK Processor 2.7 GHz (8M Cache, up to 3.6 GHz)
- Operating system: Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 10 Professional (64-bit)
- Display: 15.6-inch LED FHD (1920x1080), 15.6-inch LED UHD (3840X2160)
- Memory: 4GB/8GB/16GB DDR4 RAM
- Storage: 256GB/512GB PCIEx4 M.2 SSD, 1TB/2TB SATA 5400RPM 2.5' HDD, 1TB SATA 7200RPM 2.5' HDD, 128GB/256GB SATA3 M.2 SSD
- Connectivity: 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x Headphone-out & audio-in combo jack, 1x RJ45 LAN, 1x mini Display Port 1.2, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C (generation 1), 3x USB 3.0
- Power supply: 180W AC Adapter, 62WHr/64WHr 4-cell Lithium ion battery
- Size: 39.0 x 26.6 x 2.35 cm (GL502VT), 39.0 x 26.6 x 3.01 cm (GL502VY)
- Weight: 2.24kg (GL502VT), 2.34kg (GL502VY)
ROG Strix Wireless gaming headset
This gaming headset offers 2.4GHz wireless audio low-latency technology to free you from restrictive cabling. The 15 metre transmission range and dual auto-switching antenna are designed to provide stable, clear sound in most imaginable scenarios. Wearers can go untethered for over 10 hours thanks to the rechargeable 900mAh battery. You can also opt to plug in with the 1.5m extension cable if, for example, you forget to recharge the headset.
Audio is delivered in up to 7.1 virtual surround sound with full equaliser control and levels for each channel. Inside the headset are 60mm neodymium drivers providing 20Hz–20kHz frequencies. The built-in but detachable boom microphone has a frequency response of 50Hz–16kHz and sensitivity of -40 ± 3dB. Built-in control buttons include volume, mic mute, and power.
The Asus ROG Strix Wireless gaming headset weighs in at 320g (without the cable). Comfort is provided by the protein leather covered memory foam design ear cups.
