Asus has just pulled the wraps off a series of new ROG laptops, powered by the latest 10th-gen Intel chips and all boasting liquid metal cooling to boot.
The star of today’s announcement (2 April) has to be the ROG Zephyrus Duo – an adaptation of the company’s already-capable ZenBook Pro Duo – built with gaming and creativity in mind.
The Strix G15/G17, Strix SCAR 15/17, Zephyrus S15/S17 and Zephyrus M15 all receive a timely update that includes higher refresh rate/low latency displays, while a new special edition G15 also serves as the flagbearer for a new electro punk-inspired range of ROG hardware and accessories. Here’s everything that Asus just announced.
Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15
The linchpin of this latest swathe of machines, the ROG Zephyrus Duo offers a dual display setup, with the option of a 15in primary 4K UHD 60Hz or Full HD 300Hz (with a 3ms response time) panel, accompanied by a secondary 14in 4K ‘ROG ScreenPad Plus’ designed to supplement high-intensity creative work, alongside gaming.
Asus is even working with developers to add unique experiences within popular titles like League of Legends and CS:GO.
The Zephyrus Duo also supports up to the new top-tier Intel Core i9-10980HK, accompanied by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super, 2TB of SSD storage in RAID 0, up to 48GB of DDR4 RAM and that all-important new liquid metal in place of conventional thermal paste. Asus says this ensures that under full load, the chip runs at up to eight degrees cooler.
The ROG Zephyrus Duo is slated to arrive in July 2020, with pricing starting at £2999.99 for the i7/RTX 2070 Super SKU.
Asus ROG Strix SCAR 15/17
If the Duo is too strange for your tastes, the ROG Strix SCAR 15 or 17 should make for a better fit.
Tooled to the same high standards as the Duo, but with a single 15.6in or 17.3in 300Hz/3ms display, boasting an 81.5% screen-to-body ratio and up to the same i9/RTX 2080 Super combo, these new SCARs are no slouch.
Similarly to their predecessor, the Strix SCAR III, the SCAR 15 and 17 also makes use of Asus’ ROG Keystone II tech, letting you save custom profiles, quick commands and access a private shadow drive, authenticated by this NFC-enabled key.
The ROG Strix SCAR 15 and 17 should be available from late April, with prices starting at £1899 and £2999 respectively.
Asus ROG Strix G15/G17
There’s isn’t much to say about the new Strix G17 save for the fact that it can be had with the latest 10th-gen i7 chip (cooled using liquid metal, of course), an Nvidia RTX 2070 Super GPU and an enhanced 244Hz/3ms Full HD display.
Aside from the jump from a 17.3in to a 15.6in panel, the spec updates for the smaller 2020 Strix G15 seem much the same. What helps this 15in SKU stand out is the option of a cyberpunk-inspired special edition (see below) that employs a neon pink-on-black colour scheme and serves as one part of a larger range of peripherals and accessories that share its standout look.
Other Electro Punk accessories include a wireless headset, keyboard, mouse, mousepad and backpack.
The G15 starts at £899, while the G17’s pricing begins at £1099. Availability should kick off in early May.
Asus ROG Zephyrus S15/S17
If you’re after something a little more stylish, the updated ROG Zephyrus S15 and S17 both boast a slim honeycomb-reinforced chassis (18.9mm thick on the S15 and 18.7mm on the S17). They also boast 300Hz/3ms displays, up to an Intel Core i7-10875H and support for up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super graphics, cooled by the company’s signature AAS design
The S15 starts at £2499, while the S17 starts at £2999. Both should arrive in May.
Asus ROG Zephyrus M15
If portability is at the top of your list, check out the Zephyrus M15. Sporting the slightly lesser Intel Core i7-10875H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super means this machine doesn’t need the expanding design of the S-line to stay cool.
You can also choose between a 4K UHD 60Hz display, a Full HD 240Hz/3ms panel or a Full HD 144Hz 15.6in option. The head-turning Prism Black is definitely the finish of choice too.
The M15 lands in early May, starting at £1899.