ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING motherboard review: the perfect foundation for a Ryzen PC. Review of the ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING motherboard: the ideal basis for a Ryzen PC. Options and packaging
It's so good that AMD is loyal to computer enthusiasts. That is why any user who decides to build a PC based on the AM4 platform can purchase any Ryzen processor, any B350 motherboard and significantly increase the performance of their system on their own. However, this approach is not without some nuances. Thus, the recent release of inexpensive motherboards based on the B350 chipset clearly showed that not all models are suitable for overclocking 8-core Ryzen 7 chips. Manufacturers did not forget to equip their devices with colorful backlighting, but they saved on the CPU power subsystem.
The ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING model does not have many of the disadvantages inherent in budget motherboards. Yes, the device is based on the lower-end B350 chipset, but in many respects it is not inferior to boards based on the X370 chipset. Let's take a closer look at the new product from ASUS.
Specifications and packaging
As I already said, ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING is the most expensive representative of motherboards based on the B350 chipset. This model's competitors are MSI B350 Krait Gaming boards and inexpensive devices based on X370 logic. At the time of writing, motherboards such as MSI X370 GAMING PLUS and ASUS PRIME X370-A could be purchased for 8-9 thousand rubles. In fact, the main difference between the B350 and the X370 is the inability to use symmetrical arrays of AMD CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI video cards in the system according to the x8+x8 scheme, but all the other “goodies” are present almost in full. In addition, the difference between the X370 and B350 is the smaller number of USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s ports, as well as the number of PCI Express 2.0 lanes reduced from eight to six. However, I cannot say that ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING suffers from a lack of connectors. Take a look for yourself at the technical characteristics of the device.
| Supported processors | AMD Ryzen 3/5/7 and Athlon/A-series (Bristol Ridge) |
| Chipset | AMD B350 |
| Memory subsystem | 4 × DIMM, up to 64 GB DDR4-2133-3200 (OC) |
| Expansion slots | 2 × PCI Express x16 3.0 1 × PCI Express x16 2.0 3 × PCI Express x1 2.0 |
| Drive interfaces | 1 × M.2 (Socket 3, 2242/2260/2280/22110) with support for SATA 6 Gb/s and PCI Express x4 6 × SATA 6 Gb/s |
| RAID 0, 1, 10 | |
| The local network | 1 × Intel I211-AT, 10/100/1000 Mbit/s |
| Audio subsystem | ROG SupremeFX S1220 7.1 HD |
| Rear Panel Interfaces | 1 x HDMI 1 × DisplayPort 1 × RJ-45 1 × optical S/PDIF 2 × USB 2.0 Type A 2 × USB 3.1 Type A 4 × USB 3.0 Type A 5 × 3.5 mm audio |
| Form factor | ATX, 305 × 244 mm |
| Price | ~9,000 rub. |
Included with the motherboard, in addition to the standard set consisting of a plug for the I/O panel, four SATA wires, paper documentation and a disk with drivers and software, I found a bag with nylon ties, a cardboard stand for a mug, stickers for the cables, extension cable for RGB strip and discount coupon for the purchase of modding accessories.
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Design and features
It’s nice that this model is assembled on a conveyor belt based on a full-fledged printed circuit board measuring 305 × 244 mm. In cheap devices, they also save on the PCB, and therefore the stripped-down PCB does not allow the board to be secured on the right edge, therefore, when connecting RAM modules, SATA connectors and the 24-pin power supply connector, the motherboard PCB will sag noticeably. But in the case of ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING there is definitely no such danger.
Since the ATX form factor is used, the motherboard has an almost complete set of connectors. The ATX format allows the use of up to seven expansion slots, but the ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING has six slots. But the board has a well-placed “landing strip” for M.2 drives - it supports installation of devices of form factors 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. The drive is connected directly to the processor. The location for installing the SSD is well located, since, firstly, the drive will not “languish” under the video card. Secondly, it will be additionally blown by the processor cooler fan.
I’ll add that when using an M.2 drive, the SATA6G_5 and SATA6G_6 ports will be disabled. That is why they are visually separated from the other four SATA ports on the motherboard.
Returning to the conversation about the location of expansion slots, I note that they are all in their places. Thus, two reinforced PCI Express x16 slots (the manufacturer claims that the ASUS SafeSlot shell increases their reliability by 1.6-1.8 times) are as far apart as possible from each other. If we assume that the system based on ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING will use an array of AMD CrossFire video cards, then the Radeon graphics adapters will interfere with each other to a minimum. Imagine, for example, a pair installed close to each other.
However, creating a CrossFire array of video cards on any B350 board is obviously a failed idea. For example, on ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING, PCI Express x16 connectors will work according to the x8+x4+x4 scheme when using a Ryzen processor and several video cards. In this case, the four lines of the second reinforced slot correspond to the third version of the PCI Express standard, and the third (unreinforced) one corresponds to the second version of this standard. Moreover, in the latter case, the PCI Express lines will be shared with PCIEX1_1 and PCIEX1_3 slots. ASMedia ASM1480 switches are responsible for switching the operating modes of expansion slots.
ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING is equipped with six connectors for connecting fans. All connectors are four-pin, the motherboard can control the fan speed both with and without PWM. As you can see, the pads are divided into three groups of two connectors each. Their location has been chosen well; let’s consider a typical situation: we will connect processor cooler fans to the upper ports (for example, if the system uses a tower super cooler or a two-section cooler). To the connectors located closer to the I/O panel, we will connect the housing impeller mounted on the rear wall, as well as the liquid CO pump. The connectors, which are soldered at the bottom of the board, contain case fans mounted on the front panel and operating as a blower. So six connectors for connecting cooling systems are quite enough for the average gaming PC.
ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING allows you to connect two USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0, as well as internal COM, TPM and F-audio ports. Here, at the bottom of the board, there is a four-pin RGB_HEADER2 connector. As you might guess, an LED strip or a backlight for the cooler and RAM is connected to it. The RGB_HEADER1 connector, which performs the same functions, is soldered next to the processor socket.
Among the additional modding elements, I would like to note the presence of lighting in the chipset area.
The ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING I/O panel has all the necessary connectors. In particular, there are HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs if you suddenly want to build a system based on the Bristol Ridge hybrid processor. The board also has all three versions of USB connectors that the B350 chipset supports along with the CPU: USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 - all A-type ports. For complete happiness, the only thing missing is a newfangled C-type port, but for this, ASUS engineers would have to solder an additional controller on the board. The Ethernet port received LANGuard hardware protection, which increases resistance to static electricity and voltage surges by 2.5 times.
The sound in the ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING is provided by the 8-channel HD audio codec ROG SupremeFX S1220A (aka Realtek ALC1220), equipped with a voltage stabilizer, Texas Instruments RC4850 and OPA1688 operational amplifiers and Japanese “audiophile” Nichicon capacitors. The chip itself is shielded by a metal frame. ASUS calls this idea SupremeFX Shielding technology. All elements of the audio path are isolated from the remaining components of the printed circuit board. As a result, according to the manufacturer, ROG SupremeFX S1220A provides a signal-to-noise ratio of 113 dB.
The wired network connection in the ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING is controlled by the Intel I211-AT gigabit controller.
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The power subsystem of ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING consists of eight phases. The converter is controlled by the ASP1106GGQW PWM controller. Four channels are dedicated to the CPU cores. For each such phase there is one inductor and three power elements NTMFS4C09B and NTMFS4C06B from ON Semiconductor. Four more channels provide operation of the CPU NB/SoC Voltage. Here, each phase has one inductor, but two field-effect transistors.
The ASUS ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING RAM power supply system is two-phase and consists of the same elements as the processor power circuits.
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The power converter is cooled by two small aluminum radiators. As you can see, these elements are quite sufficient, since in the nominal operating mode the elements of the VRM zone heat up to only 70 degrees Celsius.
Do you have a dream? Well, to buy the laptop you want without thinking about the financial side of the matter. And so that the video card is the best, and the screen, and in general... That’s what we’ll talk about, since the ASUS ROG Strix GL702VI gaming laptop was recently presented, and we’ll try to do a review with subjective impressions of this expensive “toy”. True, if I had that amount of money and the task was to buy a gaming computer, I would, but in this case it’s not about my preferences.
Description and characteristics
The laptop claims to belong to the top models. It’s enough to mention the video card used – Nvidia GeForce 1080. It seems like there’s almost nowhere better. And yet, a number of other parameters that you would expect to find in a gaming laptop of this class sometimes seem to not quite correspond to the status. Gradually I will tell you about all these “features”.
To be fair, it must be admitted that the GL702VI is still not at the highest level in the hierarchy of models. There is also the GL703VI, which is a little higher-end than the one we are reviewing today. Most likely, the lack of some features that you would expect from a laptop of this level is explained by the need to “know your place.”
Main characteristics:
| CPU | i5 7300HQ and i7 7700HQ |
| Screen | 17.3 inches Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, 60 Hz, 72% NTSC, G-SYNC 17.3 inches Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, 120 Hz, 72% NTSC, G-SYNC |
| OS | Windows 10 Home (Pro) 64-bit |
| Video card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X |
| Memory, max., GB | 32 DDR4-2400 |
| Number of memory slots | 2 |
| HDD | 1 TB 7200 rpm or 2 TB 5400 rpm |
| SSD | 128/256/512 GB M.2 SSD PCIe/SATA |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | 4.1 |
| Interfaces | 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 (Type-C) 1 x mini DisplayPort 1 x 2-in-1 card reader 1 x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack |
| Webcam | 720p webcam |
| Battery | 88 Wh, lithium-ion, non-removable, 8 cells |
| Size, mm | 415 x 280 x 37 |
| Weight, kg | 3.3 |
What can you conclude just by looking at the specifications? The i5 processor is weak for this video card. The 7700HQ is just in time, but something is missing... Let's look at its direct competitors.
(A17-7840) offers an i7-7820HK processor and a 2K resolution screen. MSI GT73EVR 7RF Titan uses the same CPU, but allows you to install up to 64 GB of RAM in four modules, and also has 2 SSDs for installing them in RAID0. And all this at a comparable cost.
Yes, and the cases of these two models are aluminum, but ASUS has only the top made of winged metal, then plastic. As they say, it doesn’t affect the speed, but somehow it doesn’t work out very well.
As for the insides, getting to them is easy. The entire bottom panel unscrews. What do we see? Two memory slots, an M.2 connector for SSD, a hard drive, two fans for cooling the processor and video card. The SSD can be either SATA or PCIe.
Appearance
It's hard to find fault with the appearance. Design of a typical ASUS gaming model from their ROG series. The body is strong, does not press through, does not bend, and has good rigidity. Whether you like it or not is a matter of taste. I can't say anything bad.
As for the size and weight, then, when compared with its competitors, it is at least no larger and definitely lighter. Dell is heavier by almost half a kilo, and MSI is more than 800 grams heavier. I don't think this can be classified as a disadvantage or advantage. After all, this is not a compact ultrabook to take with you on the go.
Keyboard and touchpad
Membrane keyboard, backlit. It is familiar from other models, and those who use ASUS technology will not experience any discomfort. The only thing I don't like here is the power button in the upper right corner, carefully disguised as a regular button.
There seems to be nothing to criticize the touchpad for either. Except that there are no dedicated buttons that imitate those of a mouse. And again, don’t think it’s boring, competitors have a touchpad with two physical buttons, and MSI’s keyboard is mechanical. After all, we are talking about an expensive gaming laptop.
Screen
There are two screens available, both IPS and both with FullHD resolution (1920x1080). The difference is in the scanning frequency, one has 120 Hz, the second – 60. Both displays support G-Sync technology. Screens with higher resolution are not provided, even with such a video card. But the competitors... Well, you understand me. 😉
A simpler version uses the AUO B173HAN01.1 matrix. According to its specifications, brightness is about 300 cd/m2, contrast is 700:1, response time is 25 ms. The color gamut is 72% NTSC and 90% sRGB. There is no PWM.
Communication capabilities
Since I’m starting to get boring today, I’ll finish the job and start right away with alternatives that can be found for about the same money, and what they have that the ASUS ROG Strix GL702VI doesn’t have.
The Dell Alienware 17 and MSI GT73EVR 7RF Titan offer support for Thunderbolt 3, and the latter also has a USB 3.1 Gen 2 version. This may not be what you need, but we're not talking about a budget laptop. Otherwise, it’s a gentleman’s selection of ports, without abundance, but everything you need is present.
The Intel 8265NGW Wi-Fi controller is responsible for the wireless network.
Performance and Heat
Under load, the maximum temperature of the graphics chip when testing the CPU and GPU was 76°C, which is very good for such a hot video processor. At the same time, its operating frequency was kept at 1500 MHz. The CPU, under full load, ran stably at 3.4 GHz on all four cores.
The cooling system is, of course, noisy at full load, but it would be strange if it was the other way around. This is an inevitable price to pay for powerful components and productive CO.
Some game performance measurements shown, FPS:
| A game | Graphics Settings |
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| Average | High | Maximum | |
| GTA 5 | 104 | 76 | 65 |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | 148 | 92 | 62 |
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands | 97 | 86 | 60 |
As for the performance of the processor, it is expectedly inferior to the i7-7820HK model, which is found in competitors, but it does its job as it should.
Conclusion. ASUS ROG Strix GL702VI, review of a good laptop, if not but...
Let's start with the price. In Russia at the moment (mid-February 2018) this model is not yet available for sale. If you look at the offers in foreign stores, then, for example, on computeruniverse there is one modification with an i7 processor, 16 GB of memory and a 256 GB SSD drive. This pleasure costs 2520.17 euros (176,160 rubles). Excluding delivery, of course.
Let me remind you that the Dell Alienware 17 (A17-7840) with an i7-7820HK processor, 32 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD drive and a 2K resolution screen costs a little more than 190,000 rubles. MSI GT75VR 7RF-056 with i7-7820HK and other characteristics like the ASUS in question is estimated at about 185,000 rubles. The MSI modification without SSD, 8 GB of RAM and with i7 7700HQ costs about 175,000 rubles.
What advantages does the ASUS ROG Strix GL702VI have? Lighter weight, good cooling system (noisy, but cools as it should), excellent screen. True, the last argument is not so clear-cut. MSI can offer a 120Hz screen with a response time of 3ms instead of 25 from ASUS. And even the fact that it will not be IPS is not a disadvantage for those who are mainly interested in games.
I don't want to say that the GL702VI is bad. No, it’s good, but the fact is that there are models nearby that are at least as good for about the same money. And if ASUS is offered at an attractive price, allowing you to put up with such little things as a partially plastic case, the absence of a top-end processor and a screen with a resolution higher than FullHD, with a long (for games) matrix response time, the absence of Thunderbolt 3, and only two memory slots and only one M.2 connector.
Otherwise, there is a reason to wait for it to appear on sale with us. Well, at the same time, maybe some other competing models will catch up...
A wireless gaming headset compatible with PCs, smartphones and consoles looks like a gamer's pipe dream. Large speakers with a wide dynamic range, a sensitive microphone, a comfortable headband, and of course, rich connectivity options. It's no joke, ASUS ROG Strix Wireless can be connected to an audio source either using the included AUX cable or via a radio channel (the transmitter is, of course, included). Moreover, even gaming consoles are listed among the compatible devices: PS4 and Xbox One. This brief description looks very attractive, so let's figure out what ASUS ROG Strix Wireless is, and how good it is in real life, and not in advertising slogans.
Technologies
Various connection options
ASUS ROG Strix Wireless has two connection options: via a 2.4 GHz radio channel and using the included cable. The wireless connection is perfect for PC or MAC computers and laptops, and the cable can be used to connect headsets to game consoles and smartphones. However, you can connect it to a PC or Mac using the same method. And in general to any devices that have an audio output with a diameter of 3.5 mm. In addition, ASUS ROG Strix Wireless has two antennas to improve wireless audio transmission and reduce interference. Still, we are talking about the 2.4 GHz frequency, which is popular among most wireless devices, so additional antennas will come in handy here.
Virtual 7.1 surround sound
Headset software can add a little volume to the sound. Of course, the ROG Strix Wireless only has 2 speakers inside, so it won’t be able to compete with real 7.1 headsets – like all other headphones with virtual surround sound. But having such an option will be a pleasant plus. And the supply, as they say, is not enough for the pocket.
Powerful battery
A wireless headset is certainly good and modern, but charging it every few hours is very inconvenient. Therefore, inside ASUS ROG Strix Wireless there is a 900 mAh battery installed, which should be enough for 10 hours of operation. In short, you can play with these headphones all day and charge them at night.
Detachable microphone
A detachable microphone is always a great bonus for any headset. With it you don't have to worry about whether it's on or not. A microphone disconnected from the headset will certainly not transmit sound, and will eliminate the doubts of the paranoid. By the way, its leg is long and flexible so that the microphone can be placed in the right place after connecting to the headset.
Description of ASUS ROG Strix Wireless
The headset comes in a classic ASUS ROG transparent box, through which you can see the coveted headphones. Inside, in addition to the ASUS ROG Strix Wireless itself, there is an instruction manual, a 1.5 meter AUX cable, as well as a USB transmitter and charging cable.
The ASUS ROG Strix Wireless headset is made in a bright, black and orange color scheme. Previously, before the ROG and Strix lines merged, all “strixes” sported bright and noticeable orange inserts, and ASUS ROG devices stood out with red inserts. However, you shouldn’t consider ASUS ROG Strix Wireless an old lady, because audio equipment is not processors with video cards, and over the years it hardly becomes outdated. So, on the outside of ROG Wireless, round inserts located in the center of the cups are highlighted in orange. Considering that the cups are shaped like the menacing gaze of a tawny owl, the symbol of the Strix line, the set lying on the table will look impressive and a little ominous.
It’s not just the orange “beauties” that are placed on the large cups. On the left earcup there are headset control keys (volume adjustment, microphone on/off and Power). On the bottom edge you can see a MicroUSB connector (for charging), a microphone input and a 3.5 mm audio jack for the AUX cable. But there are no controls on the right earcup. There is only the Republic Of Gamers logo there.
The inner surface of the earcups is lined with soft ear pads that can cover even large ears, which adds comfort to the headset. Inside each cup is hidden under one speaker with a rare-earth neodymium magnet - similar magnets are often found in ASUS ROG headsets and other expensive audio accessories from other brands. The headband is “dimensionless”, with “smart foam” inserts. This material is softer than its not very smart counterparts, it can hold its shape and return to its original state if you remove the headset. Simply put, the inside of the headband will not lose its shape over time.
Thanks to large cups and a soft headband, the headset sits comfortably on your head, and with the help of soft ear pads and a headband with smart foam, ROG Wireless will not put pressure in places where it is not necessary. You can play, work or listen to music in this headset for hours - until the powerful, 10-hour battery runs out. In addition, if you remove the ASUS ROG Strix Wireless and leave the headset on your neck, it will not cause discomfort, even despite its size.
Photos of ASUS ROG Strix Wireless
Specifications
Judging by the technical characteristics, during the development of ASUS ROG Strix Wireless, the manufacturer sought to achieve a fine balance between the filling and the final cost of the product. High-quality headsets with pleasant sound cannot in themselves be cheap, and a built-in wireless module will not reduce the final price in any way. However, ASUS ROG Strix Wireless turned out to be balanced. Inside it are installed large 60-mm speakers with neodymium magnets, with a frequency range from 20 to 20,000 Hz and a resistance of 32 Ohms. The removable microphone turned out to be highly directional, so it will not transmit the clatter of the keyboard and other extraneous sounds into the air. Unless, of course, they are so loud that a narrow-beam microphone can pick them up. The microphone sensitivity is -40 dB, and the frequency response is from 50 to 16,000 Hz.
- Speakers
- Speaker frequency range
- Speaker impedance
- Speaker sensitivity
- Microphone
- Microphone frequency range
- Microphone sensitivity
- Connection options
- Battery
- Cable
- Compatible Platforms
- Weight
- Approximate price
ASUS ROG Strix Wireless
- 2 speakers, diameter 60 mm, neodymium magnets
- 20 - 20,000 Hz
- 32 Ohm
- 98 dB
- Removable, unidirectional
- 50 - 16,000 Hz
- -40 dB
- Using AUX cable Wireless, frequency 2.4 GHz
- Built-in, 900 mAh, up to 10 hours of operation
- Detachable 3.5 mm AUX, 1.5 meters, with fabric braid
- PC, Mac mobile devices PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- 350 grams
- from 8,200 rubles
ASUS ROG Strix Wireless Software
To fine-tune the headset, there is the Sonic Studio utility, which can be downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. In this program, you can flexibly configure voice transmission, turn on surround sound, reverberation effect, enhance the bass and - in a separate place - play with the equalizer settings. Moreover, all the settings are collected in one window, so you don’t have to switch between endless submenus.
Testing ASUS ROG Strix Wireless
The ASUS ROG Strix Wireless headset was tested in several modes: listening to music, watching videos, and of course, playing games.
The album chosen for music testing was Tubular Beats by Michael Oldfield. This album contains many different instruments, which sometimes sound in one composition. Here the ROG Wireless headset performed well. There was no overload at low frequencies; the mids were clearly audible, but the headphones lacked high frequencies. However, this drawback is small and is found in almost all gaming headsets. Still, playing music is considered a secondary task for them. By the way, when you connect headphones wirelessly, you can use the proprietary ASUS utility to improve the quality of music. For example, you can work with the lower frequencies using the Bass Boost parameter. For rap, rock, and other heavy music, the bass can be increased by 3.5 or 4.5 dB. For classics, they can be raised by 1.5 or 2.5 dB. If you don't like low frequencies (bass), you can turn off the amplifier completely.
In films, ROG Wireless performed noticeably better. Here, the “highs” are not as important as other frequencies, so you can watch videos in such a headset without any problems. Explosions, gunfire, the roar of car engines and other dynamic sounds will sound best.
Now let's move on to games. In this test, ROG Wireless revealed itself in all its fullness. The headset perfectly conveyed the sounds of gunshots and explosions, and also helped to hear creeping enemies. Shooters, racing, strategy - ROG Wireless can handle all gaming genres. As for virtual surround sound, it can be seen more as an entertainment feature in games. This is the limitation of all headsets with one speaker in each earcup. Of course, ASUS software will try its best to add volume to the sound, and it will even succeed, but a full-fledged headset with surround sound will always be better than its software counterpart. However, such headphones will cost a lot.
A wireless gaming headset compatible with PCs, smartphones and consoles looks like a gamer's pipe dream. Large speakers with a wide dynamic range, a sensitive microphone, a comfortable headband, and of course, rich connectivity options. It's no joke, ASUS ROG Strix Wireless can be connected to an audio source either using the included AUX cable or via a radio channel (the transmitter is, of course, included). Moreover, even gaming consoles are listed among the compatible devices: PS4 and Xbox One. This brief description looks very attractive, so let's figure out what ASUS ROG Strix Wireless is, and how good it is in real life, and not in advertising slogans. Technologies Various connection options ASUS ROG Strix Wireless has two connection options: via a 2.4 GHz radio channel and using the included cable. The wireless connection is perfect for PC or MAC computers and laptops, and the cable can be used to connect headsets to game consoles and smartphones. However, you can connect it to a PC or Mac using the same method. And in general to any devices that have an audio output with a diameter of 3.5 mm. In addition, ASUS ROG Strix Wireless has two antennas to improve wireless audio transmission and reduce interference. Still, we are talking about the 2.4 GHz frequency, which is popular among most wireless devices, so additional antennas will come in handy here.
Virtual 7.1 surround sound Headset software can add a little volume to the sound. Of course, the ROG Strix Wireless only has 2 speakers inside, so it won’t be able to compete with real 7.1 headsets – like all other headphones with virtual surround sound. But having such an option will be a pleasant plus. And the supply, as they say, is not enough for the pocket.
Powerful battery A wireless headset is certainly good and modern, but charging it every few hours is very inconvenient. Therefore, inside ASUS ROG Strix Wireless there is a 900 mAh battery installed, which should be enough for 10 hours of operation. In short, you can play with these headphones all day and charge them at night.
Detachable microphone A detachable microphone will always be a great bonus for any headset. With it you don't have to worry about whether it's on or not. A microphone disconnected from the headset will certainly not transmit sound, and will eliminate the doubts of the paranoid. By the way, its leg is long and flexible so that the microphone can be placed in the right place after connecting to the headset.
Description ASUS ROG Strix Wireless The headset comes in a classic ASUS ROG transparent box, through which you can see the coveted headphones. Inside, in addition to the ASUS ROG Strix Wireless itself, there is an instruction manual, a 1.5 meter AUX cable, as well as a USB transmitter and charging cable. The ASUS ROG Strix Wireless headset is made in a bright, black and orange color scheme. Previously, before the ROG and Strix lines merged, all “strixes” sported bright and noticeable orange inserts, and ASUS ROG devices stood out with red inserts. However, you shouldn’t consider ASUS ROG Strix Wireless an old lady, because audio equipment is not processors with video cards, and over the years it hardly becomes outdated. So, on the outside of ROG Wireless, round inserts located in the center of the cups are highlighted in orange. Considering that the cups are shaped like the menacing gaze of a tawny owl, the symbol of the Strix line,...
Today, gaming laptops from ASUS are extremely popular. They combine an attractive appearance, solid technical features and a reasonable price (although there are also overly expensive models that are not affordable for everyone). Relatively recently, ASUS expanded its line of gaming laptops by releasing the ROG Strix GL753VE model. It is to her that we will dedicate this review.
Equipment and design of ASUS ROG Strix GL753VE
This laptop model is sold in a convenient cardboard package. The box has a nice black color. It has the word Strix in two dots in an elegant font. The company name is also present (in the lower left corner of the package), although it is written simply and without unnecessary gloss.
The ASUS ROG Strix GL753VE laptop package is characterized by practical minimalism. Inside the box the user will find:
- the device itself;
- manual;
- warranty card (usually valid for two years);
- a special cloth for wiping the display;
- power unit.
The second area where the engineers did not spare aluminum is the area around the keyboard and touchpad. The use of metal is justified for two reasons: it makes the design more elegant, and also plays the role of protection from physical damage. The remaining parts of the body are made of matte black plastic. This material perfectly complements the overall picture.
The bottom of the model in question contains ventilation holes. Rubberized feet are located in the corners, giving the laptop stability. By the way, here the designers also decided to play with contrast by making the legs in orange.
Opening the laptop, the user will see a fairly large monitor in front of him. It is surrounded by frames. The thickness of the frames on the sides is the same, but at the top it is slightly thicker. This is due to the fact that there is a webcam on top, as well as a pair of microphones. The lower frame is traditionally decorated with the Republic of Gamers inscription.
The power button is designed quite interestingly. Here it is part of the keyboard. The location of this key is at the top right above the numpad. A little to the left of the power button is a proprietary key decorated with the ROG logo. By pressing this button, an application called ROG Gaming Center is activated. This program acts as a kind of command center from which you can launch other useful applications. Additionally, you can easily monitor system status through Gaming Center.
However, everything is not limited to programs. To make it more convenient for the user to monitor the operation of the device, engineers equipped it with a number of LED indicators. These lights are located on the front edge of the device under the touchpad. LEDs are presented:
- power indicator;
- an indicator showing the battery charge level;
- a light bulb indicating the activity of the subsystem responsible for storing important data;
- adapter operating mode indicator;
- a light that indicates whether the Caps Lock key is enabled.
We should also talk about control devices. The keyboard here is membrane. To prevent such incidents as simultaneous pressing of two adjacent buttons during operation, the distance between them was increased. The button travel is 2.5 millimeters. To press, you need to apply a force of 65 grams. The dimensions of the keys are quite familiar - 15.5x15.5 mm. The interval between the buttons is 3.5 mm. The color design of the keys is also standard. The buttons themselves are made in black, and the alphabetic and numeric symbols on them are in white.
The ASUS ROG Strix GL753BE laptop would not be a gaming laptop if its keyboard were not equipped with four-zone RGB backlighting. It can be configured using the Aura utility. Fortunately, this application is immediately available on the device, so you don’t have to search for it further. Typically, another key indicator of a gaming laptop is the emphasis on the WASD keys. It’s there too, but what’s extremely nice is that the designers decided to do without contrast. The side edges of the mentioned buttons are made of white translucent material. Thus, the WASD zone seems to stand out, but still fits harmoniously into the overall design. By the way, the keyboard supports up to 30 simultaneous keystrokes.
The touchpad is represented by a touch surface with dimensions of 105x74 mm. By the way, it is more correct to call this area a clickpad, since when you click on the touch area, pressing a button is simulated. The work area is slightly deeper. Thus, it is separated from the entire keyboard panel.
As for the dimensions, they are quite compact - 415x273x30 mm. This model weighs only 2.8 kg (and this includes the battery). Thanks to its size and weight, this gadget can be considered a full-fledged laptop, and not a stationary PC styled as a laptop.
ASUS ROG Strix GL753VE: screen characteristics
The output of high-quality images during operation is ensured by a matte display with a diagonal of 17.3 inches. The basis of the screen is an IPS matrix. The matrix is equipped with LED backlight. LED color is white. The screen is capable of Full HD resolution (in other words, 1920x1080 pixels) and has an anti-glare coating that ensures good visibility at any angle of external lighting. The aspect ratio of the monitor is quite standard - 16:9.
It is worth noting that there are two versions of the screens: in the first case, the NTSC coverage is 72%. If we talk about other technical properties of the matrix in the maximum configuration, we can highlight the following points:
- brightness limit - 300 cd per square meter;
- pixel response speed - 25 ms;
- contrast - 700:1.
At the same time, despite such a minor flaw, the monitor is characterized by quite decent reproduction of all displayed shades. The display color temperature is at 6200 K.
And finally, the last worthy quality of the described screen is that it has wide viewing angles - 178 degrees. No matter how the user looks at the monitor (from the side or from above), he will see the picture quite clearly.
In the low-end configuration, viewing angles are smaller, and NTSC coverage is only 45%.
ASUS ROG Strix GL753VE: review of technical components
The Asus ROG Strix GL753VE laptop is available with two types of processors - Intel Core i7 7700HQ and Intel Core i5 7300HQ. We will take a closer look at the older configuration:
- CPU. Intel Core i7 brand 7700HQ operates on 4 cores. The initial clock speed of each core is 2800 MHz. This processor is overclockable. The performance of its cores can be increased by a maximum of 1000 MHz (that is, up to 3800 MHz). The chip supports a technology called Hyper-Threading. Thus, it can process 8 threads at once with 4 physical cores. The chip power is only 45 W. Moreover, the Intel HM175 Express chipset is integrated directly into the processor. The younger version of the ASUS ROG Strix GL753VE laptop uses an Intel Core i5 7300HQ processor. It is less productive, but such a device will cost less.
- Video card. It is clear that the integrated graphics processor is not suitable for running modern games, so the engineers equipped their brainchild with a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti video card, which has 2 or 4 GB of allocated memory. Card memory type - GDDR5. Testing has shown that at maximum load in the older version, the video card itself operates at a frequency of 1695.5 MHz. As for the memory, in a similar situation it shows a frequency of 1752 MHz. An assembly containing a similar card, but with 2 gigabytes of memory, is cheaper, but it also significantly affects performance. It is impossible not to note the important advantage that both boards (both 2 and 4 GB) have. They support DirectX 12. This technology will provide maximum clarity of all graphic effects found in modern games. However, the 1050 Ti is still not a top-end graphics card. It does not cope very well with games that have increased system appetites. For example, if you run The Witcher 3 on them, you will definitely have to lower the graphic settings so that the number of fps is acceptable.
- RAM. The Asus ROG Strix GL753VE laptop is equipped with two slots for DDR4 cards. The maximum amount of RAM supported by this laptop is 32 GB. In general, the owner can use a very different combination of DDR4 cards: 8 and 4, 8 and 8, 16 and 16 GB. Separately, it is worth mentioning the main advantage of RAM of this format: it provides the highest performance while consuming minimal energy.
- Physical memory. The older assembly (with the 7700HQ processor) provides the following components for data storage: a 1 TB 5400RPM SSH hard drive, as well as a 128 or 256 GB SATA3 SSD. When purchasing a junior version of the assembly, the user will receive: a 7200RPM SSH hard drive of 1 TB, a PCIE Gen3X4 SSD drive with a capacity of 256 or 512 GB.
Well, a kind of cherry on the cake is a modern cooling system called Cooling Overboost. It allows you to adjust the fan speed. This is an extremely important point, because the user will only get the most out of the coolers when it is really necessary. According to the developers, Cooling Overboost will be able to maintain the highest performance of technical elements at any level of their load.
Network, interfaces and multimedia Asus ROG Strix GL753VE
The laptop in question can connect to the Internet via a cable (an RJ-45 connector is provided for this). In addition, the model supports a Wi-Fi network. Another nice addition is Bluetooth 4.0 support.
As for functional connectors, this laptop is equipped with everything you need:
- three inputs for USB 3.0;
- one port for USB 2.0;
- one USB Type-A socket;
- one HDMI port.
A very obvious characteristic of this device is that it plays almost all formats of music and movies. The only thing the Asus ROG Strix GL753VE laptop cannot do is optimally play video in Ultra HD quality (although this cannot yet be considered a serious sin).
But a pleasant surprise for gamers over 20 years old will be the presence of an optical disc drive. It would seem, what's wrong with this? It's all about the desire of some avid players to collect disc collections of games. Having a DVD player, they will be able to buy games on physical media, replenishing their “stocks”. So to speak, it’s a small thing, but it’s nice (at least for some).
Autonomy of the ASUS ROG Strix GL753BE laptop
For mains operation, a complete 120 W power supply is provided. If the electricity suddenly goes out, the device will function autonomously on a lithium-ion battery. The architecture of the battery is 4-cell. The battery performance is 48 Wh. If you watch videos continuously, the battery will drain in approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes. If you start the game, the battery capacity will last less than an hour.
As you can see, the battery life of this model is far from ideal, although this phenomenon is considered normal for gaming laptops.
Asus ROG Strix GL753VE - price
So we looked at the Asus ROG Strix GL753VE gaming laptop. We can say that this is a worthy representative of the line of portable gaming computers. This model has a beautiful and durable design, convenient controls, a good display, and quite normal hardware. Of course, the available hardware is not enough to run the most demanding games at maximum, but this is quite natural, given the not too high cost of the device.
The price of ASUS ROG Strix GL753VE in Russia is approximately 85,670 rubles. The indicated cost is an average. The exact price depends on the point of sale and the installed technical components.
In the following video presentation you can learn more about the delivery package and design of the device:
Asus has launched the next model of the 17-inch gaming laptop ROG Strix GL703VD on the 7th generation Intel Core processor. In terms of hardware configuration and design, there is nothing new or unusual here, this is just another not very expensive gaming laptop. In this article we will look in detail at all the features of this model.
Options and packaging
The Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop comes in a small black cardboard box with a handle.
In addition to the laptop itself, the package includes a quick start guide, a warranty card, and a 150 W (19.5 V; 7.7 A) power adapter.
Laptop configuration
Judging by the information on the manufacturer's website, the configuration of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop may be different. Differences may include processor model, amount of RAM, screen type (60 Hz or 120 Hz) and storage configuration. We tested a model with the following configuration:
| Asus ROG Strix GL703VD | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-7700HQ | |
| Chipset | Intel HM175 | |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4-2400 | |
| Video subsystem | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB GDDR5) Intel HD Graphics 630 |
|
| Screen | 17.3 inches, 1920x1080, matte, IPS, 60 Hz (LG LP173WF4-SPF5) | |
| Sound subsystem | Realtek ALC295 | |
| Storage device | 1×SSD 256 GB (SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002, M.2 2280, SATA600) 1×HDD 1 TB (HGST HTS721010A9E630, 7200 rpm, SATA600) |
|
| Optical drive | No | |
| Card reader | SD (XC/HC) | |
| Network interfaces | Wired network | Realtek RTL8168/8111 |
| Wireless network | Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 | |
| Interfaces and ports | USB 3.0/2.0 (Type-A) | 4/0 |
| USB 3.0 (Type-C) | 1 | |
| HDMI | There is | |
| Mini-DisplayPort 1.2 | There is | |
| RJ-45 | There is | |
| Microphone input | yes (combined) | |
| Headphone output | yes (combined) | |
| Input Devices | Keyboard | with backlight and NumPad block |
| Touchpad | clickpad | |
| IP telephony | Webcam | HD |
| Microphone | There is | |
| Battery | 64 Wh | |
| Dimensions | 415×280×24 mm | |
| Weight without power adapters | 2.9 kg | |
| Power adapter | 150 W (19.5 V; 7.7 A) | |
| operating system | Windows 10 Home (64-bit) | |
| average price | Yandex.Market widget |
|
| Retail offers | Yandex.Market widget |
|
So, the basis of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is a quad-core processor (Kaby Lake). It has a nominal clock speed of 2.8 GHz, which can be boosted up to 3.8 GHz in Turbo Boost mode. The processor supports Hyper-Threading technology (8 threads), the size of its L3 cache is 6 MB, and the estimated power is 45 W.
This processor integrates the Intel HD Graphics 630 graphics core.
But in addition, there is also a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 video card with 4 GB of GDDR5 video memory. Moreover, the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop supports Nvidia Optimus technology, which allows you to switch and use processor or discrete graphics.
As it turned out during testing, when the video card is loaded under stress (FurMark), the graphics processor operates at a frequency of 1708 MHz, and the memory at a frequency of 1752 MHz, which is not bad at all.
There are two slots for installing SO-DIMM memory modules in the laptop.
In our case, the laptop already had two DDR4-2400 memory modules with a capacity of 8 GB (SK Hynix HMA81GS6AFR8N-UH) installed. The maximum memory supported by the laptop is 32 GB.
The storage subsystem in the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is a combination of two drives: SSD SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002 with a capacity of 256 GB and a 2.5-inch HDD HGST HTS721010A9E630 with a capacity of 1 TB.
The SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002 SSD is installed in an M.2 connector, has a 2280 form factor and a SATA 6 Gb/s interface.
In total, the laptop has one slot for installing a 2.5-inch SATA drive and one M.2 connector with an M-type key, which supports drives with PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA interfaces. So an SSD drive with an M.2 connector can be installed here, and a faster one.
The communication capabilities of the laptop are determined by the presence of a dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) wireless network adapter Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265, which complies with the Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.2 specifications.
In addition, the laptop has a gigabit network interface based on a pair of Realtek RTL8168/8111 controllers.
The audio subsystem of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is based on the Realtek ALC295 HDA codec. The laptop body contains two speakers - on the bottom panel, beveled to the edges on the left and right, there are decorative grids covering these speakers.
It remains to add that the laptop is equipped with a built-in HD webcam located above the screen, as well as a non-removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 64 Wh.
Appearance and ergonomics of the case
The case of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is made of metal and plastic. The top cover of the laptop is made of a thin sheet of black aluminum.
On the lid there is a mirror-colored emblem of the ROG gaming series, which lights up in red when the laptop is turned on.
The laptop lid is very thin - only 7 mm. However, its rigidity is quite satisfactory. Of course, when pressed, the lid bends a little, but not critical.
The working surface of the laptop, framing the keyboard and touchpad, is made of black plastic, part of the surface is stylized as brushed metal. The disadvantage of the work surface is that it quickly gets dirty, that is, sweat and grease marks from your hands remain on it.
There are ventilation holes on the bottom panel of the case. Rubberized feet ensure a stable position of the laptop on a horizontal surface.
The thickness of the frame around the screen on the sides is 16 mm, on the top - 21 mm, and on the bottom - 28 mm. On the top of the frame there is a webcam and holes for two microphones, and at the bottom there is a mirrored logo of the ROG series.
The power button on the laptop is located in the upper right corner of the work surface.
In the left corner of the working surface, above the keyboard, there are four separate laptop control keys: a proprietary key with the ROG logo, designed to launch the ROG Gaming Center application, a microphone on/off key, and two sound volume control keys.
LED laptop status indicators are located on the rear edge of the work surface, and they are visible even when the lid is closed. There are four indicators in total: power indicator, battery charge level, data storage subsystem activity and wireless adapter operating mode.
The system for attaching the laptop screen to the body consists of two hinges located at the bottom of the screen. This mounting system allows you to tilt the screen relative to the keyboard plane at an angle of approximately 120 degrees.
On the left side of the case there are two USB 3.0 (Type-A) ports, an HDMI connector, a Mini-DisplayPort connector, an RJ-45 connector and a combined mini-jack audio connector. In addition, the power connector is located right there.
On the right side there are two more USB 3.0 (Type-A) ports, a USB 3.0 (Type-C) port, a memory card slot and a hole for a Kensington lock.
At the rear end of the case there are only ventilation holes for blowing out hot air.
Disassembly capabilities
On the bottom panel of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop there is a hatch in the shape of a beveled hexagon. By removing it, you can access the HDD, SSD and one memory slot.
By unscrewing a few screws, you can remove the entire bottom panel of the case, which will give access to all components of the laptop.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop uses a membrane-type keyboard with an increased distance between the keys.
The key travel is 2 mm. The size of the keys is standard (15×15 mm), and the distance between them is 3 mm.
The keys themselves are black, and the symbols on them are white.
The keyboard has three-level RGB backlighting. The backlight automatically turns on when you press a key and turns off if you don't press anything for a while. To configure the backlight, use the Asus Aura utility, which is included in the Asus Gaming Center package. The entire keyboard is divided into four zones, and the Asus Aura utility allows you to customize the color of each zone, as well as select a color effect (constant glow or “breathing”).
The area of the WASD gaming keys is also highlighted: the side edges of these keys are white.
The base of the keyboard is quite rigid. When you press the keys, if it bends at all, it is only slightly.
The pressing force on the key is 60 g, and the residual force of pressing the key is 27 g. The keys are rather weakly spring-loaded; when typing, you can hardly feel the press being pressed. On the other hand, the keys do not make any clicking sound when typing; the keyboard is generally very quiet. Overall, typing on this keyboard is comfortable. We'd rate the keyboard as good but not great.
Touchpad
The Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop uses a clickpad that simulates key presses. The dimensions of its touch surface are 106×74 mm. The touch surface of the clickpad is slightly recessed. Working with the touchpad is very convenient.
Sound path
As already noted, the audio subsystem of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is based on the Realtek ALC295 HDA codec, and the laptop has two speakers.
Subjective testing of the built-in acoustics revealed that at the maximum volume level nothing rattles, and there are no metallic tints when reproducing high tones. The maximum volume level is quite sufficient. The sound reproduced by the built-in acoustics is rich.
Traditionally, to evaluate the output audio path intended for connecting headphones or external speakers, we conduct testing using an external Creative E-MU 0204 USB sound card and the RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.3.0 utility. Testing was carried out in stereo mode, 24-bit/44.1 kHz. According to the testing results, the audio path received a “Very Good” rating.
Test results in RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.3.0
General results
Frequency response
| 20 Hz to 20 kHz, dB | ||
|---|---|---|
| 40 Hz to 15 kHz, dB |
Noise level
| RMS power, dB | ||
|---|---|---|
| RMS Power, dB(A) | ||
| Peak level, dB | ||
| DC offset, % |
Dynamic range
| Dynamic range, dB | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic range, dB (A) | ||
| DC offset, % |
Harmonic distortion + noise (−3 dB)
Interpenetration of stereo channels
Screen
The Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop uses an LG LP173WF4-SPF5 IPS matrix with LED backlighting based on white LEDs. The matrix has a matte anti-reflective coating and its diagonal size is 17.3 inches. Screen resolution - 1920×1080 pixels.
The matrix in the laptop does not flicker throughout the entire brightness range. According to the specifications, the matrix has a maximum brightness of 300 cd/m², a pixel response time (total on and off time) of 25 ms, and a contrast level of 700:1. The vertical and horizontal viewing angles are 80° each according to the CR≥10 method.
According to our measurements, the maximum screen brightness on a white background is 396 cd/m². At maximum screen brightness, the gamma value is 2.14. The minimum screen brightness on a white background is 22.5 cd/m².
The color gamut of the LCD screen in the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop covers 85.1% of sRGB and 62.2% of Adobe RGB, and the color gamut is 102.2% of sRGB and 70.4% of Adobe RGB. This is a very good color gamut.
LCD matrix filters do not distinguish the spectra of primary colors very well. The spectra of green and red colors overlap greatly, which, however, is quite typical for matrices used in laptops.
The color temperature of the LCD screen of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is stable across the entire gray scale and is approximately 7000 K.
The stability of color temperature is due to the fact that the primary colors are well balanced across the entire gray scale.
As for color rendering accuracy (delta E), its value does not exceed 7 across the entire gray scale (dark areas can be ignored), which is a good result for this class of screens.
The viewing angles of the screen of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop are very wide, both horizontal and vertical. This is inherent in all IPS matrices.
Overall, we can say that the screen of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop deserves high marks.
Working under load
To stress load the processor, we used the Prime95 utility (Small FFT test), and stress load the video card using the FurMark utility. Monitoring was carried out using AIDA64 and CPU-Z utilities.
Under moderate processor load (Stress CPU test using the AIDA64 utility), the core clock frequency is stable and amounts to 3.4 GHz.
The temperature of the processor cores reaches 75°C, and the power consumption of the processor is 34 W.
If you load the processor in stress mode using the Prime95 (Small FFT) utility, the core frequency will drop to 2.7-2.8 GHz.
The temperature of the processor cores is 76°C, and the power consumption is stabilized at 45 W.
As you can see, the cooling system in the laptop is very effective. Even in stressful CPU load mode there is no throttling.
Drive performance
As already noted, the storage subsystem of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop is a combination of a SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002 SSD drive with an M.2 connector and a 2.5-inch HDD HGST HTS721010A9E630. Of interest, first of all, are the speed characteristics of the SSD, which is used as a system drive.
The ATTO Disk Benchmark utility pegs its maximum sequential read speed at 550 MB/s and sequential write speed at 450 MB/s. For a drive with a SATA interface, this is a very good result, but compared to the performance level of top-end drives with a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface, this is, of course, not enough.
We also present the results of testing using the popular CrystalDiskMark and AS-SSD utilities.
Noise level
The noise level was measured in a special sound-absorbing chamber, and the sensitive microphone was positioned relative to the laptop so as to simulate the typical position of the user's head.
According to our measurements, the noise level emitted by the laptop when idle is 22 dBA. This is a very low noise level, which actually merges with the level of the natural background during the day in the office, and it is impossible to “hear” the laptop in this mode.
In stress loading mode of the video card using the FurMark utility, the noise level is 43 dBA. Almost the same noise level (43.3 dBA) will be in the processor stress mode using the Prime95 (Small FFT) utility. This is already a high noise level. In this mode, the laptop will stand out from other devices in a typical office space.
In the mode of simultaneous stress loading of the video card and processor, the noise level increases to 47 dBA. This is definitely a bit much, but still, this boot mode is achieved only using special tests; in normal life, the laptop does not make such noise - when working with real applications, the noise level emitted by the laptop is no more than 40 dBA.
| Load scenario | Noise level |
|---|---|
| Idle mode | 22 dBA | 43 dBA | 43.3 dBA | 47 dBA |
In general, the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop can be classified as an average device in terms of noise level.
Battery life
We measured the laptop's offline operating time using our method using the iXBT Battery Benchmark v1.0 script. Let's remember that we measure battery life at screen brightness of 100 cd/m². Let us also recall that the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop has the ability to switch (manually or automatically) between the processor graphics core and a discrete video card. We measured battery life both when using the processor graphics core and with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 video card. The test results are as follows:
| Load scenario | Working hours |
|---|---|
| Working with text (processor graphics core) | 5 hours 28 minutes |
| Working with text (Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 video card) | 3 hours 44 minutes |
| Video viewing (CPU graphics core) | 4 hours 07 minutes |
| Watching video (Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 video card) | 4 hours 52 minutes |
As you can see, the battery life of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD is quite long for a 17-inch model.
Performance Research
To evaluate the performance of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop, we used our performance measurement methodology using the iXBT Application Benchmark 2017 test package, as well as the iXBT Game Benchmark 2017 gaming test package. For clarity, we have added to the table the results of testing the 17-inch gaming laptop Asus ROG Strix GL753VE, which has a similar configuration and price. The test results in the iXBT Application Benchmark 2017 are shown in the table. The results are calculated from five runs of each test with a confidence level of 95%.
| Logical test group | Reference system (Core i7-6700K) | Asus ROG Strix GL753VE | Asus ROG Strix GL703VD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video conversion, points | 100 | 78.88±0.17 | 82.85±0.26 |
| MediaCoder x64 0.8.45.5852, with | 105.7±1.5 | 132.0±0.5 | 126.8±0.8 |
| HandBrake 0.10.5, s | 103.1±1.6 | 132.58±0.29 | 125.21±0.23 |
| Rendering, points | 100 | 82.1±0.3 | 83.5±0.3 |
| POV-Ray 3.7, with | 138.09±0.21 | 168.7±0.2 | 163.77±0.15 |
| LuxRender 1.6 x64 OpenCL, with | 252.7±1.4 | 304.2±1.0 | 302.8±1.0 |
| Blender 2.77a, with | 220.7±0.9 | 271.4±2.8 | 267±3 |
| Video editing and video content creation, points | 100 | 82.8±0.3 | 94.0±0.6 |
| Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015.4, with | 186.9±0.5 | 143.8±0.7 | 128.63±0.09 |
| Magix Vegas Pro 13, with | 366.0±0.5 | 459.6±1.7 | 429.6±0.7 |
| Magix Movie Edit Pro 2016 Premium v.15.0.0.102, with | 187.1±0b4 | 225±4 | 225±7 |
| Adobe After Effects CC 2015.3, with | 578.5±0.5 | 678±3 | 673.4±2.0 |
| Photodex ProShow Producer 8.0.3648, with | 254.0±0.5 | 301.2±1.0 | 306.6±1.1 |
| Digital photo processing, points | 100 | 74.1±0.9 | 80.8±0.4 |
| Adobe Photoshop CC 2015.5, with | 520.7±1.6 | 557.3±2.5 | 538.2±1.2 |
| Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC 2015.6.1, with | 182.4±2.9 | 339.8±2.1 | 298.4±0.9 |
| PhaseOne Capture One Pro 9.2.0.118, with | 318±8 | 393±14 | 356±5 |
| Text recognition, points | 100 | 82.8±0.9 | 81.8±0.5 |
| Abbyy FineReader 12 Professional, with | 442.4±1.4 | 538.9±0.7 | 514±3 |
| Archiving, points | 100 | 69.3±0.5 | 80.4±0.4 |
| WinRAR 5.40 CPU, with | 91.65±0.05 | 132.2±1.0 | 114.0±0.6 |
| Scientific calculations, points | 100 | 77.7±1.2 | 83.5±1.4 |
| LAMMPS 64-bit 20160516, with | 397.3±1.1 | 500±9 | 462.2±1.7 |
| NAMD 2.11, with | 234.0±1.0 | 281.9±1.7 | 277.9±0.9 |
| FFTW 3.3.5, ms | 32.8±0.6 | 49±4 | 40±3 |
| Mathworks Matlab 2016a, with | 117.9±0.6 | 149.4±0.8 | 146.9±1.3 |
| Dassault SolidWorks 2016 SP0 Flow Simulation, with | 252.5±1.6 | 314±7 | 298.5±2.2 |
| File operation speed, points | 100 | 48.1±1.2 | 60.8±0.9 |
| WinRAR 5.40 Storage, with | 81.9±0.5 | 185±14 | 129.5±2.7 |
| UltraISO Premium Edition 9.6.5.3237, with | 54.2±0.6 | 101.8±0.9 | 92.1±2.4 |
| Data copying speed, s | 41.5±0.3 | 88.2±0.5 | 68.9±1.8 |
| Integral CPU result, points | 100 | 77.99±0.25 | 83.72±0.25 |
| Integral result Storage, points | 100 | 48.1±1.2 | 60.8±0.9 |
| Integral performance result, points | 100 | 67.5±0.5 | 76.1±0.4 |
In terms of the integral result in processor tests, the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop lags behind our reference system based on the Intel Core i7-6700K processor by 16%, and in terms of the integral performance result taking into account tests that depend on the system drive - by 24%. This is a very good result, which demonstrates that the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop can be used for various resource-intensive tasks. In general, the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop can be classified as a high-performance device. Let us remind you that, according to our grading, with an integral performance result of less than 45 points, we classify devices as entry-level performance; with a result in the range from 46 to 60 points - into the category of devices of an average performance level; with a result from 60 to 75 points - into category of productive devices, and a result of more than 75 points is already a category of high-performance solutions.
Now let's look at the results of testing the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop in games. Testing was carried out at a resolution of 1920x1080 in game settings for maximum and minimum quality. When testing in games, we used an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 video card with video driver version Nvidia ForceWare 388.43. The test results are as follows:
| Game test | Result, FPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum quality | Minimum quality | |
| World of Tanks | 61.0±0.2 | 115.73±0.14 |
| Battlefield 1 | 16.2±0.7 | 124.6±2.7 |
| Deus Ex: Mankind Divided | 6.32±0.01 | 49.5±0.3 |
| Ashes of the Singularity | 17.84±0.04 | 53.97±0.03 |
| Far Cry Primal | 33.37±0.30 | 61.6±0.7 |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | 19.71±0.25 | 86.8±0.6 |
| F1 2016 | 59.8±1.6 | 118±4 |
| Hitman (2016) | 55.2±0.7 | 73.6±0.3 |
| Total War: Warhammer | 15.5±0.3 | 91.5±0.8 |
| Dark Souls III | 36.03±0.16 | 51.0±0.8 |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | 45.0±0.3 | 59.97±0.03 |
As can be seen from the testing results, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 video card does not set the settings to maximum quality at a resolution of 1920x1080. Some games can be played comfortably in this mode, but not all. But when set to the minimum quality, all games will “fly”.
In general, the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop can be classified as a mid-level gaming solution.
conclusions
The undoubted advantages of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop include a stylish design, a high-quality screen, a good keyboard and touchpad. Let's add here high performance and long battery life. Of course, this is not a top gaming configuration, and resource-intensive 3D games can only be played here at medium quality settings. But the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD is not aimed at dynamic 3D shooters. There are different games, and many of them can be played quite comfortably on such a laptop.
At the time of publication of the article, the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD laptop in the configuration we described cost about 82 thousand rubles. In our opinion, the cost for such a hardware configuration is quite adequate. This laptop can be used not only and not so much for games, but for working with resource-intensive applications; it is perfect as a replacement for a productive desktop.