The 17.3" Republic of Gamers Zephyrus S GX701GX Gaming Laptop from ASUS is designed for gamers who don't want to sacrifice performance for portability. While it may be compact, thanks to its 15" form factor, it's packed with powerful hardware including a 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7-8750H six-core processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card with a Max-Q design. Its 17.3" IPS display features slims bezels, cutting down bulk, and has a 144 Hz refresh rate, a 3 ms (GtG) response time, and NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. With these combined, the Zephyrus offers fluid, tear-free gaming without much compromise. Other integrated features include USB Type-A and Type-C ports, an HDMI port, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, microphones, speakers, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. The operating system installed is Windows 10 Pro (64-Bit).
Design
While the ROG Zephyrus has a 17.3" display, it's designed with a 15" form factor measuring just 0.7" thin. Compared to a standard 17.3" gaming laptop, it's roughly 40% thinner and 23% smaller, so you can easily bring it with you on-the-go.
Display
The display on the ROG Zephyrus has an 81% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its slim 0.27" bezels for an immersive viewing experience. Size aside, it's built with features that gamers need, such as a fast 144 Hz refresh rate, a 3 ms response time, and NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. Not just for gamers, but also for content creators, the Zephyrus is factory-calibrated featuring ProArt TruColor technology and a Pantone-validated palette. With these combined, the display provides you with 72% NTSC, 100% sRGB, and 75% Adobe RGB coverage.
Work & Play
NVIDIA'S Optimus technology enables the system to switch between its integrated and dedicated graphics processing unit with just a few clicks. When NVIDIA G-SYNC is on, you'll get full gaming performance with smoother gameplay, lower input lag, and tear-free graphics. On the other hand, Optimus mode is ideal for more everyday desktop productivity and entertainment to save power.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-Series
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 20-series graphics cards are built on the Turing architecture. Combining traditional CUDA cores with RT and Tensor cores for ray-tracing and AI, these cards offer more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections in real-time.
Hyperdrive Storage
The PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD can operate on four PCIe lanes for speeds of up to 3200 MB/s. This enables games, applications, large files, and even boot-up to load much faster.
Dual-Channel DDR4 Memory
The Zephyrus has dual-channel 2666 MHz DDR4 memory that's optimized for high speed and low power consumption. It supports up to 24GB by replacing a pre-installed module for enhanced multitasking.
Cooling
The trade-off with ultra-slim laptops is breathing room, so this one is equipped with the ROG Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) to retain system performance without throttling. Just by lifting the lid, the chassis opens up at the rear for a larger air intake. The AAAS also features anti-dust tunnels, five heatpipes for the CPU and GPU, four heatsinks with ultra-slim copper fins, and self-cleaning fans. Users can also manually switch between cooling profiles to find their preferred balance of cooling performance and noise.
Keyboard
RGB lighting has become a staple of gaming products, appearing everywhere from keyboards to chairs. Therefore, the Zephyrus has per-key RGB backlighting that you can customize with the ASUS Aura Sync software. Its keyboard also has N-key rollover technology to ensure that your commands are accurately and precisely recognized.
Audio
Whether you're playing with or without a headset, the Zephyrus is designed to offer an enjoyable audio experience. Its speakers have smart amplifier technology that delivers higher output with more bass. When plugged-in, you'll be able to experience virtual 7.1-channel surround sound. The Zephyrus also has a rolling volume key for easy adjustments.
USB Type-C
One of the USB Type-C ports supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds with DisplayPort 1.4 connectivity and power delivery.
Windows 10 Pro
Start Menu
After its hiatus in Windows 8, the Start Menu has returned. Utilizing a combination of the traditional menu system and Windows 8's Live Tiles, the improved Start Menu gives you more information at a glance, showing notification information alongside your applications and other pinned items.
Cortana
Microsoft's digital personal assistant, Cortana can answer your questions with information gleaned from both your device and the internet at large. You can type or even talk with her, if your system has a microphone. Using her Notebook, Cortana keeps track of your needs and wants, and she learns over time to improve her information gathering skills.
Microsoft Edge
After nearly 20 years, Microsoft has finally replaced its Internet Explorer web browser. With Microsoft Edge, users can write directly on web pages and share notes with friends and colleagues. It also improves the online reading experience by adding a distraction-free mode and read-it-later functionality. Edge also has built-in Cortana integration; you can have her help you find a restaurant, make a reservation, and pull up directions without leaving your browser.
Windows Store
For Windows 10, Microsoft has unified the Windows Store. Now, apps for PCs, tablets, and phones will all be accessible from one place. And with support for Universal Apps, one version of an app can work across all your compatible devices automatically.
Windows Continuum
Windows 10 was designed for a variety of screen sizes and input styles, and with its Continuum feature, it automatically adapts to fit your needs. A Windows 10 tablet on its own requires a touch-centric approach, but attaching a mouse and keyboard will shift everything to a more traditional interface. You can even attach an external monitor to your Windows 10 phone for a near-desktop experience. But it's not just the operating system; Windows Universal Apps take advantage of Continuum as well.
Xbox on Windows 10
Gaming is a big focus of Windows 10. Xbox integration allows for PC players to match up against Xbox One players on supported games, and if you have an Xbox One, you can even stream compatible titles to your PC. Native support for recording with the new Game DVR feature makes it easy to capture and share your gameplay. The new DirectX12 takes better advantage of multi-core processors, giving games a performance boost, even on older hardware. Windows 10 also features native support for virtual reality headsets, such as the Oculus Rift.
Additional Windows 10 Pro Features
The Pro version of Windows 10 includes all of the features of Windows 10 Home plus many designed specifically for business users, including Hyper-V virtualization, BitLocker disk encryption, and remote desktop access. Devices will also be able to join domains and the Azure Active Directory, and they can even access a specialized version of the Windows Store featuring custom, company-specific applications.