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Asus GL703GE (Core i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti) Laptop Review

Caffeine boost. The Asus GL703GE packs in more processor performance than ever thanks to Intel’s new Core i7-8750H CPU. The Coffee Lake chip is a shot in the arm for processor-reliant tasks, and the 120 Hz display has been improved. Still, the price makes the GL703GE hard to recommend.
Coffee Lake Gaming Geforce Laptop Windows

Coffee Lake is here, and with new processors come several new changes. Intel's six-core Core i7-8750H replaces the venerable Core i7-7700HQ. The new CPU adds two more cores and four more threads. As usual, Asus is among the first to push Intel’s new silicon with their ROG line of gaming laptops. The GL703GE under review today is reflective of what is sure to become the standard configuration for mid-tier gaming laptops this year (at least until Nvidia's new Volta GPUs hit the market).

One would expect to see a 50% increase in processor performance to match the 50% increase in core count. We'll see whether or not this hypothesis holds true. In addition to the Core i7-8750H, the GL703GE packs a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and 120 Hz panel, which may be enticing to competitive gamers looking for a decisive edge in popular multiplayer titles like DOTA 2 and CS: GO.

Since the GL703GE is essentially a retooling of the GL703VM, we will forego discussion of the exterior factors of the notebook in favor of focusing on the performance benefits brought by Coffee Lake. For details on the case and keyboard, please refer to our review of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VM. 

At $1250 MSRP, consumers are definitely paying for the new and improved CPU. We will see how the GL703GE compares to its older brother, the Asus Strix GL703VM. Some other competitors include the HP Omen 17 (GTX 1050 Ti), MSI GE72, and MSI GP62. We'll also examine how the Core i7-8750H compares to other high-end CPUs like AMD's Ryzen 7 1700 and Intel's Kaby Lake G Core i5-8305G.  Let's down this cup of joe and see if the premium is worth it.

Asus GL703GE-ES73 (GL703 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1493 MHz, Memory: 1752 MHz, GDDR5, GeForce Game Ready Driver 397.31, Nvidia Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, 1333.3 MHz, DDR4-2666 / PC4-21300)
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, Chi Mei CMN1747, TN, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ, 128 GB 
, 128 GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1 TB HDD, 1049 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combo audio in/out, Card Reader: SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23.9 x 415 x 280 ( = 0.94 x 16.34 x 11.02 in)
Battery
64 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 W, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, ROG Gaming Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.72 kg ( = 95.95 oz / 6 pounds), Power Supply: 625 g ( = 22.05 oz / 1.38 pounds)
Price
1249 USD
Links
Asus homepage
Asus notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

❌
420 mm / 16.5 inch 288 mm / 11.3 inch 32 mm / 1.26 inch 3 kg6.57 lbs416 mm / 16.4 inch 279 mm / 11 inch 30 mm / 1.181 inch 2.9 kg6.45 lbs415 mm / 16.3 inch 280 mm / 11 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 2.7 kg6 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.8 kg4.07 lbs356 mm / 14 inch 250 mm / 9.84 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2.1 kg4.58 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Gaming
  (19 - 202, n=100, last 2 years)
98.4 MB/s +23%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80.1 MB/s
HP Omen 17-w206ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76 MB/s -5%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
67.2 MB/s -16%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26 MB/s -68%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Gaming
  (26 - 269, n=91, last 2 years)
123.6 MB/s +42%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
94.1 MB/s +8%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87.3 MB/s
HP Omen 17-w206ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s 0%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28 MB/s -68%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (450 - 1580, n=30, last 2 years)
1147 MBit/s +87%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
614 MBit/s
HP Omen 17-w206ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
542 MBit/s -12%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
387 MBit/s -37%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
294 MBit/s -52%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Gaming
  (423 - 1700, n=30, last 2 years)
1256 MBit/s +87%
HP Omen 17-w206ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
687 MBit/s +3%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
670 MBit/s
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
610 MBit/s -9%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
345 MBit/s -49%

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The AU Optronics panel is a definite improvement over the older GL703VM's. While it keeps the same 120 Hz refresh rate, color accuracy and coverage are much better. The GL703GE manages to capture almost the entire sRGB gamut (99.81%) and about 75% of the AdobeRGB gamut. Colors look vibrant across the panel. Most colors are accurate, although greens have a bit of a wider variance. Color temperature also has a slight blue shift to it. This isn't noticeable in most images, but whites have an aqua hue. There is also a slight graininess visible on white screens, something that is common to matte displays. This isn't distracting unless viewing the screen from about 8 inches or closer. In sum, the panel is excellent for a mid-tier laptop. Users can benefit from a fast refresh rate without the sacrifices to color accuracy and picture quality typically seen in cheaper HFR displays. 

CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN Grayscale (calibrated)
CalMAN Colorchecker
CalMAN Colorchecker
CalMAN Colorchecker (calibrated)
CalMAN Colorchecker (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
vs. sRGB: 100%
vs. sRGB: 100%
vs. AdobeRGB: 75%
vs. AdobeRGB: 75%
330.1
cd/m²		328.1
cd/m²		311.4
cd/m²
316.7
cd/m²		331.1
cd/m²		298.2
cd/m²
305.3
cd/m²		304.1
cd/m²		286.3
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN1747 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 331.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 312.4 cd/m² Minimum: 20.45 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 331.1 cd/m²
Contrast: 1068:1 (Black: 0.31 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.86 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 2.66
ΔE Greyscale 4.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
75% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
83.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
90.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.268
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Chi Mei CMN1747, TN, 17.30, 1920x1080		Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
AU Optronics B173HAN01.1, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080		HP Omen 17-w206ng
Chi Mei CMN1738, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080		MSI GE72 7RE-046
N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), TN LED, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
-23%
-17%
1%
Display P3 Coverage
90.1
61.5
-32%
67.2
-25%
90.7
1%
sRGB Coverage
99.8
87.2
-13%
93.1
-7%
99.9
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
83.1
62.7
-25%
67.4
-19%
85.2
3%
Response Times
-172%
-174%
-68%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
11.6 ?(6, 5.6)
30.8 ?(16.4, 14.4)
-166%
38 ?(20, 18)
-228%
27 ?(13, 14)
-133%
Response Time Black / White *
8.8 ?(6, 2.8)
24.4 ?(13.2, 11.2)
-177%
26 ?(15.6, 10.4)
-195%
9 ?(6, 3)
-2%
PWM Frequency
26040 ?(25)
200 ?(95)
-99%
Screen
-17%
-12%
-24%
Brightness middle
331.1
319.5
-4%
318
-4%
253
-24%
Brightness
312
293
-6%
295
-5%
230
-26%
Brightness Distribution
86
67
-22%
79
-8%
86
0%
Black Level *
0.31
0.65
-110%
0.25
19%
0.24
23%
Contrast
1068
492
-54%
1272
19%
1054
-1%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.86
3.17
-11%
4.7
-64%
5.01
-75%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.35
5.32
16%
8.8
-39%
10.4
-64%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.66
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.3
1.6
63%
5
-16%
7.26
-69%
Gamma
2.268 97%
2.22 99%
2.28 96%
2.09 105%
CCT
7034 92%
6668 97%
7374 88%
6329 103%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
75
56
-25%
61
-19%
76
1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
87
-13%
93
-7%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-71% / -39%
-68% / -44%
-30% / -24%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 2.8 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 18 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.8 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
11.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 ms rise
↘ 5.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 18 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.3 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 26040 Hz ≤ 25 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 26040 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 25 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 26040 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18714 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

Hexa-core is the new quad-core; similar to how most gaming laptops used Intel's quad-core Core i7-7700HQ throughout last year, we can expect most new gaming devices to come with the six-core Core i7-8750H. Does a 50% bump in core count equal a 50% bump in multi-threaded performance? Not quite, but CPU tasks finish faster, particularly those that demand multiple threads. Additionally, the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti is a solid choice to match the other components; while it struggles to push 60 fps in demanding games at the highest settings, it is poised to take advantage of the 120 Hz display in certain competitive multiplayer titles.

CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: SPD
CPU-Z: SPD
GPU-Z (Asus ROG skinned)
GPU-Z (Asus ROG skinned)
HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64
 

Processor

Without a doubt, the GL703GE's headliner is the Core i7-8750H, a new hexa-core chip from Intel. The 45 W TDP matches that of the previous generation i7-7700HQ, but clock speeds have been tweaked. The 8750H has a lower base clock than its older brother (2.2 GHz vs 2.8 GHz) but is able to boost a fair bit higher on a single core (4.1 GHz vs. 3.8 GHz). That should make for better single core performance, and that is indeed what we see in Cinebench R15: the 8750H edges out the 7700HQ by about 15%. Multi-threaded performance is, as expected, a blowout. The 8750H trumps the 7700HQ by about 40%, which closely matches the bump in physical cores.

Interestingly, the Asus GL703GE comes in about 7% lower in multi-threaded tests than other 8750H-based systems. This could be due to either throttling in our system or performance-focused tweaking in others; as of this writing, the chip is too new to make that call. This may be something to watch. 

Over the long term, the 8750H has a performance curve akin to what we're used to seeing in our Cinebench R15 loop test. The machine comes charging out of the gates for the first pass only to dip during the second. Performance is henceforth stable with no noteworthy variance. 

For more information about the Intel Core i7-8750H, please see our dedicated CPU page here.

Cinebench R10
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740750760770780790800810820830840850860870880890900910920930940950960970980990100010101020Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15 | Cinebench R11.5 | Cinebench R10 | wPrime 2.10
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (79.2 - 312, n=245, last 2 years)
260 Points +60%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
Intel Core i7-8650U
178 Points +9%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points +6%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52
Intel Core i5-8300H
166 Points +2%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
163 Points
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
157 Points -4%
MSI GV72 7RD-1048XPL
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
149 Points -9%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
144 Points -12%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
142 Points -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
141 Points -13%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
140 Points -14%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (400 - 5663, n=246, last 2 years)
2842 Points +179%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1408 Points +38%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1133 Points +11%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
1129 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +9%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
1020 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52
Intel Core i5-8300H
801 Points -21%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
714 Points -30%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
710 Points -30%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
Intel Core i7-8650U
675 Points -34%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
Intel Core i7-8650U
657 Points -36%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
Intel Core i7-8650U
649 Points -36%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
566 Points -45%
MSI GV72 7RD-1048XPL
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
516 Points -49%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (2.62 - 3.73, n=23, last 2 years)
3.19 Points +66%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.98 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (1.89 - 2, n=40)
1.967 Points +2%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.92 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52
Intel Core i5-8300H
1.85 Points -4%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
1.79 Points -7%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
1.63 Points -15%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.61 Points -16%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1.58 Points -18%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
1.55 Points -19%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (19.7 - 64.3, n=24, last 2 years)
35 Points +214%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
15.76 Points +41%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.93 Points +16%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
12.5 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (9.54 - 13.5, n=41)
12.2 Points +9%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
11.15 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52
Intel Core i5-8300H
7.73 Points -31%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
7.47 Points -33%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.13 Points -36%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
5.88 Points -47%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (35806 - 85088, n=24, last 2 years)
55868 Points +79%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (29664 - 35307, n=25)
33163 Points +6%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
31254 Points
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
29330 Points -6%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
25561 Points -18%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
21845 Points -30%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
19801 Points -37%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
13729 Points -56%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Gaming
  (5847 - 11940, n=24, last 2 years)
8551 Points +36%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (6236 - 6645, n=25)
6479 Points +3%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
6292 Points
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
5844 Points -7%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5426 Points -14%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4515 Points -28%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
4330 Points -31%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
AMD Ryzen 7 1700
4286 Points -32%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Ryzen 5 1600
353.2 s * -120%
MSI GV72 7RD-1048XPL
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
349.9 s * -118%
Average of class Gaming
  (116.8 - 1021, n=11, last 2 years)
318 s * -99%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
268.1 s * -67%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
247 s * -54%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Intel Core i5-8305G
215.8 s * -35%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Intel Core i7-8750H
160.2 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (125.5 - 180.5, n=6)
157.5 s * +2%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7051
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
31254
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6292
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
69.7 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
11.15 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.92 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
99.8 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1020 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
163 Points
Help

System Performance

Overall system performance is good. The GL703GE keeps up with other devices in its class. There is a noticeable hiccup when opening a new Windows Explorer window; the process takes almost a full second. Otherwise, every app opens without pause, and the rest of the system responds immediately.

PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (3570 - 6657, n=38, last 2 years)
5176 Points +25%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4757 Points +15%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
4693 Points +13%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
4504 Points +9%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
4173 Points +1%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (3894 - 4371, n=10)
4162 Points 0%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
4148 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
3640 Points -12%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3601 Points -13%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (4622 - 7085, n=37, last 2 years)
6043 Points +14%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5676 Points +7%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (4973 - 5461, n=10)
5312 Points 0%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
5288 Points
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
5134 Points -3%
Asus GL702ZC-GC104T
Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R7 1700, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
5110 Points -3%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
4877 Points -8%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
4774 Points -10%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4544 Points -14%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Gaming
  (5206 - 10574, n=18, last 2 years)
7307 Points +39%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172
6519 Points +24%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
6303 Points +20%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
5254 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (4820 - 5255, n=4)
5092 Points -3%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8650U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5065 Points -4%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
4014 Points -24%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4148 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5254 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5288 points
PCMark 10 Score
4532 points
Help

Storage Devices

Drive speeds are adequate. The 128 GB SSD has good read times but is surprisingly sluggish when writing data. Despite being connected via a PCIe bridge, the SSD is more akin to a SATA drive than one using the NVMe protocol. In light of other options, like the Samsung PM961, the SSD is decent but will seem slow to some. The paltry 128 GB of storage also fills up incredibly quickly and might become a headache to manage. There is a 2.5" drive bay that our model uses to house a 1 TB HDD. This mechanical drive is reliable and fairly quick for an HDD.

PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
AS SSD
AS SSD
AS SSD Copy
AS SSD Copy
CrystalDiskMark 5 (SSD)
CrystalDiskMark 5 (SSD)
CrystalDiskMark 5 (HDD)
CrystalDiskMark 5 (HDD)
HD Tune
HD Tune
Asus GL703GE-ES73
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ		HP Omen 17-w206ng
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP		MSI GE72 7RE-046
Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY		Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7		Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
AS SSD
Copy Game MB/s
343.5
250.5
-27%
Copy Program MB/s
101.8
174.9
72%
Copy ISO MB/s
443.6
392.7
-11%
Score Total
634
2172
243%
969
53%
2536
300%
1113
76%
Score Write
196
165
-16%
324
65%
939
379%
307
57%
Score Read
311
1390
347%
424
36%
1092
251%
595
91%
Access Time Write *
0.07
1.881
-2587%
0.032
54%
0.046
34%
0.056
20%
Access Time Read *
0.27
0.056
79%
0.119
56%
0.119
56%
0.146
46%
4K-64 Write
116
129.5
12%
175.3
51%
742
540%
181.2
56%
4K-64 Read
193.1
1101
470%
351.1
82%
847
339%
337.1
75%
4K Write
59.1
1.31
-98%
101.5
72%
80.4
36%
92.7
57%
4K Read
18.93
48.92
158%
21.41
13%
23.36
23%
24.78
31%
Seq Write
212.8
346.2
63%
475.5
123%
1163
447%
334.3
57%
Seq Read
993
2399
142%
515
-48%
2213
123%
2335
135%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
hddimg
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1406 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 465.3 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 262.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 202 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 839 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 467.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 29.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 74.8 MB/s

GPU Performance

Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1050 Ti has made several appearances in mid-tier gaming laptops and has frequently shown itself to be an excellent value for the performance it offers. The GL703GE performs about as well as other devices sporting the 1050 Ti and hits similar numbers in Fire Strike. As a result, the story here is largely the same; the 1050 Ti is well-suited for moderately demanding 3D workloads but hits its limits when details are turned up. Full HD is as far as the GPU should be pushed. Users that need more power from their GPU should look to the GTX 1060, which is about 50% faster, or the GTX 1070 Max-Q, which is almost twice as fast. However, both of these GPUs will pull more power and generate more heat than the 75 Watt 1050 Ti. On battery, the GL703GE sees a 10% drop in GPU performance.

For more information about the GTX 1050 Ti, please refer to our GPU page here.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
First Strike Extreme
First Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Sky Diver
Sky Diver
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Gaming
  (1029 - 72070, n=236, last 2 years)
38458 Points +321%
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
21925 Points +140%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
19162 Points +110%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600
15182 Points +66%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
15145 Points +66%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8650U
14254 Points +56%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G
9862 Points +8%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (8304 - 10402, n=36)
9591 Points +5%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
9360 Points +3%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
9128 Points
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
8345 Points -9%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
7640 Points -16%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3728 Points -59%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
2124 Points -77%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Gaming
  (1251 - 26358, n=235, last 2 years)
19331 Points +119%
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
11707 Points +33%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
9720 Points +10%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
8828 Points
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8650U
8135 Points -8%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600
7838 Points -11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (6104 - 9172, n=35)
7823 Points -11%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G
7788 Points -12%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7358 Points -17%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6889 Points -22%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
5933 Points -33%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2734 Points -69%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
1838 Points -79%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (15902 - 193851, n=161, last 2 years)
133091 Points +163%
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
115638 Points +129%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
104942 Points +108%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
82913 Points +64%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600
70020 Points +39%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
50514 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (43721 - 53978, n=37)
50013 Points -1%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G
44796 Points -11%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
36528 Points -28%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
36413 Points -28%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
15613 Points -69%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
11232 Points -78%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (781 - 53059, n=245, last 2 years)
28257 Points +255%
Asus Zephyrus M GM501
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H
17046 Points +114%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H
15156 Points +91%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
12038 Points +51%
Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-GC204T
AMD Radeon RX 580 (Laptop), R5 1600
11512 Points +45%
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8650U
10708 Points +35%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
7953 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (6792 - 8376, n=38)
7743 Points -3%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G
7355 Points -8%
Asus VivoBook Pro 17 N705UD-EH76
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6042 Points -24%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBA-80WY001VGE
AMD Radeon RX 560 (Laptop), i5-7300HQ
5738 Points -28%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2442 Points -69%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7560U
1369 Points -83%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Average of class Gaming
  (46258 - 613731, n=19, last 2 years)
306893 Points +39%
Asus GL703GE-ES73
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
221173 Points
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
196751 Points -11%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G
165559 Points -25%
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (71804 - 221173, n=18)
128005 Points -42%
3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 06 Standard Score
32246 points
3DMark 11 Performance
9097 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
131234 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
25678 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
7074 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
3602 points
Help

Gaming Performance

As stated, the GTX 1050 Ti is a popular choice for mid-tier gaming laptops, and with good reason. The 1050 Ti can push through most titles at FHD/Medium settings. The GL703GE seems particularly aimed at competitive gamers, and the 1050 Ti is a good step toward that goal. Most AAA games will need reduced settings to hit 60 frames per second, but competitive games (which are typically lighter on system resources) can easily exceed 60 fps with everything turned up. This is where the other killer feature of the GL703GE, the 120 Hz display, steps in. Games like Counter-Strike: GO and Rocket League can be pushed past 100 fps, taking full advantage of the panel's higher refresh rate. These games look and feel buttery smooth, and the twitch reactions needed to remain competitive in these games come that much easier.

Counter-Strike: GO | The Witcher 3 | Rocket League
Counter-Strike: GO - 1920x1080 (Very) High, FXAA AA:4x MS AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
124 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
 
124 fps 0%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) (sort by value)
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
26 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (14 - 38, n=31)
26.4 fps +2%
Average of class Gaming
  (8.61 - 216, n=236, last 2 years)
109.9 fps +323%
Rocket League - 1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX (sort by value)
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
108 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
  (106 - 158, n=4)
120.8 fps +12%
low med. high ultra
Counter-Strike: GO (2012) 124
Dota 2 (2013) 65
The Witcher 3 (2015) 26
Hitman 2016 (2016) 42 41
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 38 19
Rocket League (2017) 108
Dirt 4 (2017) 41
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 60 44 37

Stress Test

The GL703GE's components perform remarkably well under both synthetic and real-world testing. During Prime95, the CPU does reasonably well, averaging 2.8 GHz across all cores. CPU Temperatures are impressive and never eclipse 70° C during the test. Furmark is also handled well; the GPU hovers around 1450 MHz while staying relatively cool at 68° C. While CPU and GPU performance seems a bit restrictive under synthetic load, the lower temperatures may be a worthy payoff.

Under real-world stress (running The Witcher 3 for an hour), the system still keeps its cool. Both the CPU and GPU perform admirably. The CPU hangs at about 3.9 GHz with intermittent spikes up to 4 GHz. Temperatures average at 70° C, but we did observe occasional pops to 87° C. The GPU holds at a rock solid 1721 MHz throughout the test and consistently remains at 70° C. Both of these metrics are excellent. Performance over the hour-long run is stable and follows the same FPS curve we've seen in other machines.

Prime95
Prime95
FurMark
FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
Prime95 + FurMark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 2.8 - 66 -
FurMark Stress 3.94 1444 64 68
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 2.7 1425 85 82
Witcher 3 Stress 3.9 1721 70 70

Emissions

System Noise

In order to keep the components as cool as it does under load, the GL703GE has to expel quite a bit of heat from its thin chassis. Fan noise, as a consequence, can get loud. Under full stress, the dual fan setup hits 49 dB(A), which is noticeable across a room. However, the level pitch makes the noise less grating than other thin gaming notebooks, which typically sound shrill under load. The GL703GE's fan curve is fairly aggressive; the fans ramp up quickly, usually within 5 minutes of starting a game, and stay at a constant "full blast" until several minutes after the system returns to idle. Even so, the GL703GE's fans are quieter than many other thin gaming laptops; of note, the HP Omen 17 hits 52 dB(A) during long gaming sessions. There is no noticeable coil whine or other system noise.

Noise Level

Idle
28.2 / 30 / 32 dB(A)
Load
36 / 48.8 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.2 dB(A)
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ		Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172		HP Omen 17-w206ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP		MSI GE72 7RE-046
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7		MSI GV72 7RD-1048XPL
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, ADATA SX7000NP 128 GB		Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G		Acer Nitro 5 AN515-52
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-8300H
Noise
-3%
-13%
-12%
-2%
-10%
-1%
6%
off / environment *
28.2
28.4
-1%
30
-6%
30
-6%
30
-6%
29
-3%
27.8
1%
Idle Minimum *
28.2
30.2
-7%
34
-21%
34
-21%
30
-6%
30
-6%
31.1
-10%
27.8
1%
Idle Average *
30
30.2
-1%
35
-17%
35
-17%
31
-3%
31
-3%
31.1
-4%
27.8
7%
Idle Maximum *
32
30.2
6%
36
-13%
36
-13%
34
-6%
35
-9%
31.1
3%
27.8
13%
Load Average *
36
38.4
-7%
47
-31%
41
-14%
43
-19%
49
-36%
38.7
-8%
35
3%
Witcher 3 ultra *
48.8
49.7
-2%
48
2%
42
14%
51
-5%
44.2
9%
Load Maximum *
48.8
54.5
-12%
52
-7%
49
-0%
44
10%
54
-11%
42.5
13%
44.2
9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Heat exhaust during gameplay.
Heat exhaust during gameplay.

Exterior temperatures paint an interesting picture. There are a few hot spots that quickly grow uncomfortably warm during heavy workloads, but these spots shouldn't come into contact with the user. For instance, the vent above the keyboard hits 63° C, but unless a hand is intentionally placed on this spot, this heat won't be felt. The center of the keyboard (around the "I," "O," and "9" keys) can feel a bit toasty, but these aren't keys typically used during gameplay. The bottom panel near the rear vents will be uncomfortable, so gaming on a desk is recommended. When idle or during light workloads, the machine remains close to room temperature with no noticeable warm spots.

Max. Load
 39.4 °C
103 F		58.6 °C
137 F		39.4 °C
103 F		 
 30 °C
86 F		52.6 °C
127 F		30.4 °C
87 F		 
 22.6 °C
73 F		22.2 °C
72 F		22 °C
72 F		 
Maximum: 58.6 °C = 137 F
Average: 35.2 °C = 95 F
59.4 °C
139 F		55.8 °C
132 F		53.8 °C
129 F
29.2 °C
85 F		45 °C
113 F		33.4 °C
92 F
25 °C
77 F		25.4 °C
78 F		27.2 °C
81 F
Maximum: 59.4 °C = 139 F
Average: 39.4 °C = 103 F
Power Supply (max.)  47.2 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 20.8 °C = 69 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.2 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 58.6 °C / 137 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 59.4 °C / 139 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.3 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 33.9 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.6 °C / 96 F, compared to the device average of 33.9 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 25.8 °C / 78.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+3.1 °C / 5.6 F).
Keyboard, load
Keyboard, load
Bottom, load
Bottom, load
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3
Bottom, The Witcher 3
Keyboard, idle
Keyboard, idle
Bottom, idle
Bottom, idle
Asus GL703GE-ES73
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ		Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172		HP Omen 17-w206ng
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP		MSI GE72 7RE-046
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY		MSI GS65 8RF-019DE Stealth Thin
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ		Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7		MSI GV72 7RD-1048XPL
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-7300HQ, ADATA SX7000NP 128 GB		Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
Vega M GL / 870, i5-8305G, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G
Heat
-7%
11%
19%
18%
12%
32%
25%
Maximum Upper Side *
58.6
64.6
-10%
55.6
5%
45.8
22%
49
16%
53
10%
42.7
27%
44.8
24%
Maximum Bottom *
59.4
57.2
4%
57.7
3%
45.2
24%
63
-6%
65
-9%
38.8
35%
40
33%
Idle Upper Side *
35
37.6
-7%
32.2
8%
31.7
9%
24
31%
26
26%
24.4
30%
28
20%
Idle Bottom *
37
43
-16%
27.2
26%
29.9
19%
25
32%
30
19%
23.2
37%
29.4
21%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

Speaker profile.
Speaker profile.

The speakers are surprisingly good for a laptop. At their maximum volume (just under 70 dB), the speakers remain clear, if quiet. The overall sound profile is also generally level. The weakest point is bass, which is anemic. A subwoofer would go a long way to completing the aural experience, but that would likely add some unwanted bulk. There is no unwarranted rattle or distortion, even at the highest volume. The speakers are pleasant enough that headphones may be optional for most users, but the volume will need to maxed to hear movies or games over the fans.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.935.42535.835.43134.832.94033.834.25031.536.36333.534.68030.33610030.946.112528.350.916028.656.920027.458.525026.661.831525.863.340025.265.35002564.263024.967.48002569.610002568.5125023.864.8160023.463.8200023.365.1250023.361.8315023.261.4400023.163.6500022.963.163002366.5800022.962.31000022.861.31250022.858.1160002347.1SPL35.976.9N2.643median 23.8median 63.1Delta1.13.83237.141.243.542.143.528.531.327.431.925.336.524.438.323.846.622.150.923.755.22258.520.860.918.968.919.372.818.376.218.175.217.172.9177417.477.317.182.217.682.917.883.21881.118.377.218.573.318.875.419.273.819.675.520.173.820.567.930.4911.486.8median 18.8median 741.44.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus GL703GE-ES73MSI GE72 7RE-046
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Asus GL703GE-ES73 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 19%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

MSI GE72 7RE-046 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 19%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 11% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

When it comes to power consumption, the Asus GL703GE is a frugal device. Under full synthetic load, the machine pulls only 115 Watts from the wall. Even while gaming, power management is still good; power draw hovers around 123 Watts when playing demanding titles like The Witcher 3. Interestingly, the Omen 17 only pulls about 100 Watts during gameplay (an 18% reduction) but draws close to 150 Watts under full load. The included 180 Watt power brick is more than adequate.

Prime95
Prime95
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.09 / 0.32 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 12.8 / 18.1 / 24.7 Watt
Load midlight 98.4 / 114.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Asus GL703GE-ES73
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ, TN, 1920x1080, 17.30		Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30		HP Omen 17-w206ng
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30		MSI GE72 7RE-046
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30		Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-13%
4%
-4%
-9%
Idle Minimum *
12.8
17.3
-35%
11
14%
14
-9%
14
-9%
Idle Average *
18.1
21.8
-20%
18
1%
20
-10%
18
1%
Idle Maximum *
24.7
23
7%
24
3%
25
-1%
22
11%
Load Average *
98.4
79.2
20%
84
15%
82
17%
91
8%
Witcher 3 ultra *
122.5
101
18%
142
-16%
Load Maximum *
114.6
158.2
-38%
146
-27%
135
-18%
173
-51%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Perhaps the weakest point of the GL703GE is its battery life. While not traditionally a strength of gaming laptops, recent devices like the Aero 15X v8 show that gaming laptops can be portable productivity machines as well. During our WiFi v1.3 test, the GL703GE dies just before hitting the 5-hour mark. In contrast, the HP Omen 17 lasts over 6 hours with a similar battery. The GL703GE can be used when out and about, but you'll need to bring the power adapter along.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 47min
WiFi Websurfing
4h 46min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 47min
Asus GL703GE-ES73
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 64 Wh		Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 64 Wh		HP Omen 17-w206ng
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 62 Wh		MSI GE72 7RE-046
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 51.4 Wh		Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, 94.24 Wh		MSI GV72 7RD-1048XPL
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 41.4 Wh		Dell XPS 15 9575 i5-8305G
i5-8305G, Vega M GL / 870, 75 Wh
Battery Runtime
-17%
89%
-36%
144%
-1%
85%
Reader / Idle
347
241
-31%
795
129%
762
120%
345
-1%
663
91%
WiFi v1.3
286
189
-34%
380
33%
184
-36%
513
79%
564
97%
Load
47
53
13%
96
104%
156
232%
78
66%
WiFi
200

Pros

+ well-built and attractive case
+ relatively slim and light
+ beautiful color-accurate display
+ 120 Hz refresh rate display makes for smooth gameplay (provided fps can be pushed high enough)
+ ample port selection
+ upgrades are simple
+ RGB keyboard offers good travel and firm feedback
+ heat and noise are well-managed
+ CPU and GPU remain relatively cool under stress
+ speakers are clear and level
+ Core i7-8750H offers significant bump in CPU performance

Cons

- pricey considering the competition
- battery life is limiting
- SSD is inconsistent and has slow write speeds
- CPU performance gains don't make much difference in current games
- CPU performance is lower than other Core i7-8750H laptops
- Poor value compared to competitors

Verdict

In review: Asus GL703GE. Review device courtesy of Computer Upgrade King. Use coupon code NBCGL703 for $100 off
In review: Asus GL703GE. Review device courtesy of Computer Upgrade King. Use coupon code NBCGL703 for $100 off

The Asus GL703GE is, in essence, a refinement of Asus' 17-inch ROG Strix line. The GTX 1050 Ti variant checks a lot of boxes without leaving many things to slip through the cracks. The star of the show is without a doubt the Intel Core i7-8750H. The new hexa-core CPU is sure to make its way into most gaming notebooks this year, and while the GL703GE is a decent showing of the new processor's capabilities, it may not be the best. There is substantial improvement over the quad-core i7-7700HQ, but the GL703GE lags a bit behind other 8750H machines. Still, Coffee Lake brings the refresh that Intel's 45 Watt CPUs have needed for years and is sure to be hailed by gamers and other power users.

While the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti isn't fully able to take advantage of the 8750H, it strikes a good balance between performance and efficiency. The 120 Hz display makes for an enticing device well-aimed at competitive gamers. Games look sharp and smooth, and some competitive titles can be pushed past 100 FPS to fully take advantage of the higher refresh rate. A GTX 1060 would offer better results at the expense of more heat and higher energy draw. The rest of the device remains an excellent package.

All said, Intel's new Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H is a boon for processor-intensive tasks. However, despite the new CPU being positioned as the selling point, the GTX 1050 Ti isn't quite the GPU the 8750H deserves. Unless you need the upgraded CPU for processor-heavy work, there is little reason to upgrade. At its MSRP of USD $1250, the GL703GE is a poor value for what it offers; the GPU seems a poor pairing for the processor. The GL703VM, which combines a GTX 1060 and Core i7-7700HQ, may be a better value at only $100 more.

Asus GL703GE-ES73 - 05/12/2018 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
77 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
77 / 10-66 → 100%
Connectivity
68%
Weight
58%
Battery
80%
Display
88 / 95 → 93%
Games Performance
91 / 90 → 100%
Application Performance
94%
Temperature
82%
Noise
86%
Audio
70%
Camera
50%
Average
77%
85%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus GL703GE (Core i7-8750H, GTX 1050 Ti) Laptop Review
Sam Medley, 2018-05-15 (Update: 2018-05-15)