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Asus ROG G701VO-CS74K Xotic PC Edition Notebook Review

A more down-to-Earth GX700. Take away the water cooling capabilities of the GX700 and you're left with a lighter and wholly capable system in the form of a G701. While performance is where we expect it to be for a high-end gaming machine, the system still suffers from many of the same drawbacks as its ROG series siblings.

The current G752 series can be equipped with up to the overclockable Core i7-6820HK and the GTX 980M GPU. Its highest-end configuration, the G752VY, carries the signature vapor cooler system for improved heat dissipation at the cost of size and weight. Nonetheless, Asus had no model with the GTX 980 until the launch of the GX700 and its clunky water-cooling docking station.

The G701 is a return to form so to speak for the ROG series as it combines the best of both worlds from the G752 series and the GX700 series. The chassis is leaner, lighter, and ultimately more powerful than its G752 siblings without dropping core design features that have made the flagship series so recognizable. Gone are a few connectivity options, the integrated optical drive, and water cooling in favor of a more traditional cooling system and less bloated internals.

Our test unit is configured to the brim with 64 GB DDR4 RAM, i7-6820HK CPU, GTX 980 GPU, and two 512 GB Samsung SM951 SSDs in RAID 0 for a retail price of nearly $4000 USD from Xotic PC. We recommend checking out our previous reviews on the G752 and GX700 series for an overview of the keyboard and chassis quality as the G701 is essentially a revised GX700. Can this newer system better compete against the likes of the MSI GT72S or even barebones solutions from Clevo?

Before continuing, we want to note that our test unit had been overclocked by Xotic PC and that our measurements and benchmark results below reflect the system in this state.

Asus G701VO-CS74K (G701 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-6820HK 4 x 2.7 - 3.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop) - 8 GB VRAM, Core: 1102 MHz, Memory: 7370 MHz, GDDR5, 362.34
Memory
64 GB 
, Apacer Technology, 1300 MHz, Dual-Channel, 17-17-17-39, DDR4-2400/PC4-19200
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, IPS, Name: LP173WF4-SPF3, ID: LGD04E8, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel CM236 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0), 1024 GB 
Soundcard
Nvidia GM204 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: 2-in-1 Card Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 38.1 x 429.3 x 309.9 ( = 1.5 x 16.9 x 12.2 in)
Battery
93 Wh, 8040 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: ESS Sabre, Subwoofer, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Warranty card, Cleaning cloth, User Guide, Cable tie, Optical gaming mouse, ROG Macro Key, MSI Afterburner, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
3.874 kg ( = 136.65 oz / 8.54 pounds), Power Supply: 930 g ( = 32.8 oz / 2.05 pounds)
Price
4000 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

As a scaled down GX700, the G701 lacks the rear connectors for the external water-cooling docking station. The notebook is otherwise still made up of a combination of brushed aluminum for the lid and base and rubberized plastic surfaces for the bottom and palm rest portions like on the G752. The base itself is rigid and difficult to twist, but the keyboard surface could have been firmer as it is still possible to depress its surface when applying a moderate amount of force. The lid is susceptible to warping when applying pressure down the center of the outer surface as well, though this is a common trait on large notebooks. The dual hinges are nonetheless firm with no teetering up to its maximum ~130 angle. Additionally, we can identify no unintended gaps or manufacturing defects on our test unit compared to our pre-production GX700. This includes the large plastic ventilation grilles on the rear that we've seen to be problematic on other gaming notebooks like on the Lenovo Y70 and some Clevo barebones.

In terms of size and weight, the G701 is thinner and significantly lighter than the G752VL let alone the vapor-cooled G752VY. It's still a larger and heavier system compared to the Alienware 17, however, due in part to its rear grilles and heat sinks. In this sense, the G701 is now more in line with competitors whereas the existing G752 models have been somewhat bigger without necessarily providing more features than other gaming flagships from MSI or Acer. It cannot be considered the thinnest 17-inch notebook available with GTX 980 graphics as that crown currently goes to the Aorus X7 DT at 25.4 mm compared to 38.1 mm and 48 mm on the G701 and GT72S, respectively.

428 mm / 16.9 inch 294 mm / 11.6 inch 48 mm / 1.89 inch 3.8 kg8.38 lbs426.7 mm / 16.8 inch 332.7 mm / 13.1 inch 48.2 mm / 1.898 inch 4.5 kg9.93 lbs426.7 mm / 16.8 inch 332.7 mm / 13.1 inch 42.9 mm / 1.689 inch 4.1 kg8.97 lbs429.3 mm / 16.9 inch 309.9 mm / 12.2 inch 38.1 mm / 1.5 inch 3.9 kg8.54 lbs430 mm / 16.9 inch 292 mm / 11.5 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 3.7 kg8.18 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 322 mm / 12.7 inch 40 mm / 1.575 inch 4.1 kg9.02 lbs418 mm / 16.5 inch 295 mm / 11.6 inch 39.9 mm / 1.571 inch 4.3 kg9.5 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 305 mm / 12 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 3.3 kg7.2 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Available interfaces include five USB ports divided into three Type-A ports and two Type-C ports of which only one supports Thunderbolt 3. Overall options are average at best - the Asus sports fewer USB ports than the GT72S, fewer audio- and video-out ports than the Eurocom DLX7, and no Graphics Amplifier option as found on the latest Alienware 17 R3. The EVGA SC17 is still one of the very few (if not only) gaming notebooks to support external G-Sync displays via mDP. Many of the ports on the right-hand side are close to the front edge, so table space can get a bit crowded when connecting multiple devices.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: USB 3.0, HDMI, mDP, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Type-C, Gigabit Ethernet
Right: USB 3.0, HDMI, mDP, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Type-C, Gigabit Ethernet
Rear: AC adapter
Rear: AC adapter
Left: Kensington Lock, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm mic-in, 3.5 mm earphones/SPDIF, SD reader
Left: Kensington Lock, 2x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm mic-in, 3.5 mm earphones/SPDIF, SD reader

SD Card Reader

Performance from the SD reader is faster than on a mainstream Ultrabook and even some gaming notebooks like the Alienware 17. We are able to measure an average sequential read speed of about 239 MB/s compared to 87 MB/s on most other systems when using the same Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
 
175.6 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 13 inch 2013-10
 
78 MB/s -56%
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
 
78 MB/s -56%
Lenovo Yoga 710-14ISK
 
77.8 MB/s -56%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
 
239 MB/s
Lenovo Yoga 710-14ISK
 
87.1 MB/s -64%
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
 
87 MB/s -64%

Communication

WLAN and Bluetooth 4.0 are provided by an Intel 7265 M.2 2x2 module capable of transfer rates of up to a theoretical 867 Mbps. A real-world test standing 1 meter away from our Linksys EA8500 router on 802.11ac mode returns an average transfer rate of about 470 Mbps. We experienced no connectivity issues during our time with the test unit.

Jperf client
Jperf client
Jperf server
Jperf server
Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Broadcom 802.11ac
570 MBit/s
Dell Inspiron 15 5568
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
372 MBit/s
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Broadcom 802.11ac
397 MBit/s
Dell Inspiron 15 5568
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165
390 MBit/s

Accessories

ROG branded two-button scrollwheel mouse
ROG branded two-button scrollwheel mouse

Included extras are a warranty card, User's Guide, cleaning cloth, cable tie, and a USB optical mouse. The mouse itself is a very basic offering meant for travel and will not be replacing your existing dedicated gaming mouse. Asus offers a host of branded ROG accessories from mousepads to backpacks.

Maintenance

Two additional screws underneath the rear flap
Two additional screws underneath the rear flap

The ROG G series of notebooks have always been difficult to crack open. Nonetheless, the bottom panel of the G701 can be removed with a small Philips screwdriver and a bit of effort. After removing the 12 screws from the bottom panel, the rear flap (pictured right) must be flipped open to reveal two more smaller screws before the panel can be removed completely.

Users are granted easy access to the cooling system, 2x SODIMM slots, M.2 2280 SSD, M.2 2242 WLAN card, and internal battery. Note that additional disassembly is required to access both the second M.2 SSD and the other two SODIMM slots. Unlike on the MSI GT72S or most Clevo barebones, the GPU here is soldered and is not a traditional MXM 3.0 card.

Warranty

The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies with free accidental damage protection for North American users who register within 60 days of purchase. Warranty can be extended to three years for $350 USD.

Asus G701VO internals. Additional M.2 slot and SODIMM modules on the other side of the motherboard
Asus G701VO internals. Additional M.2 slot and SODIMM modules on the other side of the motherboard
Asus GX700 for comparison
Asus GX700 for comparison

Input Devices

Keyboard & Touchpad

The input devices on the G701 are identical to the GX700. The chiclet keyboard (37 x 10.5 cm) includes a three-level red backlight and a row of five customizable Macro keys above the Function keys. While both key feedback and travel are satisfactory and not unlike on its ROG siblings, the Macro keys are small and far away from the main WASD keys. Both Alienware and Aorus have larger Macro keys in comparison and are thus easier and quicker to reach in the heat of battle. Additionally, the red backlight is a bit weak around the corners and especially around the Macro keys even on its maximum setting, so there is still room for improvement.

The smooth trapezoidal touchpad (~12 x 6.5 cm) functions flawlessly in terms of responsiveness with no jitters during cursor control. Asus Smart Gesture is able to recognize up to four-finger inputs and includes Mobile Control for linking a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone for use as an external touchpad. The two dedicated mouse keys are also large and easy to use, but the plastic pieces themselves wiggle in place and feel cheap compared to the touchpad and rubberized surfaces that surround it.

Grease and fingerprints accumulate quickly
Grease and fingerprints accumulate quickly
Familiar red backlit ROG keyboard
Familiar red backlit ROG keyboard

Display

Our G701VO test unit is equipped with a G-Sync-enabled 1080p matte panel. Fortunately for enthusiasts, 4K resolution panels with wider colors (100 percent NTSC) are indeed available and could be a fitting option considering the high-end GPU and G-Sync support. A quick search on the LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3 panel name shows that this is the same 1080p panel used on a variety of enthusiast-level 17.3-inch gaming notebooks including the Asus GX700, Alienware 17 R3, and MSI GT80S Titan. Subjectively, texts and images are clean and crisp with no major graininess issues or noticeable screen-door effect. Contrast levels are excellent at just over 1000:1 and the backlight is more than satisfactory for indoor conditions.

Our test unit suffers from major backlight bleeding on the bottom edge of the screen that can be very noticeable when gaming or during movie playback. This may simply be an isolated issue on our review unit, but we recommend double-checking upon purchase as a very uneven backlight can be as distracting as a handful of dead or stuck pixels.

Significant backlight bleeding on bottom edge
Significant backlight bleeding on bottom edge
Subpixel array (127 PPI)
Subpixel array (127 PPI)
348.5
cd/m²
376.4
cd/m²
354.4
cd/m²
348.9
cd/m²
368.1
cd/m²
341.7
cd/m²
329.6
cd/m²
347.4
cd/m²
324.1
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 376.4 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 348.8 cd/m² Minimum: 39.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 368.1 cd/m²
Contrast: 1008:1 (Black: 0.365 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.16 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.86 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
87.6% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
57.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
87.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
68.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
Asus G701VO-CS74K
IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
CV69H_173WF4 (LGD0459), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Eurocom Sky DLX7
IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
MSI GT72S 6QF
Name: LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF1, ID: LGD0469, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus G752VY-RH71
ID: LG Philips LGD04E8, Name: LP173WF-SPF3, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
-4%
31%
-2%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
68.8
66.9
-3%
86.3
25%
67.6
-2%
67.2
-2%
sRGB Coverage
87.7
83.9
-4%
99.9
14%
86.1
-2%
85.2
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
64.1
61.4
-4%
99.5
55%
63
-2%
62.3
-3%
Response Times
0%
-30%
-29%
-28%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
29.2 ?(11.6, 17.6)
33 ?(13, 20)
-13%
45
-54%
43 ?(18, 24.8)
-47%
42.8 ?(16.4, 26.4)
-47%
Response Time Black / White *
26.4 ?(5.2, 21.2)
23 ?(5, 18)
13%
28
-6%
29 ?(6, 22.8)
-10%
28.4 ?(4.4, 24)
-8%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-8%
3%
7%
1%
Brightness middle
368.1
360
-2%
324.1
-12%
356.7
-3%
346.8
-6%
Brightness
349
336
-4%
314
-10%
326
-7%
330
-5%
Brightness Distribution
86
90
5%
81
-6%
85
-1%
91
6%
Black Level *
0.365
0.44
-21%
0.4
-10%
0.282
23%
0.393
-8%
Contrast
1008
818
-19%
810
-20%
1265
25%
882
-12%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.16
4.76
-14%
4.57
-10%
4.16
-0%
3.72
11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.7
10.8
-24%
8.45
3%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.86
3.69
4%
2.81
27%
2.47
36%
2.93
24%
Gamma
2.19 100%
2.24 98%
2.43 91%
2.29 96%
2.23 99%
CCT
6892 94%
6091 107%
6313 103%
6860 95%
6525 100%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
57.6
55
-5%
88
53%
56
-3%
56
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
87.6
84
-4%
100
14%
85
-3%
85.2
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-4% / -6%
1% / 4%
-8% / 0%
-10% / -4%

* ... smaller is better

Color coverage is approximately 58 percent and 88 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. Results are predictably similar to the Asus G752VY and Alienware 17 because of their identical panels. Certain Clevo barebones like the Eurocom DLX7 offer full sRGB coverage to better appeal to digital artists. For gamers, however, the gamut provided here is more than sufficient.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. Eurocom DLX7
vs. Eurocom DLX7
vs. Asus G752VY
vs. Asus G752VY

Display measurements with an X-Rite photospectrometer reveal good colors and grayscale out of the box, but a quick calibration will still improve both especially in the grayscale department. Colors still become increasingly inaccurate the higher the saturation level due to the panel's imperfect sRGB coverage.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

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
26.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 ms rise
↘ 21.2 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 61 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
29.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11.6 ms rise
↘ 17.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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 not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor usability is average at best when under shade due to the matte panel and bright display backlight. Nonetheless, the sheer size of the screen means that the backlight must be even brighter for more comfortable use on an overcast or sunny day. Users can take advantage of the wide IPS viewing angles to reduce as much glare as possible. The backlight will not artificially drop in maximum brightness when running on battery power.

Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles
Outdoors on bright overcast day
Outdoors on bright overcast day

Performance

Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz
Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz

The G701 is available in limited SKUs separated by the choice of GPU (GTX 980M or GTX 980 w/ 8 GB GDDR5 VRAM), RAM (up to 64 GB DDR4), display (FHD or UHD), and storage capacity (256 GB or 512 GB NVMe RAID 0). The CPU appears to be fixed at the Core i7-6820HK. There are unfortunately no desktop-class Skylake options as this would have likely required a more powerful cooling solution.

Overclocking of both the CPU and GPU is available, though it is of course more limited than on the GX700.

Processor

CPU performance from the high-end i7-6820HK is not significantly faster than the more common i7-6700HQ or i7-5700HQ. In fact, CineBench scores show these three processors to be almost identical in both single- and multi-threaded performance. Moving up to the desktop-class Core i7-6700K brings noticeably more horsepower at the cost of over twice the TDP (45 W vs. 91 W). The main draw of the i7-6820HK over the i7-6700HQ is its unlocked multiplier, but our stress test proves that there may not be much overclocking headroom for the CPU.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-6820HK for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
149 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
166 Points +11%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
145 Points -3%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
144 Points -3%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
135 Points -9%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
707 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
865 Points +22%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
677 Points -4%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
719 Points +2%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
644 Points -9%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.7 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
1.91 Points +12%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
1.66 Points -2%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
1.68 Points -1%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
1.5 Points -12%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
7.76 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
9.56 Points +23%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
7.47 Points -4%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
7.96 Points +3%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
6.99 Points -10%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
21022 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
26150 Points +24%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
19842 Points -6%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
21681 Points +3%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
19019 Points -10%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
5671 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
6487 Points +14%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5358 Points -6%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
5567 Points -2%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
5007 Points -12%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
224.6 s *
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
178.5 s * +21%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
232.7 s * -4%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
206.3 s * +8%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
240.1 s * -7%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
Intel Core i7-6820HK
559 s *
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
Intel Core i7-6700K
498.3 s * +11%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
562 s * -1%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
Intel Core i7-5700HQ
574 s * -3%
Clevo P150SM-A
Intel Core i7-4700MQ
565 s * -1%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8044
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
21022
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5671
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
70.2 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.76 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.7 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
111.4 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
707 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
149 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 8 ranks our system in the same ballpark as competing enthusiast-level gaming notebooks including the MSI GT72S. Subjectively, the system runs swiftly and without any strange hiccups when gaming or launching applications. Our unit, however, would sometimes not wake from Sleep Mode correctly and would instead display a frozen Windows login screen or simply nothing at all. Disabling G-Sync did not help, either, and a force restart would then be required.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
5160 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
5149 Points 0%
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
5260 Points +2%
Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256
3880 Points -25%
Alienware 17 R2
GeForce GTX 980M, 4980HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
4402 Points -15%
Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
5653 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
5462 Points -3%
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
5633 Points 0%
Alienware 17 R2
GeForce GTX 980M, 4980HQ, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
5097 Points -10%
Creative Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
7460 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
7625 Points +2%
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
7212 Points -3%
Acer Predator 17 G9-791-75PV
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256
4810 Points -36%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5160 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
7460 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5653 points
Help

Storage Devices

Accessible M.2 slot. Second M.2 slot requires additional disassembly
Accessible M.2 slot. Second M.2 slot requires additional disassembly

Large gaming systems typically have multiple internal storage options. Thus, gamers might be disappointed to find only 2x M.2 2280 slots inside with no 2.5-inch SATA III options. The notebook partly makes up for this with NVMe RAID 0/1 compatibility for extreme speeds as shown below with our 2x 512 GB Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL SSDs. Users can expect sequential read and write transfer rates to be about 3000 MB/s and 2500 MB/s on average, respectively, to outpace even the MSI GT72S. Unsurprisingly, this setup returns one of the highest scores in our database in regards to storage performance.

See our growing table of SSDs and HDDs for more benchmarks and comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM
CDM
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
Asus G701VO-CS74K
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
Samsung PM951 NVMe 512 GB
Eurocom Sky DLX7
Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL
2x Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ128G8NU (RAID 0)
Asus G752VY-RH71
Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-40%
-7%
-22%
-13%
Read Seq
3067
1263
-59%
1819
-41%
3047
-1%
2007
-35%
Write Seq
2434
587
-76%
1566
-36%
979
-60%
1536
-37%
Read 512
1582
569
-64%
1056
-33%
1599
1%
1022
-35%
Write 512
2255
265.2
-88%
1561
-31%
1002
-56%
1510
-33%
Read 4k
47.25
42.59
-10%
54
14%
39.91
-16%
51.6
9%
Write 4k
110.7
140.6
27%
166.7
51%
104.7
-5%
150.2
36%
Read 4k QD32
584
610
4%
758
30%
535
-8%
576
-1%
Write 4k QD32
463.3
232.8
-50%
421.8
-9%
325.4
-30%
413.7
-11%
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
Sequential Read: 3067 MB/s
Sequential Write: 2434 MB/s
512K Read: 1582 MB/s
512K Write: 2255 MB/s
4K Read: 47.25 MB/s
4K Write: 110.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 584 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 463.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

Both the GPU and memory clock rates in our Xotic PC Edition have been overclocked from their respective base speeds of 1102 MHz and 1753 MHz to 1162 MHz and 1843 MHz, respectively, via the MSI Afterburner software. When compared to the similarly equipped MSI GT72S, 3DMark 11 shows our Asus to be 13 percent faster while 3DMark Fire Strike shows both systems to be about the same. Regardless, the GTX 980 in our Asus is roughly 30 percent faster than the GTX 980M while a jump to the desktop-class GTX 980 Ti will bring about another 30 percent boost in raw GPU power.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
16946 Points
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K
23057 Points +36%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
21901 Points +29%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
12472 Points -26%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
9824 Points -42%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ
5184 Points -69%
1280x720 Performance Combined (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
9017 Points
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K
11511 Points +28%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
10313 Points +14%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
8343 Points -7%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
7952 Points -12%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ
5487 Points -39%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
13018 Points
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K
16961 Points +30%
MSI GT80-2QES32SR311BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, 4980HQ
19121 Points +47%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
9608 Points -26%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
7321 Points -44%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ
3971 Points -69%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
6123 Points
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K
7817 Points +28%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
4623 Points -24%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ
3517 Points -43%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ
1834 Points -70%
3840x2160 Fire Strike Ultra Graphics (sort by value)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK
3009 Points
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K
3918 Points +30%
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ
2299 Points -24%
3DMark 11 Performance
14046 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
120819 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
24329 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
10869 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
5753 points
Help

Gaming Performance

GPU comes pre-overclocked as shown on MSI Afterburner
GPU comes pre-overclocked as shown on MSI Afterburner

Expect to be able to play most games on max settings at our native 1080p resolution. To make the most out of G-Sync on the 1080p configuration, we suggest enabling supersampling for an extremely crisp gaming experience as the GTX 980 clearly has the performance headroom available for older and less demanding titles. Opting for the 4K UHD display option with G-Sync may be a worthwhile upgrade considering the GPU horsepower.

See our dedicated GPU page on the GTX 980 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons including our full review on the GTX 980 here.

BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
160 fps +51%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 5700HQ, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
132 fps +24%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
106.2 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
86.4 fps -19%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
69.5 fps -35%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
46.2 fps -56%
Sleeping Dogs - 1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:Extreme
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 5700HQ, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
92.5 fps +23%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
75.2 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
57.5 fps -24%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
44.9 fps -40%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
24.7 fps -67%
Metro: Last Light - 1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
119 fps +35%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
88.3 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 5700HQ, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
82.6 fps -6%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
50.5 fps -43%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
31.9 fps -64%
Thief - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 5700HQ, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
83.8 fps +23%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
67.9 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
58.6 fps -14%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
47.5 fps -30%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
27.8 fps -59%
Batman: Arkham Knight - 1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
63 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 5700HQ, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
44 fps -30%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
36 fps -43%
Fallout 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
106 (86min - 132max) fps +34%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
79.3 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
57.9 fps -27%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
43.5 fps -45%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
25.6 fps -68%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
88 (81min - 95max) fps +46%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
60.4 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
55 fps -9%
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
42.8 fps -29%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
24.4 fps -60%
Doom - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:SM
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
127 (107min - 163max) fps +51%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
84.3 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
56 fps -34%
Overwatch - 1920x1080 Epic (Render Scale 100 %) AA:SM AF:16x
Asus Strix GTX 980 Ti Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 4790K, Samsung SSD 840 Pro 256GB MZ7PD256HAFV-0Z000
154 (129min - 183max) fps +30%
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
118.2 fps
Asus Strix GL502VY-DS71
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U1T001122
87.3 fps -26%
low med. high ultra
Sleeping Dogs (2012) 75.2
BioShock Infinite (2013) 106.2
Metro: Last Light (2013) 88.3
Thief (2014) 67.9
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 63
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60
Fallout 4 (2015) 79.3
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 60.4
Doom (2016) 84.3
Overwatch (2016) 118.2

Stress Test

The system performs very well when under extreme stress as the CPU is able to maintain its maximum Turbo Boost potential of 3.2 GHz even when subjected to both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. This is to be expected for a gaming notebook and we would have been disappointed if the processor had throttled at all. At its worst, core CPU and GPU temperatures can be as hot as 94 C and 81 C, respectively, when subjected to extreme stress. Thus, the overclocking headroom is limited not just for the CPU, but the GPU as well because they share the same heat pipes.

Unigine Valley stress is more representative of real-world gaming loads. The CPU maintains a clock rate of at least 3.2 GHz while the GPU runs at a steady 1190 MHz against a base clock rate of 1102 MHz. Core temperatures for both processors plateau at or below 80 C.

Running on battery power will reduce GPU performance while the CPU maintains a consistent Turbo Boost. The GPU can be observed running as low as 400 MHz with an adaptive clock rate to save power. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 9400 and 7146 points, respectively, compared to 9468 and 16946 points when connected to mains. Changing the GPU Power Management to "Maximum Performance" will help maintain higher adaptive clock rates for better performance on batteries.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Unigine Valley stress
Unigine Valley stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.2 -- 64 46
FurMark Stress -- 848 84 78
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.2 756 94 81
Unigine Valley Stress 3.2+ 1190 80 76

Emissions

System Noise

Loud fan noise when gaming (Gray: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: Unigine Valley, Green: Prime95 + FurMark)
Loud fan noise when gaming (Gray: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: Unigine Valley, Green: Prime95 + FurMark)

The cooling system consists of dual 50 mm fans and two connecting heat pipes between them. It's actually quite small compared to what we've seen on something like the Eurocom DLX7 or MSI GT72S, but the heat pipes are large and long enough here that fewer are needed.

The mainstay ROG G752 series runs relatively quietly for a gaming notebook similar to an Alienware or the MSI GT72 series, so we're a bit disappointed that the G701VO runs more loudly in comparison. We were able to measure a steady fan noise of 46 dB(A) when running Unigine Valley compared to about 40 dB(A) on the GT72S and Alienware 17. In fact, 46 dB(A) just also happens to be how loudly the GX700 runs under similar gaming conditions.

The fans almost never pulsate and appear to be steady at just under 32 dB(A) when browsing or running undemanding loads.

Dual 50 mm fans
Dual 50 mm fans
Fans are always active no matter the workload
Fans are always active no matter the workload

Noise Level

Idle
29.1 / 31.9 / 31.9 dB(A)
Load
46 / 47.5 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: 29.1 dB(A)
Asus G701VO-CS74K
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung PM951 NVMe 512 GB
Asus GX700
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0)
Asus G752VY-GC110T
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Plextor PX-G256M6e
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
Noise
-0%
-11%
3%
-6%
off / environment *
29.1
30
-3%
Idle Minimum *
29.1
31
-7%
33
-13%
31.2
-7%
33.1
-14%
Idle Average *
31.9
32
-0%
35
-10%
31.9
-0%
33.3
-4%
Idle Maximum *
31.9
33
-3%
42
-32%
32.8
-3%
37
-16%
Load Average *
46
38
17%
46
-0%
38.2
17%
39
15%
Load Maximum *
47.5
50
-5%
48
-1%
44
7%
52.2
-10%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures are generally flat when idling with a high of almost 30 C near the top center of the keyboard. When under maximum load, this same spot can be as warm as 55 C. The touchpad and palm rests remain relatively cool compared to the rear quadrants and left half of the keyboard. The more powerful Eurocom DLX7 and less powerful vapor-cooled Asus G752VY both run cooler than the Asus G701VO while the Alienware 17 runs warmer on average when subjected to similar loads.

The WASD and Macro keys become noticeably warmer when gaming, though never to uncomfortable levels. The temperature gradient is higher and steeper on the top of the notebook compared to the bottom, which is uncommon and unfavorable for a gaming system.

Maximum load (Top)
Maximum load (Top)
Maximum load (Bottom)
Maximum load (Bottom)
Max. Load
 41.8 °C
107 F
55 °C
131 F
38.8 °C
102 F
 
 38.6 °C
101 F
40.6 °C
105 F
31.8 °C
89 F
 
 26.8 °C
80 F
25.4 °C
78 F
25.4 °C
78 F
 
Maximum: 55 °C = 131 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
47.6 °C
118 F
42 °C
108 F
49.8 °C
122 F
43.8 °C
111 F
37.6 °C
100 F
35.8 °C
96 F
27.4 °C
81 F
28.4 °C
83 F
28.8 °C
84 F
Maximum: 49.8 °C = 122 F
Average: 37.9 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  50.4 °C = 123 F | Room Temperature 21.4 °C = 71 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 55 °C / 131 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 49.8 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26.8 °C / 80.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+2.1 °C / 3.8 F).

Speakers

The speakers here are identical to the ones on the GX700, so there is no dedicated subwoofer yet again. Sounds feel more encompassing compared to mainstream offerings and Ultrabooks, but both balance and bass are inferior to most other high-end gaming notebooks. Reverberations on the palm rests can be felt starting from about the 50 percent volume level. Users can output through HDMI, the standard 3.5 mm audio jack, or through SPDIF to make up for the lack of an optical-out option that competing Clevo models may provide.

Speakers on the front corner of notebook
Speakers on the front corner of notebook
Unbalanced sound quality (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise, Gray: White noise)
Unbalanced sound quality (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise, Gray: White noise)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203737.62536.438.13136.3354033.935.45034.7366335.635.88034.93410031.63212531.431.516036.332.120047.637.825052.343.731553.745.540058.451.450061.754.56306660.680060.857.110006159125053.951.3160053.952.8200051.551.8250050.351.3315051.753.4400061.163.8500056.760.3630048.853.2800044.950.21000037.743.8125003744.41600041.550.4SPL69.769N24.923.3median 51.7median 51.3Delta8.55.435.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.445.635.736.945.643.135.635.343.143.441.140.543.442.141.139.142.138.236.435.638.232.93230.432.92827.328.42827.827.927.427.828.428.330.828.427.63135.227.629.134.43829.140.946.150.340.944.550.554.644.547.453.557.647.448.454.558.648.454.260.864.554.26267.871.76258.563.968.258.550.256.160.250.252.858.562.552.855.761.565.555.752.258.16252.255.761.565.255.755.961.865.555.947.453.25747.452.258.462.952.254.760.66554.755.962.166.255.955.661.665.155.652.558.36152.567.373.177.167.321.831.440.121.8median 52.2median 58.3median 62median 52.27.68.58.17.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus G701VO-CS74KApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHzSCHENKER F516 Flex

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox select/deselectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The system draws about 30 W when simply idling on desktop on the minimum brightness setting, which is comparable to an energy efficient Ultrabook under stressful processing conditions. High loads like gaming will draw about 160 W to be in the same ballpark as the similarly equipped Asus GX700.

Maximum load with both Prime95 and FurMark active demands about 173 W against a power adapter (16.5 x 8.5 x 3.5 cm) rated for 230 W. This is lower than expected as the GPU will throttle to the 700 MHz range when subjected to such conditions.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 8.6 / 10 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 28.2 / 32 / 32.6 Watt
Load midlight 162.2 / 173.5 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 G701VO-CS74K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 980M, Samsung PM951 NVMe 512 GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus GX700
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus G752VL-T7023T
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 965M, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980M, 2x Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ128G8NU (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
31%
-42%
26%
0%
Idle Minimum *
28.2
12
57%
40
-42%
14.5
49%
14.5
49%
Idle Average *
32
18
44%
45
-41%
22.3
30%
28.3
12%
Idle Maximum *
32.6
26
20%
51
-56%
29.4
10%
44
-35%
Load Average *
162.2
95
41%
149
8%
110.5
32%
165.5
-2%
Load Maximum *
173.5
188
-8%
313
-80%
160.8
7%
214.8
-24%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are predictably short due to the factory overclock, lack of Optimus, and generally demanding system components. Users can expect between 3 and 4 hours of constant WLAN use from the integrated 93 Wh battery compared to just over 2 hours on the Eurocom DLX7 and about 4 hours from the Asus G752VY and MSI GT72S.

Charging from near empty to full will take about 1.5 hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
4h 02min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 22min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 29min
Asus G701VO-CS74K
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 93 Wh
Alienware 17 R3 (A17-9935)
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 980M, 92 Wh
Eurocom Sky DLX7
6700K, GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 82 Wh
Asus G752VY-RH71
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 980M, 67 Wh
MSI GT72S 6QF
6820HK, GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 83 Wh
Battery Runtime
117%
-24%
28%
35%
Reader / Idle
242
758
213%
157
-35%
368
52%
387
60%
WiFi v1.3
202
444
120%
140
-31%
241
19%
294
46%
Load
89
105
18%
83
-7%
100
12%
89
0%

Pros

+ thinner and lighter than the G752 series
+ strong base; excellent workmanship
+ USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3
+ overclockable CPU and GPU
+ 4K UHD options w/ G-Sync
+ NVMe M.2 RAID 0 options
+ bright display backlight
+ 4x SODIMM slots
+ large touchpad
+ fast SD reader
+ no PWM

Cons

- more limited overclocking abilities compared to G752VY/GX700
- rubberized surfaces attract fingerprints
- major backlight bleeding (on test unit)
- system fans almost always active
- lid could have been more rigid
- relatively difficult serviceability
- no 2.5-inch HDD/SSD options
- only 3x USB 3.0 Type-A ports
- uneven keyboard backlight
- weak bass; no subwoofer
- soldered GTX 980 GPU
- small Macro keys
- short battery life

Verdict

In review: Asus ROG G701VO-CS74K. Test model provided by Xotic PC
In review: Asus ROG G701VO-CS74K. Test model provided by Xotic PC

ROG fans who have been waiting for a GTX 980 system without having to purchase the enthusiast GX700 now have the option with the thinner G701. While there's very little to dislike about what the G701 offers, it's what it doesn't offer that makes competing models like the MSI GT72S or equivalent Clevo barebones a better buy. For example, internal storage options on the G701 are only limited to M.2 and its lighter (and louder) cooling system means its CPU runs warmer than on the GT72S or Eurocom DLX7 under gaming stress. Its overclocking potential is inferior as a result, which is disappointing considering that its GPU has been soldered to reduce volume. The system may be noticeably thinner than the GT72S by almost 10 mm, but its serviceability and expandability are both more limited as well.

Nonetheless, the G701 is still one of the very few notebooks available with the GTX 980 GPU and its hardware caters very well to stock clock rates. It also comes on the eve of the rumored Pascal lineup for notebooks, so prices are expected to fall in the coming weeks or months.

Asus G701VO-CS74K - 07/29/2016 v5.1(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
78 / 98 → 80%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
90%
Connectivity
62 / 81 → 77%
Weight
51 / 10-66 → 73%
Battery
71%
Display
86%
Games Performance
94%
Application Performance
96%
Temperature
87 / 95 → 92%
Noise
78 / 90 → 87%
Audio
80%
Camera
45 / 85 → 53%
Average
77%
84%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus ROG G701VO-CS74K Xotic PC Edition Notebook Review
Allen Ngo, 2016-07-29 (Update: 2020-06- 8)