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Asus ROG G752VT Notebook Review

Silent beast. The latest revision in the signature G series takes a small step forward, though not the leap we were all hoping. We detail how the G752 is an improvement over the G751 and how competing models are starting to fly past the popular Asus G series.

November 18, 2015 update: Asus has confirmed with us that vapor cooling is only available on the G752VY. The G752VT uses a standard cooling solution. The review has been updated to reflect this.

The G750 series can be seen as the poster child for the Republic of Gamers notebook lineup. The flagship notebooks have consistently been number near or at the top of our list of top 10 gaming notebooks. Thus, while the exotic GX700 will likely grab more headlines, it's the G752 that will actually make it onto more consumer hands.

The G752 brings about a complete redesign and boasts vapor chamber cooling to give it that marketing edge over competitors. However, vapor chamber cooling is only available on specific higher-end SKUs, so our G752VT is not equipped with the more efficient cooling system. We will have a full review on a SKU with vapor chamber when the unit becomes available.

The look is certainly flashier, but are the changes just hot air? We'll take a closer look at the G752VT SKU to find out if the hardware is really an upgrade from its predecessor.

Asus G751 Review (G-Sync version)

Asus G750 Review

Asus G752VT (G752 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700HQ 4 x 2.6 - 3.5 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M - 3 GB VRAM, Core: 924 MHz, Memory: 5010 MHz, 353.84
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2132 SDRAM, 1066.1 MHz, 15-15-15-36
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, IPS, ID: LG Philips LGD04E8, Name: LP173WF-SPF3, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel CM236 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV128, 128 GB 
, Secondary: Hitachi HGST HTS721010A9E630
Soundcard
Nvidia GM204 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Microphone, Line-in, earphones, Card Reader: SD reader
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
Optical drive
Matshita DVD-RAM UJ8HC
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 42.9 x 426.7 x 332.7 ( = 1.69 x 16.8 x 13.1 in)
Battery
67 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 180 W
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo speakers + subwoofer, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Cable tie, warranty card, Quick Start guide, ROG Gaming Center, Asus GiftBox, ROG MacroKey, ROG Game First III
Weight
4.067 kg ( = 143.46 oz / 8.97 pounds), Power Supply: 726 g ( = 25.61 oz / 1.6 pounds)
Price
1700 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The G752 brings about major changes both inside and out. Gone is the matte black fighter jet-inspired color palette in favor of sharper accents, copper-colored brushed aluminum surfaces, and even hints of textured plastic along the front edge. The slightly rubberized palm rests and sharp exhaust vents have been carried over from the G751. The aluminum belly of the unit includes a transparent plastic window for users to glimpse into the cooling system of the notebook. Indeed, many of these changes are aesthetic in nature as Asus has gone for a brighter and more complicated design to attract more gamers.

Has build quality suffered as a result? The base is still rigid and extremely difficult to twist from the front edges. Nonetheless, the center of the keyboard and the surface area immediately above the optical drive can still be depressed with a moderate amount of force. The use of multiple sheets of materials (brushed aluminum surfaces, plastic, rubberized palm rests) instead of fewer and larges pieces like on the original G751 also means that the there can be unintentional gaps between where the materials meet. The front corners of the palm rests, for example, can be pushed down because of the gap between it and the plastic piece immediately underneath. It's a similar kind of manufacturing defect we observed on the Lenovo Y50, though to a lesser degree on the Asus.

The outer lid is moderately susceptible to both pressure down the center and side-to-side twisting, but not significantly enough to be of any concern. Its bar hinge is very taut to prevent heavy teetering of the lid. The maximum angle, however, is only up to 120 degrees. The notebook exhibits a bit of creaking when attempting to twist or depress its surfaces. Compared to the MSI GT72 or GT72S, the MSI design is less aggressive and a bit more solid. Perhaps disappointingly, the quality of the G752 has neither improved nor declined when compared to its immediate predecessor. It's a step sideways in favor of a new coat of paint.

What's for certain, however, is that the G752 is almost as heavy as the G751 with an even larger footprint than many of its 17.3-inch competitors including the Alienware 17 and Eurocom P7 Pro. At nearly 333 mm in depth, this is a very long notebook since the rear has been extended to accommodate the cooling system. The G752 is still noticeably thinner than its predecessor from 22.9 mm up front to 42.9 mm on the rear.

428 mm / 16.9 inch 288 mm / 11.3 inch 55 mm / 2.17 inch 3.8 kg8.36 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 294 mm / 11.6 inch 48 mm / 1.89 inch 3.8 kg8.36 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 308 mm / 12.1 inch 45 mm / 1.772 inch 5 kg11 lbs426.7 mm / 16.8 inch 332.7 mm / 13.1 inch 42.9 mm / 1.689 inch 4.1 kg8.97 lbs416 mm / 16.4 inch 318 mm / 12.5 inch 53 mm / 2.09 inch 4.2 kg9.22 lbs430 mm / 16.9 inch 292 mm / 11.5 inch 34.4 mm / 1.354 inch 3.7 kg8.11 lbs418 mm / 16.5 inch 282 mm / 11.1 inch 38 mm / 1.496 inch 3.9 kg8.49 lbs418.5 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.7 kg6 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The G752 has retained all the physical ports of the G751 with one notable change. VGA has been dropped in favor of a USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-C port that also doubles as Thunderbolt 3. Competing models tend to offer features that the Asus is missing including two additional USB 3.0 ports on the GT72, two full-size DisplayPort ports on the Eurocom P7 Pro, and a Graphics Amplifier port on the Alienware 17 for external graphics support.

Also unlike the aforementioned models, the G752 continues to have no ports on the rear. This means that the right-hand side can become tangled or crowded with wires to create an unfavorable condition for right-handed users.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: Earphones, Microphone, Line-in, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2 + Thunderbolt 3, 2x USB 3.0, 1x Mini Displayport, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
Right: Earphones, Microphone, Line-in, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2 + Thunderbolt 3, 2x USB 3.0, 1x Mini Displayport, 1x HDMI, 1x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Kensington Lock, 2x USB 3.0, Optical drive, SD reader
Left: Kensington Lock, 2x USB 3.0, Optical drive, SD reader

Communication

WLAN and Bluetooth 4.0 are provided by an Intel Dual Band (2x2) wireless-AC 7265 module capable of transfer rates of up to 867 Mbps. There appears to be no options for gaming-centric Killer wireless cards. WWAN or GPS options are not available.

Accessories

Included extras are a warranty card, cable tie, and Quick Start guide. It would have been nice to see a drivers disc or Windows installation disc as on notebooks from Eurocom, especially since the G752 includes an optical drive. A cleaning cloth would have been a nice addition as well. Branded optional accessories from mice to backpacks abound for ROG products.

Maintenance

A small hatch on the bottom of the unit can be easily removed with a Philips screwdriver to reveal the secondary HDD, M.2 SSDs, and 2x SODIMM slots.

Access to other core components like the CPU, GPU, WLAN card, battery, and the last two SODIMM slots has not been made user-friendly. There are at least 20 other screws to remove before the bottom cover can be removed. Even then, however, the panel is attached very tightly to the base where even a sharp edge won't do the trick. While unfortunate, this is almost expected as Asus ROG models are traditionally made difficult to access.

Asus has told us that both the CPU and GPU are non-upgradeable anyway, so tinkering with the hardware at this level won't get you very far.

Warranty

Standard coverage lasts for 12 months for orders worldwide. While this is half of what some other manufacturers tend to offer (Gigabyte offers 24 months standard), Asus throws in 12 months of accidental damage protection free-of-charge.

The manufacturer does not offer a No Dead Pixel policy and instead has a minimum number of pixel defects before the warranty applies.

Input Devices

Keyboard

A quick glance at the G752 will show that the layout of the keyboard is the same as its predecessor. Users are treated with 2.5 mm of key travel and rollover of up to 30 keys. Like on the G751, the keys are of high quality, do not wiggle in place, are quiet with little clatter, and with satisfactory feedback. It may not feel as solid as on the GT80, but it's very good for a Chiclet keyboard nonetheless.

New additions include two more macro keys on the top left for a total of five. Competing models from Alienware or Aorus tend to have their Macro keys arranged in a column instead, so this is down to user preference.

Touchpad

Like the keyboard above it, the large touchpad is again lifted directly from the G751 with no changes to texture or size. The trapezoidal surface area (~12 x 6.8 cm) provides a smooth and accurate glide with none of the minor issues we experienced on the G751. However, the cursor will sometimes become unresponsive if gliding from the corners of the touchpad towards the center. The Asus Smart Gesture provides accessible options and can recognize inputs of up to four fingers. 

The dedicated mouse keys are again slightly rubberized and rough in texture. Travel and feedback are acceptable - Not as solid as on the MSI GT72, but with deeper travel than on a Eurocom. The auditory feedback is definitely quieter than both competitors as well.

Backlit Keyboard and touchpad remain largely the same
Backlit Keyboard and touchpad remain largely the same
Gaming Center
Gaming Center
MacroKey
MacroKey
Sonic Studio II
Sonic Studio II

Display

Matte subpixel array
Matte subpixel array
Very slight backlight bleeding
Very slight backlight bleeding

The 1080p panel is so far the only option available on the G752. G-Sync comes standard and a quick search for the LP173WF-SPF3 panel name shows that it appears on no other notebooks in our database. Subjectively, we can observe no screen-door effect or graininess to images. Very minor backlight bleeding can be observed near the bottom right corner that is only noticeable at high brightness and very dark ambient conditions.

Brightness and contrast remain nearly identical to its predecessor, so Asus has made no major improvements to the display itself. Colors and grayscale, however, are a bit more accurate this time around before any calibration attempts. Its contrast of nearly 1000:1 is roughly double that of the Gigabyte P37X. Images and video playback look fantastic on the Asus notebook.

342.9
cd/m²
350.7
cd/m²
331.9
cd/m²
347.8
cd/m²
357.2
cd/m²
331.1
cd/m²
337.7
cd/m²
333.7
cd/m²
319.6
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 357.2 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 339.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 357.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 976:1 (Black: 0.366 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.69 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.05 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
84% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
55% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
84.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.21
Asus G752VTAsus G751JYAlienware 17 R2Eurocom P7 ProMSI GT72S 6QFMSI GS70-6QE16H21Gigabyte P37X
Display
-2%
0%
1%
2%
8%
4%
Display P3 Coverage
66.3
65.9
-1%
66.6
0%
67.2
1%
67.6
2%
67
1%
68.7
4%
sRGB Coverage
84.5
83.1
-2%
84.3
0%
85.3
1%
86.1
2%
97.3
15%
87.9
4%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
61.8
60.8
-2%
61.6
0%
62.4
1%
63
2%
67.6
9%
64
4%
Response Times
-24%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
30.4 ?(12.4, 18)
43 ?(18, 24.8)
-41%
Response Time Black / White *
27.2 ?(4.4, 22.8)
29 ?(6, 22.8)
-7%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-4%
-5%
-12%
6%
-2%
-10%
Brightness middle
357.2
329
-8%
331
-7%
335.4
-6%
356.7
0%
172
-52%
361.7
1%
Brightness
339
320
-6%
307
-9%
319
-6%
326
-4%
161
-53%
347
2%
Brightness Distribution
89
92
3%
84
-6%
88
-1%
85
-4%
85
-4%
91
2%
Black Level *
0.366
0.34
7%
0.3
18%
0.384
-5%
0.282
23%
0.26
29%
0.734
-101%
Contrast
976
968
-1%
1103
13%
873
-11%
1265
30%
662
-32%
493
-49%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.69
4.13
-12%
4.88
-32%
5.14
-39%
4.16
-13%
2.06
44%
2.81
24%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.05
3.72
-22%
3.63
-19%
4.44
-46%
2.47
19%
2.42
21%
1.92
37%
Gamma
2.21 100%
2.36 93%
2.17 101%
1.98 111%
2.29 96%
2.45 90%
2.21 100%
CCT
6164 105%
6352 102%
6325 103%
6464 101%
6860 95%
6855 95%
6384 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
55
55
0%
55
0%
56.1
2%
56
2%
62
13%
57.95
5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
84
83
-1%
84.2
0%
85.3
2%
85
1%
97
15%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-3% / -4%
-3% / -4%
-6% / -9%
-5% / 1%
3% / 1%
-3% / -6%

* ... smaller is better

Color space coverage is nearly identical to most other gaming notebooks at roughly 55 percent and 84 percent of the AdobeRGB and sRGB standards, respectively. This is much higher than cheaper TN panels where 60 percent sRGB coverage is more common, but still not as deep as certain Clevo configurations or the MSI PX60 where the manufacturers aim for 100 percent sRGB coverage. For gaming purposes, the gamut is sufficient.

vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. Asus G751
vs. Asus G751
vs. MSI GT72S
vs. MSI GT72S

Further color analyses with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal accurate grayscale and colors out-of-the-box. A quick calibration improves grayscale even further. Colors become less accurate at higher saturation levels, which confirms a less-than-perfect sRGB coverage. Like the G751, Orange and Yellow colors appear to be represented less accurately than others.

Grayscale pre-calibration
Grayscale pre-calibration
Saturation Sweeps pre-calibration
Saturation Sweeps pre-calibration
ColorChecker pre-calibration
ColorChecker pre-calibration
Grayscale post calibration
Grayscale post calibration
Saturation Sweeps post calibration
Saturation Sweeps post calibration
ColorChecker post calibration
ColorChecker post calibration

Photosensor measurements reveal no use of pulse-width modulation (PWM) even on the lowest brightness setting. Black-white response time is measured to be between 4 - 5 ms while gray-gray response time is measured to be between 12 and 13 ms. Fall times from white to black and darker gray to lighter gray are longer as expected.

Black-White fall
Black-White fall
Gray-Gray rise
Gray-Gray rise
Gray-Gray fall
Gray-Gray fall
Black-White rise
Black-White rise
No PWM
No PWM

Outdoor visibility is good because of the high maximum brightness and matte panel to reduce glare. The backlight is not powerful enough to overcome direct sunlight, so working under shade is still preferable. 

The underlying IPS panel provides excellent viewing angles. Colors and contrast do not significantly degrade if viewing from extreme angles. Relative brightness decreases just slightly if viewing too far off center.

Display under direct sunlight
Display under direct sunlight
Display under shade
Display under shade
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

Turbo Boost up to 3.1 - 3.5 GHz
Turbo Boost up to 3.1 - 3.5 GHz

Configurable CPU options include a 2.5 GHz Core i7-6700HQ up to an overclockable 2.7 GHz Core i7-6820HK with Nvidia GPU options ranging from a GTX 965M to a GTX 980M. It's unfortunate that the G752 cannot be configured with a GTX 980. Our test model utilizes an i7-6700HQ with GTX 970M graphics. The CPU and GPU will idle at 800 MHz and 135/162 MHz core/memory, respectively, if on Power Saver mode. Turbo Boost is available up to 3.5 GHz while GPU Boost is available up to 1038 MHz. There is no option for Optimus graphics or manual graphics switching.

System RAM can be configured up to 64 GB as the four SODIMM slots can support up to 16 GB of DDR4 RAM each. LatencyMon shows no recurring spikes as long as WLAN is disabled.

Raw processor performance of the i7-6700HQ is within just a few percentage points from the costlier i7-6820HK according to CineBench benchmarks. When compared to the popular i7-4720HQ Haswell core of yesteryear's gaming laptops, the i7-6700HQ is faster in multi-core operations and about equal in single-core tasks. Turbo Boost is much more consistent on Skylake processors than on Haswell for multi-core operations. The power demands of the Skylake CPU is lower as well, so performance-per-Watt is higher when considering their almost identical performances.

For more information and benchmarks on the Core i7-6700HQ, see our dedicated page here.

CineBench R10 64-bit
CineBench R10 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
8454 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
26833 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
6987 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7783
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
20154
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5427
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
63.5 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.48 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.69 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
92.9 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
680 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
135 Points
Help
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
1.69 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
2.07 Points +22%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
1.67 Points -1%
MSI GT72S 6QF
1.58 Points -7%
Eurocom X8
1.77 Points +5%
Asus G501JW
1.42 Points -16%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
7.48 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
9.4 Points +26%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
7.94 Points +6%
MSI GT72S 6QF
7.74 Points +3%
Eurocom X8
7.64 Points +2%
Asus G501JW
6.5 Points -13%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
135 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
171 Points +27%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
143 Points +6%
MSI GT72S 6QF
138 Points +2%
Eurocom X8
157 Points +16%
Asus G501JW
134 Points -1%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
680 Points
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
873 Points +28%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
724 Points +6%
MSI GT72S 6QF
703 Points +3%
Eurocom X8
708 Points +4%
Asus G501JW
491 Points -28%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
230.6 s *
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
174.8 s * +24%
MSI GT72S 6QF
222.7 s * +3%
Eurocom X8
218.6 s * +5%
Asus G501JW
260 s * -13%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
581 s *
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme
437 s * +25%
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
565 s * +3%
MSI GT72S 6QF
572 s * +2%
Eurocom X8
491.5 s * +15%
Asus G501JW
562 s * +3%

Legend

 
Asus G752VT Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV128
 
Eurocom P5 Pro Extreme Intel Core i7-4790K, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF (RAID 0)
 
MSI GT80 Titan SLI Intel Core i7-5700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
 
MSI GT72S 6QF Intel Core i7-6820HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
 
Eurocom X8 Intel Core i7-4940MX, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI, Samsung SSD 840 EVO 120GB mSATA
 
Asus G501JW Intel Core i7-4720HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD SM951 512 GB MZHPV512HDGL

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

PCMark 7 ranks the G752 alongside other high-end gaming notebooks with dedicated SSDs including the Gigabyte P25X or Eurocom Racer 3W. More notably, PCMark 8 Home Accelerated results are very good wit a final score of 4614 points. This is similar to the costlier GT80 Titan SLI and HP ZBook 15 G2 workstation at 4483 points and 4654 points, respectively. The high numbers are due in part to the new NVMe SSD.

Subjectively, the system runs flawlessly with no odd issues specific to the notebook. Unlike on our recent GT72S test unit, our G752 boots up normally each time. The new ROG Gaming Center software, however, is clunky and slow to use. It provides a one-stop solution to customized system profiles and macros, but this first iteration will need serious refinement in performance.

PCMark 7
PCMark 7
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 7 Score
6343 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4614 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5715 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5392 points
Help

Storage Devices

Dual M.2 slots and secondary 2.5-inch SATA III bay
Dual M.2 slots and secondary 2.5-inch SATA III bay

Storage options include dual M.2 PCIe slots, a 2.5-inch SATA III bay, and an ODD bay for a total of four storage devices. The optical drive can be removed via a single screw on the bottom of the notebook. Asus has confirmed that there are no SKUs shipping with RAID 0 as the current G752 iteration does not support it.

Our configuration uses a single Samsung NVMe MZVLV128 128 GB M.2 SSD and a secondary 1 TB HGST HTS721010A9E630 HDD. Performance is excellent according to CrystalDiskMark with sequential read rates rivaling a SATA III SSD in RAID 0 configuration. Write speeds are also surprisingly consistent, though on the low side as many SATA III SSDs have proven to be faster. As for the HDD, the average transfer rate of 109 MB/s on HD Tune is very good for a 7200 RPM drive and certainly a step ahead of 5400 RPM drives where transfer rates can be 90 MB/s or slower.

For our growing comparison list of HDDs and SSDs, see our dedicated page here.

AS SSD Samsung NVMe SSD
AS SSD Samsung NVMe SSD
CDM Samsung NVMe SSD
CDM Samsung NVMe SSD
CDM HGST HDD
CDM HGST HDD
HD Tune Samsung NVMe SSD
HD Tune Samsung NVMe SSD
HD Tune HGST HDD
HD Tune HGST HDD

GPU Performance

3DMark benchmarks place the G752 about 30 percent behind the Eurocom P7 Pro with GTX 980M graphics and about 60 to 80 percent behind the GT72S with GTX 980 graphics. Note, however, that the similarly equipped MSI GS60 6QE (i7-6700HQ, GTX 970M) consistently edges out our G752 by up to 10 percent in these synthetic tests. This may be explained by the higher system RAM (32 GB vs. 16 GB) and overclocked GPU clock rate (1166 MHz vs. 1038 MHz) of the MSI system compared to the Asus.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark 06 Standard Score
25989 points
3DMark 11 Performance
9656 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
106725 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
20600 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6598 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
3394 points
Help
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
50535 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
81484 Points +61%
Eurocom P7 Pro
67742 Points +34%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
55797 Points +10%
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21
50509 Points 0%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
32639 Points -35%
Eurocom Shark 4
31379 Points -38%
Fire Strike Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
3531 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
6275 Points +78%
Eurocom P7 Pro
4412 Points +25%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
3828 Points +8%
Eurocom Shark 4
2065 Points -42%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
7546 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
13388 Points +77%
Eurocom P7 Pro
9700 Points +29%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
8216 Points +9%
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21
7241 Points -4%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
6414 Points -15%
Eurocom Shark 4
4432 Points -41%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance Combined (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
8272 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
8517 Points +3%
Eurocom P7 Pro
10105 Points +22%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
8176 Points -1%
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21
7667 Points -7%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
7069 Points -15%
Eurocom Shark 4
5525 Points -33%
1280x720 Performance Physics (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
8665 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
8629 Points 0%
Eurocom P7 Pro
10077 Points +16%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
8542 Points -1%
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21
8028 Points -7%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
7261 Points -16%
Eurocom Shark 4
7504 Points -13%
1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
10113 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
15013 Points +48%
Eurocom P7 Pro
12562 Points +24%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
10738 Points +6%
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21
9570 Points -5%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
8234 Points -19%
Eurocom Shark 4
5440 Points -46%
1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
9656 Points
MSI GT72S 6QF
12645 Points +31%
Eurocom P7 Pro
11836 Points +23%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
10036 Points +4%
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21
9082 Points -6%
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X)
7943 Points -18%
Eurocom Shark 4
5683 Points -41%

Legend

 
Asus G752VT Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV128
 
MSI GT72S 6QF Intel Core i7-6820HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
 
Eurocom P7 Pro Intel Core i7-5775C, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, Samsung SSD SM951 512 GB MZHPV512HDGL
 
MSI GS60 6QE-002US Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Samsung SM951 MZHPV128 m.2 PCI-e
 
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 Intel Core i7-4710MQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Hynix HFS128G3AMNB
 
Alienware 15 (R9 M295X) Intel Core i7-4710HQ, AMD Radeon R9 M295X, WDC Scorpio Blue WD10JPVX-75JC3T0
 
Eurocom Shark 4 Intel Core i7-4720HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB

Gaming Performance

Abnormal frame rate behavior in Metro: Last Light
Abnormal frame rate behavior in Metro: Last Light

Performance in 3DMark translates well into real-world gaming. The MSI GS60 6QE maintains its edge over the Asus in all tested games. Users can expect a 50 to 60 percent gain in frame rates if moving from a GTX 960M to the GTX 970M.

We should note that Sleeping Dogs refuses to run on our tested system and drivers. Metro: Last Light also behaves abnormally with consistent stuttering every few seconds. Thus, results for Sleeping Dogs are not provided and our Metro results for the G752 are below average for the GTX 970M.

Metal Gear Solid V
Metal Gear Solid V
Batman: Arkham Knight
Batman: Arkham Knight
F1 2014
F1 2014
low med. high ultra
Guild Wars 2 (2012) 56.7 48.1
Tomb Raider (2013) 190.1 89
BioShock Infinite (2013) 159.7 71.7
Metro: Last Light (2013) 79.3 33.7
Thief (2014) 90.1 50.8
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) 66.7 51
F1 2014 (2014) 112 96
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 59 40
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 59.9 59.9
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (HD Package) (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
51 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
106.5 fps +109%
MSI GT72S 6QF
95.3 fps +87%
Eurocom P7 Pro
69.7 fps +37%
Razer Blade 14 2015
49 fps -4%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
56.7 fps +11%
Eurocom Shark 4
32.4 fps -36%
Metro: Last Light - 1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
33.7 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
82.6 fps +145%
MSI GT72S 6QF
85.2 fps +153%
Eurocom P7 Pro
67.9 fps +101%
Razer Blade 14 2015
51.2 fps +52%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
57.1 fps +69%
Eurocom Shark 4
32.3 fps -4%
Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
89 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
175.1 fps +97%
MSI GT72S 6QF
154.5 fps +74%
Eurocom P7 Pro
104.3 fps +17%
Razer Blade 14 2015
80.4 fps -10%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
92.4 fps +4%
Eurocom Shark 4
53.5 fps -40%
BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
71.7 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
132 fps +84%
MSI GT72S 6QF
110.1 fps +54%
Eurocom P7 Pro
94.5 fps +32%
Razer Blade 14 2015
71.4 fps 0%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
74.9 fps +4%
Eurocom Shark 4
47.1 fps -34%
Thief - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
50.8 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
83.8 fps +65%
MSI GT72S 6QF
80.5 fps +58%
Eurocom P7 Pro
49.8 fps -2%
Razer Blade 14 2015
45.1 fps -11%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
50.6 fps 0%
Eurocom Shark 4
28.8 fps -43%
Batman: Arkham Knight - 1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
40 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
44 fps +10%
MSI GT72S 6QF
68 fps +70%
Metal Gear Solid V - 1920x1080 Extra High / On (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
59.9 fps
MSI GT72S 6QF
59.9 fps 0%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
59.8 fps 0%
Eurocom Shark 4
38.1 fps -36%
Guild Wars 2 - 1920x1080 All Maximum / On AA:FX (sort by value)
Asus G752VT
48.1 fps
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
62.5 fps +30%
MSI GT72S 6QF
61.8 fps +28%
Eurocom P7 Pro
70.6 fps +47%
Razer Blade 14 2015
50.2 fps +4%
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
49.2 fps +2%
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - 1920x1080 Ultra / Extreme AA:on (sort by value)
MSI GT80 Titan SLI
85.9 fps
Eurocom P7 Pro
111.8 fps
Razer Blade 14 2015
79.4 fps
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
125.4 fps

Legend

 
Asus G752VT Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Samsung PM951 NVMe MZVLV128
 
MSI GT80 Titan SLI Intel Core i7-5700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M SLI, 4x Micron M600 MTFDDAV512MBF M.2 (RAID 0)
 
MSI GT72S 6QF Intel Core i7-6820HK, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
 
Eurocom P7 Pro Intel Core i7-5775C, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, Samsung SSD SM951 512 GB MZHPV512HDGL
 
Razer Blade 14 2015 Intel Core i7-4720HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Lite-On IT L8T-256L9G
 
MSI GS60 6QE-002US Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Samsung SM951 MZHPV128 m.2 PCI-e
 
Eurocom Shark 4 Intel Core i7-4720HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB

Stress Test

We stress the notebook with synthetic benchmarks to test for potential throttling or stability issues.

When under Prime95 stress, the i7-6700HQ CPU can be observed operating at a steady 3.1 GHz, which is the CPU's rated maximum Turbo Boost for all active cores. Impressively, maximum CPU temperature remains below 70 C, so there is overclocking headroom should users choose the SKU with the i7-6820HK. When under FurMark stress, the GPU throttles just slightly from its base 924 MHz to the 899 - 911 MHz range. Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will bring the CPU down to 3 GHz and core temperature up to 90 C at its worst. In contrast, the similarly equipped MSI GS60 runs cooler due to a throttling CPU.

The system runs cooler and faster when under Unigine Heaven stress. Here, the G752 operates at 3.1 GHz or higher with GPU Boost up to 1038 MHz. Core temperatures for both the CPU and GPU remain below 70 C. This is comparable to the MSI GT72S, except that the GTX 980 in the MSI runs much warmer at over 80 C.

Running on batteries will have a larger impact on GPU performance than on the CPU. While the GPU core clock remains at its 1038 MHz maximum, the memory clock drops to just 799 MHz compared to 1253 MHz when connected to mains. The CPU throttles a bit more frequently as well. 3DMark 11 on battery power returns Physics and Graphics scores of 8505 points and 6627 points, respectively, compared to 8665 points and 10113 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Maximum stress
Maximum stress
Unigine Heaven stress
Unigine Heaven stress
Stable Clock Rates and Temperatures Under Stress

CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Maximum CPU Temperature (C) Maximum GPU Temperature (C)

Prime95 Stress

3.1 -- ~67 --

FurMark Stress

-- 899 - 911 -- ~68

Prime95 + FurMark Stress

3.0 899 - 911 85 - 90 ~73

Unigine Heaven Stress

3.1+ 1038 60 - 65 ~66

Unigine Heaven Stress (Battery Power)

3.1+ 1038 55 - 60 ~60

Emissions

System Noise

Inaccessible core components
Inaccessible core components

The notebook utilizes dual fans and four heat pipes for its CPU and GPU.

The G751 is already one of the quietest gaming notebooks around and this remains true on the G752. The fans unfortunately never idle no matter the load at about 33 dB(A). When gaming, however, fan noise will rise slowly to the 35 to 37 dB(A) range. If running on 100 percent CPU and GPU load, then fan noise can be as loud as 46 dB(A). This is an unrealistic condition, but it shows that the system is capable of ramping up fans if necessary. The fans do not pulsate when browsing or during video playback.

The low fan noise when gaming is already quieter than the MSI GT72S and Eurocom P7 Pro where the low 40 dB(A) range is common. Ultrathin notebooks like the Gigabyte P37 can be even noisier still.

Noise Level

Idle
32.9 / 33 / 33.1 dB(A)
Load
36.2 / 45.8 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)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are remarkably low and one of the lowest we've seen for a high-end gaming notebook. Even after taking into account the cold ambient conditions (19 C), most of the notebook remains cool after extended periods of extreme loads. At worst, we were able to measure a surface temperature of 38 C near the rear of the G752. This is compared to 49 C on the MSI GT72S, 47 C on the Eurocom P7 Pro, and 53 C on the thinner MSI GS60 when under similar processing loads.

The keyboard is kept quite cool as well when gaming. Asus has paid special attention to the left half of the keyboard where the WASD and macro keys lie. This particular area is much cooler than the Numpad or the center of the keyboard.

Max. Load
 27.2 °C
81 F
37.6 °C
100 F
36.4 °C
98 F
 
 23.2 °C
74 F
35.4 °C
96 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
 19.4 °C
67 F
21.2 °C
70 F
23.2 °C
74 F
 
Maximum: 37.6 °C = 100 F
Average: 28.4 °C = 83 F
37.8 °C
100 F
31 °C
88 F
38 °C
100 F
29.8 °C
86 F
30.6 °C
87 F
20.8 °C
69 F
21.2 °C
70 F
20.6 °C
69 F
20.2 °C
68 F
Maximum: 38 °C = 100 F
Average: 27.8 °C = 82 F
Power Supply (max.)  46.4 °C = 116 F | Room Temperature 19 °C = 66 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28.4 °C / 83 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 37.6 °C / 100 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 38 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.7 °C / 80 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 26.6 °C / 79.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+2.3 °C / 4.1 F).

Speakers

Large subwoofer near front corner
Large subwoofer near front corner

The stereo speakers are on the rear of the notebook behind the display. The large grilles become visible only after opening the lid. Since this is the thickest part of the notebook, larger speakers can be used as opposed to having smaller ones near the front. The dedicated subwoofer is located on the bottom of the unit.

Sound quality is very good with acceptable bass and great balance. Quality does not degrade on higher volume settings with no audible static. The Sonic Studio II software is easy to use and includes options to better recognize and accentuate human speech for gaming.

Battery Life

The non-removable 67 Wh battery is smaller in capacity than the one in the G751. When combined with the lack of Optimus and the supposedly higher power state of the NVMe SSD, battery life for the G752 is below average even for a gaming notebook. We were able to clock in just under 2 hours when sitting idly on the desktop on Power Saver mode and on minimum display brightness. Competing models have much longer runtimes under similar conditions.

Charging from zero to full load will take about an an hour and 45 minutes. The data in the table below is provided in minutes.

Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
WLAN runtime
WLAN runtime

December 15, 2015 update: At Asus' request, we have reran our battery life tests with our updated results shown below. Our previous results were lower than Asus' claims and may have been due to active background activity whilst running the battery life tests.

Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
WLAN runtime
WLAN runtime
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
3h 50min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 03min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 12min
Asus G752VT
67 Wh
Asus G751JY
88 Wh
Eurocom P7 Pro
82 Wh
MSI GT72S 6QF
83 Wh
MSI GS70-6QE16H21
56 Wh
Asus GL771JM
56 Wh
Gigabyte P37X
76 Wh
Battery Runtime
1%
-6%
51%
-3%
55%
42%
Reader / Idle
230
210
-9%
159
-31%
387
68%
238
3%
574
150%
332
44%
WiFi v1.3
183
143
-22%
294
61%
180
-2%
251
37%
237
30%
Load
72
79
10%
97
35%
89
24%
64
-11%
56
-22%
110
53%

Pros

+ low surface temperatures
+ low fan noise
+ great case quality
+ flashier aesthetic redesign
+ USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2 with Thunderbolt 3
+ good keyboard and touchpad
+ bright display with G-sync standard
+ 4x storage bays
+ easy access to M.2 SSDs, 2.5-inch bay, 2x SODIMM slots
+ great sound quality

Cons

- no improvements to keyboard, touchpad, or case quality over previous generation
- smaller capacity battery; shorter battery life
- no support for RAID 0
- difficult to access motherboard
- non-upgradeable CPU and GPU
- no graphics switching
- large footprint; heavy
- no VGA; crowded port placement

Verdict

In review: Asus ROG G752VT. Test model provided by Asus US.
In review: Asus ROG G752VT. Test model provided by Asus US.

ROG notebooks have always been a recommended buy for their quality hardware and active fanbase of owners. The capstone G750 series may be large and heavy, but fan noise is always very low as a result. Asus has capitalized on this advantage even further for an even quieter notebook. Surface temperatures are also remarkably low and neither the CPU nor the GPU will throttle when gaming.

Look past the cooling system, however, and the G752 isn't a huge step forward from the G751. The keyboard and touchpad are identical and the display has only been marginally improved. For better or worse, case quality has not improved from the already excellent G751, so much of the focus has been on the aesthetic side. There is no support for manual graphics switching, battery life is short, and motherboard accessibility remains out of reach.

The problem is not that the G752 is a poor gaming notebook, but that competing manufacturers are improving faster with each generation compared to Asus. The MSI GT72S offers NVMe in RAID 0, upgradeable GPU, and more storage bays wrapped in a chassis that is vastly improved over the GT70. The Eurocom Sky X9 based on the newer Clevo P870DM barebones sports desktop CPUs and Nvidia GPUs, both of which are upgradeable for longer legs. It's true that costlier vapor cooling may bring about lower fan noise and temperatures, but it may not be worth it if competing models can squeeze out more performance and features for about the same price.

If price is a concern, existing ROG owners may want to upgrade to the G751 instead. The G752 may be thinner, but users won't be missing much otherwise. For now, the GT72S and Clevo P870DM are excellent alternatives with more accessible features.

Asus G752VT - 01/12/2016 v5(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
82 / 98 → 84%
Keyboard
88%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
74 / 81 → 91%
Weight
50 / 10-66 → 71%
Battery
56%
Display
88%
Games Performance
97%
Application Performance
96%
Temperature
92 / 95 → 97%
Noise
81 / 90 → 90%
Audio
86%
Average
81%
89%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Allen Ngo, 2015-11-17 (Update: 2020-06- 8)