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Asus ROG Strix GL502VT-DS74 Notebook Review

Thin, but not too thin. Asus seems to have struck a perfect balance in the race for a thinner and thinner gaming notebook while still maintaining case rigidity and enthusiast-level Nvidia GPU options. Inevitably, some important features have been omitted along the way.

The GL502 shares many features with the GL552 and G501, but with improvements made from almost every angle to be simply better than both alternatives. The system is thinner than the GL552 while being simultaneously more powerful and serviceable than the G501. We're not sure if the "Strix" brand name is really necessary in this case, though it shows that Asus is eager to have the GL502 series stand on its own in the ROG family.

Our test unit today is the GL502VT with the i7-6700HQ and GTX 970M GPU for roughly $1600 USD. Our second review on the GL502VY SKU with the even more powerful GTX 980M will also be coming in the following weeks to provide excellent hardware and temperature comparisons between these two models. We've provided links below to additional Asus reviews from the G, UX, and GL families as the GL502 borrows heavily from these models in both internal design and chassis quality.

June 28, 2016 update: We previously mentioned that NVMe was not supported on the GL502 series. Asus has corrected us on the matter and we have updated the page accordingly.

Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74 (Strix GL502VT Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700HQ 4 x 2.6 - 3.5 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 924 MHz, Memory: 5010 MHz, GDDR5, 359.23
Memory
15.9 GB 
, DDR4, 8 GB soldered, 8 GB DDR4-2133, Dual-Channel, 15-15-15-26, 1x SODIMM (occupied)
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, IPS, ID: Samsung SDC324C, Name: 156HL01-104, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM170 (Skylake PCH-H)
Storage
Lite-On CV1-8B128, 128 GB 
, Secondary: 1 TB HGST HTS721010A9E630
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: SD reader
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 23.5 x 390 x 266 ( = 0.93 x 15.35 x 10.47 in)
Battery
64 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD camera
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Cable tie, User's Guide, Warranty card, ROG Gaming Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.491 kg ( = 87.87 oz / 5.49 pounds), Power Supply: 665 g ( = 23.46 oz / 1.47 pounds)
Price
1600 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The ROG series can be easily identified by the deep red logo and accents that are commonplace on models sporting the brand name. The trend continues here on the GL502, but the red color is now much brighter and highlighted orange - not unlike what you may see on traffic cones or safety jackets. Even the WASD keys have received the same treatment and some users may find the color too "cartoony" or not agreeable.

Other than the aesthetic change, the rigidity and quality of the chassis are above average. The brushed aluminum outer lid and plastic base warp slightly when pushed down their centers or when twisted side-to-side, but there is no creaking and the bending is not significant enough to be worrisome. There are no gaps or manufacturing defects on our test unit. We can, however, note that pushing down on the rear of the outer lid is possible since there is a small gap between it and the base underneath. The inner plastic display bezel also feels cheap and more susceptible to damage compared to the rest of the notebook. Other than these small nitpicks, the hinges are evenly taut up to the maximum ~135 degree angle with no notable weak spots around the base.

As for size and weight, the GL502 is nearly identical to both the GS60 and Aorus X5S in footprint and is only slightly thicker by a couple of millimeters while weighing about half a kilogram more than the MSI. This makes the Asus a very dense system considering the size. It clearly wasn't designed to be the lightest or sleekest gaming notebook as there are thinner alternatives available, but the GL502 is still much smaller when compared to the bulky Alienware 15 or Predator 15.

417 mm / 16.4 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.9 kg6.44 lbs391 mm / 15.4 inch 300 mm / 11.8 inch 39 mm / 1.535 inch 3.5 kg7.76 lbs384.5 mm / 15.1 inch 257 mm / 10.1 inch 35 mm / 1.378 inch 2.7 kg5.9 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 23.5 mm / 0.925 inch 2.5 kg5.49 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 inch 2.5 kg5.58 lbs390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 2 kg4.41 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 21.3 mm / 0.839 inch 2.1 kg4.54 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Available interfaces include three USB 3.0 ports and a USB Type-C Gen. 2 port (10 Gbps) with no Thunderbolt 3 support. This is compared to the GS60 6QE where its USB Type-C Gen. 2 port includes Thunderbolt 3 for twice the theoretical bandwidth and better support for running external displays. The ports are positioned only on the sides and are easy to reach in exchange for being more easily cluttered if connecting too many devices. We would have preferred to have an external G-Sync option as well like on the EVGA SC17.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: 3.5 mm combo audio, 2x USB 3.0, SD reader, Kensington Lock
Right: 3.5 mm combo audio, 2x USB 3.0, SD reader, Kensington Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Power adapter, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C gen. 2
Left: Power adapter, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C gen. 2

Communication

WLAN is provided by an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 M.2 module capable of theoretical transfer rates of up to 867 Mbps. The module integrates Bluetooth 4.2 and WiDi as standard. We experienced no connectivity or dropout issues when connected to our Linksys EA8500 test router.

Accessories

There are no included extras outside of a small cable tie and the usual warranty cards. Branded mice, headsets, carrying cases, and bags exist for the popular ROG series and many resellers throw in free accessories with every purchase of an ROG notebook.

Maintenance

Serviceability is relatively easy as the entire bottom panel can be removed with a single Philips screwdriver to reveal all the core motherboard components. It's worth noting that both the CPU and GPU are soldered and that this is one of the few gaming notebooks where only one SODIMM slot is available for expansion.

Warranty

Asus offers 12-month limited warranty as standard while resellers may offer lengthier extensions. This is compared to Gigabyte who offers a global 24-month warranty to most new notebook purchases. There is no "Zero dead pixel" policy in effect for the Asus.

Bottom panel held in place by 10 Philips head screws
Bottom panel held in place by 10 Philips head screws

Input Devices

Keyboard

The full-size (34.5 x 10.5) Chiclet keyboard includes three levels of red backlight and no dedicated Macro keys to speak of. The individual keys offer 1.6 mm of travel compared to 1.5 mm on most gaming notebooks, 2.2 mm on the Gigabyte P55W, and 1.2 to 1.3 mm on most Ultrabooks. The keys are firm with satisfactory feedback and are relatively quiet with little clatter. Gamers who are accustomed to mechanical keyboards, however, may find feedback to be on the soft side. The NumPad and directional keys are smaller than the QWERTY keys and have even softer feedback in comparison. Essentially, anyone who has used a keyboard on an ROG notebook should find no surprises here as it is essentially identical to the ones of the GL552 or UX501.

Touchpad

The smooth touchpad is adequately sized (10.5 x 7.5 cm) and responsive with no cursor jitters or major latency. Two-finger scrolling is easy enough, but pinch-to-zoom is a bit more difficult and must be done in quick motions or it will not be recognized. This makes precision zooming more difficult than it ought to be on the Asus.

Meanwhile, the integrated clickpad provides a very shallow travel as is common on notebooks with no dedicated mouse keys. Feedback is firm and with a loud auditory click when pressed. The force required to input a click is on the low side, so one can easily click multiple times in quick succession without fatigue.

Standard layout with no dedicated Macro keys
Standard layout with no dedicated Macro keys
Adequate travel with firm feedback
Adequate travel with firm feedback

Display

The matte 1080p display is subjectively crisp with almost no graininess even when viewing up close and on a bright white image. Similar Samsung SDC324C panels are found on a wide number of other Asus and MSI notebooks including the PU551, GL552, G501, and MSI GE62. Some of these notebooks, however, use the older Samsung 156HL01-102 panel model compared to the 156HL01-104 for our Asus. There are no glossy options, but we feel that most gamers won't find this to be a deal breaker. G-Sync would have been an excellent addition instead as it would have paired well with the hardware. While we don't recommend it with a GTX 970M, a 4K UHD is also available if users desire higher native resolutions.

Brightness and contrast ratio are just under 300 nits and 900:1, respectively, which is comparable to high-end gaming notebooks in this price range. Very slight uneven backlight bleeding is noticeable on the top left and bottom corners of our test model. Fortunately, the clouding is not significant enough to be noticeable during gaming or everyday workloads.

Slight backlight bleeding around top and bottom corners
Slight backlight bleeding around top and bottom corners
Subpixel array (141 PPI)
Subpixel array (141 PPI)
294
cd/m²
305.6
cd/m²
292.5
cd/m²
263.7
cd/m²
296.8
cd/m²
274.6
cd/m²
266.2
cd/m²
278.6
cd/m²
268.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 305.6 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 282.3 cd/m² Minimum: 16.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 296.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 855:1 (Black: 0.347 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.24 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.76 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
68.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925
15.60, 1920x1080
Aorus X5S v5
15.60, 3840x2160
Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW-DS71T
15.60, 3840x2160
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-11%
-5%
-5%
-10%
Display P3 Coverage
66.7
63
-6%
63.5
-5%
64.3
-4%
64
-4%
sRGB Coverage
97.7
82.2
-16%
92.7
-5%
89.9
-8%
82.7
-15%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
68.4
60.1
-12%
65
-5%
65.4
-4%
60.4
-12%
Response Times
33%
13%
29%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
56.4 ?(22.4, 34)
43 ?(18, 25)
24%
41.2 ?(20, 21.2)
27%
43.2 ?(18, 25.2)
23%
Response Time Black / White *
41.6 ?(6.8, 34.8)
24 ?(4, 20)
42%
36 ?(17.2, 18.8)
13%
27.2 ?(7.6, 19.6)
35%
PWM Frequency
201.6 ?(99)
198 ?(20)
-2%
Screen
2%
17%
-10%
-5%
Brightness middle
296.8
302
2%
324.7
9%
252.9
-15%
291.2
-2%
Brightness
282
287
2%
324
15%
250
-11%
292
4%
Brightness Distribution
86
91
6%
90
5%
89
3%
83
-3%
Black Level *
0.347
0.36
-4%
0.403
-16%
0.5
-44%
0.547
-58%
Contrast
855
839
-2%
806
-6%
506
-41%
532
-38%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.24
4.93
6%
2.62
50%
5.22
-0%
4.29
18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
11.36
12.34
-9%
4.59
60%
8.33
27%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.76
3.47
49%
2.55
62%
6.74
-0%
2.51
63%
Gamma
2.24 98%
2.16 102%
2.11 104%
2.45 90%
2.13 103%
CCT
8467 77%
6622 98%
7000 93%
6026 108%
6403 102%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62.8
54
-14%
59.4
-5%
58.4
-7%
54
-14%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98.1
82
-16%
92.3
-6%
89.7
-9%
82
-16%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
8% / 3%
8% / 12%
5% / -4%
-8% / -6%

* ... smaller is better

Our measurements with an X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal a very high sRGB coverage of 98.1 percent compared to around 80 percent on many competing gaming models and 60 percent on less expensive Ultrabooks that utilize cheaper panels. This means deeper colors on the GL502 that may satisfy digital artists, though this is of little value to core gamers. Even wider color coverage spanning more of the larger AdobeRGB spectrum is generally reserved for mobile workstations and costlier gaming systems.

Note that Asus advertises 100 percent and 80 percent sRGB and AdobeRGB coverage, respectively. It's possible that Asus is referring to the UHD panel as our measurements on the FHD panel shows a much smaller AdobeRGB coverage of 63 percent.

vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. MSI GS60
vs. MSI GS60
vs. Acer Predator 15
vs. Acer Predator 15

Colors and grayscale are average out of the box and could benefit from a quick calibration. Color temperature becomes warmer while RGB Balance flattens for a much improved display. The panel's near perfect coverage of the sRGB spectrum means excellent accuracy across all tested saturation levels. 

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
41.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 ms rise
↘ 34.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 97 % 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
56.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22.4 ms rise
↘ 34 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 92 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse 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 detected 201.6 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 201.6 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 201.6 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is average if under shade and on the maximum brightness setting. Glare is less of an issue due to the matte screen and wide viewing angles available from the IPS panel. The display becomes washed out if under direct sunlight and should be avoided if possible. Contrast and colors do not shift dramatically unless if viewing from extreme or abnormal angles.

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

Performance

Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz
Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz

Our GL502VT configuration includes the common Core i7-6700HQ and the high-end GeForce GTX 970M GPU with 6 GB GDDR5 VRAM. A second lower-tier SKU is also available with the Core i5-6300HQ and GTX 970M GPU with only 3 GB VRAM for around $200 USD cheaper.

All SKUs have 8 GB of DDR4 2133 MHz RAM soldered as standard. The single SODIMM expansion slot means a combined maximum capacity of 24 GB.

Processor

Raw CPU performance from the Core i7-6700HQ is nearly identical to the Core i7-5700HQ as the jump from Broadwell to Skylake brings only minor boosts to CPU power. Going even further back to the Haswell Core i7-4700HQ in the Ideapad Y50 shows an advantage of about 16 to 37 percent depending on the processing load. The desktop-class Core i7-6700K is almost 30 percent faster at over twice the TDP (45 W vs. 91 W).

See our dedicated CPU page on the Core i7-6700HQ for more benchmarks and 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 Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
145 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
166 Points +14%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
144 Points -1%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
136 Points -6%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
136 Points -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
125 Points -14%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
670 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
865 Points +29%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
719 Points +7%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
710 Points +6%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
596 Points -11%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
490 Points -27%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
1.68 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
1.91 Points +14%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
1.68 Points 0%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
1.75 Points +4%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
1.59 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
1.46 Points -13%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
7.43 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
9.56 Points +29%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
7.96 Points +7%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
7.72 Points +4%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
6.45 Points -13%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
5.29 Points -29%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
20386 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
26150 Points +28%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
21681 Points +6%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
21335 Points +5%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
18041 Points -12%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
14329 Points -30%
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
5364 Points
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
6487 Points +21%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
5567 Points +4%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
5697 Points +6%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
5224 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
4999 Points -7%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
232.1 s *
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
178.5 s * +23%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
206.3 s * +11%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
224.8 s * +3%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
247 s * -6%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
323 s * -39%
Super Pi Mod 1.5 XS 32M - 32M (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
559 s *
DogHouse Systems Mobius SS
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700K, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB
498.3 s * +11%
MSI GE62 2QC-468XPL
GeForce GTX 960M, 5700HQ, Samsung SSD PM851 256 GB MZNTE256HMHP
574 s * -3%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
569 s * -2%
Eurocom Shark 4
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO m.2 120GB
545 s * +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Y50
GeForce GTX 860M, 4700HQ, Western Digital WD10S21X SSHD 1TB + 8GB SSD-Cache
569 s * -2%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6838
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
20386
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5364
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
66.8 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.43 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.68 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
98.3 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
670 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
145 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank the Asus in the same ballpark as other notebooks sporting the same or similar CPU and GPU combination. We experienced no unusual latency issues or notable hardware or software problems during our time with the test unit.

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 Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
3700 Points
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZHPV128 m.2 PCI-e
3801 Points +3%
Asus G501VW-FY081T
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
3495 Points -6%
Aorus X5S v5
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
3260 Points -12%
Work Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
4716 Points
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZHPV128 m.2 PCI-e
4980 Points +6%
Asus G501VW-FY081T
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
4599 Points -2%
Aorus X5S v5
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
3937 Points -17%
Creative Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
4588 Points
MSI GS60 6QE-002US
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZHPV128 m.2 PCI-e
4610 Points 0%
Asus G501VW-FY081T
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP
4445 Points -3%
Aorus X5S v5
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
4747 Points +3%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3700 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4588 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4716 points
Help

Storage Devices

Accessible primary M.2 slot
Accessible primary M.2 slot

A total of two storage bays are available on the Asus through a single M.2 2280 slot and 2.5-inch SATA III bay. Our test unit makes use of a 128 GB Lite-On CV1-8B128 M.2 SSD and a secondary 1 TB HGST HTS721010A9E630 HDD. The 2.5-inch bay accepts both 7 mm and 9.5 mm thick drives.

Performance from the M.2 SSD is mixed even for a SATA III drive. While sequential read rates are where we expect them to be with an average of 516 MB/s, sequential write rates are on the slow side at about 174 MB/s according to AS SSD. This is compared to the Hynix and Samsung SSDs in the Predator 15 and GS60, respectively, with average sequential write rates of 447 MB/s and 389 MB/s. Meanwhile, the 7200 RPM secondary HDD returns an average transfer rate of just under 100 MB/s according to HD Tune.

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

AS SSD (Primary SSD)
AS SSD (Primary SSD)
CDM (Primary SSD)
CDM (Primary SSD)
CDM (Secondary HDD)
CDM (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
HD Tune (Secondary HDD)
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
 
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
Aorus X5S v5
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW-DS71T
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
MSI GS60-6QE4K16H21
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Hynix HFS256G3MND
AS SSD
36%
169%
198%
16%
Copy Game MB/s
377.7
688
82%
684
81%
Copy Program MB/s
178.8
357.9
100%
452
153%
Copy ISO MB/s
342
1319
286%
1206
253%
Score Total
790
1029
30%
2433
208%
2588
228%
998
26%
Score Write
249
376
51%
509
104%
619
149%
352
41%
Score Read
363
427
18%
1298
258%
1312
261%
425
17%
Access Time Write *
0.052
0.043
17%
0.032
38%
0.034
35%
0.112
-115%
Access Time Read *
0.086
0.064
26%
0.049
43%
0.037
57%
0.089
-3%
4K-64 Write
164
251.8
54%
290.8
77%
361.7
121%
232.2
42%
4K-64 Read
283.1
346.7
22%
1059
274%
1075
280%
344.7
22%
4K Write
67.6
79.4
17%
115.9
71%
107.8
59%
80.9
20%
4K Read
28.06
29.54
5%
45.81
63%
43.59
55%
28.77
3%
Seq Write
174
447.3
157%
1019
486%
1498
761%
389.3
124%
Seq Read
516
511
-1%
1925
273%
1944
277%
516
0%

* ... smaller is better

Lite-On CV1-8B128
Sequential Read: 494.5 MB/s
Sequential Write: 184.1 MB/s
512K Read: 318.6 MB/s
512K Write: 182.6 MB/s
4K Read: 30.04 MB/s
4K Write: 77.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 312.6 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 182.1 MB/s

GPU Performance

The GTX 970M is significantly more powerful than the GTX 960M according to 3DMark benchmarks and pairs up perfectly with a native 1080p screen for High to Ultra settings on even the most demanding of titles. 3DMark 11 shows the GL502 to be 90 percent faster than the GTX 960M in the MSI Prestige PE70 while the GTX 980M in the EVGA SC17 is just over 30 percent faster than our GL502.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Unlimited
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
9824 Points
Eurocom Sky DLX7
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
17109 Points +74%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
12890 Points +31%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
5184 Points -47%
MSI PX60 6QD
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
4384 Points -55%
1280x720 Performance Combined (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
7952 Points
Eurocom Sky DLX7
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
11260 Points +42%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
9256 Points +16%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
5487 Points -31%
MSI PX60 6QD
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
4501 Points -43%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
50205 Points
Eurocom Sky DLX7
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
76705 Points +53%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
45568 Points -9%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
27934 Points -44%
MSI PX60 6QD
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
25900 Points -48%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
7321 Points
Eurocom Sky DLX7
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
12977 Points +77%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
9820 Points +34%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
3971 Points -46%
MSI PX60 6QD
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ
3638 Points -50%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
106019 Points
Eurocom Sky DLX7
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6700K, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
268822 Points +154%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
46363 Points -56%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
108408 Points +2%
3DMark 11 Performance
9355 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
84288 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
21207 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6462 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
3385 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Performance in games is about where we expect the GTX 970M to be. Its extra 3 GB of VRAM compared to many other systems with the same GPU should give the Asus longer legs when playing newer titles on higher quality settings where the additional memory will come in handy the most. 

See our dedicated GPU page on the GTX 970M for more benchmarks and comparisons.

BioShock Infinite - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
69.5 fps
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
110.1 fps +58%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
90.2 fps +30%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
46.2 fps -34%
Asus N752VX-GC131T
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256
27.29 fps -61%
Sleeping Dogs - 1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:Extreme (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
44.9 fps
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
59.5 fps +33%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
24.7 fps -45%
Metro: Last Light - 1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
50.5 fps
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
85.2 fps +69%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
69.7 fps +38%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
31.9 fps -37%
Thief - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
47.5 fps
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
80.5 fps +69%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
63.7 fps +34%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
27.8 fps -41%
Asus N752VX-GC131T
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256
20.5 (16.7min - 28max) fps -57%
Batman: Arkham Knight - 1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
36 fps
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
68 fps +89%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
50 fps +39%
Asus N752VX-GC131T
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256
24 (17min - 35max) fps -33%
Metal Gear Solid V - 1920x1080 Extra High / On (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
60 fps
MSI GT72S 6QF
GeForce GTX 980 (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Micron M600 MTFDDAV128MBF NVMe (RAID 0)
59.9 fps 0%
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
60 fps 0%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
38 fps -37%
Fallout 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
43.5 fps
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
55.5 fps +28%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
25.6 fps -41%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
42.8 fps
EVGA SC17
GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 512GB m.2 NVMe
54.7 fps +28%
MSI Prestige PE70 6QE-055XUS
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Intel SSD 535 SSDSCKJW120H6
24.4 fps -43%
Asus N752VX-GC131T
GeForce GTX 950M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B256
16.32 (14min - 19max) fps -62%
low med. high ultra
Sleeping Dogs (2012) 126.5 44.9
BioShock Infinite (2013) 145.8 69.5
Metro: Last Light (2013) 88.3 50.5
Thief (2014) 80.8 47.5
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 57 36
Metal Gear Solid V (2015) 60 60
Fallout 4 (2015) 51.5 43.5
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 48.5 42.8

Stress Test

The super-thin Asus G501 and its GTX 960M GPU disappointed us during our stress test benchmarking, but the GL502 thankfully delivers with better results across the board. The CPU is able to maintain a Turbo Boost of 3.0 GHz when under Prime95 stress or 100 MHz slower than the rated multi-core maximum for the Core i7-6700HQ. Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously strips away any CPU Turbo Boost benefits for a constant base clock rate of 2.6 GHz. Interestingly, CPU and GPU temperatures cycle by a few degrees in tandem with the speed of the internal fans, so fan noise and core temperatures are not always constant under extreme loads. The GPU also cycles between 300 MHz and 810 MHz, which is an uncommon behavior. Thankfully, these synthetic benchmarks are not representative of gaming loads.

Running Unigine Heaven results in consistent CPU and GPU Boost performances and stable core temperatures hovering below 80 C. Running on battery power will throttle both CPU and GPU power. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 7799 and 6516 points, respectively, compared to 8347 and 9824 points when connected to mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Unigine Heaven stress
Unigine Heaven stress

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

Prime95 Stress

3.0 -- ~73 --

FurMark Stress

-- 848 -- ~78

Prime95 + FurMark Stress

2.6 300 - 810 86 - 89 80 - 83

Unigine Heaven Stress

3.1+ 1037 ~77 ~75

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: Unigine Heaven, Green: Prime95+FurMark)
Fan noise (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: Unigine Heaven, Green: Prime95+FurMark)

The cooling solution consists of dual 50 mm fans connected by a pair of large copper heat pipes over the CPU, GPU, and VRAM modules that are not unlike on the existing Zenbook UX501 series. The fans never idle and are always spinning, but they are thankfully quiet during low to medium loads in the low 31 to 32 dB(A) range. Gaming will very slowly increase fan noise up to the 37 to 41 dB(A) range, so there is no abrupt jump in fan noise that may occur on other gaming notebooks from just simply launching a game. On average, however, the Asus runs about as loudly as its closest competitors including the Predator 15 and GS60 when under similar loads.

Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will bump fan noise up to the very loud 48 dB(A) range.

Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
Aorus X5S v5
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW-DS71T
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV512HDGL m.2 PCI-e
MSI GS60-6QE4K16H21
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Hynix HFS256G3MND
Asus GL552VW-DK725T
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Crucial MX200 M.2 CT250MX200SSD4
Noise
-3%
-11%
5%
-10%
1%
off / environment *
28.7
28.3
1%
Idle Minimum *
31
31
-0%
34.3
-11%
28.9
7%
35
-13%
31
-0%
Idle Average *
31
32
-3%
34.4
-11%
28.9
7%
36
-16%
31.3
-1%
Idle Maximum *
32
36
-13%
34.4
-8%
30.2
6%
37
-16%
31.5
2%
Load Average *
40.7
40
2%
50
-23%
41.8
-3%
40
2%
40.7
-0%
Load Maximum *
47.6
47
1%
54
-13%
43.9
8%
50
-5%
45.8
4%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
31 / 31 / 32 dB(A)
Load
40.7 / 47.6 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: 28.7 dB(A)

Temperature

The GL502 is nearly as thin as the GS60 and that had us worried going into this test since the MSI equivalent is notorious for its surface temperature development. When idling, the front half of the notebook remains cool while the back half is comparatively warmer by almost 8 or 10 C depending on the side and quadrant. Since the battery is upfront and the heat pipes are closer to the rear, the temperature rise will be concentrated towards the back of the unit.

We were able to record surface temperatures as high as 61 C on the front of the notebook and 70 C on the bottom. Fortunately, these hot spots are above the keyboard and away from palms and fingers. The WASD keys also remain cool relative to the center of the keyboard in contrast to the GS60. Nonetheless, the temperature gradient on the GL502 is quite steep due to the short heat pipes and close proximity of the CPU and GPU to one another other.

Maximum load (Top)
Maximum load (Top)
Maximum load (Bottom)
Maximum load (Bottom)
Max. Load
 37 °C
99 F
61.4 °C
143 F
37.6 °C
100 F
 
 26.2 °C
79 F
40.2 °C
104 F
29.8 °C
86 F
 
 24.2 °C
76 F
24.6 °C
76 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 61.4 °C = 143 F
Average: 34.3 °C = 94 F
49.2 °C
121 F
70.2 °C
158 F
40.2 °C
104 F
29.8 °C
86 F
32.2 °C
90 F
23.6 °C
74 F
27.8 °C
82 F
24.2 °C
76 F
23.6 °C
74 F
Maximum: 70.2 °C = 158 F
Average: 35.6 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  42 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.3 °C / 94 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 61.4 °C / 143 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 70.2 °C / 158 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.4 °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 27.6 °C / 81.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.3 °C / 2.3 F).

Speakers

Weak bass (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise, Gray: White noise)
Weak bass (Red: System idle, Pink: Pink noise, Gray: White noise)

The stereo speakers face upwards towards the user through narrow grilles on the palm rests. They are close enough to the edges of the notebook that your palms will not cover them whilst gaming or typing.

Sound quality is only average largely due to its weak bass. Maximum volume is sufficiently loud with no static or reverberation, but the bass and treble discrepancy only becomes more obvious. There is just a single 3.5 mm combo audio port instead of separate gold-plated ports for speakers and microphone that are common amongst high-end gaming notebooks. The internal speakers are on the disappointing side considering the price and external solutions are recommended for an improved audio experience.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The system demands less energy than many of its competitors when idling or during very low loads. Otherwise, power demand is very similar to competing models with the same CPU and GPU like the Predator 15 or GS60 when under gaming loads. We were able to measure a draw of just under 160 W when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously against a power adapter rated for 180 W. The adapter itself measures about 16.5 x 7.5 x 3.0 cm.

Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Lite-On CV1-8B128
Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD PM871 MZNLN512HCJH
Aorus X5S v5
GeForce GTX 980M, 6700HQ, Samsung SM951 MZVPV256 m.2
Asus Zenbook Pro UX501JW-FI218H
GeForce GTX 960M, 4720HQ, SanDisk SD7SN3Q128G1002
MSI GS60-6QE4K16H21
GeForce GTX 970M, 6700HQ, Hynix HFS256G3MND
Asus GL552VW-DH74
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 850 EVO M.2 500GB
Power Consumption
-9%
-81%
-5%
-30%
-19%
Idle Minimum *
11.1
12
-8%
27.4
-147%
15.6
-41%
17
-53%
15.9
-43%
Idle Average *
14.1
16
-13%
30.7
-118%
20.5
-45%
22
-56%
20.3
-44%
Idle Maximum *
18.4
22
-20%
31.2
-70%
21.2
-15%
28
-52%
27.9
-52%
Load Average *
96.5
96
1%
130.4
-35%
75.8
21%
91
6%
79.4
18%
Load Maximum *
159.5
166
-4%
216.6
-36%
72.9
54%
149
7%
114.2
28%

* ... smaller is better

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.94 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 11.1 / 14.1 / 18.4 Watt
Load midlight 96.5 / 159.5 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.

Battery Life

Runtimes from the non-removable 64 Wh battery are very good considering the fast hardware underneath. Users can expect just under 6 hours of constant WLAN use on the Balanced profile and with the integrated GPU active. Asus is advertising 6 hours as well, so the manufacturer estimation holds true according to our tests. Both the Acer Predator 15 and Asus UX501 can last for longer in comparison, but these latter notebooks are equipped with higher capacity batteries. Sitting idle on the desktop and on minimum display brightness will net users just under 10 hours of runtime.

Charging from empty to full capacity will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours.

Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Maximum runtime (Reader's Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
Minimum runtime (Classic Test)
WLAN runtime
WLAN runtime
Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74
64 Wh
Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925
88 Wh
Aorus X5S v5
73 Wh
Asus ZenBook Pro UX501VW-DS71T
96 Wh
MSI GS60-6QE4K16H21
47 Wh
Asus GL552VW-DH74
48 Wh
Battery Runtime
34%
-12%
44%
-37%
-38%
Reader / Idle
584
313
-46%
689
18%
213
-64%
182
-69%
WiFi v1.3
356
476
34%
223
-37%
379
6%
157
-56%
127
-64%
Load
56
82
46%
117
109%
61
9%
66
18%
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
9h 44min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 56min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 56min

Pros

+ very accurate colors; nearly complete sRGB coverage
+ relatively thin considering the hardware
+ GTX 970M w/ 6 GB GDDR5 VRAM
+ no major throttling issues
+ high quality matte panel
+ respectable runtimes
+ easy serviceability
+ good build quality
+ NVMe support

Cons

- poor bass reproduction; no dedicated subwoofer
- PWM on all brightness levels except maximum
- slow sequential write rates from Lite-On SSD
- no native Thunderbolt 3 support
- only two internal storage bays
- only one DDR4 SODIMM slot
- no dedicated Macro keys
- no manual fan controls
- no G-Sync options
- fans always active

Verdict

In review: Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74. Test model provided by Asus US.
In review: Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74. Test model provided by Asus US.

The Strix GL502 series is Asus' answer to the Aorus X5S for a cheaper price and better build quality without all the bells and whistles. Indeed, the system strips away many features that hardcore gamers may find difficult to let go of including RAID 0, multiple SODIMM slots, additional internal storage options, G-Sync, RGB keyboard, Macro keys, and a number of connectivity features like Thunderbolt 3. The Asus can feel barebones as a result when compared to the competition, but its core features are solid nonetheless. The high quality panel, wide gamut, and strong performance are its highlights that make it the best 15-inch gaming notebook that the ROG series has to offer. The thicker GL552 does offer some extras such as an optical drive and removable battery, but it sports weaker GPU options in comparison.

It remains to be seen how the GL502VY SKU and its GTX 980M can perform as this GTX 970M SKU already runs quite warm. While certainly not as bad as on the GS60, the cooling system on the Asus is certainly less developed than on the Aorus and the two share very similar dimensions and weight. For now, however, we're quite impressed by the core package of the GL502VT.

Asus Strix GL502VT-DS74 - 06/08/2016 v5.1(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
54 / 81 → 66%
Weight
60 / 10-66 → 89%
Battery
88%
Display
85%
Games Performance
90%
Application Performance
87%
Temperature
82 / 95 → 87%
Noise
83 / 90 → 92%
Audio
50%
Camera
45 / 85 → 53%
Average
75%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus ROG Strix GL502VT-DS74 Notebook Review
Allen Ngo, 2016-06- 8 (Update: 2020-06- 8)