Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501 Laptop Review

The gaming laptop is placed within the high-end segment and its casing is correspondingly made of aluminum and magnesium. The C-cover basically bends around the corners towards the bottom, which creates a surrounding polished edge. The GX501 design is very subtle except for the copper colored rear edge, the subtly lit ROG logo on the lid and the two red LEDs on the inside around the fans. It almost looks like everything had to submit to the goal of creating a slim chassis.

The torsion resistance of the base unit is generally very good on our pre-production sample, we can only slightly dent the center area above the keyboard with concentrated pressure. This part of the chase is partially perforated and supports the fresh air delivery for the components inside the case. The display unit can be twisted with some force, but there are no picture distortions.

The real highlight of the Asus GX501 is visible when you open the lid. An integrated mechanism lifts the magnesium bottom plate from the base unit at the rear, so the notebook is sitting at a small angle. This brings important additional millimeters for the cooling by creating a generous surrounding opening for fresh air. The principle appears to be logical and functional, but you might accuse Asus of some cheating here since the ROG GX501 is only super-slim as long as the lid is closed.

It is comparatively easy to remove this plate, which is secured by four screws. Asus has even provided the corresponding screw driver in the box. Once the plate is removed, you can access both fans and also clean them if necessary. It is obviously possible to remove all foreign objects that might be inside. It is important that you make sure there are no objects in the gap before you close the lid, otherwise you could damage the laptop. The upgrade options are very limited since the access to all the other components requires a complicated dismantling and should not be performed by users.

You can see a big difference compared to typical desktop replacements with the GTX 1080 (like the Asus G701VIK). Considering the chassis height of almost 1.8 cm (~0.7 in) and a weight of around 2.25 kg (~4.9 lb), you can find suitable rivals in our Multimedia Top 10 and the mobile Gaming Top 10 lists. These include models such as the Gigabyte Aero 15 or the MSI GS63VR, which are also slimmer than 2 cm (~0.8 in). We will also use the Asus FX502VM, the Alienware 15 R3 and the Schenker XMG P507 as comparison devices. They are between 2 and 3 cm (~0.8 to ~1.2 in) high, but are limited to the GeForce GTX 1060 or GTX 1070.

Note: We spotted some build quality defect on our test model. The front edge of the bottom panel is not perfectly even, and the bottom edge of the HDMI port was bent or slightly cracked, respectively.

The port variety is decent considering the slim form factor. While we get a fan exhaust, the power input, HDMI 2.0, two USB 3.0 ports and one combined stereo jack for headphone sand microphones (we would have preferred separate connectors) on the left side, there is one Thunderbolt 3 ports (also supports DisplayPort and USB 3.1 Gen. 2), two more USB 3.0 ports and a slot for a Kensington Lock on the right. Potential buyers will have to do without a card reader, an RJ45-LAN port as well as a conventional Mini-DisplayPort.

The port layout is convenient for right handers in particular, but the ports should be further towards the rear for left handers with an external mouse.

Wireless communications are handled by an Intel chip. The Dual-Band Wireless-AC 8265, which supports the standards 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1, can compete with the popular gaming modules Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 and 1535, respectively, in terms of receiving data, but they are faster when they transmit (compare table). Our test is performed at a distance of 1 meter (~3 ft) to the router. There were no problems during the review period and we had no problem accessing the Internet, even through several walls (around 180 to 300 Mbps @10 meters/~33 ft).

The box content is rather generous for a notebook. Not only do you get the aforementioned screw driver, but also a quick-start guide, warranty manual as well as an adapter for USB 3.0 to RJ45, which is a good solution considering the lack of a dedicated Ethernet port. Our test model is also shipped with a nice gaming mouse called Strix Impact, as well as a rubberized external palm rest. The latter makes the typing experience much more comfortable since the keyboard (similar to the MSI GT83VR) is sitting right at the front. This was probably necessary to keep the GTX 1080 Max-Q cool in such a slim construction.

The warranty period in Germany and Austria is 24 months (pick-up & return service). Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Unlike many other rivals, Asus does not use the TN, but modern IPS technology for its 120 Hz panel. This results in some advantages and disadvantages. One positive aspect is the viewing angle stability. A TN panel quickly tends to picture distortions, while IPS panels provide stable pictures from wider angles. Colors also appear richer, which enhances games, videos, and photos.

The color gamut of 92% sRGB is respectable for gaming and multimedia users. Professional users, who pay attention to the wider AdobeRGB standard, get a coverage of only 60%. Annoying: Our test model showed significant backlight bleeding in the upper right corner. It was only visible on dark pictures, but this should not occur in such an expensive machine. The somewhat wobbly lid construction is probably the reason for the backlight bleeding (Update: The second test model did not suffer from backlight bleeding!). Every buyer has to decide for himself whether 1920x1080 pixels are sufficient for a 15-inch laptop. The performance of the GTX 1080 Max-Q is at least suitable for the 120 Hz panel; the Pascal chip would rarely manage more than 60 FPS in combination with 3K or 4K screens.

We start the performance section with some system screenshots of the GX501.

The high clock can also be sustained for long periods. Our 30-minute Cinebench loop delivers steady scores for the 15-inch laptop. The CPU benchmarks also determine excellent scores for the GX501 in general, which is on par with other 7700HQ notebooks both in Cinebench R15 as well as Cinebench R11.5.

The processor also supports the Hyperthreading technology, which means that it can execute 8 threads simultaneously. We never encountered CPU throttling, but the Turbo Boost is deactivated under maximum load due to the temperature. The integrated processor GPU HD Graphics 630 cannot be used because of the missing switchable graphics (Nvidia Optimus).

The Zephyrus also performs very well in the system benchmarks. The 15-inch laptop ranks either first (Home Score) or third (Work Score) among the competition, but the advantage of the Alienware 15 R3 and Gigabyte Aero 15 is extremely small, so they are basically on par. Subjectively, the system is very responsive, including boot times, data transfers, application launches or loading times. This is, however, not surprising thanks to the fast SSD.

In order to keep the case as compact as possible, Asus has not included a 2.5-inch drive and has only implemented the M.2 technology. The manufacturer ships the laptop with a PCIe drive to utilize the full potential of the technology. Unlike the conventional SATA-III SSDs (e.g. Asus FX553VD), PCIe drives are not limited at 550 MB/s. Our test model is equipped with the 1 TB version of the Samsung SM961. The performance is excellent. CrystalDiskMark 5.2 determines sequential transfer rates of up to 3445 (read) and 1848 MB/s (write), respectively. The latter is reminiscent of the Samsung 960 Evo in the Schenker XMG A517.

The GPU Boost is very high at up to 1709 MHz (Turbo Gear Standard) or 1772 MHz (Turbo Gear Extreme), respectively, but the regular GTX 1080 is still faster in synthetic benchmarks. MSI's GT73VR is 15% faster in the 3DMark 13 Fire Strike Test; 22% in 3DMark 11.

This means that the GTX 1080 Max-Q is actually more comparable to the GeForce GTX 1070, which is only a few percent slower in the Alienware 15 R3 and Schenker XMG P507, but costs significantly less. Notebooks with the GTX 1060 (Asus FX502VM, Gigabyte Aero 15, MSI GS63VR, ...) are beaten by around 60%. More information about Nvidia's Max-Q design is available in our dedicated article.

As with the CPU, the GPU can also maintain its performance for long periods. Our 60-minute test with “The Witcher 3” showed a steady clock of 1430 MHz for the GTX 1080 (~1480 MHz @Extreme Mode). The Full HD frame rate (ultra-settings) was always between 56 and 63 FPS.

Our gaming benchmarks confirm the synthetic results. The GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q is once again closer to the GeForce GTX 1070 than the GTX 1080. The average performance ranking for all 24 tested titles is shown in the following table:

Every gamer has to decide whether the combination of a portable chassis and 10% additional performance is worth the high additional charge over a GTX 1070 notebook. Thanks to the Max-Q design, however, you can now get serious GPU performance in laptops slimmer than 2 cm (~0.8 in), which were so far limited to mainstream chips or entry-level high-end GPUs. The advantage over the GTX 1060 is more than considerable at around 50%.

The Zephyrus can generally handle every game smoothly in the native Full HD resolution (1920x1080 pixels); even the 120 Hz panel is maxed out in some cases. The GTX 1080 Max-Q will only struggle in poorly optimized titles like “Deus Ex Mankind Divided” or resolutions higher than Full HD. External 120 Hz panel would not make much sense here – at least in high or maximum settings. However, the GX501 usually never drops below 30 FPS, even at 3840x2160 pixels.

Also great: The driver (we use the preloaded ForceWar 382.22) already seems to be very sophisticated. We never encountered graphics errors, crashes or blue screens during the gaming benchmarks. Only the shader preload in “Call of Duty Infinite Warfare”, which is running at the initial game launch or when the hardware changes, took very long at almost 5 minutes.

The 15-inch system handles idle periods at a very subtle noise level between 32 and 34 dB(A), even though the fans cover higher frequencies, so they are subjectively louder compared to other gaming notebooks and could be annoying for sensitive users. The cooling solution is never silent, but there is at least no unnecessary pulsating while idling.

However, the main issue here should be the CPU. Intel has hardly worked on the thermal management or the efficiency, respectively, due to the lack of real competition, so the processor gets very warm in almost all gaming laptops. After a maximum load for one hour (again FurMark & Prime95), the CPU temperature climbed to more than 90 °C (~194 °F). The GeForce GTX 1080 Max-Q stayed a bit cooler at around 82 °C (~179 °F), but throttled to less than 1000 MHz. The GPU did not throttle in “The Witcher 3” at around 79 °C (~174 °F).

However, we performed the measurements on a very hot summer day, so the values should be lower in cooler environments, especially during the winter. There is no criticism for the idle results. A chassis temperature of around 30 °C (~86 °F) is not a great result, but the laptop is pretty cool while idling.

These are the results with the second test model at lower ambient temperatures (maximum load scenario). Especially the palm rests stay cooler.

Asus has positioned the speakers on the left and right next to the keyboard, so none of the components can affect the cooling performance. The area should usually not be covered by the hands, so we do not expect any limitations for the sound in practice.

Speaking of sound: Our audio analysis shows an average performance among gaming laptops. The sound quality is similar to the Gigabyte Aero 15, which represents mids and highs quite accurately, but it has the same struggles with deep tones and bass. The maximum volume of 83 dB(A) is sufficient for small and medium-sized rooms. The performance is certainly okay for portable multimedia purposes, and Asus deserves some respect, considering the slim case.

You should still use external solutions if possible when you use the laptop stationary. We used the sound profile Music for our test. The software Sonic Studio II provides several modes and sound enhancements.

Frequency Comparison (Checkboxes select/deselectable!)

Nvidia deserves praise for the optimization of the efficiency. While regular GTX 1080 laptops require extremely bulky and heavy 330-watt power adapters, the Zephyrus requires only a 230-watt model similar to most GTX 1070 systems. The PSU measures just 16.5 x 7.5 x 3 cm (~6.5 x 3 x 1.2 in) and is even smaller compared to many rivals.

The positive impression is confirmed by our benchmarks. The 15-inch laptop consumes only 79 watts in 3DMark 06. This value could also be from a GTX 1060 notebook or it even beats these systems. The consumption moves towards the GTX 1070 only under maximum load. Asus uses G-Sync in favor of Optimus, so the idle results are just mediocre (18 to 31 watts). Gigabyte does a better job with the Aero 15 (12 to 20 watts).