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Asus Strix Hero III G731GV RTX 2060 Laptop Review - Not that Much Better than the G731GU GTX 1660 Ti

The hero we deserve? Can't decide between the Asus ROG G731GV with GeForce RTX 2060 or G731GW with GeForce RTX 2070? The G731GW offers 19 percent faster gaming performance without impacting temperatures for $400 more than the G731GV.

The Asus ROG Strix G731 series is the mid-size alternative to the super-thin Zephyrus S GX701 series and thicker Chimera G703 series. For this review, we'll be looking at the ROG Strix G731GV equipped with a Core i7-9750H CPU, GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, and 144 Hz display. The system competes directly with other mid-size 17.3-inch gaming laptops including the Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH, MSI GE series, Acer Predator 17, and Gigabyte Aorus 17.

The G731GV is visually identical to the G731GW that we had already checked out a few weeks prior. Thus, we recommend reading up on both our G731GW and GL731GU reviews to learn more about the chassis, ports, keyboard, speakers, and other physical features of the G731GV. We'll instead focus on the performance, temperature, noise, and power consumption of the G731GV to see how its RTX 2060 GPU compares to the RTX 2070 of the G731GW.

More Asus reviews:

Asus Strix Hero III G731GV (Strix Hero III G731 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H 6 x 2.6 - 4.5 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1060 MHz, Memory: 1788 MHz, GDDR6, 436.02, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics AUO B173HAN04.0, IPS, AUO409D, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Nvidia TU106 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: Combo headset (mic in/stereo out)
Networking
Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 26.2 x 399 x 293 ( = 1.03 x 15.71 x 11.54 in)
Battery
66 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: None
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Armoury Crate, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.85 kg ( = 100.53 oz / 6.28 pounds), Power Supply: 780 g ( = 27.51 oz / 1.72 pounds)
Price
1600 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

(Source: Xotic PC)
(Source: Xotic PC)
412.6 mm / 16.2 inch 304.9 mm / 12 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs410 mm / 16.1 inch 292.5 mm / 11.5 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.6 kg5.8 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 293 mm / 11.5 inch 26.2 mm / 1.031 inch 2.9 kg6.28 lbs397 mm / 15.6 inch 268.5 mm / 10.6 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.7 kg5.86 lbs399 mm / 15.7 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 2.6 kg5.81 lbs395 mm / 15.6 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.8 kg6.06 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Communication

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
680 MBit/s +4%
Alienware m17 P37E
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
659 MBit/s +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
655 MBit/s
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
620 MBit/s -5%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
605 MBit/s -8%
iperf3 receive AX12
Alienware m17 P37E
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
670 MBit/s 0%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
669 MBit/s
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
661 MBit/s -1%
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
599 MBit/s -10%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
578 MBit/s -14%

Accessories

Unlike the GL731 series, the G731 series is compatible with Asus Keystone. This is a special proprietary NFC-enabled LED key that plugs into the laptop for loading personalized Armoury Crate profiles and hidden 'Shadow Drive' local files that only the key owner can access.

Maintenance

Asus ROG Strix Scar III G731GW
Asus ROG Strix Scar III G731GW

Display

Asus utilizes the same 144 Hz AU Optronics B173HAN04.0 IPS panel for the Zephyrus S GX701, Strix III G731GV, and G731GW. Thus, our display comments about the GX701 and G731GW still apply here including the fast response times, accurate grayscale and colors out of the box, and high contrast ratio of ~1000:1. Both graininess and uneven backlight bleeding are present, but they are thankfully kept to a minimum.

While a 240 Hz IPS panel is available, Asus offers no 4K UHD options for its G731 series which tend to have deeper colors than 144 Hz or 240 Hz IPS displays. Users interested in native 4K will have to look at the Alienware m17 or Gigabyte Aero 17 instead.

Matte panel with no edge-to-edge glass, touchscreen, or 4K options
Matte panel with no edge-to-edge glass, touchscreen, or 4K options
Very narrow bezels on three sides of the display
Very narrow bezels on three sides of the display
Minor-moderate uneven backlight bleeding
Minor-moderate uneven backlight bleeding
RGB subpixel array
RGB subpixel array
307.2
cd/m²
310.4
cd/m²
287.1
cd/m²
291.1
cd/m²
312.3
cd/m²
284.9
cd/m²
291.8
cd/m²
302.2
cd/m²
287.7
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics AUO B173HAN04.0 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 312.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 297.2 cd/m² Minimum: 16.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 312.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 1487:1 (Black: 0.21 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.95
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
86.6% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
56.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
87.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.26
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
AU Optronics AUO B173HAN04.0, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
AU Optronics B173HAN03.2, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Alienware m17 P37E
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0, IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
AU Optronics B173HAN04.0, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
B173HAN04.0 (AUO409D), IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
AU Optronics AUO409D, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Display
3%
36%
-2%
0%
-1%
Display P3 Coverage
62.9
64
2%
86.4
37%
60.6
-4%
62.9
0%
61.9
-2%
sRGB Coverage
87.2
90.4
4%
99.9
15%
89
2%
87.8
1%
86.3
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
63.8
64.8
2%
99.1
55%
62.1
-3%
63.9
0%
62.9
-1%
Response Times
-68%
-279%
10%
7%
-2%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
6.8 ?(3.4, 3.4)
15.6 ?(8, 7.6)
-129%
35.6 ?(19.6, 16)
-424%
6.8 ?(3.4, 3.4)
-0%
7.2 ?(3.6, 3.6)
-6%
7.2 ?(3.6, 3.6)
-6%
Response Time Black / White *
12 ?(6.8, 5.2)
12.8 ?(7.6, 5.2)
-7%
28 ?(16, 12)
-133%
9.6 ?(5.2, 4.4)
20%
9.6 ?(4.4, 5.2)
20%
11.6 ?(6.4, 5.2)
3%
PWM Frequency
Screen
-25%
-20%
0%
14%
-13%
Brightness middle
312.3
299.1
-4%
357.9
15%
299.3
-4%
288
-8%
297.4
-5%
Brightness
297
273
-8%
347
17%
294
-1%
287
-3%
306
3%
Brightness Distribution
91
81
-11%
94
3%
94
3%
91
0%
80
-12%
Black Level *
0.21
0.27
-29%
0.33
-57%
0.29
-38%
0.2
5%
0.31
-48%
Contrast
1487
1108
-25%
1085
-27%
1032
-31%
1440
-3%
959
-36%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.6
5.07
-41%
6.57
-83%
2.55
29%
2.33
35%
4.08
-13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.74
10.55
-57%
9.86
-46%
4.73
30%
5.34
21%
6.88
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.95
3.31
16%
6.74
-71%
2.9
27%
2.47
37%
4
-1%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.1
6.8
-119%
4.3
-39%
3.5
-13%
1.19
62%
4
-29%
Gamma
2.26 97%
2.46 89%
2.6 85%
2.28 96%
2.41 91%
2.259 97%
CCT
7002 93%
7805 83%
6403 102%
7101 92%
6710 97%
7205 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
56.6
58.5
3%
88.4
56%
57
1%
57
1%
56
-1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
86.6
89.9
4%
100
15%
88.7
2%
88
2%
86
-1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-30% / -25%
-88% / -42%
3% / 1%
7% / 10%
-5% / -10%

* ... smaller is better

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
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
12 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 ms rise
↘ 5.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 26 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
6.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 3.4 ms rise
↘ 3.4 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

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

Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

LatencyMon with wireless off
LatencyMon with wireless off

Current G731 SKUs include Intel 9th gen Core i5-9300H, Core i7-9750H, and Core i9-9880H options alongside the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, RTX 2060, or the RTX 2070 GPU. AMD fans would have to look at the TUF FX series or the Zephyrus G series to get their Radeon fix instead. Optimus is included by default on all configurations to automatically exclude G-Sync.

LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when the wireless is enabled. The problem appears to subside when the wireless is disabled.

 

Processor

The Core i7-9750H is a familiar sight on most gaming laptops of as 2019. Performance on the Asus G731GV is where we expect it to be at within 2 percent of the average Core i7-9750H in our database taken from 37 other laptops with the same CPU. Opting for the Core i9 SKU will see a multi-thread performance gain of 20 to 50 percent depending on how well the G731 can maintain high Turbo Boost clock rates. In general, however, users upgrading from a Core i5-8300H, i5-9300H, or i7-7700HQ will see more significant performance boosts than those who may upgrading from the Core i7-8750H.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-9750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. 

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
0701402102803504204905606307007708409109801050112011901260Tooltip
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1096 (1054.52-1187.97)
Alienware m15 P79F GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1123 (1106.07-1188.78)
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15 GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1072 (1059.41-1260.12)
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i9-9880H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1267 (1239.62-1311.65)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
202 Points +13%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (170 - 194, n=82)
183.7 Points +3%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW
Intel Core i9-9880H
183 Points +2%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel Core i7-9750H
179 Points
MSI GF63 8RC-040XPL
Intel Core i5-8300H
171 Points -4%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
171 Points -4%
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
171 Points -4%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -20%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
142 Points -21%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Eurocom Nightsky RX15
Intel Core i9-9980HK
1821 Points +56%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +48%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW
Intel Core i9-9880H
1401 Points +20%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H
  (952 - 1306, n=85)
1182 Points +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel Core i7-9750H
1166 Points
SCHENKER Key 16
Intel Core i7-8750H
1116 Points -4%
MSI GF63 8RC-040XPL
Intel Core i5-8300H
805 Points -31%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points -31%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
Intel Core i5-9300H
769 Points -34%
Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
714 Points -39%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
179 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1166 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
120.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark results are consistently below the G731GW by only just a few percentage points. In other words, day-to-day workloads like browsing or emailing will feel just as fast on the G731GV even though it is equipped with a slower GPU. You're getting a high-end machine no matter which configuration of the G731 you choose.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6306 Points +13%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
5834 Points +5%
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
5632 Points +1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5596 Points 0%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5580 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4395 - 5997, n=16)
5523 Points -1%
Essentials
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9608 Points +5%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
9350 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (8361 - 10056, n=16)
9263 Points +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
9138 Points
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9111 Points 0%
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
8711 Points -5%
Productivity
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8416 Points +11%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
7987 Points +6%
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
7599 Points +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7558 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (6098 - 8106, n=16)
7382 Points -2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7352 Points -3%
Digital Content Creation
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8419 Points +23%
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
7325 Points +7%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
7219 Points +6%
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7102 Points +4%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
6827 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4344 - 8069, n=16)
6727 Points -1%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4550 Points +3%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
4460 Points +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4399 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (3533 - 5185, n=11)
4396 Points 0%
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
3812 Points -13%
Work Score Accelerated v2
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6004 Points +6%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
5764 Points +2%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5650 Points
Average Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (4450 - 5931, n=11)
5532 Points -2%
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
4765 Points -16%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4399 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5650 points
PCMark 10 Score
5580 points
Help

Storage Devices

While Xotic PC has outfitted our test unit with a 512 GB Intel 660p NVMe SSD, other resellers will likely offer different capacities and vendors. All configurations have 1x M.2 2280 and 1x 2.5-inch SATA III internal slots.

The Intel 660p is a budget-midrange offering and so sequential transfer rates are merely average for an NVMe SSD at about 900 to 1000 MB/s. Costlier Samsung PM981 or Toshiba XG6 SSDs can reach nearly 2000 MB/s in comparison.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons. Be careful when servicing the laptop because fragile ribbon cables connect the bottom panel to the motherboard.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Alienware m17 P37E
SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
MSI GE75 9SG
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Dell XPS 15 7590 9980HK GTX 1650
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
AS SSD
19%
80%
101%
123%
85%
Seq Read
940
1835
95%
1831
95%
1358
44%
911
-3%
1723
83%
Seq Write
921
1121
22%
1744
89%
2381
159%
2347
155%
1386
50%
4K Read
48.05
23.98
-50%
45.16
-6%
27.02
-44%
53
10%
43.25
-10%
4K Write
104.3
100
-4%
107.1
3%
89.2
-14%
122.5
17%
98.3
-6%
4K-64 Read
320.1
687
115%
1240
287%
1642
413%
1577
393%
1078
237%
4K-64 Write
703
776
10%
1695
141%
1799
156%
1734
147%
1456
107%
Access Time Read *
0.079
0.047
41%
0.064
19%
0.067
15%
0.08
-1%
0.05
37%
Access Time Write *
0.046
0.053
-15%
0.037
20%
0.05
-9%
0.031
33%
0.039
15%
Score Read
462
895
94%
1468
218%
1805
291%
1721
273%
1294
180%
Score Write
900
988
10%
1977
120%
2127
136%
2091
132%
1693
88%
Score Total
1616
2306
43%
4197
160%
4899
203%
4771
195%
3638
125%
Copy ISO MB/s
1416
773
-45%
2086
47%
3193
125%
3182
125%
Copy Program MB/s
569
493
-13%
425.5
-25%
198.2
-65%
984
73%
Copy Game MB/s
971
647
-33%
555
-43%
1054
9%
1824
88%

* ... smaller is better

Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1622 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 982 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 338.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 476.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1447 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 978 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 54.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 129.3 MB/s

GPU Performance

Opting for the RTX 2060 G731GV over the RTX 2070 G731GW will incur a performance drop of 19 percent according to 3DMark benchmarks. When compared to a desktop RTX 2060, the mobile RTX 2060 is about 20 to 25 percent slower. Performance is actually within 5 percent of the GTX 1660 Ti meaning that users on tighter budgets may as well purchase the GTX 1660 Ti G731GU configuration instead especially if they have no intentions of enabling ray-tracing or DLSS. In either case, users upgrading from the older GTX 1060 or GTX 980M will see significant performance gains especially when running DX12 titles.

Note that there is a small performance gain when running the system in Turbo Fan mode when compared to the default Performance mode. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on Turbo Fan mode returns Physics and Graphics scores of 17057 and 15696 points, respectively, compared to 14855 and 13860 points when on Performance mode.

See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2060 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Port Royal
Port Royal
Time Spy
Time Spy
Fire Strike (Turbo Fan mode)
Fire Strike (Turbo Fan mode)
Fire Strike (Regular Performance mode)
Fire Strike (Regular Performance mode)
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
114415 Points +13%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
112676 Points +11%
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
107368 Points +6%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
107083 Points +6%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
103040 Points +2%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
101481 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (55324 - 116593, n=36)
93235 Points -8%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
80615 Points -21%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
61392 Points -40%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
57365 Points -43%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
26223 Points +67%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
19338 Points +23%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
19230 Points +23%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
16647 Points +6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (14768 - 18358, n=43)
16301 Points +4%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
15696 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
15343 Points -2%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
11332 Points -28%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9537 Points -39%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9536 Points -39%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
10364 Points +75%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
7732 Points +31%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
7294 Points +23%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
6586 Points +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (5660 - 6910, n=41)
6206 Points +5%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
5913 Points
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5699 Points -4%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
3626 Points -39%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3565 Points -40%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
2805 Points -53%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
5649 Points +66%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
3597 Points +6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (3020 - 3859, n=29)
3431 Points +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
3394 Points
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
36478 Points +76%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
26413 Points +27%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
24465 Points +18%
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
22299 Points +7%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (19143 - 24662, n=40)
21459 Points +3%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
20784 Points 0%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
20765 Points
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
13447 Points -35%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
12620 Points -39%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
12193 Points -41%
1280x720 Performance Combined
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13742 Points +12%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
12421 Points +1%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
12260 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2060
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
12176 Points -1%
Asus ROG G703GX
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
11888 Points -3%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (1107 - 14726, n=40)
11688 Points -5%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
10270 Points -16%
MSI GT72S-6QEG16SR421BW
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M, 6820HK
9459 Points -23%
HP Omen 15-dc1020ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
7595 Points -38%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GM
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H
6839 Points -44%
3DMark 11 Performance
17953 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
34276 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
14298 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
5984 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Shadow of the Tomb Raider - 1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
Asus ROG G703GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
106 fps +51%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
90 fps +29%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
90 fps +29%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
85 fps +21%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (54 - 86, n=22)
74.6 fps +7%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
73 fps +4%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
70 fps
MSI GF75 Thin 9SC
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
45 fps -36%
Asus G752VY
Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
39 (31min) fps -44%
The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Asus ROG G703GX
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
99.7 fps +78%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
74 (63min - 80max) fps +32%
MSI RTX 2060 Gaming Z 6G
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Desktop)
72.7 (61min - 82max) fps +30%
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
64 fps +14%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
  (50.6 - 74, n=40)
61.1 fps +9%
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
60.5 fps +8%
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
56 fps
MSI GF75 Thin 9SC
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
37.7 fps -33%
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8: Ø52.9 (49-61)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 295.2 262.2 240.9 140.9
The Witcher 3 (2015) 245.1 179.5 107.1 56
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 115 88 83 70

Emissions

System Noise

Fan noise when gaming is noticeably quieter than on the G731GW with RTX 2070 graphics. We're able to measure a constant fan noise of about 50 dB(A) when running Witcher 3 compared to 55 dB(A) on the G731GW when both systems are set to Turbo Fan mode. Regardless, both SKUs are still loud when gaming. We always recommend a good pair of headphones for gaming laptops that reach 50 dB(A) or higher in order to mask the whirring fans and to catch minute sound cues like enemy footsteps.

When set to the default Performance mode, fan noise becomes slightly quieter at 48.7 dB(A) when gaming at a small cost to performance as noted in our GPU section above. The fans never idle even when set to Quiet mode, but its low 29.5 to 31.9 dB(A) range is just barely audible under most conditions. It's important to become familiar with Asus' Armoury Crate software since both fan noise and performance are so closely tied to these settings.

We're not able to notice any coil whine or electronic noise from our unit.

Fan noise (G731GV with RTX 2060)
Fan noise (G731GV with RTX 2060)
Fan noise (G731GW with RTX 2070)
Fan noise (G731GW with RTX 2070)
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Alienware m17 P37E
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i9-8950HK, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
MSI GE75 9SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i9-9880H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
Noise
-1%
7%
2%
3%
-0%
off / environment *
28.2
28.2
-0%
28.3
-0%
28.2
-0%
28.2
-0%
28.2
-0%
Idle Minimum *
29.5
28.2
4%
31.5
-7%
28.2
4%
28.2
4%
30.4
-3%
Idle Average *
30.3
28.5
6%
31.6
-4%
28.2
7%
28.2
7%
30.4
-0%
Idle Maximum *
31.9
30
6%
31.6
1%
31
3%
30.8
3%
33.4
-5%
Load Average *
50.4
51.5
-2%
32.3
36%
50.8
-1%
42
17%
37.1
26%
Witcher 3 ultra *
50.1
55.3
-10%
43
14%
50.8
-1%
51
-2%
54.2
-8%
Load Maximum *
50.1
55.3
-10%
45.5
9%
50.8
-1%
53
-6%
56.4
-13%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
29.5 / 30.3 / 31.9 dB(A)
Load
50.4 / 50.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.2 dB(A)

Temperature

Three sets of exhaust grilles
Three sets of exhaust grilles

Surface temperatures when gaming are essentially identical to the G731GW despite the GPU differences. The palm rests, trackpad, WASD keys, and NumPad keys remain relatively cool for more comfortable gaming. Hot spots are generally toward the center of the keyboard or the very right edge of the keyboard deck where surfaces can be as warm as 40 C to 44 C. Fortunately, users are less likely to touch these areas frequently when gaming.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Max. Load
 42 °C
108 F
46 °C
115 F
47.2 °C
117 F
 
 32.8 °C
91 F
39.2 °C
103 F
32.2 °C
90 F
 
 25 °C
77 F
26 °C
79 F
26 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 47.2 °C = 117 F
Average: 35.2 °C = 95 F
45.6 °C
114 F
51 °C
124 F
46.8 °C
116 F
32 °C
90 F
33.4 °C
92 F
32.4 °C
90 F
25.6 °C
78 F
25.8 °C
78 F
26.4 °C
80 F
Maximum: 51 °C = 124 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  46 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.2 °C / 95 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 47.2 °C / 117 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 51 °C / 124 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.6 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35 °C / 95 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 °C / 78.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+2.9 °C / 5.2 F).

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, clock rates jump to 4.0 GHz for the first few seconds until hitting a core temperature of 76 C. Thereafter, clock rates drop to the slower 3.3 to 3.4 GHz range in order to maintain a slightly cooler core temperature of 72 C. CPU temperature stabilizes at 82 C when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world gaming loads. CPU and GPU temperatures stabilize at 80 C and 68 C, respectively, compared to 77 C and 70 C on the G731GW. Results are similar between the two tested SKUs to explain the similar surface temperatures recorded above.

Running on battery power will limit performance. A Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 9747 and 4004, respectively. Note that Turbo Fan mode is disabled when on battery power.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Armoury Crate stats when idling
Armoury Crate stats when idling
Armoury Crate stats when running Witcher 3 on Turbo Fan mode. GPU frequency drops to ~1300 MHz when in regular Performance mode
Armoury Crate stats when running Witcher 3 on Turbo Fan mode. GPU frequency drops to ~1300 MHz when in regular Performance mode
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 51 41
Prime95 Stress 3.3 - 3.4 -- 72 --
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.0 - 3.1 765 82 72
Witcher 3 Stress 4.0 1455 ~80 68

Speakers

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.740.52537.738.13137.338.94037.7385036.137.26338.339.28036.440.710034.947.812534.954.716033.462.32003464.425032.36731531.867.440032.164.850031.570.163030.270.780029.574.9100029.669.8125029.368.1160028.567.920002967.7250028.467.5315028.271.3400027.966.9500027.868.7630027.665.4800027.5651000027.564.51250027.456.41600027.252.7SPL4181N4.254.3median 29.3median 67Delta1.63.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus Strix Hero III G731GVApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Running Witcher 3 consumes 147 W compared to 181 W on the RTX 2070-powered G731GW for a power savings of 19 percent. 3DMark benchmarks are also 19 percent slower as noted above meaning that the relationship between power and performance is largely linear when comparing the mobile GeForce RTX 2060 to the mobile RTX 2070.

It's interesting to note that power consumption between RTX 2060 and GTX 1660 Ti laptops are very close to one another when gaming despite their wide MSRPs. This supports our gaming data above where we found these two GPUs to be neck to neck.

We're able to record a maximum draw of 212.7 W from the medium-sized (~16.5 x 7.5 x 3.3 cm) 230 W AC adapter which Asus also ships with the more demanding G731GW configuration. This high of a consumption is only temporary as shown by our screenshot below due to thermal constraints. When under such extreme stress, power consumption eventually settles at 172 W after just a couple of minutes.

Constant consumption when idling on Witcher 3
Constant consumption when idling on Witcher 3
Stable consumption when running 3DMark 06
Stable consumption when running 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes to 141 W for about 30 seconds for maximum Turbo Boost before falling and stabilizing at 101 W
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption spikes to 141 W for about 30 seconds for maximum Turbo Boost before falling and stabilizing at 101 W
Prime95 and FurMark initiated at 20s mark. Consumption becomes unsteady for about 2 minutes before stabilizing at 172 W
Prime95 and FurMark initiated at 20s mark. Consumption becomes unsteady for about 2 minutes before stabilizing at 172 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.48 / 1.43 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 16.2 / 24.8 / 28.6 Watt
Load midlight 127.6 / 212.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel SSD 660p 1TB SSDPEKNW010T8, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GE75 9SG
i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, AHVA, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Aorus X7 DT v8
i7-8850H, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Eurocom Nightsky Ti15
i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Samsung SSD 970 Pro 512GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-11%
-4%
-0%
-30%
3%
Idle Minimum *
16.2
18.2
-12%
13.9
14%
19
-17%
23
-42%
16.8
-4%
Idle Average *
24.8
23
7%
18.8
24%
22
11%
33
-33%
29
-17%
Idle Maximum *
28.6
33.1
-16%
23.1
19%
30
-5%
37
-29%
30.8
-8%
Load Average *
127.6
124.8
2%
112.3
12%
104
18%
115
10%
89.2
30%
Witcher 3 ultra *
147.1
180.8
-23%
231
-57%
167
-14%
225
-53%
141.1
4%
Load Maximum *
212.7
263
-24%
291.5
-37%
203
5%
281
-32%
192.3
10%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are about half an hour longer than the G731GW for an estimated total of 4.5 hours of real-world WLAN use. In practice, however, runtimes will vary a bit more than usual because of the LED lights of the chassis. Be sure to set the system to Quiet or Power Saver mode and the GPU to integrated graphics or else battery life will be even shorter.

Recharging from empty to full capacity takes two full hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
4h 30min
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 66 Wh
Asus ASUS ROG Strix SCAR III G731GW-XB74
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 66 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Alienware m17 P37E
i9-8950HK, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 90 Wh
Razer Blade Pro 17 RTX 2080 Max-Q
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 70 Wh
MSI GE75 9SG
i9-9880H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, 65 Wh
Asus Zephyrus S GX701GX
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 76 Wh
Battery Runtime
-13%
-30%
10%
4%
9%
-15%
WiFi v1.3
270
236
-13%
190
-30%
296
10%
280
4%
294
9%
230
-15%
Reader / Idle
249
543
295
298
Load
84
49
86
52

Pros

+ fast response times and 144 Hz refresh rate
+ slightly longer battery life than the G731GW
+ quieter than the G731GW when gaming
+ compatible with Asus Keystone security
+ strong base with narrow display bezels
+ dedicated mouse keys
+ no PWM

Cons

- embarrassingly small Arrow keys for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop
- questionable port positioning
- inconvenient serviceability
- no Thunderbolt 3
- small touchpad
- no webcam

Verdict

In review: Asus Strix Hero III G731GV-DB74. Test model provided by Xotic PC
In review: Asus Strix Hero III G731GV-DB74. Test model provided by Xotic PC

Currently, Xotic PC has the following Asus ROG G731 SKUs available:

After having checked out both configurations, the G731GW consumes about 19 percent more power for 19 percent faster graphics performance and at similar running temperatures than the G731GV. It's also noticeably louder and with slightly shorter battery life. Whether or not these drawbacks and advantages are worth the $300 price premium will depend on the user.

A notable observation is that the RTX 2060 is merely a few percentage points faster than the GTX 1660 Ti in the less expensive G731GU or GL731GU SKU. If you have no interest in RTX-specific features like ray tracing or DLSS, then you can get nearly the same performance for less with GTX 1660 Ti laptops. The G731GU is not yet widely available in the U.S. as of this writing.

Asus Strix Hero III G731GV - 08/30/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
94%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
59 / 80 → 74%
Weight
57 / 10-66 → 85%
Battery
61 / 95 → 64%
Display
87%
Games Performance
88%
Application Performance
90%
Temperature
87 / 95 → 91%
Noise
75 / 90 → 84%
Audio
80%
Average
80%
86%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus Strix Hero III G731GV RTX 2060 Laptop Review - Not that Much Better than the G731GU GTX 1660 Ti
Allen Ngo, 2019-08-30 (Update: 2019-09- 1)