ROG:REDEFINE 2019 | The new Asus Zephyrus M GU502 is more powerful yet slimmer compared to last year's ROG GU501GM

Last year's Asus ROG GU501GM was a good looker but failed to impress us in the performance department. This year, Asus has introduced improvements to both the innards and external appearance with the introduction of the revamped Zephyrus M GU502 laptop that can easily adapt to both work and play.

The overall build has received a face lift in this generation. The GU502 weighs just 1.9 kg and is only 18.9 mm thick. Bezels around the display have been trimmed to a great extent and the chassis incorporates a magnesium alloy construction with reinforced palm rests.

Asus offers the latest Core i7-9750H 6C/12T CPU along with NVIDIA RTX 2060 and GTX 1660 Ti GPU options. The latest GPU choices help drive the 15.6-inch PANTONE-verified 240 Hz 3 ms IPS-type panel. There is a 120 Hz panel option available as well. The GU502 can be configured with DDR4-2666 memory up to 32 GB and dual M.2 NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 with capacities ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB. Asus is following the new improved cooling system introduced in other updated ROG notebooks including the use of dedicated heatsinks with 0.1 mm fins, multiple heat pipes and thinner, denser fans with a self-cleaning design. Standard ROG performance modes such as Silent, Balanced, and Turbo are available depending on the workload.

The GU502 comes with NVIDIA Optimus support for conserving power and maximizing the 76 Wh battery run time. A 230 W power adapter is included but is needed only when running intensive apps or gaming. Otherwise, the laptop can be charged via any USB Type-C charger or compatible power packs. Connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet and 2x2 wireless AC along with USB 3.1 Gen1 and Gen2 Type-A ports in addition to USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C. Thunderbolt 3 ports are absent.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus M GU502 is available worldwide starting today. Pricing and availability vary depending on the region.