The 2021 Asus ROG Strix G17 packs some serious power and very well may be the best gaming laptop to date. Asus has revealed many new exciting lineups at CES 2021, but the Strix G17, in particular, generated a lot of buzz among laptop gamers. And no wonder: AMD Ryzen processors continue to challenge Intel and growing a pretty solid fan base. And when that Ryzen processor is paired with NVIDIA RTX 30-series graphics, well, there is no stopping you.
Let’s take a closer look at this portable gaming machine.
Asus ROG Strix G713QR Overview
The model comes with several latest AMD Ryzen processors and NVIDIA graphics options, but we will focus on the G713QR-ES96 model in Eclipse Gray.
This laptop can impress any pro gamer: it comes with the Ryzen 9-5900HX 3.3GHz CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU.
Here is a quick specs recap:
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost
- AMD Ryzen R9-5900HX Processor (16M Cache, up to 4.6 GHz)
- 300Hz 3ms 17.3-in FHD (1920×1080) IPS Display
- 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
- 1TB PCIe SSD
- ROG Intelligent Cooling thermal system -Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound
- ROG Aura Sync System with Per-Key RGB Keyboard, White backlit Logo, and RGB Light Bar
- Wi-Fi 6 & Bluetooth 5.1
- Windows 10 Home
As you can see, the system packs top-of-the-line hardware, but it also has the looks to match.
ASUS ROG Strix G17 Streamlined Design
This year’s Strix G17 became more portable thanks to the smaller chassis. It also got beautiful Aura Sync LED accents across the keyboard, on the ROG logo, and along sides of the palmrest, not too dissimilar from certain Dell and Lenovo gaming laptop models.
Design-wise, ROG Strix G17 is pretty much identical to the Scar 17 model. Being a 17.3-inch laptop, it weighs only about 6 lbs. The laptop is surprisingly compact. It sports an elegant-looking dark gray exterior that looks expensive and professional, allowing this model to double as a work computer.
New Strix G17 housing is less prone to fingerprints and smudges, which is an improvement from previous year’s models.
300Hz Display
All 2021 ASUS ROG Strix G17 configurations come with the single FHD 300Hz panel option. In addition, it offers 300 nits brightness and 3ms response. As for color coverage, the benchmarks are: 98.9% sRGB, 73.7% AdobeRGB, 76.3% DCI-P3.
We should note that being an FHD display, it is crisp as the QHD display would be, so if you plan to use this laptop for graphic design projects, color accuracy might be an issue. However, for video gaming, it works out perfectly fine. We recommend checking our QHD vs FHD For Gaming Laptops post from a few months ago for those debating between the two options.
ROG Intelligent Cooling
ROG Intelligent Cooling is another excellent feature, allowing users to adjust the system and settings for the optimal gaming experience. Again, Asus uses cutting-edge technology, like liquid metal compounds on the CPU and a well-ventilated exterior to keep fan noise levels to a minimum. In fact, the manufacturer claims that they could amplify the airflow on their new Strix G17 machine by 32%.
ASUS ROG Strix G17 can be configured within four power profiles:
- Silent for a quiet fan and, as a result, lower CPU/GPU speeds. This mode is designed for conserving power.
- Performance offers a more balanced work mode.
- Turbo profile is intended for high gaming performance. Fan’s RPM increases significantly here. Please note that the laptop must be plugged into the power source to work in Turbo mode.
- Manual profile allows customizing your Strix G17 settings based on CPU and GPU speed, as well as temperature limits.
Asus ROG Strix G17 Battery
The model comes with the 90Wh li-ion battery pack. And it is one of the longest playing gaming laptops on the market to date, especially considering the high-end internal hardware. Of course, power consumption is somewhat subjective, but on average, you can get up to 8 hours of playback on battery life, which is really quite impressive.
Used Asus Laptop Resale Value
For those looking to upgrade their current model, the Asus laptop trade-in might be an easy way to recover a few bucks from the older laptop to put them towards the new purchase. The exact amount, of course, depends on the laptop model and its condition, but we can give you a few references:
- For example, an earlier edition ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with AMD Ryzen 7 and NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics can be resold for up to $410.*
- An old one, ASUS ROG GL552, still goes for up to $218 online.*
Bottom Line
The 2021 Asus ROG Strix G17 may not be the best gaming laptop to date, but it is pretty darn close. The 17.3-inch 300Hz screen is just perfect for gaming. And we are frankly amazed at how Asus managed to keep the machine this light (only 6 lbs!), especially considering all that killer hardware! Like it wasn’t enough, the Strix G17 offers impressive battery life to boot. Now you can truly take your game on the road and look good doing it!
*Priced on 08/10/2021. Subject to change.