ASUSROG Zephyrus GX501 Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop, 15.6” FHD 144Hz 3ms IPS-Type G-SYNC, GeForce GTX 1080, Intel Core i7-8750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe SSD, Win 10 Pro, GX501GI-XS74

This review will largely compare the new model against the previous model of the Zephyrus, as I haven't had much time to acquaint myself with the newer version. I'll update this review if I encounter anything worth mentioning while getting used to the new model. I know that it's a bit of "appeal to authority", but my credentials in writing this review are that I work professionally as a software developer and have a degree in Computer Engineering (just so you know I'm not talking nonsense).Pros:* High performance machine in a *very* small form factor. This is the main selling point of this laptop.* New eight gen i7 processor means 6 hardware cores instead of 4 compared to the previous generation. This doesn't really impact gaming performance that much (benchmarks I've seen floating around have shown around 10%-30% better 1% FPS lows), but it's definitely an improvement for power-users who use virtual machines frequently* Improved screen (144Hz vs. 120Hz); also, anecdotally, it appears that the color reproduction on the new model's panel is better* Rearranged keyboard layout, finally adding a Print Screen key (which was a huge omission from the previous model)* The screen hinges now allow it to move further back, which although it may seem like not a big deal is definitely an improvement in usability* The insanely bright red LEDs that shine out the back of the closing bottom portion are finally disableable in software! These things can blind someone sitting opposite you (seriously, it's insane), so this actually warrants being on the list of Pros.Cons:* Price (obviously)* The construction of the hinged bottom portion still feels weak: it flexes easily, and is definitely the lowest-quality-feeling part of the build* Fans are (anecdotally) louder than the previous model, and spin up more readily* If it's anything like the previous model, the top exterior panel will scratch extremely easily. I take pretty good care of my computers, and my older model is very badly scratched despite very infrequently being in my padded laptop bag. Asus, if you're listening, please improve the scratch resistance of the chassis.* The backbleed on the panel is pretty bad in the bottom-left corner of my unit. Compared to my last-gen unit, the bleed is overall improved, but the bottom left corner is particularly bad (noticeable even when displaying colors - not just blacks)* The driver situation after reformatting has thus far been subpar. Asus' website doesn't distinguish between models very well (GI? VSK? VIK? None of these match the model printed on the sticker on the bottom, but by process of elimination I can presume the most recently added - GI - is the correct one). Some of the drivers, such as the touchpad driver, fail to install because Asus didn't bundle the necessary dependencies (Visual C++ 2013 redistributable). There doesn't seem to be a way to reinstall the Aura software, and when I installed the generic one on their Aura landing page, it just crashes and uploads a memory dump to their website (without my confirmation, and where you can see all the other memdumps of users who have had their Aura software crash!) My experience with Asus has always been great hardware and substandard software, but this is a whole new level.Inconsequential:* The color of the band around the chamfer has changed, from a bronze to a rose-gold* The hotkeys have been rearranged on the keyboard* The grille (where the keyboard would normally be) picks up dirt extremely easily, with no obvious way to clean it. This doesn't really affect performance or anything, but it makes the laptop look dirty (because it is).* The placement of the keyboard and touchpad are "weird". Personally, I prefer them, but you definitely catch people's attention when you take it out in a meeting.I've attached some photos of the previous model (left) and current model (right) in some 3DMark benchmarks.Overall, I would very much recommend this laptop to those who can stomach the nearly $3000 price.

You can expect the same power and build quality from 7th gen GX501. This is a gaming beast.I am only going to talk the negative side of this 8th gen GX501.1. Coil whine happens in my unit from CPU side, loud and audible even from 4 feet away.2. Speaker is not distorted anymore, but with uneven volume. The speakers are not completely controlled by windows volume setting. The volume of speakers are going to be extremely loud or small. Very unpleasant when watching video, because your hearing is not constant. I do not know how to explain this problem more clearly to you guys, but just be aware.3. RGB lighting on this keyboard is still weak. Please use per key RGB lighting effect on your future products. Keys do not registered unless you press all the way down. I missed some key presses during gaming.4. Battery drains while gaming. When playing PUBG for like 3 to 4 hours, the battery keeps going down below 80 percent. This happens when I use "Overboost" mode in rog gaming center. During "balanced" mode, the battery will go down to 90 percent.

This is the worst value computer purchase I've ever made, and I'm mad at spending this much on an inadequate laptop. There are better products for the money.Pros:• Fast• Aesthetically pleasing• Good performance for gaming and other work, though you’ll want to be plugged in and need speakers/headphones. Monitor is highly preferred.• That's it.Cons:• Battery is awful. Lots of people defending it because “y’know it’s performance,” but seriously it dies within about an hour, up to 90 minutes of very casual use. One hour gaming max. No plug on your plane and want to do work? Too bad! It also warns you it will die soon and shuts off within a minute. Not exaggerating on the above numbers – it’s the worst behaving battery I’ve see in modern electronics, and it makes this “laptop” virtually unusable without the plug. You can’t expect to use it reliably without dying for even short periods of time.• Screen is terrible for this much money – just low quality, poor lighting, difficult to see• Randomly kicks on INCREDIBLY loud fans - loudest laptop I've ever heard• Speakers are obviously made from tin cans and sound awful. You’ll never want to game without headphones or a speaker• It's bulkier than it needs to be (and so is the power adapter) - barely fits in a backpack designed for laptops this size. Lots of wasted real estate north of the keyboard which is scrunched in favor of… nothing? Vents?• Hinges and opening bottom panel feel flimsy – to be fair they haven’t broken on me yet, but you can tell it’s a matter of time• There is some horrific, incredibly bright side lighting that comes on by default – you can turn it off but it was really difficult to figure out how. To save you time if you made the mistake of buying this laptop, search ROG Aero Core in Windows and turn off “Aero Light”. Why they spent money and space putting in lighting that will blind people around you or light up a dark room is anyone’s guess.They bought a few good core components (graphics card, proc, memory), went ultra-cheap on everything else (battery, screen, build), then charged you like everything is high end. Spend your money elsewhere – this is my last Asus laptop despite using them for plenty of other things like MoBos and monitors.Bought Dec. 2018 and used for nearly a year at time of this review.