Asus ROG G752 review

A hefty, punchy mobile PC gaming powerhouse

Asus ROG G752VT

TechRadar Verdict

This top-spec portable PC gaming beast offers plenty of power, and its stand-out looks and specialist cooling system make it a machine to be reckoned with – plus it's actually quite a value, too.

Pros

  • +

    Top-end specs and performance

  • +

    Distinguished design

  • +

    G-Sync tech for smooth play

Cons

  • -

    Very weighty machine

  • -

    Poor battery life

  • -

    No 4K screen

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Once all but a misnomer, today there are more gaming notebooks to choose from than ever. While the trend lately has favored more more svelte and understated gaming laptops, machines packing a big screen and big performance haven't gone anywhere.

Asus's enthusiast gamer hardware and accessory line, Republic of Gamers (ROG), includes a range of ROG PCs and laptops packing the latest performance hardware into distinct chassis and frames that are aimed to stand out.

Following last year's highly-praised Asus ROG G751, the Asus ROG G752 is another portable PC gaming beast that features a distinctive design and plenty of oomph to run even the most demanding of PC games at the highest settings.

Asus ROG G752

Although this 17.3-inch monster is available in a variety of high-end configurations, the model sent to techradar for review (a G752VT, specifically) features an Intel Skylake, 2.6GHz quad-core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) alongside 1TB of hard disk storage, and a super-fast GeForce GTX 970M graphics card with 3GB of video memory.

With beefy specifications and Asus's renowned build quality in tow, there's a lot to like about this massive machine, coupled with a few surprises along the way.

Design

While it was an early adopter of matte black plastic, Asus has more recently been swamped by gaming laptops with a very similar aesthetic. With the ROG G752, the company has clearly decided to change tact and head in a direction of its own that is dominated by silver and bronze – a color combination that's rather distinct, and effortlessly alludes to the power concealed within.

Asus ROG G752

Much of the outside is covered in brushed aluminium that makes the G752 feel well-made and a little classier than if it was simply silver-sprayed plastic. Angular lines and masculine glowing red segments on the lid make the G752 stand-out from more sedate gaming notebooks, such as the superb 2015 Razer Blade.

The rear fan grille looks like something you'd be more likely to find on a prototype super car at the Geneva Motor Show than a mass-produced gaming laptop. There are even some cool red LEDs nestled inside the grille that make it look like a red-hot exhaust.

Lift the lid, and you're met with a markedly less impressive interior, which retains portions of the angular design and bronze accents, but mixes them with black matte plastic in a rather jumbled fashion. Personally we would have preferred to see the clean angular lines carried on inside, rather than the assortment of angles that looks a little over-the-top.

Although there is, of course, a large number of components to cram into the G752 notebook, we cannot help but think that the bezels that surround the 17.3-inch screen are a little unforgivable when compared to the smaller Aorus X3 Plus v3 or even last year's Asus ROG G751.

Asus ROG G752VT keys

The excellent, chiclet-style keyboard is well-spaced and responsive, and features Asus's anti-ghosting keyboard technology. A dedicated recording key and five programmable macro keys are located above the keyboard, which can be setup to provide speedy access to preset functions in-game – a very handy addition for dedicated gamers.

Red backlighting is no change from last year's model, and so feels a little out of place next to the silver and bronze shell. But – if nothing else – it's less distracting than some of the blinding blue backlights other manufacturers insist upon.

The trackpad is smooth, large and equally responsive, and – while it won't replace a precision mouse for many gamers – it's a good substitute for slower-paced RTS gaming and general use.

Asus ROG G752VT trackpad

Whether you are looking to play on a bigger screen or plug in a plethora of peripherals, the G752 has a full brace of ports.

Both mini DisplayPort and HDMI are here, plus four USB 3.0 ports, RJ-45 LAN, audio in/out and a combo audio jack with SPDIF. There's also a USB 3.1 Type-C port that allows for super-fast data transfers to compatible hard drives, smartphones and no doubt much more once this input/output standard becomes more widely adopted.