Max-Q laptops have been coming out of the woodwork since Nvidia announced the new spec at Computex 2017, but the Asus ROG Zephyrus looks like the most impressive of them all.
We've now had time with this awesome device, so make sure you check out our Asus ROG Zephyrus hands on review to find out what we think.
At just 17.9mm (0.7-inches) thick, the 15-inch Zephyrus might be no taller than an American 10-cent coin but it packs an overclockable Nvidia GTX 1080 inside. This is only possible thanks to engineering tweaks Nvidia has made to its GPU and Asus’ efficient cooling system.
The coolest part (both literally and figuratively) of the Asus ROG Zephyrus is its Active Aerodynamic System, which drops down part of the laptop’s underside to raise the machine at a slight angle and reveal an exhaust vent.
Asus claims this mechanism helps increase the air-flow volume by 20%, fixing a common problem with thin-and-light laptops choking on thin vents. All the while, the Zephyrus stays relatively quiet and shouldn’t get over 42 decibels even while running the most demanding games.
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Another feature of the Zephyrus is that the keyboard has been positioned towards the front of the laptop – similar to the design of the Acer Predator Triton 700 we saw recently – and this also helps with cooling.
Despite the awkward positioning, the laptop's lower stance actually makes it comfortable to use on a table, though using it on your lap will be a different experience.
The trackpad, meanwhile, sits to the right of the keyboard and can be toggled into a virtual number pad, something we saw first on the MSI GT80 Titan.
Aside from the Nvidia GTX 1080, the Zephyrus' other specs include an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, 256/512GB or 1TB SSD storage options. The screen also looks looks like an impressive offering, with a Full HD panel that supports both G-Sync and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus will release by the end of June with an Nvidia GTX 1080-powered model for $2,699 (about £2,110, AU$3,080). Meanwhile, an Nvidia GTX 1070-equipped variant will release in July for $2,299 (about £1,790, AU$3,620).
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