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There aren't too many surprises about the Asus GL551. It checks off all the boxes you'd expect from gaming laptops without breaking the bank. Despite the value-packed price, this laptop isn't lacking in power at all. It performs admirably playing just about any title on medium to high settings.
We liked
Going back to the Asus GL551's gaming performance, it has a lot of power to spread around. I was able to play Metro 2033 Redux Edition at a nearly steady 60 fps with the game turned up to "Very High" settings, plus a bit of additional tessellation and v-sync.
Gamers will run into a bit more resistance trying to play more strenuous games like Wolfenstein and Battlefield 4. But a bit of careful massaging will allow you to play these titles at 30 to 40 fps.
The Asus GL551 isn't the best looking gaming laptop around, however, it's mostly a joy to use and that's what really matters. The solid metal keyboard deck and palm rests is a solid platform for gamers to tap and click on well into the wee hours of the night.
Plus the notebook comes with a decent set of tweeters. That saves you from having to invest in a headset to hear all of the splashy in-game explosions.
We disliked
Sadly, my biggest (and only) hangup with the Asus GL551 is it's downright awful display. While the screen is the singular issue I have with the laptop, it's a crucial one. This is the very display you will be looking at day in and day out, and for this reason, I can't wholeheartedly recommend it sight unseen.
I would highly suggest you check out this laptop in person before buying it, just to see if it's something you can eventually get used to. Of course, there's also the option to purchase an external monitor.
In my own testing, the GL551 had no problem outputting to a 27-inch 1080p screen through HDMI. But this sort of solution really defeats the purpose of such a device.
Final verdict
Save for the display, the Asus GL551 is a sweet package for its $1,099 price tag. Nothing about this portable rig screams budget machine. In fact, there's much more apparent Republic of Gamers branding, if anything. For the price, the GL551 delivers above average gaming performance with plenty of oomph to get gamers through the sooty plains of Mordor or the heavy metal war of Titanfall.
Even with the subpar screen, I would suggest you pick the Asus GL551 over the Lenovo Y50. Having reviewed both laptops, I can say they share similarly terrible displays, and the only thing the Y50 has going for it is its brushed aluminum body. Meanwhile, the Asus machine ekes out just as much performance for a matching price, with a better battery life to boot.
For the same reasons, I would also suggest you pick up the GL551 over the Maingear Pulse 14, unless you absolutely need a 14-inch gaming laptop. For now, the Asus GL551 is the best and most affordable entry level gaming laptop available.
