In the distant previous of 4 or so years in the past, shopping for a gaming laptop was merely a cooler, sexier approach of claiming you’re getting a desktop alternative. They had been enormous, monstrous nice issues with typically chunky, off-the-shelf chassis shells that may break your again nearly as quickly as you clapped eyes on one. That’s simply the way in which issues had been.
Then, within the hallowed 12 months of 2016, Nvidia introduced that not solely had been they bringing their GTX 10-series of graphics playing cards to laptops, however that these hulking gaming slabs of yore would lastly, lastly appear like ‘normal’ notebooks. Ones you would pop in a bag and never routinely cripple your self with a slipped disc; ones you wouldn’t be embarrassed about getting out on the airport or on the prepare; ones that, you already know, truly functioned like laptops are presupposed to. And throughout that point we’ve seen some very good gaming laptops certainly, from the Razer Blade 2018 to the Alienware 13. But none, I dare say, come near matching the Asus ROG Zephyrus S, which is, by someplace within the tough area of 0.00511232347mm, the world’s slimmest gaming laptop computer so far. Let’s have a look.
Measuring a mere 14.95mm at its thinnest level (and 15.75mm at its thickest), the Zephyrus S is the even titchier follow-up to final 12 months’s laptop computer of the identical title, now with an additional ‘S’ (presumably for ‘super slim’ or one thing). Indeed, should you’re the sort of one that likes percentages, Asus had been eager to level out throughout my arms on demo session that this 12 months’s Zephyrus is 12% slimmer than its predecessor. It’s not simply the laptop computer’s total thickness that’s been given the squeeze, both, as Asus have additionally shaved off some further bulk across the laptop computer’s 15.6in show, successfully stuffing all the pieces into what would ordinarily be a 14.2in chassis.
This sort of belt-tightening isn’t uncommon nowadays, after all, and ultra-slim laptop computer makers have been doing this form of factor for years. Still, it’s a welcome growth nonetheless in a laptop computer reminiscent of this, significantly when its all-metal chassis makes it really feel beautiful and funky to the contact. It’s nonetheless an oblong slab, however one that appears and feels each little bit of its £2000 worth.
Yes, the Zephyrus S isn’t low cost. But a big a part of that – constructing supplies and fancy new warmth pipes and cooling innards apart – comes from what’s packed inside it. There will technically be two configurations accessible when it launches in mid-October, with extra spec refreshes in early 2019 (I believe you’ll be able to in all probability guess why *cough*Nvidia Turing*cough*), however the one arriving within the UK will include the spec listed beneath. There can even be a US unique spec that provides a Max-Q Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 chip to the combination for $2500, however in any other case you’re trying on the similar processor, show, RAM and NVMe SSD.
Zephyrus S GX531 UK specification:
Price: From £2000
Weight: 2.1kg
CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H
RAM: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB)
Display: 15.6in 1920×1080 AHVA panel, 144Hz, 3ms response
Storage: 512GB SSD
Of course, a 6GB GTX 1060 may not sound very highly effective contemplating its worth, however when the show solely has a 1920×1080 decision, you actually don’t want something extra should you’re after 60fps at max settings. You will, in all probability, have to decrease the settings barely if you wish to take full benefit of its 144Hz refresh fee (which, by the way in which, has been elevated from the 120Hz refresh fee discovered on final 12 months’s mannequin), however I believe you’d solely want to do that on beefier video games which are significantly graphics intensive. Competitive video games which are typically much less demanding will in all probability be fantastic, however we’ll have to attend and see the way it fares as soon as I get one in for some correct testing.
Asus additionally declare that the laptop computer’s AHVA panel will cowl 100% of the sRGB color gamut. Again, there’s no technique to inform how correct that’s till I can plonk my very own calibrator on it to double test, however I have to admit that I wasn’t overly wowed by the display in my arms on demo session. Colours seemed okay, however didn’t precisely blow me away with their vibrant depth, so I’ll have an interest to see if Asus’ declare holds up as soon as I get one in for testing. The mannequin I used to be was a prototype, admittedly, so issues might properly get tuned up between now and launch.
It’s additionally laborious to evaluate how a lot noise the Zehpyrus S will make underneath load, however at the least Asus have a couple of methods up their sleeve to attempt to mitigate any potential lift-off situations. Borrowed from the unique Zephyrus, opening the laptop computer lid will open a cheeky little vent around the again the place it will possibly draw in additional air. Asus have additionally added an additional vent on the best hand aspect of the laptop computer that brings air by means of the keyboard, and its twin followers now have 83 blade apiece – that’s 17% greater than final 12 months.
As you’ve in all probability observed, the Zephyrus S’ keyboard has been shunted down the entrance, permitting it to get all good and cosy with its squished contact pad that doubles up as an LED quantity pad. This is to assist facilitate the laptop computer’s cooling ins and outs even additional, giving Asus extra room to bung in further warmth pipes. Indeed, there are 5 warmth pipes in whole which are pulling sizzling air away from the CPU and GPU, and Asus even confirmed me cut-open variations of the person elements to indicate me how they labored and sat contained in the laptop computer – think about a sort of sideways determine of eight with two devoted heatsinks for the CPU and GPU in the midst of every circle above the keyboard and also you’ll have some concept about what’s occurring in there.
It actually seems spectacular, however when all you’re introduced with is the Windows 10 desktop, it’s laborious to say how efficient they’ll be in follow while you’re Super Shotgun-ing Doom demons within the face. You will, nevertheless, have three keyboard shortcuts to assist in giving the followers an additional enhance, nevertheless, together with an Overboost mode for optimum efficiency, a Silent mode, and a Balanced mode that lies someplace between the 2.
Being an Asus laptop computer, the keyboard is (yep, you guessed it) totally RGB and Aura Sync suitable, so you’ll be able to jazz it up nevertheless you want and have that very same jazzy lighting scheme play out over another Asus Aura Sync units you occur to have in your gaming assortment. It’s fairly nice to kind on, too, though I’ll need to see how its decrease place feels over longer intervals of time as soon as I can spend a bit extra time with it.
One factor I’m significantly trying ahead to making an attempt out are the front-facing audio system nestled within the laptop computer’s hinge which were angled to blast the Zephyrus S’ sound straight in your face. Normally, laptop computer audio system are inclined to get caught on the underside of the chassis and all of the sound finally ends up being pumped into your desk, leaving the remainder of it sounding a bit skinny and tinny. I imply, laptop computer audio system are typically skinny and tinny anyway and also you’ll nearly actually be desirous to plug in a headset no matter whether or not they’re any good or not, but when they show to be even half-way first rate I’ll be fairly impressed.
Despite its small dimensions, you continue to get a good variety of ports on the Zephyrus S as properly, together with two full-sized HDMI 2.Zero outputs. That might be useful should you’re planning on utilizing it with a VR headset, as an illustration, however even should you’re solely going to attach it to an exterior show, at the least the rear-facing HDMI port means you’ll be able to maintain your cables good and tidy within the course of. You additionally get three USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C ports as properly, plus a mixed headphone and microphone jack.
All in all, the Asus ROG Zephyrus S seems as if it could possibly be a really tempting bundle certainly. Rather a lot will relaxation on the way it performs as soon as I get it in for some correct testing, after all, however as somebody whose ailing Dell XPS 13 appears to have boiled throughout the summer time warmth wave and now appears to be on its final legs, one thing just like the Zephyrus S might properly be the way in which ahead. On the entire, it seems fairly good and smart, its design isn’t significantly shouty about its gaming laptop computer credentials (glowing blue rear vent apart), and it’s skinny and light-weight sufficient that it in all probability wouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a large ache within the again (aspect) for carting spherical expertise conferences all day.
Of course, there’s that slight drawback that the most effective variations of the Zephyrus S received’t truly be those arriving in October, so even when it finally ends up being the best laptop computer of all time after I come to overview it, I in all probability wouldn’t advise shopping for one instantly anyway, which is form of a disgrace. At the second, all Asus have informed me is that the brand new ones might be arriving early subsequent 12 months, so who is aware of how lengthy they’ll take to truly get right here. Still, should you’re keen to play the lengthy recreation on this one, the Zephyrus S is unquestionably one to observe.
