Forget the term “laptop”, because the latest computer from Asus isn’t something you’ll ever want to hold on your legs.
One of Alienware’s largest rivals now has something that truly sets it up as large, and possibly even in charge, with a massive new gaming system that is definitely designed to catch glances, and now just catch them but trap them, tie them, and show them off.
The machine doing all of this is the GX700, a new gaming computer set to land in Australia from mid-March and offering a spec list that looks to be pretty much made for gaming, with a weight and design that pretty much guarantees nobody is taking this with them on the bus.
Let’s start with that weight, because the GX700 weighs 3.6 kilograms by itself, making it a heavy laptop, though one packed with the features.
You’ll find an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, paired with 32GB RAM with a possibility of 64GB if you’re keen to upgrade it to that.
A large dose of memory and a spectacularly fast processor is only one part of the equation for high-end speed, which is what the GX700 is all about, and Asus is making sure the storage can handle its own too, with two 256GB M2 NVMe sticks of storage running in RAID providing super slick transfer speeds, similar to what we found was possible when Samsung first launched the technology in September of last year.
We’re taking at least twice the speed of a standard solid-state drive, and then some, which should be more than enough for games.
In fact, it’s clear that games are the target here with an 8GB graphics card built into the body providing a GeForce GTX 980 to work with that massive amount of memory, but if the massive video card and decent isn’t enough, Asus is bringing something else to the table.
While it’s not required to make the GX700 work, if you plan on pushing the computer even harder, you can add in the Asus Republic of Gamers Hydro Overclocking System, which is basically a massive block that attaches to the back of the laptop and provides a liquid-cooling mechanism to keep the overlocked components nice and cool.
This section, mind you, is heavier than the laptop itself, tipping the scales at 4.8 kilograms and pretty much guaranteeing that you will never try to sit this laptop on your lap.
In action, the Hydro system won’t hurt increase the processor speed, because memory speed will also go up, increasing performance, too.
You’ll also find a fair amount of ports on the laptop — not the overclocking section — with three USB 3.0 ports, one Type C USB 3.1 port, one Mini DisplayPort, and even a separate ThunderBolt 3 port, surprising since the last three of these can generally be merged, though it appears Asus isn’t doing that for the GX700.
WiFi is set to 802.11ac for this computer, and even the keyboard has been made to take up to 30 keystrokes at once, meaning the computer won’t struggle to decide which keys you’re pressing when the action is intense.
All of this adds up to a box that feels like it was made for people who demand high performance, which is what the specs read like, even if the screen is a tad underwhelming, with Asus opting for a 17.3 inch Full HD 1920×1080 screen instead of something higher profile like a 17.3 inch 4K Ultra HD 3840×2160 screen, which is an option in other parts of the world, just not ours.
If you can live without the ultra high-res screen, you’ll find the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) GX700 in stores March for a recommended retail price of $7999.
Yes, that’s almost a grand for each kilogram of weight.
