The new laptop provides two processor choices: the quad-core Intel Core i7-6700HQ and the quad-core Intel Core i5-6300HQ. However, the laptop only provides one discrete graphics chip option: Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 960M with either 2GB or 4GB of GDDR5 dedicated video memory. This local memory allows the graphics chip to thrash around large textures without having to send them all to the laptop’s system memory.
On the connectivity front, this new laptop packs one USB 3.1 Type-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, an Ethernet jack, an audio combo jack, and a two-in-one SD card reader. Customers can option for dual-band Wireless N or dual-band Wireless AC wireless networking along with Bluetooth 4.0. This laptop even comes with a backlit chiclet keyboard with anti-ghosting and a 30-key rollover.
“ROG Strix GL553VW laptop features a specially-designed gaming keyboard with red backlighting and scissor-switch keys with 2.5mm travel distance for tactile, responsive keystrokes,” the company said on Friday. “The keyboard also features highlighted WASD keys, a larger space bar and isolated arrow keys. Anti-ghosting technology with 30-key rollover provides precise control and input during intense gaming sessions.”
The new Strix laptop’s 15.6-inch screen has a native resolution of 1,920 by 1,080, and comes in IPS and TN panel flavors. The TN panel is older technology and supposedly great for gaming given that these screens can be super bright. However, IPS panels provide better colors and better viewing angles up to 178 degrees, meaning the screen and colors remain mostly unchanged when viewed at “extreme” positions.
As for that Cooling Overboost technology, this allows customers to manually adjust the laptop’s fan speeds. It also consists of what the company calls “an intelligent thermal design” which likely comprises of super conductive heat pipes that make contact with the processor and graphics chip, and carries all that generated heat away to a set of streamlined cooling fins mounted to the left and right of the battery. These fin sets are thus cooled off by an asymmetrical fan on each side, blowing the heat out through vents mounted on the back of the laptop.
The new ROG laptop also includes the company’s GameFirst III technology that prioritizes game packets when playing on the network or the Internet, setting aside more bandwidth when the laptop’s network settings are set to Gaming Mode. This technology can be manually set to prioritize streaming media, sharing files, or to optimize the laptop’s network traffic overall as well.
Finally, the laptop supports up to 32GB of DDR4 system memory clocked at 2,133MHz. On the storage front, it can include a 2.5-inch hard drive (1TB or 2TB), a 2.5-inch SSD (128GB or 256GB), or a PCIe x4 SSD (256GB or 512GB). Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Professional comes pre-installed.
As always, Asus doesn’t provide a price range for the new laptop. However, serious PC gamers wanting a powerhouse on the go may want to shy away from the GTX 960M chip in this model and set their sights on the company’s gaming laptops with Nvidia GTX 10-Series graphics chips instead … if the budget allows, that is.
