High-end gaming laptops are becoming indistinguishable apart from their usually gaudy branding. They offer much the same specifications – usually an Intel i7 paired with an Nvidia GTX 1080 for the best in on-the-go PC gaming.
Asus is showing off its new ROG Chimera gaming laptop at IFA Berlin. Yes it’s yet another great hulking mass of a thing, with a brushed aluminium exterior, massive air vents and clean angular lines – but it has a trick or two up its sleeve.
It’s the first laptop to have a 17.3 inch 144Hz screen (they usually cap out at 120Hz), which coupled with Nvidia’s G-Synch technology, should result in a gaming experience that’s deliciously smooth. ASUS says the panel has a 7ms grey-to-grey response time, which is decent. The machine also packs an unlocked Intel Core i7-7820HK CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, so it definitely means business. You can expect that ASUS will flout its VR readiness.
Because of its bulky size, it’s a safe bet that the system wasn’t designed with Nvidia’s Max-Q technology in mind, so it eschews the power/size balance for pure beefiness. That’s a probably a smart move, as it means making full use of the 1080, to take full advantage of the 144Hz panel
Its other neat trick is that it has the Xbox Wireless Adapter built right in, so you can connect Xbox controllers wirelessly without having a stupid dongle sticking out of the side of the thing.
ASUS hasn’t revealed the full range of specs, its release date, or – importantly – its price. Right now, they’re just happy to type “first!” in the YouTube comments.
Last Updated: August 31, 2017
VampyreSquirrel
August 31, 2017 at 09:38
Asus… *shudder*
Original Heretic
August 31, 2017 at 10:12
My anus is also shuddering.
EDIT: Wait….
miaau
August 31, 2017 at 10:21
My brother in law used to fix laptops at a very large IT reseller. He told me once that he hardly knows ASUS and Gigabyte, from a repair perspective, but that he can take apart most Acer laptops with his eyes closed.
VampyreSquirrel
August 31, 2017 at 11:15
I worked for the laptop repairs department at Mustek, so know Mecer and Toshiba really well. I’ve worked on Asus, Dell, HP, Gigabyte (and more) since then, and have had terrible experiences with every single one depending on the model and design.
Just have a client with 3 Asus machines… 1 ROG desktop, 1 mini laptop, and 1 ROG laptop… have had issues with every single machine. And as a side note, if the battery is inside the machine then you HAVE to send it in for replacement, and that takes 2 weeks if you’re lucky.
miaau
August 31, 2017 at 11:21
Hmm, important notes to remember…
So, my wanting to buy the FX7 series…. you reckon something else? If not, then what?
I love Dell laptops, but the price for the same spec as the Asus is just off putting
VampyreSquirrel
August 31, 2017 at 12:08
Entirely up to you for what you want. Just remember that it’s best to have a removable battery, a 3 yr next business day on site warranty (if possible), and dual graphics cards = not great.
If you’re on a carry in warranty, you’re going to Ensure IT, Rectron or Partserve (most of the time), and you’re going to be waiting 2 weeks either way.
miaau
August 31, 2017 at 12:16
Yeah, the Dell Laptops work out for me, cause I phone, the next day they are at my office and repair / replace.
But the purchase price now is > R30K, where a better spec Asus is just under R20k
Admiral Chief
August 31, 2017 at 09:48
http://www.pootsandtoots.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/cartman.jpg
miaau
August 31, 2017 at 10:19
Asus laptops are, for me, the best value for money right now. New hardware, new tech, complete package. Looked at others, new CPU, with older graphics or motherboard.
I am so frustrated.
I want to buy an Asus FX7 series, 17.3 ” with the 1050 TI 4gb card. I can afford to pay for it. Then my wife points out: Must pay penalty fee for changing medical aids, must be on 3 month exclusion at new medical aid (which means for the rest of the year all expenses must be paid), must repair swimming pool pump for the summer season, child has to attend medical treatment at least once a week for the next two months…, child starting violin lessons (at 3.5 years, but her mother plays, so she LOVES it)
So. Real life getting in the way AGAIN. I WANT I WANT.
I just wanted to share my huge frustration. My current laptop, Dell XPS, is now about 7 years old, still works, mostly, but is giving more and more issues. So I will have to replace when it dies only…..
Company cannot, for various reasons, buy me a new laptop at the moment either, so that option is out.
I think I have a serious case of FOMO.