The 17.3-inch screen has a matte finish, a 144Hz panel, 3ms response time and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Price: Rs 3,49,990 Rating: ****
Specifications: 17.3-inch IPS 144Hz display, 1920 x 1080 pixels, 8th generation Intel Core i7, Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU with 8GB dedicated VRAM, 24GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, 2 x 2.5W speakers, 2 x USB Type-C ports, 3 x USB 3.0 ports, HDMI out, 3.5mm combo jack, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, Windows 10 Home, 2.7kg
Pros: Sleek design for a 17-inch gaming laptop, great screen with slim bezels, top-of-the-line specs, seamless performance even at ultra-settings, loud speakers, plethora of ports, bundled gaming mouse and camera
Cons: Lack of palmrest takes time to get used to, off centre trackpad placement, small trackpad, expensive compared to competition for the same specifications, no 4k display option
ROG or Republic of Gamers by Asus is one of the few gaming focused brands that keeps updating its catalogue. ROG has recently launched the latest Zephyrus S GX 701 in India — this is their best and most expensive gaming laptop.
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With the Zephyrus, Asus has experimented with a new design and this is evident as soon as you lay eyes on it. Gone are the thick bezels — it has sleek bezels on top and both sides. The bezel is so thin that there is no space to put a front camera on the machine. That’s why Asus bundles an external camera in the box that can be attached for the times you need it. The second big change is with keyboard placement.
Battery life ranges between 3 to 4 hours with general usage and down to 2.5-3 hours with gaming. The keyboard is now placed low, where the trackpad usually is. Above the keyboard is a designer finish pattern with glowing ROG logo in the center. Asus claims this design helps with cooling as the laptop draws in more cool air from the top while the heat dissipates from the side and rear vents. Personally, we found the setup to be odd and took a while to get accustomed to it. Moving the keyboard down means that there is no palmrest. Second, the trackpad has been moved to the right of the keyboard and while that doesn’t take too long to get used to, we did feel that the size of the trackpad was too small for comfort.
Being a gaming laptop, it comes with its share of bells and whistles too. You get a solid magnesium alloy body with backlit logo on the lid, keyboard and on the bundled gaming mouse. You can customize these colours or choose various effects for the lights. What impressed us most was the compact size of the laptop. Coming in at 2.7kg, this is one of the lightest 17-inch gaming laptops we have seen. In addition, overall dimensions are about the same as a 15.6-inch laptop. These are the things you’re paying a premium for on this machine.
The 17.3-inch screen has a matte finish, a 144Hz panel, 3ms response time and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. In addition to all this, it is also Pantone-certified which means you get to see more accurate colours. Problem is, unless you compare it with a non-pantone display, you will not be able to tell the difference. While we liked the screen for its vibrancy and brightness, we do feel that it should have had a 4k screen. This would have made the laptop an easy choice for gamers as well as photo/video editors. That being said, 144Hz refesh rate is a big differentiator and makes a huge difference to gaming.
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You get a solid magnesium alloy body with backlit logo on the lid, keyboard and on the bundled gaming mouse. Specifications are top-notch: 8th gen Intel Core i7, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD and the latest Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU. We were able to play PUBG, Crackdown 3 and Apex Legends at the highest graphic settings with ease. We didn’t see any frame drops or lags/sluggishness of any kind. The only issue we faced is that the cooling fans kick in at full speed and become noisy after about 35 minutes of gaming. Battery life ranges between 3 to 4 hours with general usage and down to 2.5-3 hours with gaming.
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We really liked the volume control wheel on the side, fantastic speaker output with good amount of bass, loads of software features to fine tune the performance and support for DC charging as well as USB Type-C charging.
So is this the best gaming laptop one could buy today? If performance is important, then probably not. The newly launched Dell Area 51-m with modular CPU and GPU gives you an 8th gen Intel Core i9, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD + 1TB Hybrid drive and RTX 2080 for roughly the same price (Rs 3,58,236 approx.) but keep in mind that it’s a hefty 3.7kg.
Not all innovative tech is launched by big brands. Crowdfunding is a great way that small companies with big ideas can get the cash they need to get started.
ET rounds up some of his current favourites.
Not all innovative tech is launched by big brands. Crowdfunding is a great way that small companies with big ideas can get the cash they need to get started.ET rounds up some of his current favourite..
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A multi-screen computer setup offers several advantages for work and play. This is easy to do in your home or at the office but what about when you’re travelling or working out of a café? For such instances, Taihe Gemini is a portable 15.6-inch touchscreen display which weighs just 900 grams. You can get it in full HD (touchscreen) or 4K (non touch) resolution and it has a metal kickstand design to prop up at any viewing angle. Depending on the version you choose, it can have HDMI, USB Type-C, mini DisplayPort, 3.5mm audio and multiple USB ports (UHD variant only) for connectivity. You don’t have to worry about power because the Gemini has a built-in battery for up to 5 hours of backup. You can use it in landscape or portrait mode with your laptop, phone or console in mirror mode or as a second display. It’s currently on Kickstarter and the full HD variant is for US$ 219 while the 4K variant is US$ 299 with shipping estimated to begin in May 2019.
(Image: www.kickstarter.com)
A multi-screen computer setup offers several advantages for work and play. This is easy to do in your home or at the office but what about when you’re travelling or working out of a café? For such i..
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(Image: www.kickstarter.com)
Only when you get a good laptop stand will you realize the difference it makes in terms of ergonomics. Trouble is, laptop stands are large and heavy — you don’t really want to add that weight to you..
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(Image: www.kickstarter.com)
It may look like a fat whiteboard marker but Zanco’s Smart Pen is actually several devices in one. They claim it’s the world’s thinnest mobile phone (it’s a feature phone but has a 0.96-inch colour ..
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(Image: www.piqoprojector.com)
If you want a 100-inch or larger screen using a projector, you would need one of those heavy, bulky devices that consume a lot of power. The Piqo pocket projector changes this notion by projecting a ..
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(Image: www.indiegogo.com)
With mobile gaming on an all-time high (thanks to games like PUBG), there is a lot of interest in smartphone gaming accessories. There are gaming docks and controllers available, but nothing looks q..
