ASUS ROG Debuts An Even More Affordable Zephyrus Laptop
Ron Perillo / 6 years ago
An Even More Affordable Zephyrus Laptop
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus gaming laptop is one of the most sought after in the market. With good reason. Not only does it look good, but it also boasts outstanding performance. The base model starts at $2199 but the fully loaded Zephyrus M GM501 can cost up to $5349. This is meant to be the affordable version of the original Zephyrus GX501V, but it can be out of reach for most gamers.
Now the same compact size of the Zephyrus is available in an even more affordable ASUS ROG GU501 laptop. Obviously, ASUS had to make some cut backs in order to drive the price down. Instead of a GTX 1070 like the GM501, the GU501 comes with a GTX 1060 GPU. This is not the Max-Q version either, but a full-fledged GeForce GTX 1060 6GB. Furthermore, it trades the base option of a 15.6″ full HD 144Hz IPS panel with a 120Hz TN display. In terms of connectivity, it has a USB Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 2, and 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports.
One more notable change is the absence of the special cooling construction shared by the Zephyrus GM501 and its predecessor the Zephyrus GX501V. This cooling system opens up the backside whenever users open the lid, enabling more air to be drawn in. Since the GTX 1060 uses much less energy at only around ~80W, it can operate without throttling even without the extra cooling system. In comparison, the GTX 1080 Max-Q of the Zephyrus GX501V is around ~150W, and the GTX 1070 Max-Q is around ~115W.
Otherwise, the new ROG Zephyrus GU501 remains relatively just as compact. Measuring just 384 x 262 and is only 17.8mm thick, while weighing in at 2.5 kg.
How Much is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus GU501?
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus GU501 gaming laptop has a starting price of only $1299 according to LaptopMedia. This configuration comes with 8GB of RAM as well as a 1TB HDD for storage (+256GB SSD optional). It also packs an Intel Core i7-8750H for the CPU and is upgradeable to 16G of RAM.
