ASUS ROG GL703G 144Hz G-Sync Gaming Laptop Review

A Closer Look

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The exterior surface of the laptop is a fantastic metallic colour. The front rippled effect is a nice design choice albeit it did initially confuse me as to which way it opens. The view from the image below is actually from the rear, not the front. The ROG logo is excellent in silver as well as the full name lightly at the edge.

Upon opening it up, the laptop has a nice clean presentation. Everything is exactly where you would expect and the addition of a full number pad to the keyboard is nice. The laptop has a small webcam which is discreetly located above that fantastic 144hz screen and although we didn’t test it persay, the quality was nice and crisp.

Left Side Panel

The left side panel is what you might call the primary ‘business end’ in terms of ports. Here you will find the power input, the ethernet adaptor, micro DisplayPort adaptor, HDMI port and 2 USB 3.1 ports. In addition, you will also find an output audio port. It is a little unusual that it includes an output for audio but not an input for a microphone. Given that so many headsets these days run on USB (including the one that was provided in this bundle) that’s not unusual or indeed unexpected.

Given that the laptop does have a built-in microphone through the inclusion of the port is again made almost unnecessary.

Right Side Panel

The right side is kept a little simpler, but that makes sense given that for the majority of us who are right-handed. If we use a mouse, we’re going to want to keep the clutter as clear as possible. As such you will find an SD card input, micro USB, and 2 x USB 3.1 ports.

Rear Panel

The rear of the laptop doesn’t have much of note except the 2 exhaust vents. These are located on either side of the laptop and are reportedly designed to produce excellent airflow and promote the resistance to dust.

Both vents are nice and large and with a laptop as powerful as this, airflow is a clear priority. Particularly if you want to keep the temperatures down for both the CPU and GPU which for a gaming laptop should be the hardest working parts.

Underside of laptop

The underside of the laptop has a surprising lack of vents. With only 3 individual banks (with the third on the battery access point) it does highlight a potential concern. This is likely all part of their anti-dust design, but most gaming laptops have signficantly more air vents and as such, this does raise a little concern as to how it might handle the temperatures.

Mouse Pad

I will fully and freely admit that I am not a fan of mouse scratch pads. As such you can imagine my delight when this specific bundle came with a ROG gaming mouse (more on that later). In this instance, though the pad is nice and responsive and in addition includes both a left and right click button for improved functionality.

Battery Block

As with the vast majority of laptops, the power block for this is quite substantial. It isn’t, however, unusually large and we must credit ASUS for taking the effort to include the ROG logo on the side. It’s a small touch but makes a big difference in terms of the overall design of the laptop.

Keyboard and lighting effects

The ASUS ROG GL703G is provided with a keyboard and ASUS Sync lighting effects. Before we get to the lighting though, we would like to comment on the keyboard. The keys are nice and responsive although with them being such low profile, they are not particularly tactile. The upper deck area is kept nice and clear with only buttons for the volume control, microphone mute and a manual option for the lighting.

The keys themselves are nice bold and clear which adds to the back-lit lighting effect it has. Other than this, the only item of note is the power button which is located in the top right corner. While this does work, similar to the keyboard, it is a little spongey to the touch. I personally prefer a power button that is nice and firm (and ideally with a click).

It is always difficult to put into words the lighting effects that components can have. We have therefore included a brief video below showing the keyboard operating in its light cycle mode. Other color choices are available which can be customized further with a program provided with the laptop. While we like the lighting effects, they are somewhat too understated. If you’re going to include RGB lighting effects, it would have made more sense to give them a little more punch. RGB lighting, however, is a contentious and personal choice.

Some will love the subtle, others will find it too understated. Some just hate any form of RGB lighting, but at least with the ASUS ROG GL703G you can turn it off if you wish.

Gaming Headset

This particular laptop comes bundled with both a ROG gaming headset and mouse. Initially, we will look at the gaming headset although there is a point that we should highlight. This aspect will surely be on an aesthetics and basic operation test.

The gaming headset provided is the ASUS ROG Cerberus model. This is an exclusive promotional model which is compatable both with the laptop and smart devices.

The headset itself is very impressive. Coming with cushioned ear cocers for noise reduction and good quality bass output. In addition, the headset also has a detachable microphone and a control port on the cable for sound levels and muting options.

For that little extra level of impressive design, the top of the headset also features the ROG name in clear bold print.

Gaming Mouse

The laptop is also provided with an ASUS ROG gaming mouse. Firstly, as a minor side note, I wish all laptop manufacturers did this. I have never personally been a fan of scratch pads and as such the inclusion of this was a pleasant and unexpected addition.

The mouse itself has a nice weight and tactful design. With both a scroller wheel and sensitivity control button, this has everything you could possibly need. The cable length is excellent and as a nice final touch, the ROG logo is also RGB enabled.

Backpack

As a little coup de gras ASUS also includes a ROG branded backpack should you wish to (or regularly) transport your laptop. The laptop features the exceptional black and red design. In addition and perhaps most importantly, it is also exceptionally well cushioned to minimize the risk of any damage in transit. There is also plenty of room for anything other things you might want to carry with your laptop.