The Republic Is Back At It!
Last year, the folks over at NVIDIA introduced the world to their Max-Q designed GPUs that allowed gaming notebooks to go from the humongous slabs of tech they can be, to something slimmer and lighter. Asus and its gaming sub-brand, the Republic of Gamers, immediately took advantage of the new GPU designs and, with their engineerings and know-how, introduced us to one of the first gaming laptops with a GTX 1080 on board that didn’t give you back aches — the Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501. Well, it looks like their back at it again this year because, along with the launch of their new notebooks, is the latest addition to the Zephyrus lineup — the Asus ROG Zephyrus M GM501.
We managed to book a bit of time with the device earlier today, so let’s give you a quick peek at the incredibly sexy looking gaming notebook.
Asus ROG Zephyrus M G501 Specs
- 3.9GHz Intel Core i7-8750H hexa-core processor
- 16GB of DDR4 RAM
- 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms, GSync
- 512GB of SSD + 1TB HDD
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070
- 4-cell Li-ion 55WH Battery
The Form Factor We Know and Love
The newest member of the Republic of Gamers’ Zephyrus line looks pretty much spot on compared to its predecessor, which featured a design unlike any other laptop from the Taiwanese brand upon its release. You’ve still got the same aluminum lid and chassis, which is pretty understated for a gaming laptop of its caliber in terms of flare. We personally like it that it doesn’t quite scream “gaming laptop” to those who might not know the signature logo of the sub-brand. Its overall design was also very different other laptops from Asus at its time but those hard edges and lines have become a staple for most ROG notebooks ever since its release. The Zephyrus M is definitely still stylish, elegant, and sexy AF.
Of course, considering what the Zephyrus line is known for, this powerful notebook still has the dimensions that make it sleek and sexy though it is slightly thicker than its older sibling but by a few millimeters. It measures in at 384mm x 262mm x 19.9mm and it’s put on a bit of weight as well with the original weighing in at 2.2kg and the new one at 2.45kg. The differences are definitely negligible and we would still gladly take this notebook around town compared to some of our personal laptops at Unbox HQ.
For the I/O ports on the Zephyrus M, you’ve got a USB 3.1 and a Thunderbolt port on the right side of the device.
Move on over to the left side and you’ll see an abundance of USB ports (all of them are USB 3.1), the HDMI port, the COMBO audio jack, and the port for juicing up the notebook. Open up the lid and this is where you’ll see most of the aesthetic changes to this new Zephyrus laptop. Let’s start with the display.
You are still getting a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS panel on the GM501 but the refresh rate has been bumped up from 120Hz to 144Hz with GSync enabled to help get rid of screen tearing. It is something you won’t necessarily see when answering email or other day-to-day tasks but it will make a huge difference for late night PUBG or Fortnite sessions.
The Zephyrus GX501 had its keyboard push all the way to the bottom of the chassis to make room for the Max-Q designed GTX 1080 but, in the case of the GM501, the placement is what you’d typically see in a standard notebook. There’s still a bit of room between the top of the chassis and the keys plus those perforations to help the device breathe a little easier but we like that you don’t have to bring the included palm rest, which you would typically have to do with its predecessor.
You’re also getting a full-sized keyboard with the Zephyrus M, which means there’s a trackpad below the keyboard as well. If you can’t clearly see it in the photo we took, the keyboard is backlit with RGB goodness and has been equipped with AuraSync in case you want to pair it up with all your other Asus peripherals. The travel distance for the keys are 1.4mm, which is pretty much standard in most of their notebooks; gaming or otherwise.
Under the hood of the Asus ROG Zephyrus M is an 8th generation Intel Core i7 hexa-core processor — an i7-8550H to be exact. This has been paired up with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB of SSD plus 1TB of HDD storage for keeping all your files and non-essential programs on. While the previous Zephyrus laptop had an underclocked GTX 1080, the GM501 utilizes a full-sized NVIDIA GTX 1070, which is the reason for the slight change in dimensions. While we haven’t had the chance to try it out games on this bad boy just yet, we’re pretty sure that we’re gonna love playing Far Cry 5 in the middle of a coffee shop, should the need for a short break arise. We’re also guessing that rendering times for our videos will be significantly cut down with this Zephyrus M.
To keep temps down while gaming, the Zephyrus M still utilizes the Active Aerodynamic System, which creates a bit of breathing room on the bottom of the chassis, plus several other cooling enhancements that the company says enhances airflow by up to 32-percent. The system is powered by a 4-cell 55WH battery and Asus says you can get double the battery life from the previous model. While that means you’re still going to be hugging a wall for the most part, the extended battery life means you can bust out a quick game and answer emails before zeroing out on juice.
That pretty much does it for this quick look at the Asus Republic of Gamers Zephyrus M gaming notebook, otherwise known as the GM501. The notebook we got to tinker with a short amount of time has been priced at Php 149,995 though there is a configuration that comes with a GTX 1060 and a slight bump down in SSD storage for Php 119,995. You should be able to check out this sexy gaming notebook at select Asus and Republic of Gamers Concept Stores very soon. If you are in the market for a high-end mobile gaming machine, definitely check this one out.
