Desktop Ryzen CPU Graces Asus ROG Strix Laptop

Although most recent laptop Ryzen news has been about the launch of Ryzen Mobile, Asus has added a different kind of Ryzen beast to its ROG Strix group of gaming laptops. The new ROG Strix GL702ZC has a desktop AMD Ryzen CPU inside.

Model GL702ZC-WB74 is powered by the octo-core AMD Ryzen 7 1700 desktop CPU with 16GB of DDR4-2400 RAM. Asus said that the CPU is able to hit its maximum turbo frequency of 3.7GHz, but this statement doesn’t come without caveats. Modern CPUs have complex self-overclocking and throttling routines. These may be more developed on mobile CPUs, but they still exist on desktop parts. Asus has a history of innovative laptop cooling solutions, but only extensive benchmarking can show how much the GL702ZC’s cooling system can pull from its 65W CPUs.

Adding to the cooling load is a Radeon RX 580 4GB GPU. This is technically also a desktop part, but as with the CPU, there’s more to the story here. AMD has followed Nvidia’s footsteps with regards to its latest laptop discrete GPUs. Starting from the Maxwell generation, Nvidia began offering specially binned, destined-for-laptop desktop GPUs. These GPUs are physically identical to desktop GPUs (except for different power circuitry), so they bear the same name (instead of being denoted with a ‘M’). Self-throttling determines the steady-state performance difference between the laptop and desktop versions. The AMD RX580 in the GL702ZC is the same deal--technically very similar to the desktop RX 580 on paper. Again, only extensive benchmarking will tell how close it really is.

Asus took advantage of AMD’s ecosystem by giving the GL702ZC a FreeSync-enabled 120Hz FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS screen. Its standard, 72% coverage of the NTSC gamut means this isn’t an HDR-capable screen, however, so we’re still not seeing any of AMD’s fabled HDR-capable FreeSync 2 technology. The FreeSync capability extends to the external display ports, too (HDMI 2.0 and MiniDP).

Being unquestionably a desktop replacement, the GL702ZC has ample room for drives and ports. For the former, there’s a 256GB M.2 SATA SSD and a 2.5-inch 5400 RPM 1TB hard drive. There’s also three USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, an RJ45 LAN jack, a combo audio jack, an SD card reader, and the aforementioned HDMI and MiniDP ports.

Finally, being an ROG laptop means that the GL702ZC comes with requisite gaming features. Its backlit keyboard has 30-key rollover and is built to be extra durable. Asus’ Sonic Studio and Radar software audio processing also enhance sound playback and recording.

In truth, having any desktop CPU is a rarity among notebooks already. The fact that it’s a Ryzen CPU makes it doubly rare. The RX 580 GPU only adds to the exclusivity. The HP Omen 17, for example, uses the same GPU but paired it with a mobile quad-core i7-7700HQ CPU.

The ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74 is available now at $1,499.

Asus ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 7 1700 Processor
OSWindows 10 Home
Memory16GB DDR4-2400
-2 x SO-DIMM
Display15.6" 120Hz FHD 1920 x 1080 IPS LCD
GraphicsAMD Radeon RX 580 4GB
Storage (M.2 SSD)256GB SATA SSD
Storate (2.5-inch HDD)5400 RPM 1TB
CameraHD Webcam
Networking2x2 802.11ac
Built-in Bluetooth V4.1
Gigabit Ethernet Jack
I/O1x Combo audio jack
3x USB 3.1 Type-A Gen1
1x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen2
1x Mini DisplayPort
1x HDMI 2.0
1x AC adapter plug
Battery76Wh Lithium-Ion
Power Adapter280W
Dimensions415 x 280 x 34 mm (WxDxH)
This thread is closed for comments
    Your comment
  • Yuka
    Come on Toms team, you know you want to call Asus and get one for review. We all know you want, we all know we want and the Universe demands a review from you guys.

    Cheers! :P
  • Martell1977
    An interesting caveat to the nVidia mention in the story is that the 1060 3gb part in laptops is not the same as the desktop part. The laptop part is the same chip as the 6gb desktop part but with only 3gb. Kind of like the name implies. 1060 3gb desktop owners got screwed on that one.

    It's a shame this laptop wasn't available, or maybe an Intel CPU and AMD GPU version, months ago. I ended up buying a laptop with said 1060 3gb due to lack of options.
  • ZRace
    Ryzen 7 in a laptop and then they don't even give only DDR4-2400? Someone forgot to think there.