Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

Cooler, faster, better. The mid-2018 edition of the Strix GL703 Scar Edition comes with hexa-core Coffee Lake-H i7 processor, same Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics and a significantly redesigned cooling system. The changes are largely positive.

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

The Asus ROG Strix GL703VM Scar Edition we reviewed earlier this year gets the Coffee Lake-H treatment and now features an i7-8750H hexa-core processor and unchanged Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics. In addition to the obvious CPU upgrade, Asus appears to have revamped the motherboard layout and the cooling system - at least when compared to the "regular" GL703VD we reviewed in 2017. Both previous editions were hot and too noisy under load, so we can only applaud this design change.

The GL703GM might look near-identical to the predecessor, but there are several key differences:

  • revamped cooling system / heat pipe design + modified exhausts
  • Chi Mei 120 Hz TN panel vs. 120 Hz IPS panel by AU Optronics
  • increased battery capacity
  • different speakers

There is no shortage of competitors and we'll compare the GL703VM to other 17.3-inch notebooks like the GTX 1060-equipped Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE with previous-generation i7 CPU, Asus' own GL703GE with i7-8750H and GTX 1050 Ti, or higher-end notebooks like the MSI GE73 8RF Raider with Coffee Lake-H CPU and higher-end GTX 1070 graphics.

We will drop certain review sections and focus primarily on the performance differences and other merits of the new model. For a more in-depth discussion of the chassis and the input devices, please refer to our reviews of the Asus ROG Strix GL703VM Scar Edition and the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD-DB74.

Display

17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, Chi Mei CMN1747 M173JJE-G32, TN LED, glossy: no

Soundcard

Intel Cannon Lake-H/S - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)

Connections

5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1 x Microphone-in/Headphone-out jack , Card Reader: Multi-format

Networking

Realtek RTL8168/8111 Gigabit-LAN (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5

Size

height x width x depth (in mm): 23.9 x 414 x 279.4 ( = 0.94 x 16.3 x 11 in)

Battery

74 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4-cell

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

Additional features

Speakers: Stereo 3.5 W, Keyboard: chiclet, Asus ROG Gaming Center, ROG Aura Core, ROG Game Visual, Sonic Radar 3, Sonic Studio 3, Asus Hello, Asus Live Update, 12 Months Warranty

Weight

2.872 kg ( = 101.31 oz / 6.33 pounds), Power Supply: 608 g ( = 21.45 oz / 1.34 pounds)

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

HP Omen 17-an014ng Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 Asus GL703GE-ES73 Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 DIN A4

423 mm / 16.7 inch 304 mm / 12 inch 33 mm / 1.299 inch 3.8 kg8.35 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 296 mm / 11.7 inch 27.62 mm / 1.087 inch 3.1 kg6.83 lbs419 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 30 mm / 1.181 inch 2.9 kg6.5 lbs424 mm / 16.7 inch 281 mm / 11.1 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 3.1 kg6.9 lbs415 mm / 16.3 inch 280 mm / 11 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 2.7 kg6 lbs414 mm / 16.3 inch 279.4 mm / 11 inch 23.9 mm / 0.941 inch 2.9 kg6.33 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

SD Card Reader performance as measured with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card is slightly better than before at 91 and 85 MB/s for our AS SSD read and JPG Copy tests, respectively. The transfer speeds are still in line with our expectations, but some notebooks like the higher-end Eurocom Q6 offer vastly superior performance.

Asus replaced the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 in the predecessor with the Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n/ac) module with a theoretical throughput of 1.73 Gbps. Receive rates one meter away from our Linksys EA8500 test router are acceptable at about 650 MBit/s, but at 450 MBit/s, transmit speeds still suffer somewhat. We didn't experience any dropouts or other connectivity issues during the review period. Gamers requiring faster transfer speeds should opt for a hardwired connection via the provided Realtek RTL8168B/8111B PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet module.

Please note that our current wireless test setup is limited to 1 Gbps, so we are unable to test the Wireless-AC 9560 module at its maximum throughput. We're working on improving our setup.

Once again, serviceability is very good and requires the removal of a single screw in order to remove the oddly-shaped maintenance cover. Cleaning the system fans or accessing the primary RAM module and WLAN card requires the removal of the entire bottom plate. Here, the procedure has changed slightly: after removing a total of ten Phillips screws plus the additional one for the maintenance cover, the 2.5-inch hard drive cradle, which is attached with four screws, has to be removed as well. Prying off the bottom panel with a plastic tool or old credit card is easily accomplished and takes just a few minutes.

The older Asus ROG Strix GL703VM Scar Edition was equipped with a 120 Hz IPS display from AU Optronics. Asus swapped suppliers as well as the panel technology, as our test unit is equipped with a 120 Hz 1080p TN display supplied by Chi Mei. At an average of 286 cd/m², the TN panel is about as bright as the previous IPS display with an unimpressive contrast ratio and relatively poor brightness distribution, but thanks to the TN technology, the response times have improved significantly.

300.3 cd/m²314.8 cd/m²295.9 cd/m²277.7 cd/m²297.8 cd/m²269.8 cd/m²263.3 cd/m²281.4 cd/m²268.1 cd/m²

Distribution of brightness

Chi Mei CMN1747 M173JJE-G32 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2

Maximum: 314.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 285.5 cd/m² Brightness Distribution: 84 % Center on Battery: 297.8 cd/m² Contrast: 902:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²) ΔE Color 3.68 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5.1, calibrated: 2.71 ΔE Greyscale 5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3 99.97% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D) 84.77% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D) 84.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D) 100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D) 90% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D) Gamma: 2.06

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 Chi Mei CMN1747 M173JJE-G32, TN LED, 17.30, 1920x1080Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0, IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), TN WLED, 17.30, 1920x1080Asus GL703GE-ES73 Chi Mei CMN1747, TN, 17.30, 1920x1080HP Omen 17-an014ng AUO149D, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 AU Optronics B173HAN01.1, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080Display

3%

1%

-1%

-19%

-24%

Display P3 Coverage

90

85.4

-5%

90.8

1%

90.1

0%

64.6

-28%

61.5

-32%

sRGB Coverage

100

100

0%

99.9

0%

99.8

0%

92.9

-7%

87.2

-13%

AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage

84.8

97.8

15%

85.8

1%

83.1

-2%

66.1

-22%

62.7

-26%

Response Times

-248%

-101%

-16%

-363%

-240%

Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *

8.8 (4.4, 4.4)

29 (14, 15)

-230%

28 (16.4, 11.6)

-218%

11.6 (6, 5.6)

-32%

45.2 (20.8, 24.4)

-414%

30.8 (16.4, 14.4)

-250%

Response Time Black / White *

7.4 (5.2, 2.2)

27 (16, 11)

-265%

13.6 (11.8, 1.8)

-84%

8.8 (6, 2.8)

-19%

30.4 (16.4, 14)

-311%

24.4 (13.2, 11.2)

-230%

PWM Frequency

25510 (15)

25000 (14)

-2%

26040 (25)

2%

Screen

4%

10%

8%

5%

-9%

Brightness middle

297.8

380

28%

273

-8%

331.1

11%

314

5%

319.5

7%

Brightness

285

336

18%

273

-4%

312

9%

309

8%

293

3%

Brightness Distribution

84

81

-4%

90

7%

86

2%

88

5%

67

-20%

Black Level *

0.33

0.32

3%

0.26

21%

0.31

6%

0.34

-3%

0.65

-97%

Contrast

902

1188

32%

1050

16%

1068

18%

924

2%

492

-45%

Colorchecker dE 2000 *

3.68

5.32

-45%

3.52

4%

2.86

22%

3.19

13%

3.17

14%

Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *

7.71

7.63

1%

6.34

18%

6.35

18%

6.1

21%

5.32

31%

Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *

2.71

2.09

23%

2.66

2%

Greyscale dE 2000 *

5

4.9

2%

3.11

38%

4.3

14%

3.49

30%

1.6

68%

Gamma

2.06 107%

2.61 84%

2.43 91%

2.268 97%

2.34 94%

2.22 99%

CCT

6728 97%

6558 99%

6999 93%

7034 92%

7261 90%

6668 97%

Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)

84.77

87.2

3%

76

-10%

75

-12%

60

-29%

56

-34%

Color Space (Percent of sRGB)

99.97

100

0%

100

0%

100

0%

93

-7%

87

-13%

Total Average (Program / Settings)

-80% /-30%

-30% /-12%

-3% /2%

-126% /-49%

-91% /-42%

* ... smaller is better

The FHD panel covers the entire sRGB color space and about 85 % of AdobeRGB, thus outperforming the AUO panel Asus used for the GL703VM-DB74. The competing laptops offers similar coverage.

Measurements with our X-Rite spectrophotometer show good color and grayscale out of the box with DeltaE-deviations of 3.7 and 2.7, respectively. A calibration improves the results further with the Delta-E dropping to 2.7 for color and 2.1 for grayscale. For a gaming notebook, the color accuracy is quite acceptable and the GL703GM is certainly usable for occasional photo editing in addition to various other duties.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.

↔ Response Time Black to White7.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 ms rise

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

↘ 2.2 ms fallThe screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 15 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.8 ms). ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4.4 ms rise

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

↘ 4.4 ms fallThe screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (34.3 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.

Screen flickering / PWM detected 25510 Hz ≤ 15 % brightness setting

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

The display backlight flickers at 25510 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 15 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 25510 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18664 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is far from stellar given the just average maximum brightness and comparatively low contrast. Direct sunlight washes the screen out completely and is out of the question, but working in the shade is not really a problem. Since this is a TN panel, the viewing angle stability suffers as expected with the colors eventually inverting at more shallow angles.

At the time of writing, Cukusa offers three different SKUs - all of them with the i7 hexa-core CPU and 16 GB of RAM. The lowest-end model sells for $1250 and comes with a 4 GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, the middle model gets the GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB of RAM and retails for $1600, while the top SKU for $1900 is equipped with the 8 GB GeForce GTX 1070 and a 3 ms FHD G-Sync display running at 144Hz for even smoother gameplay. The latter two models feature a 256 GB NVMe SSD in addition to the 1 TB SSHD; the entry-level model comes with a 128 GB NVMe SSD and the same 1TB SSHD.

As previous reviews have shown, the new hexa-core i7-8750H offers a significant advantage over the 7th-generation i7-7700HQ, particularly when the application can take advantage of the two additional cores. The CineBench benchmark scores show our GL703GM to be between 18 - 57 percent faster than the GL703VM with the older quad-core i7. Performance lags behind the average for the i7-8750H CPU, but the the difference doesn't exceed the single-digit percentage range.

Sustained multi-core performance is decent, although the initial high score of 1026 does drop to about 935 on average for a reduction of about 9 percent. Subsequent loops of the CineBench R15 Multi-Thread after the initial run show very consistent performance with no major fluctuations. The predecessor-model GL703VM with i7-7700HQ experiences no such initial drop, but also offers a much lower performance across all loops of the CineBench R15 Mutli-Thread test.

See see our dedicated page on the Intel Core i7-8750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

01020304050607080901001101201301401501601701801902002102202302402502602702802903003103203303403503603703803904004104204304404504604704804905005105205305405505605705805906006106206306406506606706806907007107207307407507607707807908008108208308408508608708808909009109209309409509609709809901000101010201030Tooltip

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit - Asus ROG Strix GL703GM

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720Tooltip

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit - Asus ROG Strix GL703VM

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit

12130

Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit

29952

Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit

6404

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit

1.92 Points

Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit

76 fps

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit

11.2 Points

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit

168 Points

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit

1027 Points

Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit

99.6 %

Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit

123.2 fps

Help

While the GL703GM trails some competitors with the same i7-8750H when it comes to raw processor performance, the overall system performance is top notch according to PCMark with the notebook consistently scoring at or near the top when running the PCMark 8 and PCMark 10 benchmarks. Of course, the synthetic benchmarks benefit hugely from the quick NVMe SSD. Subjectively, the system performance is very snappy with ten-second boot times and next to no lag during heavy multitasking sessions.

PCMark 10 - ScoreAorus X5 v8 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7

6154 Points +11%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

5525 Points

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

5465 Points -1%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

5362 Points -3%

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

5137 Points -7%

Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (4646 - 5525, n=14)

5132 Points -7%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ

4532 Points -18%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

4352 Points -21%

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2Aorus X5 v8 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7

5773 Points +7%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

5371 Points

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

4989 Points -7%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

4757 Points -11%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

4644 Points -14%

Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (4119 - 5371, n=15)

4511 Points -16%

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

4498 Points -16%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ

4148 Points -23%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7

3444 Points -36%

Work Score Accelerated v2Aorus X5 v8 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7

5953 Points +8%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

5751 Points +4%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

5528 Points

Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (5111 - 5731, n=15)

5504 Points 0%

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

5342 Points -3%

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

5289 Points -4%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ

5288 Points -4%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

4877 Points -12%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7

4207 Points -24%

Creative Score Accelerated v2Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

7765 Points

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

6519 Points -16%

Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (5294 - 7765, n=4)

5962 Points -23%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ

5254 Points -32%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7

5002 Points -36%

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 5371 pointsPCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2 7765 pointsPCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 5528 pointsPCMark 10 Score 5525 points

Help

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge
M.2 and 2.5-inch storage drives

Just like the GL703VD, our particular test unit is equipped with both an M.2 2280 and a 2.5-inch drive. These days, many competing gaming notebooks like the Acer Predator Helios 500 or the MSI GE73 8RF Raider pack two M.2-2880 slots in addition the conventional hard drive bay. Performance of the 256 GB PM961 SSD is very good according to AS SSD, although Samsung's own 512 GB SSD 960 Pro in the Eurocom Q6 is faster - particularly when it comes to the sequential write speeds. Still, the 4K read performance is very similar which helps to explain the very fast boot times and near-instantaneous program launches. Cukusa offers many different options for the hard drive configuration ranging from a 128 GB to 1 TB NVMe SSDs. The secondary Seagate 1 TB ST1000LX015 offers decent performance for a 5400 RPM drive.

Please see our table of HDDs and SSDs for additional benchmark comparisons.

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHPAcer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NYHP Omen 17-an014ng Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHPEurocom Q6 Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2AS SSD

-17%

-84%

-419%

31%

Copy Game MB/s

481

816

70%

295.5

-39%

633

32%

Copy Program MB/s

780

336

-57%

192.9

-75%

363.4

-53%

Copy ISO MB/s

1043

1092

5%

412.5

-60%

1768

70%

Score Total

3075

1678

-45%

881

-71%

2205

-28%

3894

27%

Score Write

825

677

-18%

254

-69%

161

-80%

1693

105%

Score Read

1520

692

-54%

417

-73%

1414

-7%

1477

-3%

Access Time Write *

0.042

0.035

17%

0.097

-131%

1.85

-4305%

0.039

7%

Access Time Read *

0.066

0.075

-14%

0.235

-256%

0.058

12%

0.049

26%

4K-64 Write

633

516

-18%

172.7

-73%

122.9

-81%

1403

122%

4K-64 Read

1285

503

-61%

351.4

-73%

1129

-12%

1195

-7%

4K Write

88.4

104.8

19%

38.34

-57%

1.26

-99%

96.2

9%

4K Read

35.76

29.75

-17%

14.07

-61%

47.62

33%

29.62

-17%

Seq Write

1031

566

-45%

425.7

-59%

365.5

-65%

1943

88%

Seq Read

1993

1590

-20%

511

-74%

2374

19%

2523

27%

* ... smaller is better

Sequential Read: 1244 MB/s

Sequential Write: 1132 MB/s

4K QD32 Write: 256.5 MB/s

The Nvidia GTX1060 in our test unit comes with 6 GB of GDDR5 RAM and generally performs mid-pack according to the 3DMark 11 and 3DMark 13 benchmark tests. As it is common for gaming notebooks, disconnecting the mains results in a severe performance hit: when we ran 3DMark 11 on battery power, the graphics and physics scores dropped by 53 and 22 percent, respectively.

Gaming performance is good for a GeForce GTX 1060 and allows most titles to be played at FullHD resolution at ultra settings, although some newer games will require reduced settings and/or resolution to keep the frame rates at more appropriate levels for a 120 Hz panel. Systems with the standard GTX 1070 offer at least 30 percent higher frame rates, while notebooks with the GTX 1050 Ti see the frame rate cut in half depending on the game and chosen settings.

For additional technical information and benchmark comparisons, please see our dedicated page on the GeForce GTX 1060.

3DMark 111280x720 Performance GPUMSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H

23261 Points +60%

HP Omen 17-an014ng NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

21918 Points +51%

Aorus X5 v8 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H

21823 Points +50%

Eurocom Q6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H

18363 Points +26%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

15145 Points +4%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (12620 - 15607, n=77)

14692 Points +1%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

14556 Points 0%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H

14528 Points

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

13668 Points -6%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H

9128 Points -37%

1280x720 Performance CombinedAorus X5 v8 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H

12471 Points +28%

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H

11115 Points +14%

Eurocom Q6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H

10351 Points +6%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H

9771 Points

HP Omen 17-an014ng NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

8889 Points -9%

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

8830 Points -10%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H

8828 Points -10%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

8802 Points -10%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (5655 - 12930, n=76)

8458 Points -13%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

7358 Points -25%

3DMark1920x1080 Fire Strike GraphicsMSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H

17980 Points +57%

HP Omen 17-an014ng NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

17289 Points +51%

Aorus X5 v8 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H

17257 Points +50%

Eurocom Q6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H

14694 Points +28%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

12038 Points +5%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (10708 - 12298, n=77)

11547 Points +1%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

11546 Points +1%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H

11469 Points

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

11049 Points -4%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H

7953 Points -31%

Fire Strike Extreme GraphicsMSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H

8505 Points +59%

Eurocom Q6 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H

6826 Points +28%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

5542 Points +4%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (5140 - 5862, n=31)

5417 Points +2%

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

5411 Points +1%

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H

5335 Points

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ

5298 Points -1%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H

3701 Points -31%

3DMark 11 Performance 13021 points3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score 30148 points3DMark Fire Strike Score 10198 points3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score 5212 points

Help

Rise of the Tomb Raider1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

64 fps

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

90.9 fps +42%

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP

58.7 fps -8%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

82.4 fps +29%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

56 fps -12%

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP

36 fps -44%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (51 - 68.8, n=37)

61.3 fps -4%

1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

76 fps

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

107.9 fps +42%

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP

71.6 fps -6%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

97.8 fps +29%

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP

44 fps -42%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (65.3 - 82, n=24)

73.3 fps -4%

1366x768 Medium Preset AF:2x Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

140 fps

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

170.2 fps +22%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

166.2 fps +19%

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP

71 fps -49%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (82.2 - 140, n=14)

121.5 fps -13%

The Witcher 31920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

41 fps

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

62.9 fps +53%

Asus GL703GE-ES73 GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ

26 fps -37%

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

58 fps +41%

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP

38.3 fps -7%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

48.9 fps +19%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

39 fps -5%

Aorus X5 v8 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7

60 fps +46%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (24 - 42.3, n=60)

38.6 fps -6%

1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

58.8 fps

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

113.8 fps +94%

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

108.8 fps +85%

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP

66.4 fps +13%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

97 fps +65%

Aorus X5 v8 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8850H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7

113 fps +92%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (52.6 - 80.6, n=49)

68 fps +16%

1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

134.3 fps

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

184.7 fps +38%

HP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

168.7 fps +26%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

165.2 fps +23%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (91.7 - 138.7, n=16)

125.9 fps -6%

BioShock Infinite1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

115.2 fps

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7

108 fps -6%

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

139.6 fps +21%

Razer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung SSD PM951 MZVLV256HCHP

102.6 fps -11%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

132.1 fps +15%

Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172

111 fps -4%

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP

71 fps -38%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (82 - 159, n=48)

104.1 fps -10%

1366x768 High Preset Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

234.2 fps

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7

210.5 fps -10%

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

231 fps -1%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

230.8 fps -1%

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP

155 fps -34%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (128 - 234, n=29)

182.4 fps -22%

1366x768 Medium Preset Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP

257.8 fps

Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7

227.9 fps -12%

MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY

246.3 fps -4%

Eurocom Q6 GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 960 Pro 512 GB m.2

246.7 fps -4%

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP

164 fps -36%

Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile (142 - 258, n=22)

198.8 fps -23%

As always, we subject the test unit to unrealistically high loads to identify throttling and stability issues. With Prime95 running, the CPU cores stabilize at between 2.7 - 2.8 GHz at temperatures ranging from 66 to 77 C. Under Furmark stress, the GPU runs at 1250 MHz with the temperature at 70 C. Simultaneous CPU and GPU stress with Prime95 and FurMark running in parallel results in CPU clock rates around 3 GHz at temperatures of 80 - 82 C, while the GPU fluctuates between 1200 and 1300 MHz at 74 C.

To simulate real-world gaming stress, we run Witcher 3 at the ultra setting. Here, the CPU maintains 3.9 GHz at temperatures of up to 70 C, while the GPU runs at 1600 - 1650 MHz at 71 - 72 C. The fps rate over a couple of hours remain comparatively consistent and follow the day/night cycle, as the graph below shows.

A quick comparison to the predecessors Asus ROG Strix GL703VM Scar Edition as well as the Asus ROG Strix GL703VD-DB74 show that the new cooling system with now 4 heat pipes markedly improves the temperature situation, as our review unit runs at least 10 C cooler on average.

012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243Tooltip

The Witcher 3 ultra

CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C) Prime95 Stress 2.7-2.8 - 66-67 - FurMark Stress - 1250 - 70 Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.0 1200-1300 80-82 74 Witcher 3 Stress 3.9 1650 70 71-72

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge
Asus ROG Strix GL703GM (White: Background, Red: System idle, Blue: 3DMark06, Orange: Witcher 3, Green: Prime95+FurMark

In addition to the lower temperatures, the system noise level is reduced as well. While the fans are always running even when idling on the desktop, they remain unobtrusive when web browsing, word processing or performing similar tasks. Gaming and maximum load will push the noise level to about 47 - 48 dB. The older GL703VM got quite a bit louder and pegged our meter at up to 55 dB under extreme conditions. From a noise level perspective, the GL703GM performs similarly to competing gaming notebooks, but the fan pitch is fairly bothersome, so we highly recommend headphones for longer gaming sessions.

We did not notice any coil whine or electronic noise on our unit even when running hard drive benchmarks.

Noise Level

Idle

29.4 / 29.4 / 33.7 dB(A)

Load 41.2 / 48.3 dB(A)

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

30 dB silent

40 dB(A) audible

50 dB(A) loud

min:

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge
, med:
Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge
, max:
Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge
Audix TM1 (15 cm distance) environment noise: 28.6 dB(A)

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHPAsus Strix GL703VM-DB74 GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NYHP Omen 17-an014ng GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHPNoise

-1%

-0%

-6%

-10%

off / environment *

28.6

28.4

1%

30.8

-8%

30

-5%

30

-5%

Idle Minimum *

29.4

30.2

-3%

31.4

-7%

32

-9%

30

-2%

Idle Average *

29.4

30.2

-3%

31.4

-7%

33

-12%

37

-26%

Idle Maximum *

33.7

30.2

10%

31.4

7%

34

-1%

39

-16%

Load Average *

41.2

38.4

7%

38.6

6%

41

-0%

44

-7%

Witcher 3 ultra *

47.3

49.7

-5%

50

-6%

47

1%

Load Maximum *

48.3

54.5

-13%

44.3

8%

54

-12%

55

-14%

* ... smaller is better

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge
Dual exhaust vents (maximum load)

The lower internal temperatures translate to lower surface temperatures all around as well. In comparison to the GL703VM, the palm rests remain significantly cooler at less than 25 C when idling on the desktop and the localized hotspot under maximum stress now tops out at a much more acceptable 55 C vs. 65 C before. The WASD key area reaches a maximum of 37 C under prolonged load, which is comparable to other notebooks in this class.

36.8 °C 98 F54.6 °C 130 F37.4 °C 99 F 36.4 °C 98 F37.2 °C 99 F25.2 °C 77 F 24.4 °C 76 F23.8 °C 75 F22.2 °C 72 F Maximum: 54.6 °C = 130 F Average: 33.1 °C = 92 F 30.8 °C 87 F41.2 °C 106 F33.4 °C 92 F26.2 °C 79 F34.8 °C 95 F40.4 °C 105 F24.8 °C 77 F25.2 °C 77 F28 °C 82 F Maximum: 41.2 °C = 106 F Average: 31.6 °C = 89 F

Power Supply (max.) 48 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | Raytek Raynger ST

(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming. (-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 54.6 °C / 130 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming. (±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F (+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.1 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 33.9 °C / 93 F. (±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.5 °C / 96 F, compared to the device average of 33.9 °C / 93 F. (+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28 °C / 82.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch. (±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+0.9 °C / 1.6 F).

Asus has also redesigned the speaker system as is evident in the pictures below. The 2x 1.5 W stereo speakers actually sound quite decent, but the GL703GM can in no way compete with gaming notebooks equipped with dedicated subwoofers. Overall volume is low with balanced mids and highs, but bass is lacking as expected. The included Sonic Studio III offers a custom equalizer mode, but of course the software can't overcome the physical limitations. Vibrations can be felt in the palm rests since the speakers sit right below, but there's no shake or rattle even at maximum volume settings. Since the notebook can get quite noisy while gaming as we mentioned earlier, we recommend headphones for a much improved sound experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.639.12533.836.43132.635.74034.933.75032.233.66331.535.780323810031.243.412528.847.71602856.620028.460.125026.962.931526.46340025.961.550025.762.863024.966.880024.669.2100024.367.612502462.6160024.162.420002463.4250023.867.4315023.759.840002467.2500023.569.7630023.764.9800023.665.91000023.657.81250023.552.71600023.646.2SPL36.377.8N2.744.4median 24.1median 62.8Delta1.44.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus Strix GL703GM-DS74Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz

Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.7 dB) Bass 100 - 315 Hz (±) | reduced bass - on average 7.3% lower than median (±) | linearity of bass is average (10.8% delta to prev. frequency) Mids 400 - 2000 Hz (+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median (+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency) Highs 2 - 16 kHz (+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median (±) | linearity of highs is average (13.1% delta to prev. frequency) Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz (±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.6% difference to median) Compared to same class » 32% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 62% worse » The best had a delta of 7%, average was 19%, worst was 132% Compared to all devices tested » 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse » The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB) Bass 100 - 315 Hz (±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median (±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency) Mids 400 - 2000 Hz (+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median (+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency) Highs 2 - 16 kHz (+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median (+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency) Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz (+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median) Compared to same class » 4% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 94% worse » The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53% Compared to all devices tested » 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse » The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%

Since the GL703GM with 120 Hz display doesn't support Nvidia's Optimus technology, idling on the desktop will draw between 19 W and 33 W depending on the power profile and chosen brightness, while gaming will demand about 140 W. The older GL703VM required about 125 W under similar load conditions. Notebooks with the GTX 1070 will consume about 15 to 30 percent more power; the MSI GP62 7REX with GeForce GTX 1050 TI draws 25 percent less.

Maximum load pulls 160 W from the power adapter. Since Asus chose to not upgrade the capacity - the medium-sized adapter measures approximately 15.9 x 7.4 x 2.5 cm and supplies 180 W as before - there's not a lot of overhead at maximum load levels.

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30Asus Strix GL703VM-DB74 i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LX015-1U7172, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30MSI GP62 7REX-1045US i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60MSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY, TN WLED, 1920x1080, 17.30HP Omen 17-an014ng i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30Power Consumption

15%

27%

-2%

-11%

Idle Minimum *

18.88

17.3

8%

14.6

23%

15

21%

22

-17%

Idle Average *

24.36

21.8

11%

17.2

29%

20

18%

28

-15%

Idle Maximum *

32.27

23

29%

17.3

46%

26

19%

35

-8%

Load Average *

107.74

79.2

26%

82.7

23%

97

10%

93

14%

Witcher 3 ultra *

142

107

25%

186

-31%

157

-11%

Load Maximum *

160.28

158.2

1%

136.7

15%

239

-49%

208

-30%

* ... smaller is better

Despite the increase in battery capacity from 64 Wh to 74 Wh, run times have not increased dramatically. Users can expect about 3.5 hours of real-world web browsing with the balanced profile active and the display set to 150 nits, which isn't all that great compared to some competitors - particularly those equipped with Nvidia's Optimus technology. The much more expensive Razer Blade Pro 2017, for example, lasts almost twice as long on a charge.

Battery Runtime

Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)5h 20minWiFi Websurfing3h 33minLoad (maximum brightness)1h 10min

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74 i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 74 WhAcer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 69 WhMSI GE73 8RF-008 Raider RGB i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 51 WhAsus GL703GE-ES73 i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 64 WhHP Omen 17-an014ng i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 86 WhRazer Blade Pro RZ09-0220 i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 70 WhAsus Strix GL703VM-DB74 i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 64 WhMSI GP62 7REX-1045US i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 41 WhBattery Runtime

30%

-21%

3%

18%

75%

-20%

-26%

Reader / Idle

320

303

-5%

347

8%

349

9%

721

125%

241

-25%

259

-19%

WiFi v1.3

213

277

30%

186

-13%

286

34%

267

25%

419

97%

189

-11%

174

-18%

Load

70

38

-46%

47

-33%

84

20%

72

3%

53

-24%

41

-41%

Pros

  • attractive design
  • very good gaming performance
  • remains much cooler than before
  • 120 Hz TN display with improved response times
  • easy maintenance
  • good input devices

Cons

- still a bit noisy under load

- TN display with low viewing angle stability

- fairly dim display

- battery life is mediocre

- no Optimus or G-Sync

Much better thermal management thanks to a redesigned heat pipe and fan system, slightly less noise, and an increase in performance of between 15 - 25 percent: the GL703GM is a definite improvement over the GL703VD with previous-generation i7 processor. The display swap from a 120 Hz IPS panel to one based on TN technology is a double-edged sword, as response times are of course much improved at the cost of reduced viewing angles. Still, most gamers will likely welcome the change. The build quality is decent, the input devices are solid, and the gaming experience leaves nothing to be desired.

The battery life unfortunately remains unimpressive, the system fans still gets loud and sound unpleasant under load and the continued omission of a Thunderbolt 3 port might be frustrating to some.

The GL703GM doesn't generate nearly as much heat as the predecessors and is much easier to live with on a daily basis, but some competitors offer a similar feature set for less money.

Asus' ROG Strix models are generally not offered at bargain prices and at a street price of $1600, the GL703GM is not really an exception. The HP Omen 17 with 8th-generation CPU, 144 Hz G-Sync display and a 128 GB SSD / 1 TB HDD combo sells for about $200 less; users willing to step down to the older quad-core i7 processor can pick up a system like the Acer Predator Helios 300 with higher-end GTX 1070 for about $1500.

Asus Strix GL703GM-DS74- 07/01/2018 v6(old) Bernie Pechlaner

Pointing Device

77 / 10-66 → 100%

Games Performance

94 / 90 → 100%

Application Performance

97%

Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Review asus rog strix scar gl703ge

Bernie Pechlaner - Senior Tech Writer - 276 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2012

Ended up in the IT sector in the 90s more or less accidentally and have remained in the industry (as a sysadmin) ever since. Always been interested in laptops - first purchase was - if memory serves correctly - a Toshiba Satellite T2115CS with DX4-75 processor, 4 MB of RAM and 350 MB hard disk drive (and Windows 3.1). To this day, laptops appeal to me - much to the chagrin of my wife, who doesn’t seem understand why we need 5-10 of them at any given time ;-).

Which version of ASUS ROG Strix is best?

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Is the ASUS ROG Strix good?

The Asus ROG Strix G15's a pretty good choice if that's your budget cutoff, and definitely a better buy than cheaper models with lesser graphics and 8GB RAM.

What is the difference between Rog strix and scar?

The Strix SCAR offers more powerful GPU options, going all the way up to an RTX 4090 Laptop GPU. The Strix SCAR offers more customization, including per-key RGB and swappable Armor Caps, and features a transparent keyboard deck. The Strix G has fewer RGB flourishes but offers two color options out of the box.

Is TUF better than ROG Strix?

Overall, both of these series can handle contemporary games and will be able to provide a high level of performance, but from our experience, the ROG line-up boasts more powerful specs as well as more interesting designs overall.