Asus appeals to FPS and MOBA games with new laptop options

The marketing team as Asus must have worked overtime to promote a couple of new notebook lines, the Strix Hero and Strix Scar, both of which are part of the company's Republic of Gamers (ROG) division. While you would be hard pressed to guess this by looking at the spec sheets, Asus says one is purpose built for MOBA gaming and other is tuned for FPS games.

That doesn't mean you should go kick rocks if your gaming preference lies elsewhere, such as with RTS or RPG games. These laptops pack some impressive hardware for the price and can be used for any gaming genre.

Starting with the single Strix Hero model (GL503VM-DB74), this is a 15.6-inch laptop with a 1920x1080 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It uses an IPS panel to deliver 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, with 178-degree viewing angles (vertical and horizontal).

"The ROG Strix Hero Edition’s display is what sets it apart. It treats players to upgraded senses, enabling them to see the game world via a 120Hz refresh rate that decimates lag and motion blur, so everything is clearer and smoother," Asus says.

That seems to be the crux of the company's pitch to MOBA gamers. Beyond the 120Hz refresh rate, the Strix Hero has a new keyboard layout with four hotkeys, four customizable RGB backlit zones, and ergonomic 0.255mm deep curved keycaps, with 1.8mm travel distance. The QWER keys are highlighted, in case you need to look down while gaming.

Powering this laptop is an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor paired with 16GB of DDR4-2400 memory and a GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) GPU. It also has a 256GB NVMe SSD, 1TB FireCuda SSHD with 8GB of cache, 2-in-1 memory card reader, HD webcam, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1.

There are lots of connectivity options, including a GbE LAn port, four USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, mini DisplayPort and HDMI outputs, and a combo audio jack.

The MSRP is listed at $1,599.

Moving on, the Strix Scar is the line Asus is aiming at FPS gamers. That claim is based in part on its appearance.

"Taking both its name and design inspiration from the combat assault rifle packed by special forces and used in warfare, the ROG Strix Scar Edition is crafted in gunmetal gray and finished with the cold, dark feel of bullet-proof Kevlar—an outward projection of the inner calm, focus and precision possessed by the finest fighters," Asus says.

We'd say you can't make this stuff up, except someone at Asus apparently did.

Anyway, the Strix Scar is a larger laptop at 17.3 inches. There are two models, one with a 120Hz refresh rate and a GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) GPU (GL703VM-DB74), and the other with a faster 144Hz refresh rate with G-Sync and a GeForce GTX 1070 GPU (GL503VS-DH74). Both have a 1920x1080 resolution.

The remaining hardware is the same as the Strix Hero, except the WASD keys are highlighted on the Strix Scar models instead of the QWER keys.

Several online vendors have the Strix Scar available for preorder, with the GTX 1060 model going for $1,599 and the GTX 1070 model selling for $1,899.

TOPICS
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).

Latest in Gaming Laptops
The Lenovo Legion LOQ gaming laptop on a blue background
Okay, so it's not technically in the Amazon Big Spring Sale, but this is the cheapest RTX 4070 gaming laptop you'll find today
A promotional image for the Compal Adapt X modular laptop, as presented by the iF Design Foundation
If you've ever wanted to upgrade a laptop with 'modular AI units' then Compal might just have the very thing you're looking for
MSI Raider gaming laptop
Become Dragonforged, achieve dominance
The Dell G16 7630 RTX 4070 gaming laptop on a teal deals background
It might be a bit of a chonk, but this 240 Hz RTX 4070 Dell gaming laptop is a seriously powerful machine for $1,300
The UHPILCL water cooled gaming laptop
This water-cooled gaming laptop packs a full-size desktop RTX 5090 and even fits in a backpack, but I sure wouldn't want it in mine
Lenovo Yoga Solar PC
Lenovo's clever solar-powered laptop can turn 20 minutes of sunlight into an hour of video playback but sun-powered mobile gaming still isn't a goer
Latest in News
Image of Cersei Lanniser from Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Steam early access trailer
A new Game of Thrones RPG is coming to Steam today with a cast of 'familiar faces,' which is good because it's really the only way to tell it's a GoT game at all
The new Prime Asset featured in the upcoming update for the Outlast Trials.
The Outlast Trials puts its already paranoid players under surveillance for a time-limited story event
A Viera looking confused in Final Fantasy 14.
Old armor continues to fall victim to Final Fantasy 14's bizarre two-channel dye system, unless you're super into changing the colour of teeny-tiny eyelets: 'Why even bother at this point?'
Starfield: Shattered Space
By the time Bethesda was on Starfield, you'd 'basically get in trouble' for breaking schedule, says former dev: 'A lot of the great stuff within Skyrim came from having the freedom to do what you want'
Otter AI Meeting Agent
As if your work meetings weren't already fun enough, now Otter has a new all-hearing AI agent that remembers everything anyone has said and can join in the discussion
Monster Hunter Wilds' stockpile master studying a manifest
As layoffs and studio closures continue to deathroll the western AAA industry, analyst points out 5 of 8 major Japanese companies hit all-time share prices this year