ASUS ROG GL702Z Ryzen Gaming Laptop Review

A Closer Look

The Gl702Z does have a large display, so obviously it’s a pretty huge laptop in general. If you’re looking for something slim, light and easy to travel with, this isn’t it. However, if you keep your laptop bag in the boot of your car, it’s hardly going to be a burden to you anytime soon. If you want a big screen, you have to learn to carry it around.

Connectivity

Down the right side, you’ll find an SD card reader, two USB ports, and a Kensington lock. Nothing too fancy, but all welcome additions.

On the left, you’ll find the power socket, GbE Ethernet, MiniDP, HDMI, USB Type-C, USB 3.0 and 3.5mm. Overall, that’s everything you’re likely to need.

Cooling

The Ryzen CPU and the RX 580 are known to be warmer bits of hardware, but with a huge bank of ventilation and a slightly thicker rear end, we don’t think that’ll be a problem here.

Cooling is enhanced further by some strategically placed intakes and vents for extra airflow on the underside. Side note, I love how neat and symmetrical things look on the underside, as they so rarely do.

Huge Display

Rocking a 17.3-inch display, this laptop certainly has presence. Of course, having a big display allows a lot of other things too, such as the space required for a full-size keyboard. The number pad and arrow keys are a little squashed together to make it fit, but it’s all there. This is going to be a big benefit to productivity and gaming alike. It also means the keyboard has a more natural feel to it, thanks to the bigger keys and desktop keyboard like ergonomics.

There’s a large touchpad too, which isn’t much help for FPS gaming, but will get you through general navigation or a days work easily enough.

Gaming Keys

The keys have a cool red font on them, and the WASD keys have a red trim around the edges too, highlighting the laptops gaming pedigree.

The full-size number pad is certainly welcome too, great for gaming macros, or just dealing with spreadsheets at work.

Freesync

The FreeSync display looks stunning, and while it’s “only” 1920 x 1080, it’s bright, clear and well suited to enjoying your favourite movies and games. Now, let’s find out how it performs!