ASUS ROG STRIX HERO GL503VM Gaming Notebook Review

Peter Donnell / 6 years ago

Final Thoughts

Pricing

Of course, gaming laptops don’t come cheap, but the ASUS GL503V Hero is pretty competitive, at least compared to some of the other models we’ve been reviewing recently. It’s priced at just under £1200, which is ok for the CPU, GPU, and display tech that you get for your investment. Those stepping up to the more powerful i7 edition can expect to pay a little over £1500.

Overview

The latest laptop from ASUS is certainly appealing, and for those who want to have a tidy laptop they can take into the office, it certainly fits the bill nicely. It’s slim and sleek enough to fit into any standard laptop bags with ease. You can get similar specification systems for less money, however, you’ll pay the price for a typically thicker system that may not have the ergonomic prowess of the Hero.

But I don’t want to work!

The Hero is a sleeper, no doubt about that. Sure, it’ll get you through your next meeting, a conference call on Skype, and help you master those spreadsheets. However, the GTX 1060 is a plucky graphics card that’s more than capable of blasting through the latest games with respectable frame rates. If you’re hoping to squeeze in some CS:GO when the boss isn’t looking, you can get your kicks here.

I Take My Gaming Seriously!

Of course, the gaming features are plentiful on this laptop, and while the GTX 1060 may not have the frame rate figures of the 1070 or even 1080, it doesn’t have the wallet destroying retail price either. What it may lack in rendering power, you can easily give it a boost by dropping down to medium settings, which are more than adequate for a 15.6″ display. However, with an IPS panel, and 120Hz refresh rate, the picture looks amazing regardless.

Added Value

The storage performance is pretty decent, fast enough to get you into your bigger games in a reasonable time, but not so fast you can’t read the loading screen tips, ha! The USB performance was under what we hoped for though, but it does seem to be a solvable driver issue and something we expect to be an easy fix with a patch. The inclusion of some punchy speakers, the LED lit keyboard, and comprehensive connectivity all sweeten the deal though. Overall, the Hero isn’t cheap, but it’s very competitive in terms of features and a good return on your investment.

Pros