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ASUS ROG Line Expands With RTX 30 Series and 11th Gen Intel CPUs

ASUS ROG (Republic of Gaming) has teased their next Spring 2021 lineup of laptops for players. Its mobile-based gaming units also continue a push towards 360Hz gaming with FHD. Though its hardware including the ROG Strix, TUF A15/A17 and G14 weren’t specified, much of its common features were explored in-depth for game performance.

Following its interactive CES 2021 launch event, ASUS’ Gaming line would also introduce new iterations of the Gladius III wireless gaming mouse which packs 19,000 DPI for faster reaction times in online sessions. Players can also pair the Gladius with its newest Claymore gaming keyboard, which boasts the traditional custom RGB lighting in an all-black chassis. The wobble-free keys are also the first to have ROG’s very first RX Blue Optical switches with a hollow stem for a direct feedback. The switches also have a lifespan of 100 million keypresses for longevity and durability. But it also comes in two variations; one with Blue switches and the other with Red for variation. In a modular design, the ASUS ROG Claymore II also comes with a soft magnetic wrist rest and detachable numpad (which can be attached to the left or right end of the keyboard).

Of course, the peripherals can be used through USB-C with ROG’s high end gaming laptops. Each now pack a next-gen RTX 30 series graphics card for ray-traced graphics. These game worlds are also contained with AMD Ryzen 5000 processors following their announcement of continued partnership. This starts with the ultraportable ROG Flow X13 which offers mid-tier gaming with its Ryzen 5980HS and GTX 1650. Players can use the X13 for up to 10 hours on a single charge before filling the battery to 60 percent in half-an-hour or less. The hybrid design also lets users flip the screen to 360 degrees for presentation purposes or to make room for peripherals.

Its higher resolutions are also complimented with a premium 4K with a 120Hz refresh rate for large scale experiences. Like ASUS’ productivity-based ZenBooks for 2021, the ScreenPad+ makes an appearance with a new purpose for gaming on a few ROG units as well. Instead of utilizing Nvidia’s GSync, ASUS created their own GPU Switch and Adaptive Sync to improve on-screen artifacts without hardware acceleration. This comes from a direct integration in its HD displays, much like motion smoothing seen in most modern ultrawide displays. ASUS’ GPUs were also hinted at with 16GB RAM to contain titles including Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Call of Duty Warzone with seamless gameplay. For added horsepower, there is also a direct compatibility with external RTX 3080 graphics.

ASUS’ ROG Strix products will also be using a USB Type-C format for charging its batteries with compatibility for data transfers. The added energy speeds also give certain ROG units 50% charge in 30 minutes or less (depending on application and processing load). The cooling for ROG Intel Cores are also improved with liquid metal conduction, giving cores extra padding for heat and efficiency. Its 2021 ROG laptops include a revamped cooler fan, with 13% more airflow to keep GPU and CPUs sustainable under heavy workloads. This comes with enough air pressure to clean the fans with significantly less buildup of dust and other particles which can hinder longevity.

High-end gamers looking for portable upgrade can look to the flagship Rog Strix Scar 17, packing the RTX 3080 with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX mobile processor. The core also delivers on higher efficiency and less overloading with liquid-metal cooling and a revamped heatshink which runs along the chassis. According to ROG, the Strix SCAR laptops are geared towards becoming “the ultimate eSports machine” and sport the whopping 360Hz FHD panel and 3ms response time to maximize reactions in games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Valorant, Overwatch and League of Legends. Unlike its last iteration, the 2021 SCAR 17 sports a bigger at 90 Wh and users can watch videos for up to 12 hours on a single charge. The battery also enables fully portable users to lightly game for several hours at a time before needing to find a power jack. The unit will be using a USB Type-C this time around with a 100-watt power brick to keep at all times.

The ROG Strix SCAR 15/17 is the eSports laptop optimized with a 7% size reduction, making it slightly below the mark for a thinner unit. The “cyberpunk” aesthetic returns, with the ROG logo shining in RGB at the top cover. Additional patterns perforate the top to let hot air circulate in tense moments. It also becomes one of the most modular units, with the armor caps and certain keys being replaceable. The glass touchpad also comes with 85% more room for scrolling, navigating and other gestures without needing a load of settings to work.

ROG continues to optimize its hardware through “scenario profiles”, letting the fans go silent during Netflix and louder in Cyberpunk 2077. According to ASUS, its 2020 fans were also specifically tuned for creators and gamers while more overclocking option will make boosts easier to perform. On battery life, applications can also be set to prevent them from using the dedicated GPU (which can take a heavy toll for batteries). This gives idle mode less of a sweat as the fans can automatically turn off and change speeds with custom settings and target temperatures.

Its 2021 line also debuted the “world’s first 32-inch HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor” with a standard 144Hz and just 1ms response time. The newer HDMI format would accelerate response time with quality for PC builds and notebooks with RTX 2080 with a G-SYNC compatibility. This lets users experiment with various setting to optimize frame rates and their visuals for next-gen games.

The 2021 TUF continues to be a budget-friendly gaming laptop with an upgraded matte black finish for a more premium feeling. It also sports a turbo mode to improved thermal intakes to boost performance where needed. But it sports the latest AMD Mobile CPU with the newest Nvidia series of graphics processors. The FHD display also contains a whopping 240Hz refresh rate for quicker reactive times in online games. The TUF Dash F15 is a rugged counterpart with a military-gray or black finish, with “cybernetic” RGB backlights and custom WSAD keys players can instantly identify with. The Bezel is a 81% screen-to-body ratio, through the aforementioned cooler system rolled out for almost all 2021 ROG computers.

More physical hardware additions include a biometric thumb scanner to replace a password, though it won’t be included in every 2021 ROG product.

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