Asus has just introduced another ultra-thin ROG gaming powerhouse with a seriously high-end configuration to the Vietnamese market. Building on the success of its predecessors, the new model is called the Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703.

A thin, light and refined design for a gaming laptop

My first impression of this laptop came from its design. Asus has given the Zephyrus S17 a look that isn't overly aggressive or "gamer", but instead very thin, light and refined, with a meticulously machined chassis made from magnesium-aluminum alloy and finished in a fingerprint-resistant black coating. The lid still carries Asus's eye-catching ROG logo along with the familiar diagonal cut that splits the back into two distinct sections, a look that is understated yet elegant and premium.

A sharp 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage

The Zephyrus S17 GX703 uses a Pantone-validated IPS panel with wide viewing angles, 4K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and a response time of just 3ms for the smoothest possible gaming. On top of that, the Zephyrus S17 covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and features Asus's ProArt TruColor technology, which relies on pre-calibration at the factory to deliver the widest color coverage. The result is vivid, crisp visuals with true-to-life color for your favorite movies and games after a long, stressful day at work.

Powerful specs that run today's most demanding games smoothly

For most gaming laptops, and the Zephyrus S17 GX703 is no exception, the most important factor is the configuration. This year, Asus has equipped the Zephyrus S17 with an 8-core Intel Core i9-11900H processor and up to 48GB of DDR4 3200 MHz RAM, giving users excellent performance across every kind of task.

Backing up that configuration is up to 3TB of PCIe® 4.0 SSD storage, with 3 M.2 PCIe SSD slots supporting RAID 0, which makes data transfer and processing on the S17 faster and more efficient, at speeds of up to 10,500MB/s.

The one thing every gamer is sure to care about is the graphics card in this flagship. The Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703 (part of the Asus ROG & TUF lineup) comes with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card rated at 140W, along with Dynamic Boost technology, so it handles heavy graphics workloads with ease and runs today's blockbuster games effortlessly.

Smart cooling with the enhanced Active Aerodynamic System AAS+

With a gaming laptop, cooling is one of the things users care about most, especially in a thin and light gaming machine with a monster configuration like the ROG Zephyrus S17 GX703.

The thinner the laptop, the less room there is for effective cooling? For Asus, that idea is "outdated". The company has very successfully applied its enhanced Active Aerodynamic System (AAS Plus) to the Zephyrus S17 by raising the mechanical keyboard by 5 degrees and opening an air intake of up to 12mm behind the keyboard deck, rather than drawing air from the bottom of the laptop as usual, which increases airflow by up to 25%. Asus has also used Thermal Grizzly liquid metal thermal compound, which lowers the computer's temperature significantly, by up to 10 degrees C compared with conventional thermal paste.

A durable optical mechanical keyboard with ultra-fast response

Another highlight that improves the user experience and adds a splash of vivid color to the predominantly black Zephyrus S17 GX703 is its optical mechanical keyboard. Instead of relying on metal contacts like conventional mechanical switches, this keyboard uses light sensors, which delivers a better typing feel, an ultra-fast response time of just 0.2ms and high durability rated for up to 100 million keystrokes.

The S17's optical mechanical keyboard also features per-key backlighting along with Asus's distinctive Aura SYNC & Aura Creator technology, so you can easily adjust, customize or sync the colors on your keyboard.

The Multiweel dial that Asus has added to the Zephyrus S17 is also a genuinely useful upgrade, letting users quickly access the tasks they use most often.

Immersive sound from a top-tier 6-speaker system

On a gaming laptop, audio is another factor that can't be overlooked, since it heightens the excitement of playing your favorite games. Asus ROG understands this and always invests in the latest audio technologies for its flagship machines, such as Dolby Atmos surround sound, which adds depth and directionality to the audio so you can pinpoint the exact position and movement of enemies. Smart Amp boosts your volume, making soft footsteps easier to hear.

On top of that, the laptop has a top-tier 6-speaker system with 2 tweeters and 4 woofers that raises volume and delivers more realistic 3D audio while minimizing echo and vibration.

AI-powered active noise cancellation

Another standout feature of the Zephyrus S17 is two-way active noise cancellation for both speaking and listening. When you talk, AI noise cancellation processes your audio and removes background noise before it reaches the listener, and in the other direction, incoming audio is processed and cleaned of noise before it reaches your ears. This feature keeps online meetings running smoothly with the best possible sound quality.

Battery life that comfortably covers everyday use

On a gaming laptop with high-end specs and a premium display like the Zephyrus S17, battery life is something we all care about. Asus has fitted it with a 4-cell Li-ion battery rated at 90Whrs along with a 100W PD fast-charging adapter, delivering up to 8.5 hours of video playback and up to 6.8 hours of continuous web browsing, which comfortably covers your everyday needs.