Asus ROG Strix GL503VD Review: Budget Gaming Laptop with an Excellent Display!
Mar. 26, 2018Beebom Score
Gone are the days when gaming laptops used to be large and clunky machines with an over-the-top flashy design language. Today’s gaming notebooks are sleek, light and feature a more subtle design with just a hint of that gamer-y aesthetic. Even though the design might not speak volumes, their performance far exceeds that of notebooks without a dedicated GPU.
The first thing I noticed as soon as I pulled the laptop out of the box was itsstealthy all-black design. Yes, the laptop does feature a polished ROG logo on the lid, but the new minimal approach isfar better than the design of older notebooks in the ROG linewhich was nothing short of an eyesore. The logo lights up a dull red when the laptop is turned on and I really dig this new approach. Kudos to Asus!
The laptop has a premium feel to it, with a metal lid and a solid plastic chassis that has minimal to no flex. The display hinge has been tuned for one-handed opening and there’s absolutely no screen wobble, which is great for intense gaming sessions where you might sometimes lose your cool.
Another thing worth noting is that thelaptop doesn’t include a single USB 2.0 port, which can still be found on some budget gaming notebooks from other manufacturers. I’m really glad that Asus is finally moving away from the outdated technology and I wish other OEMs would take note and follow suit.
The keyboard layout is more or less standard, with well-spaced letter keys, but I’m not really a fan of the numpad and arrow key placement. Also, thelarge right control key annoyed me a bitin the beginning, but I got used to it within a couple of hours. The dedicated volume, microphone toggle, and ROG Gaming Centre keys on the top left are a neat addition, in my opinion.
The keyboard is backlit and has been divided into four zones that can each be set to over16 million colorsusing Asus’ Aura Core software. The software also allows users to choose between a few lighting effects, but the novelty wears off quite soon.
Even though the touchpad makes use of Windows Precision Drivers, tracking, at times, is a bit wonky. While sometimes thetrackpad isn’t able to accurately pick up gestures, occasionally it just stops responding for a fraction of a second. The touchpad doesn’t feature dedicated left- and right-click buttons, but the clicking mechanism is quite satisfactory.
Quality wise,the speakers are average at best and lack bass. The sound is dominated by mids and highs, which make them sound tinny on higher volumes. However, due to the placement,the stereo separation is pretty greatwhich could be good while playing FPS games when you forget your headphones. But I’d recommend that you don’t forget your headphones.
TheROG Gaming Center, which is a staple of the ROG line, offers a basic system monitor which allows users to check the CPU and GPU clock speeds and temperatures, along with the available storage and memory use.
TheAsus Aura Coresoftware, which I mentioned earlier, can be used to customize the 4-zone RGB keyboard backlight and theROG Gamefirst IVsoftware monitors and prioritizes network access to prevent programs from affecting your online gaming experience.
Thekeyboard and chassis remained fairly cool even while gaming, however, the air intake above the keyboard along with the rear-facing vent got fairly hot. If you plan on using the laptop on your lap, I’d advise you to stick to light use or you might get uncomfortable due to the heat.
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