The RoG Flow X is convincing at first glance 13 as a mobile device: The 1.5 centimeter flat notebook weighs 1.3 kilograms and comes with a 13, 4-inch screen in the work-friendly 16: 10 – format therefore – depending on the version with full HD + resolution and 120 Hz or with a little more than 4K. Both are touch screens; thanks to 360 – degree hinges, the X 13 alternatively use as notebook or tablet.

Despite the high mobility, the performance is not neglected: Asus builds both a Ryzen processor of the recently introduced 5000 generation (up to for Ryzen 9 5980 HS) as well as Nvidia’s mid-range GPU GeForce GTX 1650. Such a combination is good – unlike many others 13 -Zöller with integrated graphics units – for 3D games in full HD resolution, but is only available in a few other compact notebooks such as Razer’s Blade Stealth 13 intended.

The compact eGPU XG Mobile contains graphics chips up to the mobile GeForce RTX 3080.

(Image: Asus)

With the RoG Flow X 13 But that’s not all: Asus also equips it with a proprietary eGPU connector. With eight PCIe 3.0 lines, this offers more bandwidth than Thunderbolt, especially since the external GPU does not have to share the bandwidth: All other components in the eGPU housing are connected via separate USB lines. While Thunderbolt docks usually have monstrous dimensions because conventional desktop graphics cards are used in them, Asus takes a different approach: The eGPU, dubbed XG Mobile, is hardly larger than two DVD cases on top of each other. Nevertheless, it houses a 280 watt power supply and, depending on the model, mobile GPUs capable of ray tracing new mobile GeForce RTX – 1800 – series up to the top model GeForce RTX 3080.

How this combination works in practice will have to be seen as soon as the RoG Flow X 13 comes on the market – from February onwards at prices from 1500 Euro (without eGPU) should be the case. However, conceptual precautions have been taken: When the eGPU is connected, the Nvidia chip in the notebook is deactivated so that the cooling system can fully concentrate on the Ryzen CPU.

G 14 2.0 & G 15 If you don’t want to do without an RTX graphics chip on the go, a new edition of the RoG Zephyrus G will be released soon in the trade – also with Ryzen 5000 and GeForce RTX 3000. In addition, Asus provides the 10 – Zöller with the larger 15, 6 inch brother RoG Zephyrus G 14 to the side – with the same CPUs, but thicker GPUs up to GeForce RTX 3080 in the maximum configuration. The matrix LED display AniMe Matrix on the outside of the lid is still only available in the G 14 – and there, as usual, not in all models. Asus has not yet announced prices or launch dates of the two Zephyrus notebooks.

The Asus RoG Strix Scar 17 you get with Ryzen 9 5980 HK and GeForce RTX 3080.

(Image: Asus)

The combination of Ryzen processors and Nvidia graphics chips are also found in the Strix series of gaming notebooks. The RoG Strix Scar 17 should be available in January at prices from 1800 Euro start, the little brother RoG Strix Scar 15 shortly afterwards 1500 Euro. Both offer keyboards with mechanical switches and, in selected configurations, Full HD screens with 300 Hz refresh rate ; with the Scar G 15 there is also an option with a strong color 165 – Hz panel with WQHD resolution. The interior of both is up to Ryzen 9 5900 HX, GeForce RTX 3080 and 32 GByte DDR4 memory.

In the notebooks RoG Strix G 15 (from 360 Euro) and G 17 (from 1500 Euro) there is the same HX processor, but at best the GeForce RTX 3070. They should also appear in stores in the course of the first quarter.

(mue)