Asus has time and again revolutionized the gaming laptop space with its ROG Strix machines, each offering cut-throat hardware and thermal performance at a premium price tag. And often, these machines come with all the bells and whistles that you¡¯d want with a top-end gaming laptop, that offers crazy fast performance, regardless of the game you throw at it.?
I got to play with yet another hardware-loaded gaming machine, the Zephyrus S15 and here¡¯s what I liked and disliked about the monster.?
I got my hands on the matte black colour variant and I really appreciated Asus going all black -- whether it was the lid on top, the wrist rest area or even the panel -- everything looked minimal and subtle.?
I was happy that Asus didn¡¯t cram red elements here and there to showcase its ROG-nature. Sure, the keyboard had RGB lights but you could switch them off if you¡¯d like. Overall, clean and neat aesthetics.?
The Zephyrus S15 comes with a 15.6-inch full-HD panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, which is perfect for a screen of this size, and offers decent pixel density. The true charm of the panel was the 300Hz refresh rate that made the whole gaming experience feel really smooth.?
Even while regular use, the smooth animations thanks to the high refresh rate would make my jaw drop.?The panel had decent viewing angles too, with really nice contrast and poppy colours. However, I would have loved to see the panel get a tad bit brighter. But overall, a fine screen that you¡¯ll enjoy gaming on.?
The hardware on the SKU I got my hands on was definitely the most loaded -- we¡¯re talking about Intel¡¯s 10th generation Core i7 10875H processor which has eight cores and 16 threads.?
This paired with 32GB of DDR4 memory and Nvidia¡¯s RTX 2080 Super Max Q GPU, this system is a workhorse for full HD gaming.??
The benchmarks clearly show the heights onboard hardware is capable of achieving. And I experienced similar experience while gaming some really graphic hungry AAA titles.?
Microsoft Flight Simulator with graphics settings maxed out was able to run on 40-43 frames per second. Death Stranding, another demanding title, was able to offer 70fps on the highest settings possible without breaking a sweat. Forza Horizon 4, another fun racing game ran at a good 65-70 fps on ultra settings. Basically, in case you want to run any game on this machine, it won¡¯t let you down.?
Many laptops these days let go of ports to favour good looks and a sleek design, however, Asus ROG Zephyrus S15 stays true to its nature by giving you an array of ports to choose from.?
We¡¯re seeing one Thunderbolt 3 with support for USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery. You also get one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A. One HDMI 2.0b. One 3.5mm audio jack with ESS Hi-Fi DAC, a separate audio jack mic-in and an ethernet port.
Normally, gaming machines aren¡¯t really known for the best battery stamina and Zephyrus S15 is no exception. But it isn¡¯t terrible. For regular web browsing, and media consumption, the machine was easily able to last around 4 hours with medium brightness which isn¡¯t bad, really. It is important to note that while on battery, the refresh rate maxes out at 60hz, which is fine. While gaming, your stamina might vary.?
As I¡¯ve mentioned that the S15 is a true powerhouse, and such power-hungry hardware also dissipates a ton of heat. In order to fight that, Asus has designed the machine in a way that opens the rear which allows hot air to get out and cold air to circulate and cool the system down.?
While this surely works wonders in not letting the system thermal throttle, the heat it dissipates is a lot, and I'd recommend that you always use it on a desk. Additionally, it does get extremely loud, especially in Turbo mode while playing a graphic-intensive game. While it isn¡¯t a drawback per se, it is something worth considering.?
The Zephyrus S15 comes with a pair of stereo speakers which do sound okay, but aren¡¯t too loud. Thankfully, Asus has included a Hi-Fi DAC so whatever headphones you¡¯d plug into them, they¡¯d sound spectacular.?
The Zephyrus S15 doesn¡¯t get a webcam over or below the display. Instead, it has clubbed one in the box. While it is great that Asus has included one in the box, we would have loved to see it embedded on the screen as it would mean one less thing to carry in our backpack.
Yes, Zephyrus S15 is a fantastic gaming laptop, maybe even the most powerful one we¡¯ve seen this year. And all this premium-ness and cut-throat hardware comes for a price tag of ?273,990. And yea that¡¯s a lot.?
I know what you¡¯re thinking -- you can build an even faster desktop at that price tag, and sure, with some compromises here and there that could be possible. But you need to understand that Asus is offering this level of performance in a portable form factor that weighs less than two kilograms.?
For gamers on the go, or content creators working on 3D workloads in cramped rooms, Asus Zephyrus S15 offers an uncompromising performance in a light, portable form factor, and it cannot get better than this.