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The ASUS ROG Zephyrus line has held a special place in ASUS’s gaming laptop lineup since its 2017 debut. Unlike experimental devices like the ROG Flow X13 or ROG Mothership, the Zephyrus series represents ASUS’s core offerings in the premium gaming laptop market. This focus translates to consistent annual updates and special editions, like the recent ASUS Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker. Following the global announcement in May, the latest Zephyrus S17, featuring 11th Gen Intel CPUs, has finally arrived. This review dives into the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17, exploring its features and performance.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 boasts a premium design and powerful hardware.

Design and Build

The Zephyrus S17 (GX703) carries a similar design language to its predecessor, the GX701. The chassis remains crafted from aluminum alloy, featuring the sharp lines and premium finish characteristic of the Zephyrus line. The two-tone design with a diagonal slash and diamond-cut logo continues to be a distinguishing feature. While ASUS claims a slight reduction in size compared to the previous model, the dimensions remain largely unchanged at 394.9 x 264.3 x 19.9mm. Weighing in at 2.6kg, the S17 remains impressively light for a 17.3-inch gaming laptop.

The rear panel, designed with ample vents for active and passive cooling, is easily removable for storage upgrades. Inside, the S17 boasts a robust cooling system with six heat pipes channeling heat from the CPU and GPU to dual Arc Flow fans. This design, coupled with liquid metal thermal compound, promises exceptional cooling performance, especially among high-end gaming laptops. The compact motherboard is neatly arranged, with upgradeable memory slots and M.2 SSD slots easily accessible.

The rear panel provides ample ventilation for the powerful components inside.

Innovative Keyboard and Display

A standout feature of the S17 is its rising keyboard, which elevates to a 5-degree angle upon opening the laptop. This creates a 12mm air intake gap, similar to the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15, further enhancing airflow for improved cooling. The elevated angle also provides a comfortable typing and gaming experience. The keyboard itself is an optical-mechanical keyboard, offering a tactile feel and low response times.

The rising keyboard design improves airflow and ergonomics.

The S17 features a 1440p IPS LCD display with a 165Hz refresh rate. Boasting wide color gamut coverage, including NTSC and DCI-P3, the display is factory calibrated and Pantone validated, catering to professional users. For movie enthusiasts, the display supports Dolby Vision and 10-bit color, offering a cinematic experience with enhanced brightness and contrast.

The internal components are neatly arranged and easily accessible for upgrades.

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the Zephyrus S17 is an Intel Core i9-11900H processor and an NVIDIA RTX 3080 laptop GPU, promising top-tier gaming performance. Benchmark results confirm this, with a 3DMark Fire Strike score of 24,221 and a Time Spy score of 11,296. These results are comparable to a desktop system equipped with an ASUS Strix RTX 3070 8G GAMING. This translates to smooth gameplay in demanding titles, with Horizon Zero Dawn running at 87fps on Ultra settings, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at 67fps on Ultra settings, and Battlefield V with Ray Tracing enabled averaging over 60fps.

The optical-mechanical keyboard provides a tactile and responsive typing experience.

The Dolby Vision display delivers stunning visuals with vibrant colors and deep blacks.

Conclusion

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 sets a high bar for premium gaming laptops. With its powerful hardware, innovative cooling system, stunning display, and comfortable keyboard, it delivers a premium gaming and content creation experience. While the price tag is steep, the S17 offers a compelling package for those seeking the best in portable gaming performance.

Benchmark results showcase the S17’s impressive performance.

The S17 handles demanding games with ease, delivering high frame rates and stunning visuals.