Asus ROG Strix Hero III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD
Asus ROG Strix Hero III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD
Product Description
With a streamlined, focused design, the ROG Strix HERO III melds the latest 9th Gen Intel Core processors and GeForce RTX graphics into an impactful core gaming experience, with ample additional power to slice through serious content creation and everyday multi-tasking. Boasting a 144Hz refresh rate display with ultra-narrow bezel and PCIe SSD, the ROG STRIX HERO III has all the power needed to conquer the latest game titles without breaking a sweat.
ROG Strix Hero III
Lead the charge with the ROG Strix Hero III sculpted for a streamlined and impactful core gaming experience. A 144Hz screen delivers smooth frame rates, help you conquer in games, content creation, and everyday multitasking.
Smoother Gameplay on a 144Hz 3ms Display
A speedy high-refresh display makes fast-paced and high-FPS action look smooth and crisp, enhancing gameplay with better visuals and more responsive input. Slim bezels make way for an expansive 81.5% screen-to-body ratio that deepens immersion to keep you locked in the flow of the game.
ROG Armoury Crate Fan Modes
The right mode for the moment using Scenario Profiles. Switch between fan operating modes, optimized for ideal performance or ambiance.
More blades means better airflow
Each fan blade is 33% thinner than conventional designs. At 83 blades per fan, airflow rises by 17%.
Self-Cleaning System
Anti-dust tunnels keep fans and heatsinks clean. Preventing buildup on key components boosts long-term cooling efficiency, performance, and stability.
ROG laptops undergo extensive vibration, drop, and pressure testing to ensure they can survive everyday use, while their hinges, keyboards, and ports are tested for resilience against common wear. The laptops are even subjected to extreme heat, cold, altitude, and humidity for travel anywhere.
GeForce Graphics
ROG Strix HERO III features the latest GeForce graphics for amazing gameplay experiences.
Introducing the ROG Keystone
Quickly load personal gaming preferences or unlock access to an encrypted Shadow Drive.
Effortless Connectivity
ROG Strix Hero III has all the connectivity needed for gaming and working on the go.
Aura Sync
Customize RGB backlighting and match colors and effects with compatible peripherals using Aura Sync.
n-Key Rollover
Designed for precision, the keyboard has full N-Key rollover for accurate multi-key inputs.
Details
ASUS ROG Strix Hero III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB FireCuda, Per-Key RGB KB, Win10 Home, G731GW-DB76
Windows 10 (64bit)
Screen Size
17.3"//FHD 1920x1080 16:9//144Hz//3ms//300nits//NTSC: 72%//Anti-Glare//WV
CPU
Intel Core i7-9750H 2.6GHz (Turbo up to 4.5GHz)
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GDDR6 8GB
RAM
16GB DDR4
Storage
512GB PCIE SSD + 1TB SSHD (8GB Cache) FireCuda
I/O Ports
1x Headphone-out & Audio-in Combo Jack; 1x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert; 1x HDMI; 1x USB Type C 3.1 (Gen.2); 3x USB Type A 3.1 (Gen.1)
Optical Drive
No Optical Drive
Networking
Wi-Fi 5(802.11ac) 2*2
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.0
WebCam
N/A
Battery
66WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
Manufacturer Warranty
1YR International*/1YR ADP with 1-way free shipping/30-Day Zero Bright Dot/2-way FREE shipping for standard warranty repair/24-7 tech support
Dimensions
15.7" x 11.5" x 1.0"
Weight
6.3
Accessories
Marketing Giveaway (Keystone)
Note
*All specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check with ASUS support for more detail.
*The actual transfer speed of USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, and/or Type-C will vary depending on many factors including the processing speed of the host device, file attributes and other factors related to system configuration and your operating environment.
This item has
ASUS ROG Strix Hero III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, Intel Core i7-9750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB FireCuda, Per-Key RGB KB, Win10 Home, G731GW-DB76
* Power Adapter
* User Manual
* Warranty Card (1YR International*/1YR ADP with 1-way free shipping/30-Day Zero Bright Dot/2-way FREE shipping for standard warranty repair/24-7 tech support)
The Asus ROG Strix G731 series is the mid-size alternative to the super-thin Zephyrus S GX701 series and thicker Chimera G703 series. For this review, we'll be looking at the ROG Strix G731GV equipped with a Core i7-9750H CPU, GeForce RTX 2060 GPU, and 144 Hz display. The system competes directly with other mid-size 17.3-inch gaming laptops including the Lenovo Legion Y740-17ICH, MSI GE series, Acer Predator 17, and Gigabyte Aorus 17.
The G731GV is visually identical to the G731GW that we had already checked out a few weeks prior. Thus, we recommend reading up on both our G731GW and GL731GU reviews to learn more about the chassis, ports, keyboard, speakers, and other physical features of the G731GV. We'll instead focus on the performance, temperature, noise, and power consumption of the G731GV to see how its RTX 2060 GPU compares to the RTX 2070 of the G731GW.
Asus Strix Hero III G731GV (Strix Hero III G731 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-9750H (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile - 6144 MB, Core: 1060 MHz, Memory: 1788 MHz, GDDR6, 436.02, Optimus
Memory
16384 MB
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Dual-Channel
Display
17.3 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, AU Optronics AUO B173HAN04.0, IPS, AUO409D, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, 512 GB
Weight
2.85 kg ( = 100.53 oz / 6.28 pounds), Power Supply: 780 g ( = 27.51 oz / 1.72 pounds)
Price
1600 USD
Asus ROG Strix Hero III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD
CaseThe case is as well-built as the high retail price suggests. Brushed aluminum adorns the lid and the keyboard deck. The bottom panel is made from plastic with etched accents typical for Asus' ROG laptops. The display bezel is also plastic. While the black aluminum looks nice out of the box, it is a fingerprint magnet. Smudges appear readily at the slightest touch, and effort is needed to wipe them away. The chassis does not creak when pressed or squeezed.
There is minimal flex along the keyboard deck under direct pressure. While typing, the deck remains firm. The bottom panel is similarly rigid and does not warp. The thin lid can be twisted a slight bit. Depressing the back of the display does not distort the LCD panel. The hinges are robust and well-tuned. One-handed opening is a snap, and the hinges hold the screen firmly in place under normal use. There is no wobble when typing. The hinges open to a maximum of 120°.
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the absence of a webcam. Asus has been omitting the webcam on more and more laptops in response to their own market research. The manufacturer has found that users prefer narrower bezels around the displays of machines. Rather than mount the webcam on the bottom bezel like the XPS 15 or Legion Y740, Asus would rather remove the camera entirely. Lastly, according to Asus' research, most gamers use an external camera, rendering the webcams on gaming laptops unused relics.
There are RGB lights on almost every surface that are controlled via Asus' Aura lighting software. The keyboard backlight is per-key rather than zoned, allowing for some unique lighting effects. There are also plastic strips along the bottom of the right, front, and left of the device. These strips are also capable of displaying separate colors, allowing for rippling color shifts. The effect is quite striking but can be ostentatious. Like the cheaper GL731GU, the brightness levels of all RGB lights are controlled simultaneously. This means the bottom RGB lights cannot be disabled without also disabling the keyboard backlight.
We should note that an update (dated 2019/07/12) installed during our review period seems to have disabled the bottom RGB lights. The keyboard and logo backlights can still be customized, but after installing the most recent Aura Lighting Component update, the bottom RGB strip is nothing more than hollow plastic.
The G731GW's footprint is a tad larger than other 17.3-inch gaming laptops. The G731GW cuts a bit off its length and width thanks to the thin bezels (5.3 mm) around the right, left, and top of the display, but the machine is still large. The case takes up a bit more space than the MSI GE75 and Eurocom Nightsky RX17, but only by a hair. This is mainly because of the G731GW's rear ventilation, which juts out a fair bit behind the hinge. The hinges of the Eurocom and MSI GE75 sit flush with the rear of the device. The G731GW's rear vents also make fitting the machine into a regular school-sized backpack problematic.
The G731GW is also about 0.3 kg (0.5 lbs) heavier than the MSI GE75 and Alienware m17. The Eurocom Nightsky RX17 is similar in weight to the G731GW (2.9 kg). Unsurprisingly, 15-inch gaming laptops are significantly smaller and lighter than the G731GW.Performance
LatencyMon with wireless off
Current G731 SKUs include Intel 9th gen Core i5-9300H, Core i7-9750H, and Core i9-9880H options alongside the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, RTX 2060, or the RTX 2070 GPU. AMD fans would have to look at the TUF FX series or the Zephyrus G series to get their Radeon fix instead. Optimus is included by default on all configurations to automatically exclude G-Sync.
LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when the wireless is enabled. The problem appears to subside when the wireless is disabled.
Connectivity
As with most gaming laptops, port selection is good. However, we are critical of the layout. The G731GW's three USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-A ports are all situated on the left side of the case. This is an odd choice considering a significant portion of gamers prefer to use external mice when gaming. Users that wish to hook up a mouse will need to route the cable around the machine, which can be annoying. Rubbing salt in this wound is the scant right edge of the chassis, occupied only by a single vent and Asus' proprietary Keystone port. There is plenty of room for an additional USB port. We would also like to see an additional dedicated port for connecting another display, although the USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-C port does support DisplayPort. The lack of an SD Card slot is another confusing omission.
The Keystone port is an interesting addition. The Asus Keystone is a tiny modified USB drive that gamers can use to save and transfer system profiles between machines. The Keystone also decrypts a "shadow drive," which is an encrypted portion of the machine's hard drive. This could be useful for protecting hidden files as only the users' Keystone can unlock that portion of the hard drive.
Communication
The WiFi card supports 2 x 2 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Speeds are more than adequate for consumer routers. Receive speeds are a bit below average compared to other gaming laptops but should be satisfactory for most users. Those that need faster transfer rates can use the Gigabit Ethernet jack located on the rear of the machine. We measure consistent connections up to about 40 m from our consumer-grade AC router through 2 internal walls and 1 external brick wall on the 2.4 GHz band and about 25 m on the 5 GHz band.
Maintenance
Like the GL731GU we recently reviewed, maintenance is possible but has two major annoyances. The plastic bottom panel is held on with 11 Phillips Head screws and plastic clips that are easy to disengage. There are two different lengths of screws, so care should be taken to keep them organized. Once the bottom panel is free, there are two final obstacles. Ribbon cables that control the lighting for the bottom RGB strips are adhered to the inside of the bottom panel and must be removed from their ZIF connectors. Once these are taken out, the internals are accessible.
Users have access to the RAM, both storage drives (one M.2 NVMe, one 2.5-inch SATA III, the fans, and the battery. The wireless card is located on the other side of the motherboard, making that swap a bit more difficult. Reassembly requires that the RGB ribbon cables be reinserted into their connectors, which can be difficult.
We will also note that there is indeed extra room along the right edge of the case for an additional USB port or two.
Intel Core i7-9750H
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070
DDR4 RAM (two DIMMS)
M.2 NVMe drive
2.5-inch SATA III drive
Battery
Warranty & Accessories
Asus offers a standard 12-month warranty. There were no accessories included in the box.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard is typical for an ROG laptop, which is good news. Higher-end Asus laptops commonly have good keyboards (mostly because of their generous travel) and the G731GW is no exception. Feedback is crisp and feels more responsive than the pillowy SteelSeries keyboards found in MSI's gaming laptops. In our opinion, the G731GW's keyboard offers excellent response and feedback and is well-suited to gaming and typing sessions. Key clatter is fairly quiet and shouldn't be distracting.
One of the big draws of the keyboard is its per-key RGB lighting. Each key can be individually lit to one of over 16 million colors. Asus offers a few clever preset modes in their Aura software package. The Aura Creator also allows users to fine-tune the RGB lighting all around the machine, but we find the software a bit cumbersome. The RGB software solutions in the Razer Blade series are more user-friendly.
Similar to the GL731GU, we find complaint with the cramped number pad and arrow keys. The number keys on the right side are noticeably smaller than the main keyboard, which is frustrating considering the amount of space available on the upper deck of the chassis. As such, data entry or gameplay using the numpad is awkward and not pleasant.
We do appreciate the dedicated keys for volume, mic muting, and fan profile switching located along the top. There is a redundant fan control key in the function row, but other basic function keys are readily accessible. We would like to see the inclusion of macro keys in future revisions; there is room along the top and sides of the keyboard.
Touchpad
The touchpad is excellent. It offers an average amount of space (10.7 x 6 cm), but gliding is smooth and tracking is highly responsive. We notice a slight bit of cursor acceleration when tracking at fast speeds across the pad, which is something for trackpad gamers to be aware of. The dedicated buttons below the trackpad have generous travel with springy feedback. Clicks are virtually silent, which is a nice touch. Overall, the touchpad is well-suited to UI navigation and feels great to use.
Our primary complaint is that the touchpad is easily marred by skin oil and smudges, similar to the touchpad of the GL731GU. As an added stab, it is difficult to wipe away fingerprints.
Processor
The Core i7-9750H is a familiar sight on most gaming laptops of as 2019. Performance on the Asus G731GV is where we expect it to be at within 2 percent of the average Core i7-9750H in our database taken from 37 other laptops with the same CPU. Opting for the Core i9 SKU will see a multi-thread performance gain of 20 to 50 percent depending on how well the G731 can maintain high Turbo Boost clock rates. In general, however, users upgrading from a Core i5-8300H, i5-9300H, or i7-7700HQ will see more significant performance boosts than those who may upgrading from the Core i7-8750H.
See our dedicated page on the Core i7-9750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.
Current G731 SKUs include Intel 9th gen Core i5-9300H, Core i7-9750H, and Core i9-9880H options alongside the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, RTX 2060, or the RTX 2070 GPU. AMD fans would have to look at the TUF FX series or the Zephyrus G series to get their Radeon fix instead. Optimus is included by default on all configurations to automatically exclude G-Sync.
LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when the wireless is enabled. The problem appears to subside when the wireless is disabled.
Connectivity
As with most gaming laptops, port selection is good. However, we are critical of the layout. The G731GW's three USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-A ports are all situated on the left side of the case. This is an odd choice considering a significant portion of gamers prefer to use external mice when gaming. Users that wish to hook up a mouse will need to route the cable around the machine, which can be annoying. Rubbing salt in this wound is the scant right edge of the chassis, occupied only by a single vent and Asus' proprietary Keystone port. There is plenty of room for an additional USB port. We would also like to see an additional dedicated port for connecting another display, although the USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type-C port does support DisplayPort. The lack of an SD Card slot is another confusing omission.
The Keystone port is an interesting addition. The Asus Keystone is a tiny modified USB drive that gamers can use to save and transfer system profiles between machines. The Keystone also decrypts a "shadow drive," which is an encrypted portion of the machine's hard drive. This could be useful for protecting hidden files as only the users' Keystone can unlock that portion of the hard drive.
Communication
The WiFi card supports 2 x 2 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi on both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Speeds are more than adequate for consumer routers. Receive speeds are a bit below average compared to other gaming laptops but should be satisfactory for most users. Those that need faster transfer rates can use the Gigabit Ethernet jack located on the rear of the machine. We measure consistent connections up to about 40 m from our consumer-grade AC router through 2 internal walls and 1 external brick wall on the 2.4 GHz band and about 25 m on the 5 GHz band.
Maintenance
Like the GL731GU we recently reviewed, maintenance is possible but has two major annoyances. The plastic bottom panel is held on with 11 Phillips Head screws and plastic clips that are easy to disengage. There are two different lengths of screws, so care should be taken to keep them organized. Once the bottom panel is free, there are two final obstacles. Ribbon cables that control the lighting for the bottom RGB strips are adhered to the inside of the bottom panel and must be removed from their ZIF connectors. Once these are taken out, the internals are accessible.
Users have access to the RAM, both storage drives (one M.2 NVMe, one 2.5-inch SATA III, the fans, and the battery. The wireless card is located on the other side of the motherboard, making that swap a bit more difficult. Reassembly requires that the RGB ribbon cables be reinserted into their connectors, which can be difficult.
We will also note that there is indeed extra room along the right edge of the case for an additional USB port or two.
Intel Core i7-9750H
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070
DDR4 RAM (two DIMMS)
M.2 NVMe drive
2.5-inch SATA III drive
Battery
Warranty & Accessories
Asus offers a standard 12-month warranty. There were no accessories included in the box.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard is typical for an ROG laptop, which is good news. Higher-end Asus laptops commonly have good keyboards (mostly because of their generous travel) and the G731GW is no exception. Feedback is crisp and feels more responsive than the pillowy SteelSeries keyboards found in MSI's gaming laptops. In our opinion, the G731GW's keyboard offers excellent response and feedback and is well-suited to gaming and typing sessions. Key clatter is fairly quiet and shouldn't be distracting.
One of the big draws of the keyboard is its per-key RGB lighting. Each key can be individually lit to one of over 16 million colors. Asus offers a few clever preset modes in their Aura software package. The Aura Creator also allows users to fine-tune the RGB lighting all around the machine, but we find the software a bit cumbersome. The RGB software solutions in the Razer Blade series are more user-friendly.
Similar to the GL731GU, we find complaint with the cramped number pad and arrow keys. The number keys on the right side are noticeably smaller than the main keyboard, which is frustrating considering the amount of space available on the upper deck of the chassis. As such, data entry or gameplay using the numpad is awkward and not pleasant.
We do appreciate the dedicated keys for volume, mic muting, and fan profile switching located along the top. There is a redundant fan control key in the function row, but other basic function keys are readily accessible. We would like to see the inclusion of macro keys in future revisions; there is room along the top and sides of the keyboard.
Touchpad
The touchpad is excellent. It offers an average amount of space (10.7 x 6 cm), but gliding is smooth and tracking is highly responsive. We notice a slight bit of cursor acceleration when tracking at fast speeds across the pad, which is something for trackpad gamers to be aware of. The dedicated buttons below the trackpad have generous travel with springy feedback. Clicks are virtually silent, which is a nice touch. Overall, the touchpad is well-suited to UI navigation and feels great to use.
Our primary complaint is that the touchpad is easily marred by skin oil and smudges, similar to the touchpad of the GL731GU. As an added stab, it is difficult to wipe away fingerprints.
The Core i7-9750H is a familiar sight on most gaming laptops of as 2019. Performance on the Asus G731GV is where we expect it to be at within 2 percent of the average Core i7-9750H in our database taken from 37 other laptops with the same CPU. Opting for the Core i9 SKU will see a multi-thread performance gain of 20 to 50 percent depending on how well the G731 can maintain high Turbo Boost clock rates. In general, however, users upgrading from a Core i5-8300H, i5-9300H, or i7-7700HQ will see more significant performance boosts than those who may upgrading from the Core i7-8750H.
See our dedicated page on the Core i7-9750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
Asus ROG Strix Hero III (2019) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 144Hz IPS Type FHD
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