Intel’s 8th-gen Coffee Lake processors are making the leap to laptops. They're bringing 6-core, 12-thread chips that are a big upgrade from the 4C/8T designs of the previous generation, promising substantial gains for power users with multitasking afflictions, gamers who stream while they play, and YouTubers who are constantly creating content for their audiences.

As the gaming community grows and diversifies its ranks, so too does our family of ROG gaming laptops. We've got something for every kind of gamer, and while some of the faces in our Coffee Lake-H lineup will be familiar, there's a new arrival, too. The ROG G703 is a more familiar beast loaded with a hot-clocked GPU and support for CPU overclocking. It fills out the heavyweight side of the spectrum, while the ROG Zephyrus GX501 uses innovative cooling to squeeze a hardcore gaming experience into an ultra-slim laptop. If thin and compact is how you roll, the all-new Zephyrus M GM501 elegantly bridges the gap between comfortable computing and serious gaming. Rounding out the family are the affordable ROG Strix Scar Edition and Strix Hero Edition, which focus on bringing esports prowess to the masses with GeForce 10-series graphics, high-refresh displays, and a customizable RGB keyboard.

This upgraded lineup is about more than simply dropping in new processors. With fresh eyes, we decided to kick things up a notch with additional enhancements that are sure to pluck at the heartstrings of even the most discerning gamers. Each of these new models makes gaming noticeably smoother with a high-refresh display, and the top configurations include a blazing 144Hz panel with G-Sync technology. The displays also feature response times as low as 3 ms, which all but eliminates visible ghosting and blurring. To keep pace, discrete graphics based on NVIDIA's Pascal architecture are deployed throughout the family, delivering the fluid gameplay needed to become fully immersed. Also integrated across the entire line is the ability to add your own unique flair with vibrant RGB keyboard backlighting that synchronizes with compatible peripherals via Aura Sync.

Between wicked-fast displays, cutting-edge graphics, and the latest six-core Intel CPUs, our new ROG gaming laptops cover all the gaming must-haves. Each model is different, so let's get to know the new players.

The brand-new Zephyrus M GM501 refuses to compromise

The ROG Zephyrus M GM501 strikes the perfect balance between hardcore gaming and everyday computing in a wafer-thin laptop. It’s gained a few millimeters over the original Zephyrus, but they're barely noticeable, and the extra girth is put to good use with a more practical design that easily transitions from gaming to productivity. While the flagship Zephyrus brings the keyboard closer to you for a more desktop-like gaming experience, the keyboard placement on the Zephrus M is more traditional for added comfort when away from your desk. 

We also worked to ensure that the system's powerful parts don't impede battery life when you're trying to work. The full-throttle NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GPU offers loads of raw graphics horsepower and is more than capable of maximizing the 144Hz G-Sync display. G-Sync is normally incompatible with NVIDIA's Optimus tech, which automatically reverts to integrated graphics to conserve power when the discrete GPU isn't needed, but we developed a special switch that lets you toggle between G-Sync and Optimus modes. You can enable G-Sync for intense game sessions and then switch to Optimus to extend battery life when you're cramming for midterms.

Keeping such powerful hardware cool inside an ultrabook chassis isn't easy, but thinking outside the box produced an innovative solution that allows the ROG GM501 to sustain high Boost and Turbo clocks through long gaming sessions, just as the gods intended. When the lid is opened, our refreshed Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) raises the rear of laptop and creates a small gap in the back that increases airflow and reduces system temperatures. You can read more about the ROG Zephrus M GM501's cooling and performance in our hands-on look at the laptop.

Defy ultra-slim convention with the Zephyrus GX501

The original ROG Zephyrus GX501 remains an alluring mistress after raising the bar for ultra-slim gaming laptops last year, and it's still the thinnest laptop in the ROG family. This Max-Q design stuffs a potent GTX 1080 GPU into a lightweight aluminum and polycarbonate chassis alongside a Core i7-8750H CPU that pushes up to 3.9GHz across all six cores. The high-end GPU pairs well with the faster 144Hz display, so you can crank the in-game settings to the max while still reaching the limits of the high-refresh panel.

Managing the intense heat generated when gaming on such a thin machine is challenging, but our unique Active Aerodynamic System combats rising temperatures with a unique design that maximizes cooling efficiency and minimizes noise. The Zephyrus was the first laptop to incorporate AAS, and though the gap that opens up at the back is a little more discreet than on the new Zephyrus M, it's enough to sustain high GPU Boost speeds during long gaming sessions.

The G703 dominates desktop replacements

The ROG G703 answers the call for gamers who need high-end desktop performance to plow through the most demanding games and multithreaded workloads. This beast is not for the faint of heart. With zero compromises on performance, it's configured with up to a Core i9-8950HK that's unlocked for overclocking. The top-shelf configuration pairs this tweak-friendly CPU with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU that's factory overclocked right out of the box. The GTX 1080 easily carves through demanding VR experiences, and for traditional games, it pairs perfectly with the laptop’s scorching 144Hz display. Dialing up performance requires serious cooling, but the G703 has the necessary heatpipes, radiators, and blowers to keep temperatures under control.

To further complement the ROG G703's uncompromised speed and power, we’ve beefed up the storage with a blazing fast RAID 0 SSD. Where most laptop RAID arrays are bottlenecked by the 4GB/s DMI link to the chipset, the G703 enables higher throughput by linking two drives directly to the processor. You can hit speeds up to 8700MB/s with a three-drive array that connects two SSDs connected to the CPU and a third to the chipset. The G703 is the only laptop in the lineup with this extreme a storage config, and it also raises the bar for keyboards. Although it supports Aura Sync like the rest of ROG's Coffee Lake gaming laptops, it's far more configurable, with the freedom to change colors and effects for each individual key.

Raise your esports game with the Strix Scar and Hero Editions

The ROG Strix Scar Edition skillfully courts esports pros and those aspiring to be ranked among them with a head-turning design inspired by first-person shooters, while the ROG Strix Hero Edition offers similar configurations but takes its design cues from the popular MOBA genre. Lighter on your wallet without relenting on performance, each can be configured with either a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU from Intel's 8th-gen series. The Scar Edition can be equipped with up to GeForce GTX 1070 graphics from NVIDIA, and the Hero offers up to a GTX 1060.

Despite affordable price tags, the Strix Scar and Hero are loaded with the sought-after features gamers crave. Maintaining silky-smooth visuals with low input lag is crucial for esports competitors, so the laptops pair their GPUs with high-refresh displays that start at 120Hz. The discrete graphics chips are fast enough to generate triple-digit frame rates in popular esports titles, which the displays dutifully translate into fluid gameplay.

Unlimited N-key rollover ensures precise input no matter how many keys are pressed simultaneously. You can hammer the keyboard as frequently as you want, because the durable switches are rated for 20 million key presses. RGB backlighting lets you deck out your rig with customized keyboard illumination across four independent zones. With Aura Sync, you can match colors and effects between the keyboard and other compatible peripherals, like ROG mice and headsets.

Comparing specs across the family

Key specifications for the new ROG gaming laptops are summarized below. Check with your local ASUS ROG representative for details about the specific configurations and pricing for your region.