Compact 17-inch gaming laptop?
The Asus ROG Strix Scar GL704GM carries the same CPU and GPU as the last generation GL703GM. So, what makes this new iteration so special? For one, it carries the narrowest bezels for a 17-inch gaming laptop at just over 7 mm on all three sides. The design will become a standard that future laptops will want to beat.
Asus made public its GL704 series at Gamescom 2018 as the direct successor to the GL703 series. The new model has been completely redesigned from the ground up to incorporate narrow bezels on all three sides and to be one of the most compact 17-inch gaming laptops available. In fact, this is one of the first gaming laptops in its size class along with the less expensive TUF FX705 series to have narrow bezels.
As opposed to the enthusiast Asus ROG Strix Scar G series or entry-level TUF FX series, the GL704 series targets upper mid-range or mainstream gamers with its GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, Core i7-8750H CPU, and 144 Hz 1080p display (up from 120 Hz on the GL703). SKUs are just these core options for now with more likely to come early next year.
The starting price of $1600 USD may be a bit high, but this is only because Asus isn’t artificially bumping down the price floor with slower primary HDDs or GTX 1050 SKUs. Direct competitors in the 17-inch space are common including the Lenovo Legion Y730 17, EVGA SC17, HP Omen 17, or MSI GS73VR. Until these competing OEMs catch up with their own 17-inch narrow bezel offerings, however, the GL704 is in a category of its own. For this review, we’ll be comparing it to the last generation GL703 and showing how it represents the biggest step forward for the 17-inch GL series yet.
