The most powerful processor at the moment (AMD Ryzen 5900HX), the best graphics card available on a gaming laptop (Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080), Asus has chosen the best components for its new flagship aimed at wealthy gamers. But this is not its only asset; this overpowered gaming laptop PC can also count on a UHD 120Hz panel, a first, supported by the ScreenPad +, a second touch screen located above the keyboard. So gadget or killer feature?
The start of the year 2021 is undoubtedly placed under the sign of gaming laptops with an avalanche of new features following the marketing of the Nvidia RTX 3000 series graphics cards. Today, it’s time for the test of the Asus Star G733, a laptop computer 17 inches intended for demanding (and wealthy) players. In addition to the presence of the most powerful processor and GPU of the moment, this transportable Asus stands out with its 360 Hz screen, its optical keyboard, and small stylistic daring.
Pros and Cons
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 |
| UHD 4K 120Hz screen | Efficient and discreet ventilation |
| Well-designed ScreenPad | 360 Hz panel |
| Innovative, angled secondary display | Optical mechanical keyboard |
| Underwhelming battery life | No fingerprint scanner |
| No webcam | No SD card reader |
General Info
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | Asus | Asus |
| Model | Zephyrus Duo GX551 | ROG Strix SCAR G733 |
| Weight | 2.48 kg (5.47 lbs) | 2.7 kg (5.95 lbs) |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit | Windows 10 64-bit |
| Display | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Dimensions | 15.6 Inches | 17.3 Inches |
| Type | Laptop | Laptop |
Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551
Closed screen, the Zephyrus Duo is at the very least discreet for a gaming laptop PC. Only the ROG logo can betray its DNA. Connoisseurs will also recognize the clean-cut with a smooth part on one side and “small dots” on the other, which have been characteristic of the Zephyrus range for a few months. The aluminum frame is well made and inspires confidence in its strength. Regarding the onboard configuration, the thickness remains contained around 24 mm or around thirty millimeters, taking into account the rubber buffers intended to promote air circulation.
Asus has also taken care of the underside of the chassis with alternating patterns and vents. Access to the components does not pose any particular difficulty; it suffices to tackle the 16 screws present. The interest is, however, limited. Only one RAM slot is accessible. If necessary, a second m2 slot is available.
Open screen, sobriety is always in order. The opportunity to appreciate the pretty tilting kinematics of the ScreenPad +. Trademark of the Duo range, this second screen is not without consequences on the keyboard and the touchpad, narrow on the lower part of the chassis. But we’ll come back to that a bit later.
The screen could be qualified as borderless, considering only the side and top edges (7 mm). But you have to deal with a very massive lower edge, almost 5 cm! In matt plastic, it is not the most flattering to the eye. If some do not appreciate the edge-to-edge glass panels for their reflections, they at least have the merit of returning a feeling of a more neat finish, more in line with a high-end laptop like this Zephyrus Duo whose price exceeds the 4800 USD
The Zephyrus Duo resides in the ScreenPad Plus, this second screen positioned above the keyboard. A concept was born in 2019 on the ZenBook and since taken over on the Zephyrus Duo.
The ScreenPad Plus now tilts when the chassis is opened for better readability. This inclination is fixed and, therefore, cannot be adjusted by the user. Pity. Asus also took the opportunity to take advantage of this additional “opening” to provide more fresh air to the fans. A good idea.
Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733
The screen is closed; regulars of the brand will not be disoriented. The Scar G733 takes the design of other gaming laptops of the brand, namely a black color with a clean-cut based on “small dots” (only for aesthetic purposes here, they are not hollow, we can also see the inscription ROG according to the angle of inclination).
The imposing ROG logo (90×45 mm) lights up by default, but it is possible to deactivate this lighting through the Aura Sync settings present in the Armory Crate utility. The latter can, of course, act on the other illuminated areas, namely the underside of the palm rests and the openwork part located under the screen.
Another possibility of customization on this Scar, the Armor Cap, the small part where is registered ROG at the level of the screen’s hinges is removable. Asus provides 3 in total, but if you have access to a 3D printer, you can create new ones, making plans available.
Display
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 | |
| Display Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Display Size | 15.6 Inches | 17.3 Inches |
| Display Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Display Features | 4K UHD HD IPS 120Hz 100% RGB Pantone FreeSync | Full HD LED IPS 360Hz 100% sRGB |
| Dimension | 360 x 268 x 20.9 mm | 395 x 282 x 23.4-27.5 mm |
Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551
Asus offers two choices of screens on its Zephyrus Duo, one Full HD 300 Hz, perfect for 100% gaming use, the other 120 Hz UHD, more versatile, present on our model. The advantage is that you will benefit from increased finesse, ideal for reading.
And on a 15.6-inch screen difficult to appreciate such a definition. A 4K panel does not add much, in our opinion. As you can see, if gaming is your primary motivation for purchasing a laptop PC, opt for the 1080P screen.
The no-touch option is offered. A detail, no doubt for many, but it is sometimes tempting to click on the main screen as possible to do on the secondary screen, which is touch-sensitive. This would improve ergonomics as a bonus in certain situations.
Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733
Asus proudly displays the refresh rate of the most high-end panel available on Scar 17: 360 Hz. That is to say, a frequency equivalent to that of the best external monitors. We could debate for a long time the interest of such a frequency versus a 240 Hz (or even 175 Hz) panel without reaching a consensus. So let’s highlight the technological advance, enough to reduce the border between desktop and laptop a little more (even if with a response time of 3ms, there is still a small margin of improvement).
The rest of the features of this AU Optronics AUOE295 (B173HAN05) panel are more common. Maximum brightness of 310 cd / m2, contrast ratio of 1251: 1, and full sRGB space covered.
The firm hinges ensure excellent stability, whatever the inclination. Some will appreciate the support for Adaptive-Sync technology and minimalist borders for a borderless look.
Specification
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX Cezanne (3.3 GHz, 8 cores) | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX Cezanne (3.3 GHz, 8 cores) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA Ampere GeForce RTX 3080 16 GB GDDR6 dedicated (130W) | NVIDIA Ampere GeForce RTX 3080 16 GB GDDR6 dedicated, Radeon RX Vega 8 integrated into the processor and Optimus |
| RAM | 32 GB (16 GB soldered + 16 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz, 1 slot (occupied) | 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR4 3200 MHz (64 GB), 2 slots (occupied) |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0×4 SSD | 1TB M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe 3.0) + 1 free M.2 slot (NVMe PCIe 3.0 / SATA combo) |
Performance
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 | ||
| Base frequency | 3.2 GHz | 3.3 GHz | |
| Turbo frequency | 4.4 GHz | 4.6 GHz | |
| Cores | 8 | 8 | |
| Threads | 16 | 16 | |
| L3 Cache | 16 MB | 16 MB | |
| Clock | 3200 MHz | 3200 MHz |
Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551
Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and a GeForce RTX 3080, the Asus Zephyrus Duo embeds the most efficient components at the start of 2021 for a laptop PC (gamer).
An Octo Core processor on the CPU side with a base frequency of 3.3 GHz (up to 4.6 GHz peak) and 20 MB of L3 cache. In terms of performance, this new Ryzen 9 is positioned as the best-performing laptop processor around. And even when faced with a desktop processor, the Ryzen 9 5900HX isn’t ridiculous.
Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733
The Asus Scar is currently available in a handful of configurations, all based on AMD Ryzen 7 5800H or Ryzen 9 5900HX processors and accompanied by the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 or RTX 3080 graphics cards. Components of the moment.
Multimedia
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 | ||
| Web-cam | Yes | Yes | |
| Speakers | 2 speakers 4W + 2 tweeters 2W, Smart Amp Technology | 2 speakers (2x4W), tweeter (2x2W) | |
| Microphone Jack | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm | |
| Network | WiFi ax + Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E3000) | Wi-Fi ax (Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650), Gigabit Ethernet (Killer E3000) | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 | Bluetooth 5.1 | |
| Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
| Connectivity | 3 USB 3.2 Gen2 + 1 USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen2, DP, Power Delivery), HDMI 2.0b, microSD | 3 USB 3.0 + 1 USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen1), HDMI 2.0b |
Battery
| Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551 | Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733 | |
| Battery Type | Li-Ion 4 cells | Li-Polymer 4 cells |
| Battery Life | 6 hours | 7 hours |
| Power | 90Whr | 90Whr |
Asus Zephyrus Duo GX551
With its weight of 2.4 kg and above all its ergonomics designed to be well supported on a flat surface, the Zephyrus is not the best armed for nomadic use. Its average autonomy, barely more than 3 hours with the ScreenPad active, 4 hours without, confirms that one should not stray too far from a power source, despite a “big battery” of 90Wh.
The charger is also very imposing, both in terms of dimensions (18×8.5×4 cm) and weight (1Kg)!
Asus ROG Strix SCAR G733
A 17-inch gaming laptop weighing nearly 3 kg on the scale is not the best for mobile use. However, thanks to its 90 Wh battery, and good energy management, it is possible to last nearly 9 hours (WiFi active, brightness at 140 cd / m2) on battery—an honorable result.
The 240W power supply is not too big (165x75x25mm – 565g).
