The Asus ROG GL552VW is simply one of the best gaming laptops out there. We would have preferred better battery life, but you can make it work.
ASUS ROG GL552VW DETAILED REVIEW
The Asus ROG G501VW I recently reviewed was one of the few lightweight gaming laptops you could buy. Its specifications largely match the GL552VW and make weight a key element. In fact, for many, the ROG GL552VW may seem like a refurbished version of the G501, which is not so expensive, but heavier. But this is not the matter.
While both laptops have similar specifications, the GL552VW has a 1080p display that makes it more eye-catching than the G501VW. Does this mean a better gaming experience? Well, we used The laptop for over a week to find out.
Design and construction
Design wise, this is a regular run of The Mill gaming laptop. It is made of plastic, but this is the matter with most gaming laptops due to heat conduction problems with metal. In other words, the build quality is quite good, and Asus has actually improved the quality of plastics from previous generations. Asus has added a metal plate on top, which adds a touch of Premium to the Design.
In addition, The ROG emblem has an LED backlight that looks great in low light. The keyboard adds to the “I’m a serious gamer” look. Overall, it is different from other laptops that Asus sells in India.
Although there is not much to complain about, the keyboard bay has a small Flex and the exhaust could have been placed at the back, just like the ROG G501 we reviewed previously. In addition, the matte black keyboard bay is a fingerprint magnet. Again, we are picky.
Fen
On the port front, It’s Business as usual. The left side of the laptop is equipped with two USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port and a USB 3.1 Type-C port.On the right side are separate headphone and microphone jacks. Another USB 3.0 port and DVD drive are also located here.
Keyboard and Touchpad
One of the most important features of a gaming laptop is its keyboard. It must be accurate, responsive and above all backlit. Well, we prioritize this way, because whether you like it or not, all laptop keyboards have smaller and quiet travel buttons.
The bright red Keyboard mat on the ROG GL552VW, does its job well. The keys on the keyboard have a travel of 1.8 mm, which delays actuation and only triggers when you press the key completely. This is actually good for gaming, because you don’t end up casting fake spells or unnecessarily throwing a grenade if you hit the wrong button. That is, while the keyboard layout is suitable for typing, we would have liked a little more height on the keyboard. Another thing we did not like was the inaccessibility of the arrow keys, which are narrowed between the alphabetic keyboard and the numeric keyboard.
The touchpad, on the other hand, is well proportioned and offers an accurate, albeit delayed, cursor response. The left and right clicks are a bit steep but accurate and support all Windows 10 gestures. The touchpad can be locked so that it does not interfere with inputs during the game. However, there is no lock on the Windows key and it will take some time to get used to it.