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    ASUS GL502 - GTX1060

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by John D Nguyen, Sep 27, 2016.

  1. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    Hi,

    I just got this laptop and I did a quick video unboxing it. The thing is beautiful and the weight is good for a gaming laptop. I hope to test out some games with it soon. Let me know if you have any questions about it. Thank you!

     
    kartikk and ccp6128 like this.
  2. Axon14

    Axon14 Notebook Consultant

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    gave you a watch. good vid, though i prefer a narrative to music
     
  3. haints

    haints Notebook Geek

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    Can you disable the red highlights?
     
  4. ARaq212

    ARaq212 Newbie

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    I have been waiting for this model (GL502vm) for a long time. Still no info on the release date for EU/Nordic countries though :(
    I tried out the VT-model and the only thing bugging me right now is the choice of colours and the overall design.. I was ok with the design until I actually got to see a real gl502 model.
    The specs / thermal / weight / build quality - everything is perfect EXCEPT the damn design. The orange WASD keys + other colored parts are ridiculously bright making it a very indiscreet gaming laptop.

    Which is sadly killing it for me :(

    Nice of you sharing the video though!
     
  5. link626

    link626 Asus GL502VM, Lenovo Y580, Asus K53TA

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    Is it thunderbolt 3? Is there a lightning symbol on the case next to the usbc port?

    Do a battery life test after downclocking everything and post results for basic web browsing.

    Is it hdmi 2.0 or 1.4? do you have a 4k monitor you can test?

    What are the bios options?

    use hwinfo64 and tell us what model lcd screen is installed
     
  6. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    Yes, you can adjust the red lighting on the keyboard.
     
  7. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    Thank you!
     
  8. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    Yes it has thunderbolt 3. It gets around 2-3 hours of doing just basic stuff. It has a HDMI 1.4 and I don't have a 4k monitor :(
     
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  9. haints

    haints Notebook Geek

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    When you do that, is the laptop all black? Or is there still some red somewhere?

    EDIT: Ah, never mind. I saw in your video that the red areas remain rend.
     
  10. ccp6128

    ccp6128 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks for the video. How is the build quality and the thermals while gaming ?
     
  11. link626

    link626 Asus GL502VM, Lenovo Y580, Asus K53TA

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    2-3 hours is awful !!!. That's less than half of last generation's GL502, when it had nvidia optimus.

    have you tried any underclock undervolt apps to squeeze out more battery life?

    Since this is hdmi 1.4, I'll bet there's a bios method to disable gsync and enable optimus to get double battery life.
    It would be so nice if there were a software switch
     
  12. alawadhi3000

    alawadhi3000 Notebook Consultant

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    My last Gigabyte laptop had both HDMI2.0 port and Optimus support, so I think that the fact that this laptop has HDMI 1.4 is irrelevant for Optimus switching.
     
  13. link626

    link626 Asus GL502VM, Lenovo Y580, Asus K53TA

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    well crap that was dumb.
    they should have put in hdmi 2.0 in the GL502vm then.

    hdmi 2.0, optimus/gsync switching would be perfect
     
  14. Robilar

    Robilar Newbie

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    So it has gsync correct?
     
  15. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    It's not too bad...Most of it is of plastic build and you can push down a bit near the keyboard. It's fine though, I don't really like the trackpad but you should use a mouse anyway. Also, it does leave fingerprint marks on the laptop.
     
  16. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    Yes, it has G-Sync :)
     
  17. FrozenLord

    FrozenLord Notebook Consultant

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    Sorry for bringing up Thunderbolt 3 again.
    I am currently quite confused whether the GL502VM actually supports Thunderbolt 3...

    There is no mention of it in the device's specifications ( https://www.asus.com/us/ROG-Republic-Of-Gamers/ROG-GL502VM/specifications/) or the English manual.
    But there are reviews and shops that include Thunderbolt 3:
    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-ROG-Strix-GL502VS-Notebook-Review.171567.0.html
    http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/product-asus-rog-strix-gl502
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234299
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-ROG-GL502VM-DB71-HID2-i7-6700HQ-2-6-3-5GHz/dp/B01KQZUGQ6
    http://www.monkeyswithlaptops.com/s...tel-core-i7-6700hq-16gb-ddr4-1tb-7200rpm-hdd/

    Then there are reviews that state that the GL502VM in fact does *not* support Thunderbolt:

    http://www.gaminglaptopsjunky.com/asus-gl502vm-review-gtx-1060-i7/

    @ John D Nguyen:
    Can you verify 100% that your device supports Thunderbolt 3 and is not just offering the basic USB Type C?

    Thank you very much for any clarification :)
    (Thunderbolt 3 is one of my main criterions for choosing my next notebook as I want to use an external GPU down the line)
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2016
  18. kartikk

    kartikk Newbie

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    Hey guys :),
    Nice unboxing and awesome thread.
    I wonder why there are so few reviews for the GL502VM?
    I got the GL502VM (GTX 1060) a few weeks back, previously had the GL502VT (GTX 970M) which I had to return due to a defective keyboard.

    Here is my short review of the GL502VM
    The GL502VM breezes through any task that I throw at it, and the power it provides is just insane for the form factor.
    Having said that, as most reviews seem to indicate the laptop definitely weighs more than 2.2Kg (actually weighs around 2.5Kg, what's with the false advertising Asus?).
    Build quality seems good but isn't at the same level as a Macbook or an XPS. Personally I don't like the orange highlights much, I would have liked a more professional looking design.
    The display on this laptop is excellent, awesome viewing angles and contrast. The bezels on this things is huge though.
    The keyboard is excellent. The mousepad is good on Windows and not so great on Linux.
    Don't have any thunderbolt devices to check if the laptop supports it, but there is a thunderbolt driver available on the Asus website.

    Due to the lack of optimus the battery life is pretty horrible IMO at 3hrs of normal use (I was getting around 5-6hrs on the GL502VT). I tried asking Asus if it would be possible to manually switch to the Intel GPU in a future bios update, they said it wasn't possible. Asus choosing G-sync over battery life is a bad decision IMO, why would anyone who values portability get a device with such a poor battery life?
    Linux support isn't great. The laptop gets very hot & loud on linux, even while performing light tasks like web browsing and text editing. I faced some sleep issues too on Linux.
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2016
  19. John D Nguyen

    John D Nguyen Newbie

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    Hehe let me triple check when I get back home. I have a thunderbolt to hdmi adapter and it fits so, i'm not sure why the Asus website is not mentioning it.
     
  20. link626

    link626 Asus GL502VM, Lenovo Y580, Asus K53TA

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    you probably have just a regular usb-c hdmi adapter. It's thunderbolt 3 compatible because it fits the port, but it's not true thunderbolt
     
  21. FrozenLord

    FrozenLord Notebook Consultant

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    That's what I think as well.
    I have just cancelled my pre-order for this device just to be on the safe side...
     
  22. Robilar

    Robilar Newbie

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    Last edited: Oct 5, 2016
  23. link626

    link626 Asus GL502VM, Lenovo Y580, Asus K53TA

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    i dunno why you canceled.

    it has a thunderbolt port. I'm just saying his hdmi dongle is just regular usb 3.1 type c.