ROG Strix G17
RM7,799
Kitted out with great specs, multiple display options, and a refreshed exterior, the ROG Strix G17 is a great buy for gamers looking for a sleek and powerful laptop.
Like the higher-end ROG Strix Scar 17 that we just reviewed, the G17 has also been kitted out with a generous 90Wh battery and USB-C fast charging capabilities, so you can spend more time away from the wall.
Exterior
At first glance, the exterior of the G17 looks remarkably similar to the Scar 17's, but upon closer inspection, there are some subtle differences.
First of all, instead of the laser etched pattern on the metal lid, you'll get ROG's new monogram which actually looks very nice. You'll find the same monogram across a diagonal swath of the keyboard deck as well, tying the design together nicely. Unlike its predecessors, the ROG logo on the lid lights up instead of having a plain mirror finish.
The bottom of the chassis also looks great, as far as bottoms go (heh), and an RGB light bar runs all the way around the edges - though you won't find it under the lid like on the Scar 17.
In terms of size, this iteration of the G17 has a 5% smaller footprint, measuring in at 395 x 282 x 23.4mm (27.5mm at its thickest point, where the rubber feet are). At 3kg, it definitely isn't light by any means, but still decent for the amount of power it packs. You'll also have to contend with the sizeable 240W charger if you want to play games on the go - though for lighter workloads, it also supports 100W USB-C charging. Unfortunately, a USB-C charger is not included in the bundle, so you'll have to fork out extra for that.
Ports and Features
I'm a sucker for backward-facing I/O ports, so this laptop automatically put a smile on my face, as all the ports are placed exclusively on the back and left side. The right-hand-side is completely empty, leaving my mouse hand free from any cable mess or obtrusive inserts (thumb drives, external hard disks, etc.)
On the left, you'll find two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and a 3.5mm combo audio jack, while on the back you'll find a wider assortment of ports, including one more USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C port with Power Delivery, a HDMI 2.0b port, an Ethernet port, as well as the charging port.
Of course, as this is an AMD laptop, there is no Thunderbolt support, so do take note if you have a lot of Thunderbolt peripherals. Again, there is still no webcam, despite our ongoing pandemic work-/learn-from-home arrangements, so that's a bummer. Other absent features include biometric sensors and an SD card reader.
Display
Esports enthusiasts are going to love this screen, which is a FHD IPS-level panel boasting a 300Hz refresh rate and Adaptive Sync. While there's also a 1440p 165Hz option that would probably make more sense for non-competitive gamers, there's just something really nice about seeing your cursor fly around in a buttery smooth manner.
If you're into creative work, the screen has 72% NTSC, 100% sRGB, and 75.35% Adobe RGB coverage, which is decent enough for casual colour work. But if you chose this laptop, I'm guessing you'd be more inclined to use it for gaming anyway.
To get the maximum 300Hz refresh rate, it has to be plugged into a power source though, so remember to bring the charger if you want to game on the go.
Keyboard and audio
While the G17 doesn't feature an opto-mechanical keyboard like its fancier sibling, it's very nice in its own right. The travel distance and tactility feel great while typing, and you also benefit from a numpad and isolated arrow key cluster.
ROG's signature shortcut keys remain on the top left by themselves, offering quick access to volume controls, mic mute, performances modes, as well as Armoury Crate. On the top right, you'll get the power button located separately from the main keyboard cluster, which is always a plus; however it doesn't have a fingerprint reader, so that's a little bit disappointing as the convenience is always appreciated.
As for audio, it's pretty good for laptop speakers, but don't expect it to pump out a room-filling bassline any time soon. In any case, headphones are advisable while gaming as the fans will ramp up under load.
Performance
The configuration of this review model consists of a Ryzen 9 5900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Overall, performance is great as expected, with the exterior remaining a comfortable temperature. Although the fans do rev up quite a bit, it's nothing out of the ordinary. It scored well on synthetic and gaming benchmarks; coupled with the speedy display, gaming was extremely enjoyable and went without a hitch.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article stated that this configuration of the G17 only features 8GB of RAM; the mistake has since been corrected.
The SSD is extremely fast as well, so expect super fast loading times and speedy user experience overall.
In terms of battery life, the 90Wh battery did great, lasting around 9 hours for casual browsing and video watching, and slightly over an hour for gaming. Do note that gaming on battery will limit the screen refresh rate to 60Hz, so if you want maximum performance, you'll want to hook it up to the wall.
In case the 240W charger is too clunky for you, the laptop also supports 100W USB-C charging, though such a charger is not included in the box.
All in all, the configuration is excellent with upgradability should you need it.
Conclusion
The ROG Strix G17 offers great bang for your buck. While it doesn't exactly fall under the 'affordable' category, the price is excellent for the specs and performance you're getting. While the Strix Scar 17 we reviewed earlier offered the best of the best, this is definitely a better option if you don't have an unlimited amount of disposable income.
For more details and a list of all the available configurations, check out the official product page here.
