ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 Review: A High-end Gaming Laptop

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71: At First Glance

Over the years, ASUS has become one of the most important players in the gaming segment. This is simply because they design gaming laptops that meet most user requirements.

To add to its collection of gaming laptops, ASUS released the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71. This laptop is a high-performance gaming laptop that offers you great value for a good price.

Speaking of price, as of the time I published this review in January 2022, the laptop had a starting price of $999.00. With a price this good, I know you are wondering if the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 can deliver adequate performance.

Well, you can only find out by reading through this review.

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71: Design, Dimension, and Weight

For the design, ASUS decided to make a statement with the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71. The blend of black and highlights of neon orange was unexpected but good.

On seeing this laptop, the theme line “black, bold and beautiful” was the first thing that popped up in my thoughts. To start with, on the exterior, the laptop features a matte-black aluminum lid.

The surface of this laptop’s lid is accompanied by a set of darts highlighted in neon orange. Following that, the ROG logo, which is also highlighted in neon orange, is beautifully centralized between the darts on the laptop’s lid.

Furthermore, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 lid features a brushed pattern on its surface. This brushed pattern gives off a slightly rough feel when you run your hands through it.

I believe the idea behind this brushed pattern is to add a bit of style that negates the smooth surface we see most time. However, the lid’s surface tends to pick up fingerprints and smudges rather too easily.

Nevertheless, this is not much of a downside for this laptop as you can simply wipe off the stains.

Moving on to the interior, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 features a bright 15.6-inch display with a resolution of FHD (1920 x 1080). This bright 15-inch FHD display is made with an IPS panel which makes the content of the display accurate from all viewing angles.

In addition to that, this laptop’s display also features a matte surface and an antiglare coating. Moreover, one of the major benefits of an antiglare coating is that it reduces reflection and makes outdoor usage of the laptop more enjoyable.

Also, the matte surface of the display helps to regulate the overall brightness of the laptop, specifically when used outdoors. Therefore, with a matte surface and an antiglare coating, I am certain that you will be satisfied with the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71’s display.

Still on the display, the 15-inch FHD is surrounded by thick bezels. At the bottom bezel, the ASUS logo is boldly printed in stainless steel.

Meanwhile, at the top bezel, you will see an HD webcam neatly placed in the center. This HD webcam isn’t that great at delivering decent pictures, but it is ideal for video calls.

Moving on, like every other gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 has its own fair share of RGB lighting. This lighting is mostly seen in the keyboard area, which is situated on the base of the laptop.

However, if you do not feel too comfortable with the lighting, you can simply regulate it with two-step illumination. That said, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 comes with a chiclet-style keyboard.

This laptop’s keyboard offers a set of keys that have a slightly concave shape and a non-slip surface. Additionally, the keys of this keyboard are large and flat.

However, ASUS decided to maintain a smaller number of pads for this keyboard. This can be tricky for users with large hands.

Nevertheless, this is a gaming laptop; hence you would not need your number pad that much. The reason for this is that most gamers use the W, A, S, and D keys for navigation.

For clarity, you will see the W, A, S, and D keys highlighted in a brighter neon orange color on the keyboard of the laptop.

Furthermore, in terms of performance, the keyboard offered a decent typing experience with its 1.5 mm key travel. In case you’re wondering, a keyboard’s key travel is the distance between a key’s rest position and how far it dips when you press it.

Below the keyboard, you will see a sizeable touchpad that comes with a set of integrated click buttons. In terms of performance, the touchpad is accurate and responsive.

For connectivity, ASUS kept things minimal with the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71. The laptop only features a USB Type-C port, 3 USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port.

Measuring 391.1 x 266.7 x 30.4 mm (W x D x H) and weighing 2180 g, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 is lighter than most gaming laptops in its class. For example, the Schenker XMG P506 PRO measures 375 x 271 x 25 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 2500g.

Another example is the Acer Predator 15 which measures 391.00 x 299.50 x 38.50 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 3700 g.

Overall, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 provides a design style that is flawless. There is hardly anything to dislike about the design of this laptop.

Also, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 is light and weighs less than most of the laptops in its category. Hence, I will be rating the laptop a nine out of ten in this section of the review.

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB7: Processor (CPU) Performance

For processor power, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 employs a 6th-generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor. In terms of speed, this processor offers a base frequency of 2.60 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.50 GHz.

In addition to that, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 processor is a quad-core processor that can perform up to eight tasks simultaneously thanks to hyperthreading. Also, this processor offers a 6 MB cache memory.

Moreover, this laptop’s processor is a high-end processor mostly found in high-end gaming laptops. Hence, due to the processor’s high clock speed of 3.50 GHz, this ASUS gaming laptop should be able to handle anything you throw at it.

Furthermore, this laptop should be able to multitask and run several apps smoothly. To further prove the processor performance of this laptop, I will be highlighting its Cinebench R15 benchmark test results.

Meanwhile, Cinebench R15 is a benchmark tool that is used to test the performance of a laptop’s processor. To give more details, Cinebench R15 carries out two tests.

These tests include the single-core test and multi-core test. Moreover, a high score on each test means better processor performance.

Thus, based on the Cinebench R15 test results, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 recorded 147 points in the single-core test. Following that, the laptop recorded 676 points in the multi-core test.

In comparison, this ASUS laptop offers similar performance to the Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925. Specifically, the Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925 recorded 142 points and 676 points, respectively, on the single-core test and multi-core test.

Before concluding this section, it is important to mention that the Acer Predator 15 G9-592-7925 uses the same processor as the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71.

Although the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 offered a similar benchmark result to one of its competitors, this laptop is still capable of handling intensive computing tasks.

Therefore I will rate ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 an eight in this processor performance review section.

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71: Memory (RAM) Performance

The ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 offers two memory slots with a standard of 16 GB RAM. The laptop supports a maximum of 32 GB RAM – 16 GB in each memory slot.

However, I don’t think there will be any need for additional memory expansion. This is because the 16 GB standard memory is more than enough to carry out basically any computing task.

Besides, with 16 GB RAM, this laptop will be able to handle heavy multitasking. For example, this ASUS gaming laptop will not lag even if there are about 20+ Chrome browser tabs open.

In fact, switching between the tabs will be swift.

Moving on, let us quickly discuss the performance of the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 on a PCMark 8 test. PCMark 8 is a benchmark tool that tests the performance of a laptop’s memory by mimicking everyday tasks.

These tasks include video streaming, emailing, web browsing, and other basic tasks. Besides, the higher the score on this test, the better the performance of the laptop.

Based on the PCMark 8 test result, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 surpassed all of its competitors with a score of 4651 points. A gaming laptop that this ASUS laptop surpasses on the PCMark 8 test is the MSI GT62VR which scored 4541 points.

Overall, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 delivered a wonderful memory performance. Hence, I will be rating the laptop a nine in this section of the review.

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71: Storage Option and Performance

The ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 comes with an SSD storage type. This SSD storage offers a maximum storage capacity of 256 GB.

Furthermore, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 also features an SD card slot. This SD card slot offers you the ability to expand your storage.

However, considering the storage needs of most gamers, this storage space is too small. Both the 256 GB and SD storage would not be enough to store most games.

Nevertheless, you can simply purchase a hard drive to satisfy your storage needs. The only downside to this is that purchasing a hard drive will incur an extra cost.

Now let us discuss the CrystalDiskMark benchmark test results of the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71. CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark tool that measures how fast a computer’s storage is.

Moreover, the higher the score on this test, the better the performance of the laptop’s storage. Based on the test result, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 recorded a sequential read speed of 485.4 MBps and a sequential write speed of 312.4 MBps.

For clarity, read speed is the time it takes for a laptop to open a file. On the other hand, write speed means the duration that it takes a laptop’s storage to save a file.

Moving on, in comparison to ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71, the Acer Predator 15 recorded a sequential read speed of 509.8 MBps and a sequential write speed of 455.3 MBps. Thus, it has a faster read and write speed than the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71.

As a result, I will be rating the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 a seven out of ten in this storage review section.

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71: Graphics Card Performance

For the graphics card, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card. In terms of speed, this graphics card offers a base frequency of 1442 MHz and a maximum frequency of 1645 MHz.

Furthermore, as a dedicated GPU, this laptop’s graphics card offers an 8 GB dedicated VRAM. In case you are wondering what a VRAM is, it is a type of memory that specifically facilitates the graphic content of a laptop.

The major benefit of having a VRAM is that it allows a computer to offer adequate graphics performance. Hence, with 8 GB dedicated VRAM, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 should be able to run high-end games smoothly without lagging.

Speaking of games, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 should be able to achieve around 120 fps (frame per second) while playing Doom. In addition to that, this laptop should also be able to play Battlefield 4 at 132.7 fps.

That said, to further prove the graphics performance of this laptop, I will now briefly highlight the result of the laptop on a 3DMark benchmark test. However, before that, it is worth knowing that the 3DMark 11 is a benchmark tool that tests the graphics rendering abilities of a computer.

Moreover, the higher the score on this 3DMark 11 test, the better the graphics performance of the computer. Thus, according to the 3DMark test results, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 recorded a whopping 22022 points.

Impressively, this laptop outperformed most of its competitors. For example, the Schenker XMG P506 PRO was only able to record a score of 12517 points on the 3DMark 11 test.

In conclusion, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 offers one of the best GPUs available. Hence, this laptop is deserving of a nine out of ten in this graphics review section.

ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71: Battery Life and Performance

For the battery, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 employs a 4-cell 62 Whrs battery. ASUS claims that this battery can last up to 4 hours.

However, to confirm ASUS’ claim, let us discuss the laptop’s battery rundown test results. The battery rundown test simulates basic computing tasks under specific settings.

The reason for this is to check the longevity of a laptop’s battery. Based on the battery rundown test results, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 only lasted for 4 hours and 3 minutes when left idle under minimum brightness.

Furthermore, on continuous web surfing at minimum brightness, the laptop lasted for 3 hours and 16 minutes. However, on maximum load, the laptop only managed 58 minutes.

In comparison, the Schenker XMG P506 PRO lasted for 5 hours and 10 minutes when left idle. Furthermore, on continuous web surfing at minimum brightness, the laptop lasted 4 hours 27 minutes.

However, on maximum load, Schenker XMG P506 PRO was able to last up to 1 hour 38 minutes.

In conclusion, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 performed less than most of its competitors. Also, the laptop performed below the average 5 hours, mostly seen in gaming laptops.

Hence, I will rate the laptop a six in this battery performance review section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 is an efficient, high-performing gaming laptop that offers you a vivid display. Furthermore, this laptop also offers a remarkable CPU and GPU that allows you to run most modern games smoothly.

However, all this power comes at a price. To be more specific, the battery of this laptop is very disappointing.

Nevertheless, if you have your charger with you all the time, there’s almost nothing else to worry about.

Thus, if you are a gamer looking to own a high-performing gaming laptop with remarkable GPU performance, the ASUS ROG GL502VS DB71 is perfect for you.

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