Asus ROG Zephyrus take gaming laptops to new heights with the M16 and S17

(Image credit: Asus)

published 12 May 2021

Asus has unveiled a host of updates at its Republic of Gamers Unleash the Tiger Inside event. Among them were two new Zephyrus models, the M16 and M17 gaming laptops. Asus tells us that like the tiger, these machines can blend into their surroundings but are very powerful. Well, they are certainly powerful, but I wouldn’t write off their looks either.

The ROG Zephyrus S17 is a serious gaming machine with a huge 17-inch screen – of which you can have in WQHD 165Hz or a 4K 120Hz version. The screen bezels have been kept to a minimum, giving this an 88% screen-to-body ratio, while the body remains ultra-thin too, at just 19.9mm.

It features Intel’s new 11th gen i9 H-series and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series graphics (up to 3080). There’s 3x 1TB SSD storage and 16GB of RAM onboard but the capacity to upgrade to a maximum of 48GB.

It also features a rising keyboard, with a 5-degree tilt to allow for easier access to the keys. And, by doing so, it increases the access to the cooling system behind it. There are LED lights behind the keys and a new larger touchpad too.

Meanwhile, the ROG Zephyrus M16 fits a 16-inch 165Hz WQXGA display into a 15-in body, thanks to some of the thinnest bezels we’ve seen, giving it a 94% screen-to-body ratio. Like the S17 it features the latest 11th gen Intel Core i9 H-series CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series (up to 3070) GPU.

While there’s no rising keyboard here, there is still four-zone RGB lighting and a 125% larger touchpad than last year’s model. Storage is up to 2TB with all models featuring 16GB RAM onboard and capacity for up to 48GB.

You can watch the full event on the Asus ROG website and enter the ROG Citadel to virtually explore the new products. Prices and availability are still to be confirmed for these new models.

As T3's Editor-in-Chief, Mat Gallagher has his finger on the pulse for the latest advances in technology. He has written about technology since 2003 and after stints in Beijing, Hong Kong and Chicago is now based in the UK. He’s a true lover of gadgets, but especially anything that involves cameras, Apple, electric cars, musical instruments or travel.

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