Asus rog zephyrus s gx502gw review in Spanish (full review)

After analyzing the Zephyrus M series of this prestigious range of gaming laptops, we now continue with the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW. Despite having essentially the same design as the rest of the family, this Max-Q laptop has a drop-down system at its base to improve air intake by avoiding dust and improving temperatures of its powerful hardware.

And it is that the model we analyze has a Core i7-9750H next to the Nvidia RTX 2070. The system comes prepared to mount NVMe SSD in RAID 0 and capacity of up to 32 GB of memory. The screen is also leveling up, now 144 or 240 Hz IPS with Pantone and G-Sync validation that further improves the performance of the set. Ready to see everything this Zephyrus has to offer? Well, let's go there!

And before continuing, we must thank Asus for their trust in PR by giving us this gaming laptop for analysis.

Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW technical features

Unboxing

And not only do the specifications change in this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW and the S series, but also the presentation of the product, being much more sophisticated than in the M. Here we find a large rigid cation box that performs the function of the first wrapping.

Inside we have a second, smaller, hard cardboard box to store the laptop. Next to it, another elongated box to store the charger, and all this in turn protected by two polyethylene foam panels.

The bundle in this case has the following elements:

• Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW Portable 230W External Power Supply Kind of Sculpture for 3D Mounting Bracket Information

Exterior design

The Zephyrus have been renovated in a spectacular way and this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW is one of the most beautiful notebooks that has passed through our hands this year, and the truth is that its price is consistent (within the expensive) for what offers us, but you will see it. Just over 2000 euros for a team with RTX 2070 is not bad for what we are used to seeing this year.

It is one of the most compact and Max-Q designed notebooks we have right now. It has a 15.6-inch screen that occupies 81% of useful area, so we have total measurements of 360 mm wide, 252 mm deep and only 18.9 mm thick, being an ultrabook in all its shape. The weight amounts to 2 kg, being just 100 grams more than the M series for the simple fact of having a folding plate at the base to improve cooling.

This plate is nothing more than a mechanical system that unfolds and opens a hole in the base when opening the screen to allow the breathing of the two fans that make up the cooling system. In this way, the laptop is relatively elevated above the ground in the back, allowing more air to enter than a normal system and also avoiding catching dust. It is not everything, because this hole has RGB lighting at both ends to improve the aesthetics of the set.

After seeing one of the main differences of this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW compared to the other series, we placed ourselves on the outside to better see its finishes. The top cover presents a brushed type finish that combines the typical scratches with a polished bottom that feels great. In addition, an aluminum and magnesium alloy has been used for the entire chassis and exterior parts that improve the rigidity of the assembly without compromising the weight. This top cap includes the ROG logo with red lighting.

We open the laptop and the first thing that strikes us is the silky touch offered by the base where the keyboard and touchpad are located. Let's say that it is similar to the finishes of the pasta cases of the Smartphone, with a slight roughness to improve the grip and also does not leave an excessive mark and is resistant to scratches despite appearing slightly hard. The keyboard has enchanted us, a configuration at the same level as the base, with keys of minimum travel and separation between the different sections.

Ports and connections

We now continue with the sides of the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW, where we will find everything that has to do with ports and connections

And the truth is that you do not need to place multiple aggressive edges or edges to have a gaming design. Notice that the front is completely flat, very sober and that gives us great elegance. The back area is more aggressive, with that aspect of a spaceship with the flaps deployed.

Placing ourselves first in the left area we find the following ports:

• Main Power Jack RJ-45 port for wired LAN HDMI 2.0b1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A 3.5mm jack for 3.5mm microJack input for audio output

Despite being a laptop with less than 2 cm, Asus has not given up the wired network connection, something necessary to play, especially if we consider that it does not incorporate a Wi-Fi 6 network card. Another positive aspect is having an HDMI connector in version 2.0b, like those available in desktop graphics cards, which allows us to connect 4K @ 60 FPS monitors.

On the right side of the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW we have the other ports:

• Kensington slot for universal padlocks 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C

In this case the connectivity is exactly the same in the whole family, without Thunderbolt 3 connection. But the USB Type-C is going to be quite useful, since it is compatible with DisplayPort 1.4 connections, and also with a load of up to 65W with a power bank that is not included. It also offers the fast charging function for peripherals or smartphones with 5V and up to 3A (15W). In addition, the DisplayPort standard offers us the ability to connect 4K, 8K monitors with 30-bit color depth.

Screen in two versions 144 and 240 Hz with G-Sync

This Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW also raises the bar on its 15.6-inch display with IPS technology, so let's see what we have.

We will have to distinguish between two versions that will be available for the GX502GW, the first with 144 Hz, which is the one we are analyzing, and the other with 240 Hz. For their part, the version with RTX 2060 only has the 144 Hz version available. Either case has Nvidia G-Sync technology which is a guarantee to avoid Ghosting and flickering in games. Its response speed is 3 ms in both cases, which we will have to activate from the Armory Crate software.

As for the color benefits of this IPS panel we have an 8-bit palette (16.7 million colors) that should offer us a coverage of 100 sRGB and 72% NTSC. All Zephyrus S panels have been verified by X-Rite Pantone. This means that the calibration of this screen has been verified and carried out at the factory using a colorimeter. But we will not have an ICC file loaded in the system, at least it has not been like that in the unit we analyze, so it is different from a certification.

Finally we see viewing angles of 178 ^or as it is already known in IPS panels and that show the color range without distortion without major problems. The visual result is very good with these thin 6 mm frames on the sides and top with the lower area cut out to improve aesthetics.

Calibration and performance

We have carried out some calibration tests for this IPS panel of the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW with our X-Rite Colormunki Display colorimeter, and the HCFR and DisplayCAL 3 programs, both of which are free and available to any user with a colorimeter. With these tools we will analyze the color graphics of the screen in the DCI-P3 and sRGB spaces, and we will compare the colors that the monitor delivers with respect to the reference palette of both color spaces.

The tests have been carried out with the brightness at 100% at all times and the factory configuration of the screen with Nvidia G-Sync activated and the 144 Hz.

Flickering tests, ghosting and other gaming factors

To delve a little more into the performance of the screen we have used the tests available in testufo, specifically the ghosting and flickering tests to verify the correct operation of the screen.

To check if there is ghosting we have taken screenshots using a camera following the movement of the UFOs. As we see, the images do not have the typical black or white ghosting aura, so we conclude that G-Sync and 144 Hz work perfectly. We support this with screen images while benchmarking Metro Exodus in high quality, while everything is perfectly defined and without moving trails.

Regarding the IPS glow or typical non-uniform brightness in these panels, we see that we do not have any problem either, showing a very uniform surface. No bleeding either in the corners or edges, at least in this unit we tested, so in this sense we can practically say that the work is impeccable.

Contrast and brightness

Measurements	Contrast	Gamma value	Color temperature	Black level
@ 100% gloss	1089: 1	2.26	6532K	0.2668 cd / m 2

This panel offers us an excellent temperature adjustment that is very close to 6500K color and that will surely allow us to have a good Delta E. At maximum brightness we have a fairly good black level and below 0.3 nits with a Gamma value of 2.26, being considered ideal 2.2.

As for brightness uniformity, the panel of the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW offers maximum values ​​around 270 nits and excellent uniformity even in the corners, where the least bright point is 251 nits. This is also seen in the capture made with the camera in the previous section.

In general we will see that the results that this panel has given us are better than those offered in the Zephyrus M that we have also analyzed here.

SRGB color space

We now continue with the color adjustment in the main color spaces. Specifically, sRGB provides us with coverage of 89.4% sRGB, which is also not the 100% promised, although we are close. Like the M series panel it is slightly offset in the greens and blues as it should ultimately be a very very similar panel.

Regarding the average Delta E we are at a value of 2.21, which is very good but not exceptional. Overall we see an excellent adjustment in grayscale and cool colors, and it could easily be improved with a colorimeter calibration. Finally, the graphics are generally very good, with a good RGB level, which is demonstrated by the adjustment to the reference 6500K, and a very well adjusted gamma.

DCI-P3 color space

For the DCI-P3 space aimed at creating multimedia content, we have an average Delta E of 2.74 that presents less adjusted values ​​in colors, although very good in gray as usual in IPS panels. The coverage in this space is 69.4%, a fairly acceptable value for a gaming-oriented laptop and not a design.

Smart AMP sound system with dedicated DAC

We now continue with the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW sound system, which is made up of a double 3W speaker with Smart AMP technology. Theoretically Asus encrypts the system upgrade with twice the volume, 3.5x deeper bass and superior dynamic range. The system is controlled by a Realtek chip.

For practical purposes, the truth is that the improvement is noticeable despite being rectangular instead of round speakers and being a very thin laptop without a sound box. The bass is indeed noticeable, which is already an achievement on a laptop, and its volume is high and undistorted. It is even at a good level to enjoy a gaming experience without using headphones or to play multimedia content.

The DAC ESS SABER that is integrated into the system, is dedicated to the connection of high fidelity headphones (Hi-Fi) in the 3.5 mm Jack port dedicated for this purpose. With it we can even activate Surround mode to simulate 7.1 sound in compatible headphones.

Finally we have a matrix with double microphone and noise cancellation although without integrated webcam. The system is the standard of most laptops and offers enough features to communicate during games and online chats with colleagues.

Touchpad and keyboard

Without a doubt the keyboard of the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW is one of the best we have tested this year on gaming laptops. We are facing a TKL configuration with keys of just size and separation between the different functional groups, we are talking about F keys, address dates and navigation keys. It also has good size characters and lighting AURA Sync manageable key by key through AURA Creator which is a real delight.

The membrane used has a very direct touch on the keyboard, with a travel of less than 2 mm that will allow us to react quickly in games and type very quickly in writing. It also has an N-Key Rollover function, so that each press is registered independently, thus being able to press all the keys at the same time. All “F” rows have a dual function, although a top row with dedicated functions such as volume control, mic deactivation and a button to open Armory Crate has also been dedicated .

And just as we discussed in the Zephyrus M review, we would have liked a touchpad with separate buttons. For those users who use the touchpad a lot and even in games, it would offer greater resistance and we would avoid the typical slack that occurs after a while. The one we tested on the Strix SCAR III was an excellent touchpad, although we understand that its aesthetics is also not as good as this one. In terms of precision and response, it is impeccable.

Somewhat basic network connectivity

Perhaps because it was introduced earlier this year, the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW does not have wireless connectivity that works over 802.11ax. Instead, the Intel Wireless AC 9560 D2W chip has been directly soldered on board .

This chip works on IEEE 802.11ac giving a bandwidth of 1.73 Gbps in the 5 GHz band and 533 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band. A small disadvantage that we have and it is important to comment is that being soldered On board we do not have the typical M.2 2230 slot to exchange it for a card that we buy apart from the more current one, as is the case with many other computers.

The wired connectivity is completed with the Intel I211 GbE 10/100/1000 Mbps chip, which will be a good ally for online games in LAN at high speed.

Internal hardware

The series to which this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW belongs has a 9th generation Intel processor and Nvidia RTX cards in the 2060 and 2070 models. Let's see all its features in full as well as the cooling system.

The processor that has been used is none other than the Intel Core i7-9750H, a processor that works at a base frequency of 2.6 GHz and 4.5 GHz in turbo boost mode. This is a 9th generation Coffee Lake CPU that features 6 cores and 12 processing threads under a TDP of just 45W along with a 12MB L3 cache.

And next to it this GW version has a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics card. In case you do not remember its basic specs, we have 2304 CUDA Core, the same as in the desktop version, and Tensor and RT cores to do Ray Tracing and DLSS. The processing frequency is between 1315 MHz and 1440 MHz at maximum performance to give 144 TMUs and 64 ROPs. In fact Asus has integrated a function called ROG Boost that raises this frequency to 1540 MHz to offer extra performance. Along with this, there are 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, although in the portable version they work at 12 Gbps instead of 14. We have the other GX 502GV model that has an Nvidia RTX 2060 inside as a cheaper version.

The distribution of the motherboard is quite similar in all models, since we have the Intel HM370 chipset as the one with the highest performance for gaming. Along with it, two SO-DIMM slots that in this case only one of them will be occupied with a 16 GB DDR4 module at 2666 MHz. The maximum capacity is 32 GB if we buy a separate module, although it is a small disadvantage not to be able to use Dual Channel as standard.

The storage configuration consists of a 1TB storage M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 Intel SSD 660p SSD. A unit that will offer us a performance around 1600 MB / s in reading and the same in sequential writing. A positive aspect is that we have a second slot parallel to this one that is compatible with RAID 0 configurations if we buy another SSD. Of course we do not have space available for 2.5 inch units due to thickness limitations.

Very good cooling system

We have already seen externally the peculiar system that opens a lower cover to allow fans to take air. Looking inside, this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW features a turbine-type dual fan system with a total of 83 ultra-thin 0.1mm thick blades. Each one has a double ventilation duct very well designed to expel air from behind and sides of the equipment once the air is sucked underneath

To capture heat effectively, 5 bare copper heatpipes have been installed directly glued to the GPU and CPU cold plate to remove heat through the dissipation blocks located in the 4 openings on the sides. One of these heatpipes is responsible for cooling the VRM of the motherboard and the memory chips of the graphics card, thus having an excellent system that will prevent the appearance of thermal throttling when we play and we ask for all the power from the hardware.

The question is does this bottom plate really work? Well it does, because the temperatures are lower than in the Zephyrus M even with a superior GPU. In addition, the noise generated is a little lower at maximum speed since the air intake is more discreet.

Battery and autonomy

To finish with the hardware analysis of this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW, we are going to deal with autonomy. Inside, a Lithium-Polymer battery has been installed that will provide us with a power of 76 Wh with a capacity of 4800 mAh.

We have a double power system, although the basic and available as standard will be the one to play. An external 230W power supply connected to the jack on the left side. Also, the USB-C offers a 65W charging capacity, although we would need to buy the power bank separately.

The autonomy that this model has given us is in just over 4 hours in normal use, browsing, editing and consuming multimedia content. But here the presence of the Armory Crate software is important, since it implements an option to activate, deactivate the dedicated graphics card, or allow the system to select the best option. We have carried out the autonomy test with the “optimal” profile, but if we deactivate it, we will surely slightly prolong the autonomy of the equipment.

In addition, this complete software will allow us to select among several available energy profiles, monitor the activity of our hardware, among many other options that we will have.

Test of performance

We go to the practical part where we will see the performance offered by this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW. As always, we have carried out synthetic tests and tests in games.

All the tests we have subjected this laptop have been carried out with the equipment plugged into the power supply, the performance profile in turbo mode and the power profile at maximum performance. Of course, we have activated the dedicated card option in the Armory software for maximum performance.

SSD performance

Let's start with the benchmark of the Intel 660p SSD, for this we have used CristalDiskMark in its version 6.0.2.

They are slightly lower than expected results in sequential reading, since it should be around 1600-1700 MB / s. In any case, they are the more or less expected values ​​for this unit.

CPU and GPU benchmarks

Let's see below the synthetic test block. For this we have used the following programs:

• Cinebench R15Cinebench R20PCMark 8VRMark3DMark Time Spy, Fire Strike, Fire Strike Ultra and Port Royal

Having a Max-Q giving this performance is a pleasure, Asus has done an excellent job of cooling that undoubtedly benefits the team in every way.

Gaming performance

To establish a real performance of this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW, we have tested a total of 7 titles with fairly existing graphics, which are the following, and with the following configuration:

• Shadow of the Tomb Rider, Alto, TAA + Anisotropico x4, DirectX 12 Far Cry 5, Alto, TAA, DirectX 12 DOOM, Ultra, TAA, Open GL Final Fantasy XV, standard, TAA, DirectX 11 Deus EX Mankind Divided, Alto, Anisotropic x4, DirectX 12 Metro Exodus, High, Anisotropic x16, DirectX 12 Control, High, DLSS 1280 × 720, Ray Tracing Medium, DirectX 12

As it could not be otherwise, the FPS are in all cases above 60, and comfortably reached 80-90 in most cases even with the quality on high. We think that this 144 Hz screen is fabled for the team, since the 240 Hz screen is surely wasted unless we lower the graphics or think about using the equipment for e-sports.

Temperatures

The stress process that the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW has undergone has lasted around 60 minutes, in order to have a reliable average temperature. This process has been carried out with Furmark, Prime95 in large mode and the capture of temperatures with HWiNFO.

Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW	Repose	Maximum performance
CPU	43 ºC	81 ºC
GPU	37 ºC	70 ºC

As we have previously commented, the system has behaved spectacularly considering how thin the equipment and hardware we have installed are. If we plan to play, what is indicated will put the turbo performance profile, since it will ensure the maximum power of the fans and thus avoid throttling.

Final words and conclusion about Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW

The Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW is a laptop that we definitely have to recommend, as it offers us a great combination of design, performance and price for the market of gamers with high budgets.

Its exquisite design in aluminum and magnesium alloy gives us a sober and very elegant set, which make a very combination with the brushed exterior appearance and lighting on the cover and keyboard. A keyboard that we have loved, both in key distribution and design and in usability, with a very good membrane.

Thanks to the i7-9750H and the RTX 2070 it is a device that is high up in the performance table, moving smoothly the latest games on the market in high quality and with ray tracing capabilities. We also have 16 GB of RAM in a single module, good if we want to add a second and not so good because we do not use Dual Channel as standard.

The Armory Crate software in this case is especially useful in terms of autonomy and management, since we can deactivate the dedicated card if we wish to improve consumption. Even with it in use, it lasts about 4 and a half hours, which is very good to be Max-Q and gaming.

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The sound system is another aspect that we liked a lot, since Smart AMP does a great job in quality, volume and bass presence, which is not very common in so little space.

The equipment is available with RTX 2070 and RTX 2060, and also with two IPS screen configurations at 144 Hz and 240 Hz with G-Sync. In our case we see 144 Hz as ideal for non-competitive gaming, since we think about playing high quality at around 80 FPS. The 240 Hz we will take advantage of e-sport sacrificing quality for speed. Pantone validation in this case does work, giving us a good color calibration. We have already seen that we do not appreciate ghosting, blinking or bleeding of any kind.

We finish as always with the price, and this Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW can be found in our country for about 2099 euros, which considering what we have inside and everything it offers, is a high price but at the level of the competition.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION	- TOUCHPAD WITHOUT INDEPENDENT BUTTONS
+ PERFORMANCE WITH RTX 2070 AND I7-9750H	- RAM MEMORY IN SINGLE CHANNEL
+ IMPROVED AND THROTTLING FREE REFRIGERATION
+ SMART AMP SOUND AND EXCELLENT KEYBOARD
+ 144 OR 240 HZ IPS SCREEN WITH G-SYNC
+ GOOD AUTONOMY AND POSSIBILITY OF DEACTIVATING DEDICATED GPU

The Professional Review team awards you the platinum medal and recommended product:

Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX502GW

DESIGN - 95%

CONSTRUCTION - 94%

REFRIGERATION - 89%

PERFORMANCE - 90%

DISPLAY - 86%

91%