Asus’ powerful new gaming laptop has the muscle for virtual reality

By Brad Jones Published November 8, 2016

Asus has announced the G701VI, a potent new gaming laptop that is part of the company’s specialized Republic of Gamers line. This powerful system should be able to handle just about anything that users throw at it — including the latest virtual reality content.

The high-end laptop can be outfitted with either an Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, or an unlocked Intel Core i7-6820HK, as per Tech Report. The G701VI utilizes DDR4 memory with a transfer speed of 2400 MT/s, and buyers are able to add as much as 64GB of RAM to their configuration. An Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card is installed as standard.

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Asus has also gone the extra mile in terms of the 17.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 display used for the G701VI. The company claims that the laptop is the world’s first to feature a 120Hz panel with support for G-Sync, although there is currently no further information regarding the type of panel being used.

The system also boasts an anti-ghosting keyboard that features 30-key rollover technology to ensure that every command the player inputs in the heat of competition is received. There’s also a host of ports to facilitate the use of peripherals and other extra pieces of hardware — three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, a mini DisplayPort, and an HDMI port.

Anyone who desires the ability to hook up a headset to their laptop and enjoy virtual reality content on the go will be well served by the G701VI. Despite its impressive specs, the system is very portable, with a profile of just 32.5 millimeters.

However, a laptop that features such strapping hardware inside this kind of form factor is sure to carry a high price. Asus hasn’t yet detailed the pricing or expected release date for the G701VI, but it’s reasonable to expect that this high-spec system will be rather expensive.

Updated 11-08-2016 by Brad Jones: Added GPU details.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

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