Done on Job
Technically, this laptop does what is expected of it without flinching, which is the most important thing.
It gets very hot laterally in intensive mode (watch your fingers on the sides where the efficient ventilation pulses), but it remains quiet which is appreciable.
Also very nice is the backlit keyboard which brings out all the features of the keyboard, not just part of it. Some other manufacturers choose to illuminate only one character instead of all of them when several characters are on the same key; their choice is regrettable. ASUS does not.
The full backlighting is therefore there, with a key-by-key selection that is also appreciated.
Finally, the numeric keypad integrated in the Track-Pad is a real plus!
A comment on the supplied "Armoury Crate" management software which allows a very good and fine plotting of the functions and lighting. However, it takes some perseverance to get used to the beast because its use is not intuitive.
I gave it 4 stars (instead of 5) for two reasons, one objective and the other subjective:
1 - No macro commands to choose yourself. Instead, there are 5 dedicated buttons already assigned. So if you want to create macros for a game, the default (and useful) pre-assigned functions will be lost. On the other hand, I use an external Rog Claymore II keyboard which should normally be fully compatible. However, the common management interface "Armoury Crate" does not recognize the macro buttons on the external keyboard.
2 - I find the external presentation of the PC unappealing: basic plastics everywhere and an aesthetically questionable choice of two-tone semi-transparent diagonal presentation. For the price at which this PC is sold, I would have expected more noble materials. As a regular customer of Alienware and Razer, I have to say that for my first ROG, the look and finish did not impress me.
