Asus ROG Strix G17 G713QE laptop review: GeForce RTX 3050 Ti drags down a great system

One model, two different thicknesses. The G713 series consists of at least 16 different configurations of various AMD CPUs, GeForce GPUs, battery sizes, and even thicknesses. There are good options to be found in there, but ours is perhaps not the best.

The ROG Strix G17 G713 series succeeds last year's G712 series by bumping off Intel for AMD and upgrading most SKUs to GeForce Ampere graphics. Configurable options are extensive with no less than than 16 (!) individual SKUs all detailed here on Asus' official product page. Options are subsequently massive ranging from the Zen 2 Ryzen 7 4800H to the Zen 3 Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU and 65 W GeForce GTX 1650 graphics up to the 130 W GeForce RTX 3070. Display options also range wildly from the base 144 Hz FHD panel to 165 Hz QHD or 300 Hz FHD with fuller colors. Even battery capacities, thicknesses, and AC adapters are different depending on the graphics.Our test unit today is midrange SKU equipped with the Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, 95 W RTX 3050 Ti GPU, and 144 Hz FHD display. Competitors in this space include other entry-level to midrange 17.3-inch gaming laptops like the MSI Katana GF76, Acer Nitro 5, Dell G series, or Lenovo Legion 5.

Case — Familiar, but Different

It can be difficult to tell apart all the different ROG Strix models since they share the same visual design. The extended "jet engine" rear, large visible hinges, thick chin bezel, slightly rubberized keyboard deck, and lack of an integrated webcam are all unchanged from previous generations. The main differences are down to styling as certain parts of the chassis are now flatter and smoother for a sleeker look. The right edge and outer lid, for example, are embellished with a new ROG pattern that isn't present on older models.

Chassis rigidity hasn't improved from last year's G712. It is, however, still stronger than the MSI GF or GP series especially when it comes to the hinges.

Annoyingly, the G713 comes in two versions differing in both weight and dimensions depending on the configuration. Our specific unit is the smaller version with a thickness and weight of 2.46 cm and 2.5 kg, respectively, while configurations with the RTX 3060 or faster are thicker (2.83 cm) and heavier (2.7+ kg). It's a hefty system regardless sitting in between the thinner Zephyrus S17 and the thicker Lenovo Legion 5.