ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Zephyrus S (GX531)

Fremont, Calif., August 16, 2018 — ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Zephyrus S (GX531), the latest model in the ROG Zephyrus series, which sets a new milestone for ultrathin gaming laptops.

At a mere 14.95~15.75mm thin, Zephyrus S is 12% slimmer than the original Zephyrus (GX501). It’s equipped with the latest Intel® Core™ i7-8750H CPU and up to NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 Max-Q graphics, making it ideal for work or play. Super-narrow bezels squeeze a 15.6-inch display, with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time, into a 14.2-inch chassis. The all-metal chassis is strong enough to meet military-grade durability standards without compromising on design, with sleek lines and a premium finish. An advanced cooling system ensures optimal performance of all components, incorporating the proprietary Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) — a design and engineering hallmark of the Zephyrus series.

All-metal chassis combines design with function

One of the biggest challenges with creating such a thin laptop is making sure that the chassis strikes the best balance between strength and weight: Zephyrus S uses a mix of aluminum and magnesium alloys in its construction to achieve this balance. Each lid is meticulously machined from a solid block of aluminum. This precise CNC-milling process takes five tooling stages and nearly 72 minutes to carve out all the intricate details that ensure a perfect fit, creating a lid that is remarkably rigid, yet slim. It also helps the Zephyrus S casing remain durable: engineering samples have already met military-grade durability standards for jolts and vibration.

Contrasting finishes accentuate the lid design: two-stage anodizing accents the stealthy surfaces with copper highlights, while a surgical slash separates competing textures. Similar lines cut across the area above the keyboard, giving Zephyrus S a distinctive style. Scissor-door hinges keep a low profile until the laptop is opened, exposing the display and opening Zephyrus’ unique air intake.

Powerful visuals achieved with a super-narrow-bezel display

Super-narrow bezels allow the 15.6-inch display to be squeezed into a 14.2-inch chassis. This reduces the entire footprint, allowing the Zephyrus S to fit into tighter spaces than its predecessor. In addition, the slimmer bezels create a more immersive gaming experience.

Since the original Zephyrus, ASUS has worked closely with panel maker AUO to ensure ROG laptops have the very best displays for gaming. The 120Hz panel on the initial version doubled the refresh rate of conventional displays, while Zephyrus S pushes the refresh rate to 144Hz, and reduces blurring and ghosting by lowering the response time to 3ms.

Built for more than just speed, the IPS-type AHVA panel also has excellent image quality. It covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut, ensuring richness of color, and wide viewing angles keep the picture from washing out when viewed in split screen.

Proprietary cooling to ensure optimal performance

Cooling the critical components that comprise Zephyrus S is a difficult engineering feat due to the ultrathin design, but it's imperative to ensure peak performance.