Gaming laptop innovation has been stagnant in the past few years. As far as progression, it has been pretty much iterative updates year on year with teehe processor, graphics, and RAM being improved. If you are a fan of gaming at night, the RGB lighting on some of these laptops might even tickle your fancy. Other than that, the industry has become quite uneventful. Therefore, the Asus ROG Mothership has become such a breath of fresh air.
It is a 17-inch slate with a removable keyboard. If you are familiar with the Surface Pro, this device is basically that on steroids. You will not, however, mistake this beefy computer for a Surface clone. Because of all the gaming components inside the device such as a Max-Q GPU and large screen, it has quite a bit of heft compared to the Surface Pro. At a little more than 10 lbs, it is obviously too heavy to use on anyone’s lap.
Naturally, the question pops: Is it a laptop or a desktop replacement?
Daring Form Factor and Build Quality
The form-factor is definitely a game-changer. It is basically a slate touchscreen tablet that has a keyboard that you can attach and detach at will. The size and weight make it a difficult proposition to use on your lap, but the form-factor suggests that you can lug it around with relative ease. In short, it is a genre-bending computer that does not seem to squarely occupy a single category. It is as mobile as a laptop but also every bit as powerful as a desktop.
The build quality is also something of an engineering masterpiece. The hinge at the back that props the display up when in use certainly has a lot of weight to support. Considering that the Surface team had to spend a lot of time perfecting it means that Asus must have spent as much as or even more than them. But the real star of the show in this category is the CNC-milled aluminium unibody that looks and feels as sturdy as the best of them. I do not expect this to dent with your daily commute.
As for the keyboard that comes in the box, it can be used in 3 different ways. One is by keeping it connected to the slate via some pogo pins like what the Surface Pro Type Cover has. Using it this way is the most similar you can get it to a laptop. It can also be detached because it is also connected through a wireless connection. This way, it looks most like an All-in-One rather than a laptop. A third way of using the keyboard is through USB-C connection which then gives you the impression that it is a full-blown desktop. As a bonus, you can even use your own peripherals with the slate instead of the one that it comes with.
Another added benefit of the form-factor is that there is extra space at the bottom of the screen. This allowed Asus to put huge speakers that can fill the room.
Maxed Out Hardware
The Mothership is on par with the best of the best in terms of current generation gaming. It has a Core i9 9850HK, an 8GB VRAM RTX 2080 GPU, and up to 32GB of RAM. All of these ensures that you can play the latest and greatest AAA games at max settings without a framerate drop.
Traditional clamshell laptop manufacturers can deck out with their computers this in way too. However, the ROG Mothership has a simple trick up its sleeves that proposes some value that gamers might consider. It is in a league of its own when it comes to cooling.
Since all the components that heat up are at the back of the screen, cooling is virtually never restricted. The vents on the top and both sides make sure that airflow is great from whatever direction. This helps you game for cooler for way longer than traditional clamshells. Your palms will no longer have to suffer the scorching heat of extended gaming with the ROG Mothership.
Excellent Gaming Display
The 144Hz and 3ms screen is also something gamers will also love this device. This much refresh rate and response time would add some kills to even the biggest noobs out there. If put in the hands of a serious gamer, then the leader’s spot is almost a lock.
It is also a 1080p screen which is by no means the best resolution for a 17-incher, but it is definitely not bad. The 100% sRGB, on the other and will certainly be much appreciated by both gamers and content creators looking to use this device as well.
Complete Connectivity
Online gaming is all the rage these days, so the ROG Mothership is also equipped with a high-speed Gigabit Wi-Fi. The one installed on the device is the fastest that Asus has equipped on a mobile device. So long as you have the internet connection to maximize its connectivity potential, you are not going to experience any sort of lag.
Just in case you want to connect high-powered wireless peripherals such as multiple speakers, this device is also capable of that. The Bluetooth 5.0 ensures that you have a fast and stable connection.
Wired devices also should pose any problem to the ROG Mothership. It has 1 USB-C, 1 HDMI 2.0, 1 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 RJ-45 Ethernet port, an SD Card reader and a Kensington lock.
To be perfectly honest, the lack of Thunderbolt 3 is a bit disappointing. However, the RTX 2080 makes it redundant as I do not think that it will get outdated anytime soon.
UX That Gamers Will Definitely Love
Pricing is not available yet, but gamers will surely eat this device up even at atmospheric levels. It is the ultimate portable gaming system that has the power of a desktop computer, portability of a laptop, and the form-factor of an All-in-One. It does not really occupy any of those categories but that is what makes it so unique.
It is a 17-inch slate with a removable keyboard. If you are familiar with the Surface Pro, this device is basically that on steroids. You will not, however, mistake this beefy computer for a Surface clone. Because of all the gaming components inside the device such as a Max-Q GPU and large screen, it has quite a bit of heft compared to the Surface Pro. At a little more than 10 lbs, it is obviously too heavy to use on anyone’s lap.
Naturally, the question pops: Is it a laptop or a desktop replacement?
Daring Form Factor and Build Quality
The form-factor is definitely a game-changer. It is basically a slate touchscreen tablet that has a keyboard that you can attach and detach at will. The size and weight make it a difficult proposition to use on your lap, but the form-factor suggests that you can lug it around with relative ease. In short, it is a genre-bending computer that does not seem to squarely occupy a single category. It is as mobile as a laptop but also every bit as powerful as a desktop.
The build quality is also something of an engineering masterpiece. The hinge at the back that props the display up when in use certainly has a lot of weight to support. Considering that the Surface team had to spend a lot of time perfecting it means that Asus must have spent as much as or even more than them. But the real star of the show in this category is the CNC-milled aluminium unibody that looks and feels as sturdy as the best of them. I do not expect this to dent with your daily commute.
As for the keyboard that comes in the box, it can be used in 3 different ways. One is by keeping it connected to the slate via some pogo pins like what the Surface Pro Type Cover has. Using it this way is the most similar you can get it to a laptop. It can also be detached because it is also connected through a wireless connection. This way, it looks most like an All-in-One rather than a laptop. A third way of using the keyboard is through USB-C connection which then gives you the impression that it is a full-blown desktop. As a bonus, you can even use your own peripherals with the slate instead of the one that it comes with.
Another added benefit of the form-factor is that there is extra space at the bottom of the screen. This allowed Asus to put huge speakers that can fill the room.
Maxed Out Hardware
The Mothership is on par with the best of the best in terms of current generation gaming. It has a Core i9 9850HK, an 8GB VRAM RTX 2080 GPU, and up to 32GB of RAM. All of these ensures that you can play the latest and greatest AAA games at max settings without a framerate drop.
Traditional clamshell laptop manufacturers can deck out with their computers this in way too. However, the ROG Mothership has a simple trick up its sleeves that proposes some value that gamers might consider. It is in a league of its own when it comes to cooling.
Since all the components that heat up are at the back of the screen, cooling is virtually never restricted. The vents on the top and both sides make sure that airflow is great from whatever direction. This helps you game for cooler for way longer than traditional clamshells. Your palms will no longer have to suffer the scorching heat of extended gaming with the ROG Mothership.
Excellent Gaming Display
The 144Hz and 3ms screen is also something gamers will also love this device. This much refresh rate and response time would add some kills to even the biggest noobs out there. If put in the hands of a serious gamer, then the leader’s spot is almost a lock.
It is also a 1080p screen which is by no means the best resolution for a 17-incher, but it is definitely not bad. The 100% sRGB, on the other and will certainly be much appreciated by both gamers and content creators looking to use this device as well.
Complete Connectivity
Online gaming is all the rage these days, so the ROG Mothership is also equipped with a high-speed Gigabit Wi-Fi. The one installed on the device is the fastest that Asus has equipped on a mobile device. So long as you have the internet connection to maximize its connectivity potential, you are not going to experience any sort of lag.
Just in case you want to connect high-powered wireless peripherals such as multiple speakers, this device is also capable of that. The Bluetooth 5.0 ensures that you have a fast and stable connection.
Wired devices also should pose any problem to the ROG Mothership. It has 1 USB-C, 1 HDMI 2.0, 1 3.5mm headphone jack, 1 RJ-45 Ethernet port, an SD Card reader and a Kensington lock.
To be perfectly honest, the lack of Thunderbolt 3 is a bit disappointing. However, the RTX 2080 makes it redundant as I do not think that it will get outdated anytime soon.
UX That Gamers Will Definitely Love
Pricing is not available yet, but gamers will surely eat this device up even at atmospheric levels. It is the ultimate portable gaming system that has the power of a desktop computer, portability of a laptop, and the form-factor of an All-in-One. It does not really occupy any of those categories but that is what makes it so unique.