Asus G501VW-FY081T Notebook Review

Compact gamer. The thin gaming notebook from Asus can convince with good features as well as measurements. The lack of an Ethernet port is unusual for a gaming notebook, but the device has a Thunderbolt 3 port instead.

The Asus G501VW-FY081T is a 15.6-inch notebook from the Republic of Gamer series. Considering the performance, the device is comparatively thin and light. We already reviewed two Haswell models of the G501. Our current review unit is equipped with a Skylake processor, which is the biggest difference to the Haswell models. The case is identical, but the Skylake model got an additional Thunderbolt 3 port. Rivals for the G501VW are notebooks like the Acer Aspire VN7-592G, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 or the MSI GE62. You can also consider any other device from our Top 10 Lightweight Gaming ranking as a competitor.

Asus G501VW-FY081T

Processor

Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)

Graphics adapter

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M - 4096 MB, Core: 1097-1176 MHz, Memory: 1253 MHz, GDDR5, 128-bit interface, ForceWare 364.51 (10.18.13.6451), Optimus

Memory

8192 MB 

, DDR4-2133, Single-Channel, one slot (free), 8 GB soldered

Display

15.6 inch 16:9, 1920x1080 pixel 141 PPI, Samsung 156HL01-104, IPS, glossy: no

Mainboard

Intel HM170 (Skylake PCH-H)

Storage

Samsung CM871 MZNLF128HCHP, 128 GB 

, + HGST HTS541010A7E360 (1 TB, 5400 rpm), 1031 GB free

Weight

2.06 kg ( = 72.66 oz / 4.54 pounds), Power Supply: 565 g ( = 19.93 oz / 1.25 pounds)

Price

1349 Euro

Case

Asus uses a black and comparatively thin metal chassis with an appealing design for the G501VW. Some red elements create a visual contrast. Asus uses a matte surface for the base unit, while the lid has a brushed finish. Both components are very susceptible for fingerprints. The battery is integrated and there is no maintenance hatch. You have to remove the whole bottom cover to access the internal components. This is not a big deal, but more on that later.

There is no criticism for the build quality. The device is well-built and the stability is also good. You can slightly warp the case at the usual spots (next to the keyboard on both sides, below the touchpad). The base unit could be a bit more torsion-resistant, even more so for the lid. There are at least no picture distortions when we apply pressure on the back of the screen. The hinges keep the display well in position and it is possible to open the lid with one hand.

Keyboard and touchpad

Keyboard. The keyboard is pretty nice, with good key spacing, good travel depth and feedback, but the typing is a little stiff to my taste. Overall, a nice keyboard, though. No real complaints.

Touchpad. Average. A little shaky and buttons clicking isn’t the smoothest experience. Saying that, it’s pretty smooth and feels ok on the finger.

Sound & Speakers

Average, maybe Average+. The Asus G501VW comes with 2.0 speaker system, located on the bottom’s left and right. They have some strength, with relatively good mids, but that’s more or less all. The lows are missing and highs are messy, I think.

Heat

The G501VW chassis temperatures gets hot mostly around the areas near to the hinges and the palm rests (mostly the right palm rest). The bottom gets hotter, also around the center of the keyboard. The G501VW performs not exceptionally good or bad for such a laptop, but other laptops with such a hardware but larger frame have better chassis temps, like the Lenovo Y700 and Acer VN7-592G.

Throttling

Under Prime95 + Furmark, the G501VW’s GPU core throttles down to around 0.4GHZ for long periods, while CPU maintain higher clocks. That’s not a very smart behavior for gaming as you’d want higher GPU clocks and a bit lower CPU clocks. However, under Crysis 3 stess levels, the GPU clocks remain very high. I didn’t test Ashes of Singularity clocks, but FPSs are relatively high, meaning throttling isn’t that high.

Conclusion

Let’s wrap it up. The G501VW offers low weight and slimmer frame, with good gaming performance for the price, good IPS display and the Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port which is not common for $800-$1000 gaming/multimedia laptops currently. It does uses a PWM brightness control noticeably and thermals and CPU/GPU clocks algorithm isn’t the best, resulting in GPU throttling under Furmark + Prime95 load (but it’s better in games).
As said before, I got it for $800 New from Newegg, I think. For $800-$900, that’s a good price for those who look for a slimmer, more lightweight laptop, and especially, such a laptop with a thunderbolt 3 port. I’d say that for such a price, that’s a good option indeed. However, it is selling for $1000 currently, and for those who’re looking for higher performance for the price or for those who want such performance for lower price, that’s not such a good option (Dell 7559, Lenovo Y700, others).
Compared to the Acer VN7-592G, which also has an I7 and a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port (and PWM), the G501VW is a little more lightweight and has a better IPS display, but PWM slickering is more noticeable and chassis gets hotter with more GPU throttling.
Bottom line, for $800-$850 and even $900, that’s a good option. Just remember that for $900, you get a 5400RPM HDD. Otherwise, with current pricing in mind (of around $1000), I’d consider laptops like the 7559 for $750-$800 and even the Y700/VN7-592G, if it’s just for gaming and you don’t care about the extra 300-500 grams