Pros: I got mine for $870. It is an amazing Computer as it can run large programs without overheating. the only vent is on the side and in the keyboard. I am able to stream with it easily, and the only lag I have ever had has been my internet's problem. Windows 8.1 sucks, but it was an easy upgrade to Windows 10. I put a virus on the computer, and within 10 minutes of dialing Asus' number, it was solved at no cost. The large screen is amazing and the numerous USB ports are valuable. Great computer overall, but I would recommend getting an open box one and save a hundred dollars. Also wait for it to go on sale. Sales are good.

Cons: When operating heavy graphics, the screen will occasionally blank. The program will continue running, only you cant see it. the shortest It's gone blank is less than half a second, but the more the graphics, the more the blanking. 4 Seconds is the longest, but I was running War Thunder on Movie Graphics. Also, the proximity of enemy players seems to affect it. All I do is lower the graphics one notch and the problem is mostly solved. My last computer ran the smallest games at 2 FPS, so A brief screen blank does not even affect my no scoping. Maybe a Graphic Card upgrade will fix this, but I am a ways off from being able to buy a new one. I haven't tried sending it in due to other reviews on this problem. Short battery life, but I don't care. I never really spend 3 hours away from an outlet.

Pros: 1) The system specs are actually quite good for the price that I paid for it, if only it worked properly.
2)Comes with a nvidia geforce gtx 860m which should be able to run just about any game if it would work properly.
3)Even the on board graphics card is decent.

Cons: 1) It just doesn't work properly

Other Thoughts: 1) Right out of the box I have been having issues with this laptop. It has been having problems with screen tearing, blacking out, and flickering.
I have tried everything to attempt to resolve the issue myself. I have updated all of the video drivers for both the on board and dedicated graphics cards, and I even went as far as doing a "system refresh" because ASUS support wanted me to (that did nothing to resolve the issue, in fact it was not even related to the issue I am having with the laptop).
2) I ended up sending it in to ASUS to have them look at it to see if they could repair it. They just slapped a new motherboard in it and sent it back (again, this did nothing to resolve the issue). At this point I am getting pretty fed up, I just want my laptop to work.

Pros: Amazing design, handles workloads well

Cons: Apparently everyone has been having this issue... But like the rest, when I attempt to play games, the screen flickers. I've tried re-installing (cleanly) the nvidia drivers, DirectX, etc. Gotta RMA it now as well. If this is a consistent issue, why has it not been fixed yet? ASUS, how does something like this get through rigorous testing multiple times?

Other Thoughts: Love the laptop, dislike the issues.

Pros: Very things work great until.

Cons: Nvidia graphics card die after a month of regular gaming usage. While using Nvidia graphics for gaming when the game started the screen turn black. the only time works is in onboard graphic. Please help me to fix this problem, I am now living in Paris I need this computer to fix asap, it is almost my only thing to entertain me while I am working over see.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Lau,

I apologize if you started having black screen related issues with the Nvidia GPU. Please try to run System Restore in order to revert the system to the last known good configuration. If the problem persists, please try to re-install the Nvidia video driver, this can be downloaded from the ASUS Support site. Should you need further technical assistance resolving the issue, please email me at cl-rodel@asus.com and write down service# N150572949 on the subject line.

Thank you for choosing an ASUS product.

Regards,

Rodel
ASUS Customer Loyalty

Pros: The computer overall is excellent.

Cons: The only issue I have was with the graphics card which is faulty. I switched it over to the intel graphics, and it ran perfectly with video games. But with the nvidia, wheneverI open up a video game, the screen starts to flicker, and I tried everything I could think of to fix, but nothing.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Levi,

We want to thank you for using our product and for posting this review. I understand that the issue of the laptop is with the graphics card. I want to apologize for any inconvenience this issue has caused you. All ASUS products undergo intensive quality control testing and inspections, the issue with the product is an isolated case. ASUS provides warranty for the product in order to fix or repair any isolated factory escape defect. I want to help you with this issue. If you want I can create an RMA for your laptop so you can send it to us for repair. For further assistance with this issue, please email me at customerloyalty@asus.com and put case # N150376197 in the subject line for your reference.

I'm here to help you and all others with these issues, as our customer loyalty department dedicated to bringing a resolution to all issues related to our products.

Thank you for choosing ASUS.

Regards,
Mark
ASUS Customer Loyalty
​

Pros: Matte screen is a plus. The screen is very nice in regards to how many colors it can display. You HAVE to remove the ASUS Splendid bloatware in order to get proper colors - this software destroys your colors which is horrible if you're an artist. So make sure to turn it off in order to get a good monitor color display!

The keyboard feels nice to type on (more to say about the keyboard in the cons.) Clicky clacky fun.

The fan is relatively quiet for me. My old laptop had a broken fan that was sputtering and making annoying noises - so for me this is quiet. I was amazed at how quiet it was when it was rendering my 3D rigid body video. Very peaceful.

Cons: The trackpad is irritating! It's too sensitive and overuses kinetic scrolling, making it annoying to scroll. I hate it and there's no option to turn it off. The buttons on the trackpad are horrible - the right button barely works (it'll sometimes left click instead) and I end up having to use double-finger-tap gesture for right click. Sometimes the trackpad or left mouse button won't pick up when I'm tapping on it - like it can't make up its mind between being too sensitive or not sensitive enough.

The keyboard layout is infuriating. Take a look at the numpad. They pointlessly squished it for no reason whatsoever. There is a ton of wasted space on both sides of the keyboard - about an inch of space each side. I don't see any logical reason as to why they decided to squash the numpad as if it was an afterthought when they have so much space available.

The numpad also has the power button for another pointless unknown reason. The top row goes "Home" "PgUp" "PgDown" "Power Button." Where is the "End" button you ask? It's toggled by the FN key on numpad 1. Why?!? There's a ton of wasted space to the top of the keyboard that could easily have had the power button. The arrow keys feel very crammed into the keyboard while the right ctrl key has a useless amount of space and the right shift key is very tiny.

They decided DARK RED on BLACK is good for the keyboard letters. Again, why?! You can use the keyboard light to light up the letters, but still, this is horrible contrast at a basic level.
There's also an annoying bump on the "W" key, most likely for those "mlgpro gamurz" out there who apparently keep forgetting where their W key is. This will make putting on keyboard stickers difficult (probably not a concern for most, it's still weird.)

You know those people who say "Don't touch my monitor" when your finger gets close? I never cared on my old laptop, but this laptop is a smudge-magnet. It's disgusting to look at and annoying to clean.

Other Thoughts: I am not an avid gamer these days, I instead purchased this laptop for 3D modeling, rendering, digital painting, digital sculpting, and game development. It works just fine for these purposes.

I did NOT have any of the problems the other users were having - I think those reviews are unfair because some laptops are lemons and you DO have a one year warranty if something goes wrong. My laptop so far has not been showing any signs of hardware problems.

For me, battery isn't a huge issue. I'm usually staying in one general area with my laptop for 4+ hours, which means I'd be bringing the charger anyways. So I can't comment on battery life.

Remove all the bloatware! Most of it is useless and some just downright ruin the laptop (case and point - ASUS Splendid bloatware ruining the display colors). If something isn't working right try updating the drivers - some of my drivers were out of date.

If I had the opportunity to try this laptop out in a store for a good while I wouldn't have bought it. Or if I had the option of returning this laptop - I would do it in a heartbeat and find something that has a more logical design.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Anya,

Thank you for the positive comment. I certainly understand your concern regarding the issue with the touchpad and the keyboard. Please allow some time to get use to the multi-touch function features of the pad and the keyboard layout. In order to improve the touchpad responsiveness and stability, please install all recommended WINDOWS Update before using the unit. Also, try updating the ASUS Smart Gesture utility and try to configure the touchpad within the application. . If you need further assistance, please email me at cl-rodel@asus.com and write down service# N150346758 on the subject line.

Thank you for choosing an ASUS product.

Regards,

Rodel
ASUS Customer Loyalty

Pros: Everything seems legit on this laptop except for one huge issue.

Cons: I have had the same issue as so many others. The graphics card is complete trash. I have tried this with numerous games and when I get to the main menu the screen starts flashing off and on.

Seeing as how this is mainly a gaming laptop it pretty much makes it useless. I was on the phone with ASUS for 8 hours on and off today troubleshooting. Nothing worked. I have had this computer 2 days and it has not worked with any games at all. Now I am forced to do an RMA and I will be without a computer for 3 weeks.

It's my fault for taking a chance on a laptop so many have had problems with. I wanted to save money and it cost me. This will be my last ASUS I ever purchase.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear CT,

I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. Please try to update the firmware for the VGA card to resolve the flashing or flickering video. If you need further technical assistance, please email me at cl-rodel@asus.com and write down service# N150346649 on the subject line.

Thank you for choosing an ASUS product.

Regards,

Rodel
ASUS Customer Loyalty

Pros: Worked right out of the box with zero issues so far. Processor speed fits my needs and thermal system design performs quite well. I am very please with this purchase so far.

Cons: Zero Cons so far. I will update if anything comes up.

Other Thoughts: I have never purchased an ASUS laptop before, but have purchased many ASUS computer parts in the past. In my humble opinion, ASUS always delivers a solid product.

Pros: Nice laptop overall
Very slim compared to other gaming rigs
Not a terrible price for what I bought it for.

Cons: There was a hardware issue with mine that ended up in a return to Newegg. The screen starts to have refresh lines during random events. Even things as simple as changing a setting in Windows. This issue is known to be an issue with this model. If you are considering this laptop, know that this is an issue. Not all of the laptops have this problem but beware.
I love ASUS though and plan on getting a higher end model.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for the positive comment. I certainly understand your concern regarding the video related issue. Most of the time, updating the firmware for the VGA card will resolve the issues. If you need further technical assistance, please email me at cl-rodel@asus.com and write down service# N150346671 on the subject line.

Thank you for choosing an ASUS product.

Regards,

Rodel
ASUS Customer Loyalty

Pros: This thing is huge. The matte screen is nice, The black brushed aluminum is very professional-looking, and will do wonders to dissipate heat, hopefully.

The keys are all backlit with a red LED that looks incredibly sharp, and the ASUS ROG logo on the lid of the laptop lights up in the dark as well. All in all it's incredibly sleek.

This laptop has double the ram of most standard commercial laptops, a humongous 1TB hard drive, and an optical drive for those of us who are required to work with optical media still.This is something that annoys me about other performance laptops is that more of them are ditching optical drives entirely. Not that you can't just purchase an external USB optical drive, but I consider it a nice-to-have feature in this laptop.

It's also nice to know that the laptop comes with a 1-year warranty from ASUS and that includes an accident warranty. Very nice; bigger laptop brands don't normally including the accidental damage warranty.

The Processor and the GTX 860m are remarkably powerful for the purpose this laptop will serve (see other thoughts)

Cons: This thing _is_ huge. a bit over 5 lbs. and while you may think that isn't much, for a laptop, it certainly is. I bought this laptop knowing this already, so I can't really deduct anything for it; I knew what I was getting in to.

Since it's a performance laptop, you won't be getting great battery life out of it; the battery (thankfully replaceable, unlike other, more expensive aluminum laptops I can think of) is 100% replaceable, but bear in mind it's only a 6-cell L-ION battery. Again, I knew what I was getting in to and can't really deduct eggs for it.

Other Thoughts: This laptop was meant as a replacement for my wife's rapidly aging dual-core laptop with 3gbs of ram in Total.

she does play video games, and she does a lot of work with optical media and would appreciate a system with a massive hard drive. SSD would have been nice, but there's no way you're cramming an SSD, 1TB hdd and an optical drive into a single laptop without it being even bigger and heavier.

The bottom line is that I wanted to give her something with reasonable gaming performance, at a reasonable price. ASUS has never failed me in the past, so I found it to be the only logical choice, considering it had everything we were looking for.

This laptop is sleek, the screen is nice and huge, and somehow we got it on sale for close to 1k out the door. BIG UPS to ASUS for making the ROG series sexy, multi-purpose powerhouses.