ASUS G501 gaming laptop

More often than not, gaming laptops are big, ugly beasts you don’t want to have to carry around too much. But the new ASUS G501 packs powerful specifications into a sleek and slimline form factor that looks as good as any other high-end notebook.

The G501 is one of the thinnest 15.6-inch gaming laptops you can buy, measuring just 20.6mm. But ASUS has managed to pack a whole lot into its slender shell — including an Ultra HD IPS display with a 3840×2160 resolution that provides 282 pixels-per-inch.

The machine is powered by a quad-core Intel Core i7-5720HQ processor with clock speeds between 2.6GHz and 3.6GHz, and 16GB of DDR3 RAM. Buyers also get a 512GB PCIe solid-state drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics with 4GB of GDDR5 memory.

The G501 packs a plethora of connectivity options, including a Thunderbolt port, 3 USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader. Bluetooth 4.0 is also built-in, along with 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

ASUS has also introduced its new Hyper Cool technology to the G501, which cools the laptop’s CPU and GPU independently. Not only does this ensure they both stay as cool as can be when they’re under heavy loads, but it also means the notebook is quieter when it is not being used for intensive tasks.

While it may be the smallest and lightest notebook in ASUS’s G-series lineup, the G501 is also the most powerful — and therefore the most expensive. When it goes on sale in the U.S. next month, it will cost $1,999.

ASUS has also refreshed its entry-level 15.6-inch G551, and the 17.6-inch G751. Both machines now come with the same Core i7 processors as the G501 and the same 16GB of RAM, but they’re a little different elsewhere.

The G551 now offers NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics with 2GB of memory, a 1080p display, and a 1TB HDD for $1,099 — and you can add in a 128GB SSD for $1,299.

The G751 now comes with GeForce GTX 965M graphics with 2GB of memory, a larger 1080p display, and a 1TB HDD for $1,399.