ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 (2020) GA502IU: features, specs and who it suits

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 (2020, model GA502IU-ES76) is a slim 15.6-inch gaming laptop built on an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti. ASUS positions it as a hybrid for gamers and content creators who want a laptop that looks understated and slips into a bag.

Processor and graphics

The Ryzen 7 4800HS runs at up to 4.2GHz. The "HS" tag marks a lower-power variant of AMD's laptop chips, intended for thin designs. The GTX 1660 Ti has 6GB of GDDR6 memory with ROG Boost, with a listed base clock of 1140MHz, boost clock of 1335MHz and TDP of 60W. TDP is the power the chip is designed to draw, and lower figures suit slim bodies. This hardware is from the generation before ray tracing, so it lacks the RTX features found on later graphics chips, but it can typically run many popular games at 1080p.

The 144Hz display

The screen is a 15.6-inch IPS-type panel at full HD (1920 x 1080) with a 144Hz refresh rate. A higher refresh rate redraws the picture more often per second, which typically makes fast motion look smoother when your games reach matching frame rates.

Memory and storage

There is 16GB of DDR4 memory at 3200MHz and a 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD. NVMe drives are much faster than older SATA drives, which shortens boot and loading times. A 1TB drive gives room for a modest game library plus project files.

Size, weight and keyboard

The laptop is 0.8 inches thin and ASUS gives its weight as 4.85 lb (about 2.2 kg). The listing also shows a backlit gaming keyboard and the Windows 10 Home operating system. A slim body leaves less room for cooling than a thicker gaming laptop, so fan noise and heat under load are worth thinking about.

Who it suits

It suits students, creators and casual-to-regular gamers who want a portable laptop that handles games at 1080p and also copes with editing, coding or study. People wanting the latest graphics features should check the specifications against the games they plan to play.

What to check before you buy

• Operating system: it ships with Windows 10 Home; check support dates and upgrade options for your needs.
• Game requirements: compare them with a GTX 1660 Ti and 16GB of memory.
• Ports and connections: the listing does not detail them, so confirm what you need.
• Memory upgrades: check the manual on whether memory can be expanded.
• Thermals and noise: thin laptops can run warm and loud when pushed.
• Battery and charger: gaming on battery is typically limited; plan to be plugged in.
• Condition: this is a 2020 model, so check what is included and any remaining warranty.

The short version

• A 15.6-inch, 0.8-inch thin gaming laptop weighing about 4.85 lb.
• AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS (up to 4.2GHz) and GeForce GTX 1660 Ti with 6GB GDDR6.
• 144Hz full HD IPS-type display, 16GB DDR4-3200 and a 1TB NVMe SSD.
• Backlit keyboard and Windows 10 Home.

Bloiq is reader-supported. Some links may earn us a commission; it never affects what we write. How we make money.