Asus ROG Strix G18 RTX 5080 laptop gets $600
Best Buy is offering a $600 discount on the Asus ROG Strix G18 gaming laptop, which features an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB
A high-end Asus gaming laptop is now available with a significant price cut. The Asus ROG Strix G18 with an Nvidia RTX 5080 graphics card is discounted by $600 at Best Buy, bringing its price to $2,699.99.
This machine is designed as a powerful, pre-built alternative to a desktop gaming PC. The ROG Strix G18 packs these into a portable form factor.
Core specifications and display
The laptop's centerpiece is its 18-inch display. It uses an IPS panel with a 2.5K resolution. The screen has a 240Hz refresh rate, a feature designed to reduce motion blur, and a brightness of 500 nits.
Driving the visuals is Nvidia's RTX 5080 laptop graphics processing unit. This GPU comes with 16GB of GDDR7 video memory. Handling general processing tasks is a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, which can boost up to 5.1 GHz.
The system is equipped with 32GB of DDR5 RAM. For storage, it includes a 2TB PCIe Gen4 solid-state drive.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 18-inch IPS, 2.5K, 240Hz, 500 nits |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU (16GB GDDR7) |
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24-core, up to 5.1 GHz) |
| Memory | 32GB DDR5 RAM |
| Storage | 2TB PCIe Gen4 SSD |
Design and connectivity features
Asus has included tool-less access to the RAM and SSD slots for easier upgrades. The keyboard features customizable RGB backlighting, managed through the Armory Crate software. An RGB light bar along the bottom of the chassis can sync with the keyboard lighting.
For connecting peripherals and external displays, the laptop provides several ports. These include one HDMI 2.1 port and two Thunderbolt 5 ports. It also has an Ethernet port for wired networking, alongside Bluetooth and WiFi 7 support.
Market context and performance
The report notes that laptops have traditionally been a more expensive way to game compared to desktops with similar components. However, writer Stewart Bendle, a deals writer who believes in "bang for the buck," suggests that rising PC hardware costs have made powerful pre-built systems more appealing.
Tom's Hardware states this configuration should be powerful enough to run the latest game titles. The combination of the RTX 5080 GPU and the high-refresh-rate screen is positioned for high graphical settings and smooth frame rates.
The $600 discount is presented as a key factor in the deal. At its full price, the laptop is described as an "expensive piece of kit." The sale price includes the substantial memory and storage capacity directly from the manufacturer.
