ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2020) vs Zephyrus GA502 (2019) – a huge CPU upgrade for the new one

LaptopMedia.com Comparisons ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2020) vs Zephyrus GA502 (2019) - a huge CPU upgrade for the new one

From: Nikolay Palaozov 09 April 2020 / 10:01 0

Finally, the Zen 2 machines started rolling out and with the ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2020) you can taste the Zen 2 experience because it’s price tag isn’t that hefty (just like its predecessor) especially if you pick it with a mid-range GPU like the RTX 2060. So, here it is what’s new – an entirely new CPU platform, better GPU options, and enhanced cooling solution. The latter is a welcomed upgrade because the 2019 version of the GU502 isn’t that good in terms of cooling and thermals.

You can have this laptop with a high-end Zen 2 processor like the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS and the Ryzen 7 4800HS that have 16 threads and a great iGPUs as well.

You can check the prices and configurations of the ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2020) devices in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/asus-rog-zephyrus-g15-ga502/

You can check the prices and configurations of the ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2019) devices in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/asus-rog-zephyrus-ga502/

Design: typical ASUS gaming design
Display: 144Hz and 240Hz panels with Adaptive Sync and 3ms response time
Hardware: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS, Ryzen 7 4800HS, and RTX 2060
Connectivity and ports: nice amount of ports
Storage and other specs: NVMe support, Wi-Fi 6, backlit RGB keyboard, and the same battery capacity
Specs Comparison
Prices and Configurations

Design: typical ASUS gaming design

Again, we have the same exterior as the 2019 model. The weight is the same – 2.10 kg but the new one is a bit thinner – 19.9 mm which is 0.5mm slimmer than the last year’s version. In addition to we expect the lid to be made of aluminum and the rest should be plastic and polycarbonate.

ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2020) | ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2019)

Display: 144Hz and 240Hz panels with Adaptive Sync and 3ms response time

One of the biggest advantages of the new model is the display options. We were not entirely happy with the panel of the 2019 version because it has low sRGB coverage and it has a rather slow response time for a high refresh rate unit (120Hz). To takle this ASUS has fitted new and improved panels into the 2020 variant of GU502. The base one is a 144Hz display with 3ms response time and Adaptive Sync support for smoother gameplay experience – that’s sound much better (at least on paper) than the old display that we’ve tested. There is an optional 240Hz panel that has the same response time as the base one and it supports Adaptive Sync too.

ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2020) | ASUS Zephyrus GA502 (2019)

Hardware: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS, Ryzen 7 4800HS, and RTX 2060

The most prominent change in the newer model is the usage of the new Zen 2 platform. It was about time to have a real mobile beast from AMD beneath the keyboard. No matter which one you will pick – the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS or Ryzen 7 4800HS you will be pleased by the performance of these 8-core monsters. The 4900HS has 8 core, 16 threads, 8MB os L3 cache, 3.0 GHz to 4.3 GHz base and boost clock, while its iGPU is super-fast because of its 8 CUs that are more powerful than the Zen+ ones. This is a 7nm CPU that has a 35W TDP and probably that will spare the battery life. If this one is too much for you, the Ryzen 7 4800HS is a great alternative because it has the same core count and its integrated video card is a bit less powerful (with7 CUs).

The top-end GPU option is the RTX 2060 with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM and with ASUS ROG Boost its core can hit 1298MHz at 65W TGP (perhaps we’re talking about a Max-Q version). With this video card, you can enjoy real-time ray-tracing effects in some of the latest games. The more budget-friendly GPU option is the GTX 1660 Ti that has the same amount of VRAM and its overall performance isn’t too far away from the RTX 2060.

When you have powerful components that are fitted in a tight space you definitely will need a capable cooling solution if you don’t want to use a fire extinguisher. Since the last year’s device wasn’t very good in terms of cooling, it looks like the new laptop features an upgraded cooling and we can hope that it’ll do a better job.

Connectivity and ports: nice amount of ports

The amount of ports looks fine for a device like that – one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) with DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery capabilities, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), an HDMI 2.0b, an audio combo jack, and an Ethernet port.

Storage and other specs: NVMe support, Wi-Fi 6, backlit RGB keyboard, and the same battery capacity

The 2020 model of GA502 is equipped with an M.2 port just like the 2019 variant. We have a backlit keyboard too and we found that the battery unit has an unchanged capacity from the old model – 76Wh. In addition, we have Wi-Fi 6 as a standard feature.

Specs Comparison

	ASUS ROG STRIX SCAR 15 (G532)	ASUS ROG G531
Display	15.6″, Full HD, IPS 144Hz /240Hz	15.6″, Full HD, IPS 60Hz / 120Hz
GPU	NVIDIA RTX 2060, GTX 1660 Ti	GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q, GTX 1660 Ti
CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS, Ryzen 7 4800HS, Ryzen 7 4800H	AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
Memory	DDR4 3200Mhz	DDR4 2400MHz
Storage	M.2 NVMe SSD	M.2 NVMe SSD
Gigabit WiFi	802.11ax	802.11ac
Battery	76Wh	76Wh
Thickness	19.9 mm	20.4 mm
Weight	2.10 kg	2.10 kg
Review	–	Link