Taiwanese tech giant Asus has updated its gaming laptop lineup with the Flying Fortress 8, which may just be the cheapest option in its price range given its high-end specifications. It has a 144Hz display, a GTX 1660Ti GPU and a Core i7 processor, all for $800. Specifications like this might be difficult to find on laptops that cost even $1000.
The Flying Fortress 8 comes with a 15.6-inch display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution. The keyboard has RGB backlighting and the keystroke is 1.8mm. Asus says that the laptop’s design is based on a stealth fighter. Which stealth fighters sport RGB remains a complete mystery.
Under the hood, it is packed with Intel’s 10th generation of Core i5 and i7 processors with 512GB SSD and 8GB DDR4 RAM but there are also options to go up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage. GPU options include the powerful GTX 1650 Ti as well as the 166o Ti.
As for connectivity, it does not disappoint, there are three USB A ports, one USB C port, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a combo headphone jack (microphone and headphone combined). There is no mention of battery life or fast charging yet.
The Asus Flying Fortress 8 will be available for only $830. It will go on sale in China on May 18 and an international release will follow in the coming weeks.
Asus now ranks among the top 5 notebook manufacturers globally and had a 6.6% market share in Q1, 2020. Experts predict that most of its estimated 2.5 million shipments of laptops will come from gaming notebooks, a market where the company has a strong foothold in.
