Gaming Performance
Before we look at the performance of the GL502VS in games, let's take a look at 3DMark performance. Like with system performance, the GL502VS performs as expected in this synthetic GPU benchmark, matching the other GTX 1070 laptop we've benchmarked in the Fire Strike and Time Spy workloads.
Performance in our usual range of test games is not surprising either, with the GL502VS falling within a few percent of the G752VS, the other GTX 1070 laptop we've reviewed. The exact difference between the laptops is 2 to 7 percent in favor of the GL752VS, and this is largely due to the faster CPU in the beefier GL752VS.
The GL502VS with its GTX 1070 is 38 percent faster on average than the laptops we've tested with the GTX 1060 inside, with the gap as high as 62% in Rise of the Tomb Raider, a heavily GPU-bound game. Anyone looking to upgrade from a GTX 970M laptop can expect at least twice the performance in today's intensive games.
Most games we tested averaged at least 60 FPS at 1080p ultra settings, and almost every game hit a 1% low FPS count of at least 40 FPS, meaning you can expect a smooth gaming experience on this laptop's G-Sync panel. The one exception to this was Rise of The Tomb Raider, which averaged in the 40 FPS range and had a 1% low level under 30 FPS at maximum settings. Reducing anti-aliasing in this game improved performance massively and delivered a smooth experience.
There's no doubt that the GTX 1070 in this laptop will take full advantage of its 120 Hz display in most games, even at ultra quality settings in some cases. For those looking to run an external monitor, the GL502VS will also be capable of 1440p gaming, though not above 60 FPS in modern games. I wouldn't recommend the GTX 1070 for 4K here.
The GL502VS' cooler is very effective at ensuring the laptop's CPU and GPU remain cool enough to operate without thermal throttling. Under AIDA64's CPU stress test, the CPU hit just 74°C, and with both the CPU and GPU pushed to the limit in a worst case scenario, temperatures hit 90°C and 82°C respectively. The cooler isn't particularly quiet, but its sound profile is pleasant enough that it's not too noticeable over in-game audio.
In a real-world gaming scenario - in this case, Watch Dogs 2 - the GL502VS hit 80°C on both the CPU and GPU, which is a respectable result.