Asus has revealed a new gaming notebook that packs everything a strapping young gamer needs to frag enemies on the go: Ivy Bridge and Kepler in a 14-inch form factor. The ROG-branded G46VW is said to be Asus' first 14-inch gaming notebook, with previous G series machines measuring 15 or 17 inches. Despite being the smallest member of its family, Asus says the system doesn't compromise performance.
The G46VW will ship with your choice of an Intel Core i5-3210M or Core i7-3610QM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM and Optimus graphics switching technology, up to 16GB of DDR3 1600MHz RAM, and storage options including one mSATA SSD and one 2.5-inch HDD or hybrid HDD. To start, Asus says it'll only offer a 1366x768 anti-glare display, but this will be expanded with more resolutions.
Given the G46VW's smaller size, Asus decided it would be best to exclude an optical drive, and that's probably fine with so many PC gamers relying on digital services today. Other specs include an HD camera and array mic, 2.0 stereo speakers, three USB 3.0 ports, a card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n or 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, a VGA port, 3D support via HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2, and optional Thunderbolt.
Although it's smaller than other G series notebooks, the G46VW is said to have the same dual-cooling setup with independent fans for its CPU and GPU. Aesthetically, the G46VW is similar to Asus' G55, though the company notes that the newcomer's rear vents are a little more angled. You'll also find a backlit chicklet keyboard and a single-piece brushed aluminum wrist rest with a slight frontward taper for ergonomics.
The G46VW measures 13.7 x 10.3 x 0.9-1.5in (34.8 x 26.1 x 2.3-3.8mm) and weighs 5.5lbs (2.5kg). It's unclear how large the battery is, but Asus says up to six hours of run time is possible if you're running off the integrated graphics solution via Optimus – an awfully optimistic figure in our opinion. Full pricing and availability details are unavailable, but Asus notes that the G46VW will be limited to the US upon launch.