It’s been only two months since the last update to this guide, but with the holiday sales starting it’s time to check where SSD prices are at. There haven’t been many new SSD product releases lately and the rollout of 64-layer 3D NAND is proceeding slowly. We don’t expect any new releases of significance before the end of the year. Most brands are saving up their announcements for CES in early January. As a result, our recommendations have barely changed.
ASUS this week introduced the industry’s first gaming laptop powered by AMD’s eight-core Ryzen 7 1700 processor. The ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74 is a 17.3” desktop replacement machine that uses the desktop-class CPU and a powerful GPU to offer peak gaming performance to its users. Since the system relies on numerous desktop-class components and an inexpensive FHD display panel, the final pricetag not too high for a gaming notebook, with the laptop launching for $1499. Meanwhile, ASUS will also offer an even more affordable version powered by AMD’s six-core Ryzen 5 1600, as well as a more advanced model with a 120 Hz display panel.
To a large degree, the ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC can be considered to be AMD’s flagship mobile gaming platform, as it supports all of the company’s latest technologies and can scale in terms of performance and pricing to satisfy different requirements and customers. In fact, the ROG Strix GL702ZC is the first all-AMD gaming laptop in years as makers of mobile PCs avoided AMD’s FX-series CPUs due to power consumption and did not use AMD’s APUs due for gaming computers because of performance concerns. The notebook relies on a a couple different AMD 65W desktop processors — the six-core Ryzen 5 1600 or the eight-core Ryzen 7 1700 — as well as AMD’s Radeon RX 580 GPU with 4 GB of memory (the manufacturer does not disclose specs of the part, but we are investigating). The graphics processor supports AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology for both internal and external displays. Speaking of displays, ASUS will offer GL702ZC with either 60 Hz or 120 Hz FHD IPS panels, so FreeSync support will be especially handy in the second case. To cool down the two key chips of the notebooks, ASUS uses its Hyper Cool Duo-Copper cooling system featuring heat pipes and two fans that are said to cool down the CPU and GPU independently.
Moving on to other internal parts of the ROG Strix GL702ZC. The GL702ZC-WB74 model that ASUS is formally introducing today comes with 16 GB of DDR4 memory, a 256 GB SATA SSD, and a 1 TB hard drive. Meanwhile, more advanced configurations may expand DRAM to 32 GB, upgrade the SSD to 512 GB, and install a 1 TB SSHD or a fast 7200 RPM HDD. By contrast, entry-level configs are going to feature 128 GB SATA SSDs.
As for I/O capabilities, the ROG Strix GL702ZC looks like a fairly standard model here. The notebook comes with a GbE port, an 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2 module, three USB 3.0 Type-A connectors, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C header, an SD card reader, an mDP 1.4 port, an HDMI output, an HD webcam, a TRRS jack and so on. The machine features a Chiclet keyboard with marked WASD keys, 30-key rollover support as well as an isolated numeric pad.
With two display outputs, the ROG Strix GL702ZC can handle a couple of external monitors (with FreeSync support), which is okay for a relatively inexpensive gaming machine. In addition, the HDMI port and three USB-A connectors allow users to plug VR headsets to the laptop to play virtual reality games.
The machine is not as bulky as flagship offerings featuring more advanced GPUs and storage sub-systems But since the ROG Strix GL702ZC is still a desktop replacement laptop, it is rather thick (34 mm) and heavy (3 – 3.2 kilograms). ASUS does not disclose specific battery runtime figures, but a 76 Wh battery should provide enough time do an urgent work while on the go.
| ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC | |||
| ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74 | |||
| Display | Diagonal | 17.3″ | |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 | ||
| Type | IPS | ||
| Refresh | 60 Hz with AMD FreeSync | ||
| Response Time | unknown | ||
| Color Gamut | 72% NTSC | ||
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 1700 (8C/16T, 8 MB, 3/3.7 GHz, 4 MB L2, 16 MB L3, 65 W) |
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| PCH | AMD B350 | ||
| Graphics | AMD Radeon RX580 with 4 GB of GDDR5 | ||
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 (expandable to 32 GB) | ||
| Storage | SSD | 256 GB SSD SATA | |
| HDD | 1 TB HDD with 5400 RPM spindle speed | ||
| Wi-Fi | 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi | ||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 | ||
| Ethernet | 1 GbE controller | ||
| USB | 3 × USB 3.0 Type-A 1 × USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C |
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| Display Outputs | 1 × Mini DisplayPort with FreeSync 1 × HDMI with FreeSync |
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| Audio | 2 × speakers Microphones 3.5-mm audio in/out TRRS connector |
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| Keyboard | Chicklet RGB-backlit keyboard, 1,6-mm travel, 30-key rollover Specially-marked WASD keys |
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| Other I/O | HD webcam, SD/MMC card reader | ||
| Battery | 76 Wh, 4 cells | ||
| Dimensions | Width | 41.5 cm | 16.3″ | |
| Depth | 28 cm | 11″ | ||
| Thickness | 3.4 cm | 1.33″ | ||
| Weight | 3 – 3.2 kg | 6.6 – 7 lbs | ||
| Price | $1499 | ||
The ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74 is already available in the U.S. from the ASUS Store, Amazon, and other retailers at an MSRP of $1499. Keeping in mind that we are talking about a notebook based on an eight-core processor (a rather unique feature) and a fairly high-end GPU (for a portable PC), this laptop does not seem to be overpriced. In the meantime, it will be very interesting to see how much ASUS will charge for the lower-end SKU with the Ryzen 5 1600 as well as the higher-end model with a 120 Hz display and a 512 GB SSD.
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ASUS is a company that doesn’t shy away from the latest technology, and with the new ZenBook 3 UX490UA, they’ve updated one of their thinnest and lightest machines to include the latest Intel 8th Generation processors. It’s likely no surprise to any of our readers what this means, but for those who are just now dipping their toes into Intel’s newest processors, this is Kaby Lake Refresh, which features the first ever quad-core ultramobile Core processor from Intel. ASUS in turn has packed Intel’s latest processor into a small, lightweight chassis, with all of the features expected in a modern Ultrabook.
Continuing our run of holiday buyers’ guides, this afternoon we’re taking a look at peripherals. Considering that a PC’s peripherals can easily outlive the main system’s components and usually stay the same even after several main system upgrades, they are often not given the attention they deserve. Keyboards are just such a component; it is the main interface with the PC, yet most casual users hardly stop to consider what would be the most practical/comfortable choice for them.
Marvell and Cavium on Monday announced that they had reached a definitive buyout agreement. Under the terms of the transaction, Marvell will acquire all outstanding shares of Cavium for around $5.5 billion in cash and stock. Boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the deal. The deal in turn will see Marvell acquire Cavium assets that cover a number of businesses and technologies, including CPUs, networking, multimedia, security, and other chips. Marvell hopes that the combined company will have the a product portfolio to enable future growth.
Marvell will pay $84.15 ($40 in cash and 2.1757 of its shares) for each Cavium share, which represents an 11% premium over the price of a Cavium share according to Reuters. The ratio was based on a price of $80 per share, using Marvell’s undisturbed price prior to November 3, when media reports of the transaction emerged, the two companies said. In total, Marvell will pay around $5.5 billion for outstanding shares of Cavium and will absorb Cavium’s debt of approximately $637.6 million, which will bring the value of the transaction to over $6 billion. Marvell plans to finance the cash payment with a combination of cash from the combined companies and $1.75 billion in debt financing from various banks. After the deal is completed, Cavium’s shareholders will own 25% of the combined company. Meanwhile, Cavium’s co-founder and CEO Syed Ali will join the board of directors of Marvell, whereas another co-founder Raghib Hussain and vice president of IC engineering Anil Jain will join Marvell’s leadership team.
Marvell is mostly known for its storage controllers – including chips for HDDs, SSDs, and RAID – networking components, as well as wireless connectivity solutions. Storage ICs accounted for roughly a half of Marvell’s revenue in the recent years. Meanwhile, as unit shipments of hard drives started to decrease several years ago, so did sales of controllers for HDDs and RAID equipment. Furthermore, sales of other products from Marvell dropped too. As a result, the company’s revenue decreased from $3.637 billion in FY2015 (ended on January 31, 2015) to $2.318 billion in FY2017 (ended on January 28, 2017). Marvell lost $811.4 million in FY2016, but it was profitable for four out of the most recent fiscal years.
The company that Marvell plans to acquire looks completely differently. Cavium is a developer of ARM and MIPS-based SoCs for network, video, security, storage connectivity, server and other applications. Throughout the last eight years, the company has acquired seven companies in a bid to expand its product portfolio. Cavium’s revenues have been increasing rapidly — from nearly $373 million in FY2014 (ended on December 31, 2014) to $603.3 million in FY2016 (ended on December 31, 2016). However, Cavium has not been profitable for the last five years, a troubling situation for investors and the Cavium board.
| Marvell and Cavium at a Glance All data as of November 20, 2017 |
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| Marvell | Cavium | |||||
| Market Capitalization | $10.58 billion | $5.76 billion | ||||
| Revenue per Fiscal Year (recent) | $2.318 billion | $603.3 million | ||||
| Profit/Loss per Fiscal Year (recent) |
$21.151 million | -$147.2 million | ||||
| Total Cash | $1.57 billion | $127.06 million | ||||
| Total Debt | – | $637.6 million | ||||
| Headcount | 5,000+ | 1831 | ||||
| Revenue Split (recent FY) | Storage | $1.158 billion | Enterprise, datacenter, and service provider |
$568.8 million | ||
| Networking | $590 million | |||||
| Connectivity | $318million | Broadband and consumer markets |
$34.5 million | |||
| Other | $252 million | |||||
| Additional information, data sources | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 2 | ||||
With a market cap of over $10.5 billion, $1.57 billion in cash on its accounts in the U.S., and over 5000 employees worldwide, Marvell is certainly bigger than Cavium, whose capitalization is $5.76 billion and headcount is approximately 1800. Moreover, unlike Cavium, Marvell is making a profit. The two companies now believe that the combined entity with its complementary product portfolio will be able to better serve existing customers both now and in the long-term future.
The two companies mention their long-term future for a reason. They key asset that Marvell will get with the acquisition is Cavium’s portfolio of CPUs/SoCs as well as appropriate IP and development teams. In the coming years the expected serviceable addressable market for CPUs and specialized SoCs will grow. In particular, low-power CPUs will be needed for 5G base stations and other emerging applications. Cavium already has custom ThunderX SoCs for servers and telecom equipment, so Marvell will need to develop them further to gain in the future. Besides, with a broad portfolio of products, Marvell will be able to create more comprehensive solutions for customers of the combined company, thus getting more revenue and profits from every client.
Marvell and Cavium expect the transaction to close in mid-2018, depending on approvals from regulators and some other conditions. The two companies believe the acquisition to generate at least $150 to $175 million of annual run-rate synergies within 1.5 years after the deal is closed.
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