WEBVTT

00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:06.799
i'm really excited about this one guys ASUS rog sponsored an exclusive look

00:00:04.960 --> 00:00:12.480
behind the scenes at the creation of their most powerful gaming laptop ever

00:00:09.200 --> 00:00:14.920
the rog mothership so our tour starts at

00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:20.960
the ASUS headquarters tower here in taipei except that it doesn't instead we

00:00:18.720 --> 00:00:26.720
took a short walk to a non-descript building that the rog team described as

00:00:23.439 --> 00:00:28.560
a kind of secret lab or bat cave they

00:00:26.720 --> 00:00:32.800
couldn't show us the whole facility because of the top secret nature of the

00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:38.879
work being done here in fact we're only the second non-isu staff to set foot in

00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:40.879
here and even within ASUS only the ceo

00:00:38.879 --> 00:00:44.160
and design center employees are allowed inside

00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:48.800
but to tell the story of ASUS's reimagining of the desktop replacement

00:00:46.160 --> 00:00:53.760
form factor we needed to visit rog mothership's birthplace we'll start

00:00:50.879 --> 00:00:59.199
upstairs where everything from sketches to material evaluation and even soft

00:00:56.480 --> 00:01:03.840
goods creation happens and it's also where we'll see a recreation of the

00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:07.920
first airflow experiments that kickstarted the development effort so

00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:12.000
what you're looking at here is two identical desktop replacement gaming

00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:16.240
laptops with one of them set up the conventional way with a lot of

00:01:13.760 --> 00:01:20.720
restriction for the cooling system and a second one propped up like this to give

00:01:18.720 --> 00:01:25.360
the intake fans which are here on the bottom a lot more room to breathe

00:01:23.520 --> 00:01:30.640
now how much does this kind of configuration affect cooling performance

00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:36.159
it turns out quite a lot with no additional tweaks whatsoever this unit

00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:41.119
runs seven to eight degrees cooler than the other one and with the design of the

00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:45.680
rog mothership which includes more ventilation cutouts and liquid metal

00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:49.920
thermal compound they manage to push performance much further to the point

00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:54.399
where the machine can be about half the thickness of a traditional ASUS desktop

00:01:52.240 --> 00:01:58.719
replacement while both boosting up higher and running quieter

00:01:57.360 --> 00:02:04.000
now of course it's really not as simple as just

00:02:01.520 --> 00:02:06.719
taking an old laptop design and going like this

00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:12.000
done so let's head downstairs to the secret

00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:18.720
Labs machine shop our journey begins back in 2016 with the affectionately

00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:21.360
nicknamed grandma ship so this is ASUS

00:02:18.720 --> 00:02:26.640
first hard model of a standing high performance gaming laptop design with

00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:28.959
the keyboard angled up like this now

00:02:26.640 --> 00:02:34.000
back then they were studying how to make a laptop perform better and improve its

00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:39.920
ergonomics at the same time so they tried this concept out but this one is

00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:43.840
uh not very perfect if the keyboard's at an angle like this it's actually fine

00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:47.920
for gaming but they found that it wasn't great for typing so when this was first

00:02:45.760 --> 00:02:52.640
proposed it was rejected by top management probably for good reason

00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:58.000
they still believed in the underlying concept though so the team used foam

00:02:56.080 --> 00:03:03.519
rough models to experiment with different form factors so this one here

00:03:00.640 --> 00:03:08.400
is actually more like an all-in-one with a kickstand so you can see it even has

00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:11.920
some of its i o in the back that's not very laptop-like

00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:16.480
now this one is notable though because it was during this stage that they came

00:03:13.920 --> 00:03:20.480
up with the idea of making the keyboard detachable i mean

00:03:18.480 --> 00:03:26.560
if the whole system is up in the top piece why not with that concept nailed down

00:03:23.920 --> 00:03:29.599
they created quite a few rough models experimenting with different form

00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:33.360
factors so this one right here

00:03:31.519 --> 00:03:38.720
showcases an idea where they were going to have the system kind of pop out at

00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:40.959
the back like this and then the screen actually

00:03:39.760 --> 00:03:45.440
slide up this didn't end up making it to final

00:03:42.959 --> 00:03:50.959
production obviously now this one right here in black foam

00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:55.599
now we're fast forwarding to 2017. by now they've moved the keyboard forward

00:03:53.519 --> 00:04:01.920
just like the finished one we've got a proper kickstand and all the i o is on

00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:04.319
the sides more like a laptop so this is

00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:07.920
the first model that contains the main fundamental characteristics of the rog

00:04:06.799 --> 00:04:12.879
mothership at this stage the concept was accepted

00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:18.720
so they got the time and the budget to build a working prototype

00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:22.320
later that year so we're still in 2017 after a lot of hard work they had the

00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:28.080
two units that you can see on the table here in front of me this one right here

00:04:24.960 --> 00:04:30.160
is actually a working prototype complete

00:04:28.080 --> 00:04:34.080
with detachable keyboard they actually had a bit of a different

00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:38.639
concept for the detachable keyboard at that time the cord was kind of like a vacuum

00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:44.639
cleaner so you kind of pull it out and you press a little button like that

00:04:42.400 --> 00:04:48.560
but like the finished product it could also work wirelessly

00:04:46.960 --> 00:04:54.000
this one over here is more of a prototype of the industrial

00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:57.520
design so you can see here they've got their lighting effects that they

00:04:55.199 --> 00:05:02.960
proposed for the speaker the thermal tunnel areas it's really creaky there

00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:07.440
you go thermal tunnel areas and inside the kickstand so this is the point in

00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:10.960
the process where the designers need to really start thinking about the

00:05:08.840 --> 00:05:15.280
longevity and the usability of the product so it's here that they caught

00:05:13.039 --> 00:05:19.919
the issue where mounting the motherboard directly behind the display like this

00:05:17.280 --> 00:05:23.600
caused long-term damage due to emi and they implemented a shield to protect it

00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:27.199
and it's also where they discovered that they needed to completely rethink the

00:05:26.080 --> 00:05:31.919
keyboard the thing is that the working prototype

00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:36.240
took up a lot of desk space and it wasn't possible to get closer to the

00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:39.280
system because the keyboard was simply too big so they had to make it more

00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:43.520
portable now the original concept is actually ah

00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:48.240
this one right here they were going to make it foldable by simply putting a

00:05:45.840 --> 00:05:51.039
soft bridge in between the two halves see that

00:05:49.280 --> 00:05:54.080
clearly though this wasn't going to be good enough for

00:05:52.880 --> 00:05:58.880
rog so that's where the idea of implementing

00:05:56.320 --> 00:06:04.000
a hinge came from the problem though is that's easier said than done

00:06:01.039 --> 00:06:08.720
after the first prototype failed ASUS keyboard supplier determined that it was

00:06:06.479 --> 00:06:13.919
impossible to build a hinge the way that ASUS wanted with the front surface flush

00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:19.199
while the hinge mechanism could be protected while you're folding it

00:06:16.880 --> 00:06:23.600
so with that feedback in mind the team here headed back to the model shop and

00:06:21.440 --> 00:06:28.560
created not one but two working prototypes to show their

00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:31.759
keyboard supplier with these in hand this one was agreed on and the supplier

00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:39.520
said that building something like this was in fact possible and also that they

00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:44.560
could mass produce it now we're on to the final mock-up so this

00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:48.960
right here with the major technology challenges solved it was time for them

00:06:46.479 --> 00:06:53.759
to nail down the aesthetic so each surface was sketched in 2d

00:06:51.520 --> 00:06:58.319
3d printed to determine how the design would look with depth and then combined

00:06:56.400 --> 00:07:05.360
into what you see here now this one doesn't work but it's basically

00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:11.039
representative of the look of the finished rog mothership

00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:13.360
whoa okay that keyboard is only kind of

00:07:11.039 --> 00:07:17.440
sort of attached to itself that wasn't my fault you didn't tell me

00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:22.000
it wasn't attached now that's the design story but after i expressed so much

00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:26.639
interest in the manufacturing process of the shell of rog mothership when i first

00:07:24.400 --> 00:07:31.360
saw it ASUS agreed to walk us through some of that as well so on this table

00:07:28.479 --> 00:07:37.280
here we're not looking at every single stage of the manufacturing but these are

00:07:34.400 --> 00:07:42.720
the key ones starting with this 9 kilogram

00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:45.039
10 us dollar aluminum slab you can see

00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:50.560
it only actually has a few basic cutouts and it includes

00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:56.000
these fixture points here because it needs to be flipped several times during

00:07:53.440 --> 00:08:00.800
the manufacturing process in order to access all the faces at this stage our

00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:04.080
bottom panel still weighs more than the finished rog mothership

00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:08.479
because we haven't removed the material from the inside yet but you can see that

00:08:06.960 --> 00:08:13.280
our sidewalls and our rear grille are looking a lot

00:08:10.960 --> 00:08:16.400
more notebook-like and our kickstand cutout is done now

00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:19.840
the really cool thing about this stage though is right here

00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:24.000
this is where our bottom cover gets put into the injection molding tool to make

00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:29.360
room for the plastic pieces that are needed for the four included antennas

00:08:27.039 --> 00:08:33.519
now they have to do it this way rather than clipping on a plastic piece at the

00:08:31.280 --> 00:08:37.519
end in order to get the absolutely perfectly seamless finish you can

00:08:35.760 --> 00:08:40.640
actually see here the plastic bits that are going to get

00:08:38.800 --> 00:08:46.320
removed that were part of the injection process cool right our next sample has most of

00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:48.720
the internals cut away now which as you can see

00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:55.839
makes a pretty big difference to the thickness and the weight of the material

00:08:54.959 --> 00:09:00.560
now obviously then seeing seeing this out of

00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:06.080
a single piece rather than taking something thinner and bending it up

00:09:02.800 --> 00:09:08.240
wastes a lot of material but it has

00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:13.600
tangible benefits in terms of structural rigidity and also the finish on the end

00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:19.600
product so you can see here that for its thickness this is really smooth and

00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:19.600
surprisingly strong

00:09:19.839 --> 00:09:27.279
it's like very little flex to it for the next stage we need a much smaller bit to

00:09:24.800 --> 00:09:33.120
cut out all the fine details what's cool here is that you can actually really see

00:09:29.600 --> 00:09:35.200
the republic of gamer's rog branding

00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:40.160
because it stands out more on the raw aluminum then after that

00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:45.760
we get into anodization this is what gives us a durable black finish on the

00:09:42.640 --> 00:09:50.399
product and as you can see we are

00:09:45.760 --> 00:09:53.680
almost done except for one small problem

00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:55.279
the plastic doesn't match the color of

00:09:53.680 --> 00:10:00.160
the rear grilles this simply won't do so the final step

00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:05.839
then is to paint just the rear grille component now

00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:11.440
the thing is that paint is not as durable as anodization but hey

00:10:09.040 --> 00:10:15.600
now it matches and if it does happen to get scratched a little bit there's still

00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:20.120
black underneath so it shouldn't be too noticeable

00:10:16.959 --> 00:10:23.200
finally every one of the only

00:10:20.120 --> 00:10:24.560
650 machines that ASUS builds is going

00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:27.279
to get the finishing touches

00:10:26.560 --> 00:10:33.120
now there's too many of these sorts of things for me

00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:38.959
to list today but every unit gets a unique serial number engraved and little

00:10:35.920 --> 00:10:41.040
accent pieces like these laser-cut mylar

00:10:38.959 --> 00:10:45.360
stickers that combined with speaker grilles protect the speakers and give it

00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:49.040
a nice premium look now the machines that we're looking at

00:10:46.800 --> 00:10:52.880
right now are suitable for prototyping but to achieve the speed and detail

00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:56.399
needed for mass production of the final product more sophisticated solutions are

00:10:55.200 --> 00:11:02.399
required that is if you can even call 650 units

00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:06.720
mass production now i've always said that when the bill of materials cost of

00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:10.880
a new device leaks and consumers complain that it's a rip off that there

00:11:08.800 --> 00:11:15.120
are many hidden costs that drive up the final sticker price

00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:18.959
but even for me seeing this process today along with the qc and validation

00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:24.079
lab i gotta say i'm coming away with a new

00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:29.440
appreciation for the time and the work that goes into creating something as

00:11:25.839 --> 00:11:32.000
specialized as rog mothership so

00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:36.320
i want to thank ASUS rog for inviting me here and sponsoring this video and you

00:11:34.399 --> 00:11:40.480
guys for watching the whole thing actually as a fun little reward for

00:11:37.760 --> 00:11:45.120
making it this far ASUS rog is giving away a strict scar 3 gaming laptop to

00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:48.959
one lucky viewer somewhere in the world so guys make sure you check out the link

00:11:46.880 --> 00:11:52.640
in the video description and show them some love in the comments

00:11:50.880 --> 00:11:56.079
if you guys dislike this video well you know where that button is but if you

00:11:53.920 --> 00:11:58.959
liked it hit like get subscribed or maybe consider checking out where to buy

00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:02.720
the stuff we featured at the link in the video description sometime in the next

00:12:01.040 --> 00:12:06.079
couple months we think also down there is our merch store which

00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:10.560
has cool shirts like this one and our community forum which you guys should

00:12:07.760 --> 00:12:10.560
totally join