CES is a regular home for unusual PC form factors, and the 2019 show is no exception-- take the Asus ROG Mothership GZ700, a 17.3-inch laptop users can transform into the gaming equivalent of the Microsoft Surface.

When not in use, the Mothership looks like any oversized laptop. Opening it, however, is a different story. One needs to stand it vertically on a surface to pop out a kickstand, before a foldable wireless keyboard detaches from the device. Thus, the Mothership turns from laptop into a desktop all-in-one PC complete with a 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display featuring 144Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time and Nvidia G-Sync support.

According to Asus, the form factor allows for easier cooling. After all, the vertical design means the Mothership can easily vent heat from the sides, instead of trapping it between keyboard and desk. Thus the machine can carry some beefy specs in the shape of overclocked versions of the high-end Core i9-8950HK processor and an Nvidia RTX 2080 GPU.

Also included in the Mothership are x3 SSDs in a RAID 0 configuration and up to 64GB DDR4 RAM. Connectivity comes via x1 USB-C Thunderbolt 3, x1 standard USB-C, x4 USB-A, x1 HDMI and x1 ethernet ports, plus SD card slot. Charging requires dual 28W charging ports, while the built-in webcam supports Windows Hello facial recognition.

Asus says the Mothership starts shipping on Q2 2019.

Go The ROG Mothership Redefines the Form Factor for Desktop Replacement Gaming Laptops