The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 confuses me . On the surface , it should be one of thebest gaming laptopsyou can buy . It ’s thin and lighter than a MacBook , even when pack an RTX 4090 under the hood , and it has what might be the salutary show you’re able to find on a laptop computer . Combine that with a reasonable damage , a fantastic keyboard , and surprisingly good battery life , and the Zephyrus G16 should be a sweep dunk .
This is a laptop computer that challenges expectations , though . It straddles the line between a creator and gaming laptop , making compromises along the way that a political machine like theLenovo Legion 9idoesn’t prevail into . This is a still a neat laptop computer that has a lot to offer gamers on the go , but there ’s a small more to the story than what you see on the surface .
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) specs
Unlike the 2024 Zephyrus G14 , you have a broad reach of configuration pick with the 16 - inch model . Asus limit the C.P.U. options to Intel ’s Core Ultra 7 155H or Core Ultra 9 185H , but you may pair the processor with a graphics card from an RTX 4050 all the way up to an RTX 4090 .
I critique an RTX 4070 conformation — you’re able to see the exact configuration I tested below — and it feels like the sweet spot for this portable laptop . My college Kunal Khullar has been testing the RTX 4090 configuration , and he ’s cite how it ’s prone to overheating . That is n’t surprising , either , considering theZephyrus M16from last twelvemonth show similar publication with the RTX 4090 .
you’re able to surmount up to an RTX 4090 , but you in all probability should n’t . A sight of that comes down to theTotal Graphics Power , or TGP , of the Nvidia GPUs usable for the Zephyrus G16 . Asus restricts the power to the graphics lineup to avoid heat and noise issues that could kill up in such a thin laptop computer . You ’re not getting the full functioning out of the GPU , which is a more mediocre compromise with a card like the RTX 4070 than the RTX 4090 .
out of doors of the graphics circuit card , Asus also compromises with the RAM . It ’s solder , so you ca n’t upgrade it down the credit line . presumptively , this is a consequence of the spareness of the laptop , but disregardless , it ’s something you should keep in mind . If you be after on picking up the Zephyrus G16 , I would n’t advocate getting anything less than 32 GB of computer memory .
A whole new look
Like the2024 Zephyrus G14 , this 16 - inch fashion model is a radical departure in aim . Its all - Al body , along with its Macbook - like thickness and weight , is a clean shot at theRazer Blade 16 . The weight and thickness is no jest here , either . The model I reviewed comes in at 4.08 pounds , while the 16 - inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro is 4.7 pounds . Even with the RTX 4090 , the Zephyrus G16 is just 4.3 pounds .
That ’s crazily light given how much powerfulness is under the hood . And if it ’s lighter than a MacBook Pro , you may count it ’s lighter than the competing Windows options . For cite , the Razer Blade 16 is 5.4 hammer — more than a full pound heavier . It ’s such a low weight unit that I had to pull out my kitchen graduated table just to check out my sanity . Sure enough , the Zephyrus G16 is just 4.08 pounds .
exercising weight is one affair , but the Zephyrus G16 is also thinner than the MacBook Pro , clock in at 0.65 inches at its thickest point ( the MacBook Pro is 0.66 inches ) . It ’s quite a flake thinner than the Razer Blade 16 , too , which comes in at 0.87 inches . Asus has really achieve something special here with the leanness and exercising weight of the Zephyrus G16 .
For looks , Asus offers both clean and shameful versions of the Zephyrus G16 , but tracking down the white version might not be well-off . Most retail merchant stay with the default black color selection , so you may have to order from Asus instantly — and usually pay a premium — if you need the white innovation .
The black-market looks great , but calling it black does n’t really nail the color . It ’s a very dark gray . The preeminence is important here , as previous Zephyrus designs with a plastic body were truly shameful , and that ’s not the grammatical case here .
On the lid , you have a stamped ROG logo , which front fantastic , along with Asus ’ new Slash Lighting . It ’s a diagonal flight strip of light-emitting diode blocks , and although it wait decent , it feels like a step back from the unique AniMe intercellular substance on previous designs . I suspect mill a few hundred diminutive holes in atomic number 13 is quite a act more expensive than doing so in charge card , but still , the Slash Lighting does n’t feel like a suitable replacement .
Even with the Slash Lighting , the design of the Zephyrus G16 is a massive success . The laptop computer looks cracking , but more importantly , it ’s thin and remarkably light . It ’s one of the only 16 - inch laptop I ’ve used that feel properly portable , sitting alongside automobile like theAlienware x16 .
A great port selection
The Zephyrus G16 has a great selection of ports , but the substantial standout is Asus ’ redesigned shoot port . It ’s a proprietary square connection locate at the back corner of the laptop , and it leave a close-fitting connection for point without feeling bulky . It ’s a huge plus over the lineal competition in the Razer Blade 16 , which still use Razer ’s chunky correct - slant connector for charging .
Elsewhere , you get a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 eccentric - A port , with one on each side . I much prefer this split over placing them both on one side . You also get a duad of USB - degree centigrade embrasure split across the laptop , though the right side uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2 porthole , while the left field utilize aThunderbolt 4port . Both still support DisplayPort and power delivery .
Along the right side , you also get a full - sizing SD card reader with support for UHS - II wag , and on the left , there ’s a full - size HDMI 2.1 interface , along with a 3.5 mm headphone sea dog .
You have everything you need here , like the ability to download pictures from your SD card , tie an extra video display , and top off your stamp battery with a portable USB - C charger . You do n’t postulate an external USB hub to in effect use the laptop , and that ’s a big plus .
Lovely keyboard, huge trackpad
Asus has stay the course with the keyboard on its Zephyrus laptop computer for the past several generations , and that ’s great . There are n’t any changes with the 2024 Zephyrus G16 , as it sports the same long traveling and snappy reply of previous designs . This is one of the most comfortable keyboards you’re able to get for a gaming laptop , and I even prefer it over that of theRazer Blade 14 .
Like previous designs , you also get dedicated volume keys , along with a button for Asus Armoury Crate . It ’s a small addition , but Asus leverages the excess space at the top of the central deck of cards to give you easier admission to these control condition . And , if you do n’t like the nonpayment background , you could remap the key in Armoury Crate .
The trackpad is dissimilar . The last - gen Zephyrus M16 had a large enough trackpad , but it now reaches from the front lip of the laptop all the way up to the keyboard . It ’s massive , and very comfortable to use when idly set your handwriting on the border with the laptop in your lick .
A showstopping display
If there ’s one big cause to pick up the Zephyrus G16 , it ’s the screen . It ’s an OLED display that tops out at 240Hz , which match full desktop monitoring equipment like theLG UltraGear OLED 27 . With a penetrating 2,560 x 1,600 resolution , excellent color , and response times as modest as 0.2ms , it ’s elusive saying there ’s a good laptop screen on the securities industry . I do n’t retrieve there is .
Color is off the chart . In my testing , the display hide 100 % of both sRGB and DCI - P3 , and an astonishing 94 % of AdobeRGB . It ’s great insurance coverage , and it led to even good color truth , with a colour error of less than 1 on mediocre .
luminousness is n’t what you get out of a full OLED monitor , but it ’s insanely smart with the laptop in front of you . In SDR , the screen topped out at 290 nits for 10 % of the screen , which is becoming . The same windowpane size in HDR bring on just shy of 450 nits , while a 4 % windowpane bumped that up to 660 nits . This is great brightness for a laptop computer .
Fast, but not blistering
One of the most interesting aspects of the Zephyrus G16 is the Core Ultra CPU . We ’ve seen this C.P.U. in smaller play laptop like theHP Omen Transcend 14 , but bigger plan generally opt for an AMD flake . Performance hold back up , but I ’m not seeing a strong literary argument for go with an Intel chip in this design .
Cinebench R24 provides a undecomposed point of comparison . In the default performance modality , the Core Ultra 9 185H provides almost monovular multi - core performance to the Ryzen 9 8945HS in the Zephyrus G14 . Even with the lean design , the Zephyrus G16 should be able to squeeze more performance out of the CPU simply due to being a larger laptop .
When you jump up to the Turbo mode , the Core Ultra 9 185H posts a higher result , but it ’s still almost monovular to the Core Ultra 7 155H inside the Alienware m16 R2 . The only difference between the Core Ultra 9 185H and Core Ultra 7 155H is a spot of clock speed , and this issue tells me the Zephyrus G16 is n’t set up to take advantage of that higher frequency .
leap out into a real app , the G16 is a touch modality behind where I ’d require it to be . In Premiere Pro , theDell XPS 16is faster , despite sport a faint central processor and downclocked GPU , but the veridical surprisal is the Zephyrus G14 . It ’s faster , too , suggesting that the AMD CPU may have been a better fit for this 16 - inch design . Asus is able to close up the carrying into action gap if you execute the motorcar in Turbo mode , though at a big toll in term of lover interference .
As I ’ll cover in the next department as well , the performance of the Zephyrus G16 is acceptable , but it ’s certainly not exciting . The specs within are n’t reaching their full potential , and it ’s clear there are compromises in carrying out to acheive the portable form factor . If you ’re after the most performance possible , a thicker — and usually cheaper — 16 - in laptop computer is a well bet .
Gaming isn’t the top priority
The Zephyrus G16 compromise its gambling performance . This is still a gaming laptop computer by branding and definition , but it ’s a departure from what you ’d normally expect out of these parts in a 16 - inch machine . Frame rates are n’t much well than what you’re able to regain in a likewise configure Razer Blade 14 , and sometimes they ’re downright worse .
With an RTX 4070 ( or higher ) at the helm , you may get a good gaming experience out of this laptop with a few tweaks . Those hoping for a MacBook - like gaming laptop computer that can stand toe - to - toe with a screen background replacement will be disappoint , however .
The 3DMark benchmark shows what ’s going on here . When leap from a 14 - inch to a 16 - in laptop , you expect a middling large jumping in performance . There ’s more room for dependable cooling . Sure enough , the Zephyrus G16 is faster than the Razer Blade 14 and Zephyrus G14 , but the performance gain are marginal . It ’s slower than the Alienware m16 R2 , despite that laptop computer boast a weaker CPU .
In real game , the Zephyrus G14 sputter to maintain 60 frame per 2nd ( Federal Protective Service ) at its native 1600p resolution with Ultra configurations . Less demanding title likeHorizon Zero Dawnare fine , but game that can push your PC likeReturnalandCyberpunk 2077will involve a few pinch before they can get past 60 fps .
The performance here exposes the bounteous upper side of an Nvidia GPU , however . Nvidia ’s DLSS 3.5makes run at mellow frame rate trivial , even at Ultra preferences and native firmness . The numbers are n’t what I ’d expect out of a laptop with the specs of the Zephyrus G16 , but you could still get a not bad gaming experience here .
A flock of that get along down to hotness management . The Zephyrus G16 gets loud — not jet plane engine loud like theMSI GT77 Titan , but loud yet — but it does n’t get uncomfortably blistering . Throw on a pair of toilet , turning on upscaling or kick downstairs down to the High preset in games , and you ’re sitting reasonably with the Zephyrus G16 .
Still , there ’s something to say about outlook here . This is a gaming laptop computer , but unlike with former design , Asus is comfortable compromising execution for a slimmer human body and lite dead body . For me , it ’s a sightly trade - off . For others , you could incur better functioning for less elsewhere , such as with theLenovo Legion Pro 5 .
Surprisingly good battery life
The Zephyrus G16 may give some performance , but one explanation for its Core Ultra CPU is battery life . In our WWW - browsing test , it lasted near to eight hr . AMD counterparts like theHP Omen 16and the Zephyrus G14 lasted just over four hours in this same psychometric test . It does n’t all come down to the CPU , but the Zephyrus G16 has keen barrage life for a gaming laptop .
Outside of the Core Ultra CPU , the Zephyrus G16 comes with Nvidia Advanced Optimus and a MUX switch , which can be toggle between the distinct and integrated graphics depend on if you ’re plug in or which software you ’re running . cast off in the ability to turn on via USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate , and I would n’t have any take carrying around the Zephyrus G16 all Clarence Shepard Day Jr. with a USB - C charger .
Should you buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16?
If you ’re after bare-ass carrying out , the Zephyrus G16 is n’t for you . small laptops that are still portable can post higher results , and you may have to make a few compromises in games to get smooth frame rate at native resolution . This is a play laptop computer , but it has an star .
For the way I use a gaming laptop computer , which is as a portable companion to a desktop , the Zephyrus G16 fills a perfect nihility . It ’s extremely portable and just powerful enough to play games without major drawbacks . The cost is n’t forged , either , at least see the specs and establish quality on whirl here . If you already have a desktop or some other primary platform for toy game , the Zephyrus G16 is a large bargain .
As a primary play platform , there are better option . The aforementioned Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is wooden-headed , but it ’s also gaudy and faster . On the other end , Asus ’ own Zephyrus G14 put up exchangeable performance for around the same price , but it ’s far more portable .
