“The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 will challenge your expectations about what defines a gaming laptop.”
- Gorgeous OLED display screen
- Thinner and lighter than a MacBook Professional
- Design is beautiful
- Cast battery age
- Comfy keyboard and plenty trackpad
- Some efficiency compromises
- Will get rowdy underneath load
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 confuses me. At the floor, it must be one of the most best gaming laptops you’ll be able to purchase. It’s thinner and lighter than a MacBook, even if packing an RTX 4090 underneath the hood, and it has what could be the most efficient show you’ll be able to in finding on a pc. Mix that with an affordable worth, an implausible keyboard, and unusually just right battery age, and the Zephyrus G16 must be a slam dunk.
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It is a pc that demanding situations expectancies, regardless that. It straddles the series between a author and gaming pc, making compromises alongside the best way {that a} system just like the Lenovo Legion 9i doesn’t run into. It is a nonetheless a stunning pc that has a accumulation to do business in avid gamers at the advance, however there’s a modest extra to the tale than what you notice at the floor.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) specifications
Not like the 2024 Zephyrus G14, you may have a large territory of configuration choices with the 16-inch style. Asus limits the processor choices to Intel’s Core Extremely 7 155H or Core Extremely 9 185H, however you’ll be able to pair the CPU with a graphics card from an RTX 4050 all of the manner as much as an RTX 4090.
I reviewed an RTX 4070 configuration — you’ll be able to see the precise configuration I examined under — and it feels just like the candy spot for this transportable pc. My faculty Kunal Khullar has been trying out the RTX 4090 configuration, and he’s discussed the way it’s at risk of overheating. That isn’t unexpected, both, taking into account the Zephyrus M16 from final occasion confirmed matching problems with the RTX 4090.
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) | |
| Dimensions | 13.94 x 9.69 x 0.64 inches |
| Weight | 4.08 kilos |
| Processor | Intel Core Extremely 9 185H (16 cores, 22 wools, as much as 5.1GHz) |
| Graphics | Nvidia RTX 4070 (105W TGP) |
| RAM | 32GB LPDDR5X-7467 (soldered) |
| Show | 2.5K OLED, 240Hz |
| Storehouse | 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Contact | N/A |
| Ports | 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C, 1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3.5mm headphone, 1x HDMI 2.1 |
| Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080p with Home windows Hi |
| Working machine | Home windows 11 Professional |
| Battery | 90 WHrs |
| Value | $2,000 |
| The place to shop for |
You’ll scale as much as an RTX 4090, however you most likely shouldn’t. A accumulation of that comes all the way down to the Total Graphics Power, or TGP, of the Nvidia GPUs to be had for the Zephyrus G16. Asus restricts the facility to the graphics card to keep away from warmth and noise problems that might pop up in any such slim pc. You’re no longer getting the whole efficiency out of the GPU, which is a extra honest compromise with a card just like the RTX 4070 than the RTX 4090.
Outdoor of the graphics card, Asus additionally compromises with the RAM. It’s soldered, so you’ll be able to’t improve it ill the series. Probably, it is a aftereffect of the thinness of the pc, however regardless, it’s one thing you must book in thoughts. Should you plan on selecting up the Zephyrus G16, I wouldn’t suggest getting anything else not up to 32GB of reminiscence.
A complete untouched glance
Just like the 2024 Zephyrus G14, this 16-inch style is a thorough leaving in design. Its all-aluminum frame, together with its Macbook-like thickness and weight, is a sunlit shot on the Razer Blade 16. The load and thickness isn’t any funny story right here, both. The style I reviewed is available in at 4.08 kilos, moment the 16-inch MacBook Professional with the M3 Professional is 4.7 kilos. Even with the RTX 4090, the Zephyrus G16 is solely 4.3 kilos.
That’s insanely brightness given how a lot energy is underneath the hood. And if it’s lighter than a MacBook Professional, you’ll be able to guess it’s lighter than the competing Home windows choices. For reference, the Razer Blade 16 is 5.4 kilos — greater than a complete pound heavier. It’s any such low weight that I needed to extract my kitchen scale simply to test my sanity. Certain plenty, the Zephyrus G16 is solely 4.08 kilos.
Weight is something, however the Zephyrus G16 could also be thinner than the MacBook Professional, clocking in at 0.65 inches at its thickest level (the MacBook Professional is 0.66 inches). It’s relatively a little bit thinner than the Razer Blade 16, too, which is available in at 0.87 inches. Asus has truly completed one thing particular right here with the thinness and weight of the Zephyrus G16.
For seems, Asus offer each white and dull variations of the Zephyrus G16, however monitoring ill the white model is probably not simple. Maximum shops keep on with the default dull colour choice, so you could have to sequence from Asus at once — and normally pay a top class — if you wish to have the white design.
The dull seems stunning, however calling it dull doesn’t truly nail the colour. It’s an excessively dull grey. The dignity is notable right here, as earlier Zephyrus designs with a plastic frame had been in reality dull, and that’s no longer the case right here.
At the lid, you may have a stamped ROG brand, which seems implausible, together with Asus’ untouched Slash Lighting fixtures. It’s a diagonal strip of LED blocks, and despite the fact that it seems worthy, it looks like a step again from the original AniMe matrix on earlier designs. I think milling a couple of hundred negligible holes in aluminum is relatively a little bit dearer than doing so in plastic, however nonetheless, the Slash Lighting fixtures doesn’t really feel like an acceptable alternative.
Even with the Slash Lighting fixtures, the design of the Zephyrus G16 is a large luck. The pc seems stunning, however extra importantly, it’s slim and remarkably brightness. It’s one of the most simplest 16-inch computers I’ve old that feels correctly transportable, sitting along machines just like the Alienware x16.
A stunning port variety
The Zephyrus G16 has a stunning choice of ports, however the actual standout is Asus’ redesigned charging port. It’s a proprietary sq. connector located on the again nook of the pc, and it supplies a cosy connection for charging with out feeling big. It’s a plenty plus over the direct festival within the Razer Blade 16, which nonetheless makes use of Razer’s chunky right-angle connector for charging.
In other places, you get a couple of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A ports, with one on each and every aspect. I a lot favor this break over hanging them each on one aspect. You additionally get a couple of USB-C ports break around the pc, regardless that the best aspect makes use of a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, moment the left makes use of a Thunderbolt 4 port. Each nonetheless help DisplayPort and tool supply.
Alongside the best aspect, you additionally get a full-size SD card reader with help for UHS-II playing cards, and at the left, there’s a full-size HDMI 2.1 port, together with a three.5mm headphone jack.
You might have the whole lot you want right here, like the power to obtain footage out of your SD card, attach an remaining show, and supremacy off your battery with a transportable USB-C charger. You don’t want an exterior USB hub to successfully usefulness the pc, and that’s a heavy plus.
Good-looking keyboard, plenty trackpad
Asus has stayed the route with the keyboard on its Zephyrus computers for the occasion a number of generations, and that’s stunning. There aren’t any adjustments with the 2024 Zephyrus G16, because it sports activities the similar lengthy progress and snappy reaction of earlier designs. This is among the maximum relaxed keyboards you’ll be able to get for a gaming pc, and I even like it over that of the Razer Blade 14.
Like earlier designs, you additionally get devoted quantity keys, together with a button for Asus Armoury Crate. It’s a tiny addition, however Asus leverages the remaining range on the supremacy of the important thing deck to come up with more uncomplicated get entry to to those controls. And, should you don’t just like the default atmosphere, you’ll be able to remap the keys in Armoury Crate.
The trackpad is other. The last-gen Zephyrus M16 had a massive plenty trackpad, but it surely now reaches from the entrance lip of the pc all of the manner as much as the keyboard. It’s large, and really relaxed to usefulness when lazily laying your hand at the edge with the pc on your lap.
A showstopping show
If there’s one heavy reason why to select up the Zephyrus G16, it’s the display screen. It’s an OLED show that tops out at 240Hz, which fits complete desktop screens just like the LG UltraGear OLED 27. With a bright 2,560 x 1,600 solution, skillful colour, and reaction instances as little as 0.2ms, it’s tricky announcing there’s a greater pc display screen available on the market. I don’t assume there’s.
Colour is off the charts. In my trying out, the show lined 100% of each sRGB and DCI-P3, and an astounding 94% of AdobeRGB. It’s stunning protection, and it resulted in even higher colour accuracy, with a colour error of not up to 1 on reasonable.
Luminous isn’t what you pull out of a complete OLED observe, but it surely’s insanely glorious with the pc in entrance of you. In SDR, the display screen crowned out at 290 nits for 10% of the display screen, which is worthy. The similar window length in HDR produced simply shy of 450 nits, moment a 4% window bumped that as much as 660 nits. That is stunning shiny for a pc.
Speedy, however no longer blistering
One of the fascinating sides of the Zephyrus G16 is the Core Extremely CPU. We’ve detectable this CPU in smaller gaming computers just like the HP Omen Transcend 14, however better designs in most cases go for an AMD chip. Efficiency holds up, however I’m no longer optic a robust argument for going with an Intel chip on this design.
Cinebench R24 supplies a just right level of comparability. Within the default efficiency method, the Core Extremely 9 185H supplies nearly similar multi-core efficiency to the Ryzen 9 8945HS within the Zephyrus G14. Even with the slim design, the Zephyrus G16 must be capable to squeeze extra efficiency out of the CPU merely because of being a bigger pc.
While you soar as much as the Turbo method, the Core Extremely 9 185H posts the next outcome, but it surely’s nonetheless nearly similar to the Core Extremely 7 155H within the Alienware m16 R2. The one too much between the Core Extremely 9 185H and Core Extremely 7 155H is a little bit of clock pace, and this outcome tells me the Zephyrus G16 isn’t all set as much as make the most of that upper frequency.
Leaping out into an actual software, the G16 is a marginally in the back of the place I’d be expecting it to be. In Premiere Professional, the Dell XPS 16 is quicker, in spite of carrying a weaker CPU and downclocked GPU, however the actual amaze is the Zephyrus G14. It’s quicker, too, suggesting that the AMD CPU can have been a greater have compatibility for this 16-inch design. Asus is in a position to related the efficiency hole should you run the system in Turbo method, regardless that at a heavy value relating to fan noise.
As I’ll safeguard within the upcoming division as smartly, the efficiency of the Zephyrus G16 is suitable, but it surely’s on no account thrilling. The specifications within aren’t attaining their complete attainable, and it’s sunlit there are compromises in efficiency to acheive the transportable method issue. Should you’re then probably the most efficiency conceivable, a thicker — and normally less expensive — 16-inch pc is a greater guess.
Gaming isn’t the supremacy precedence
The Zephyrus G16 compromises its gaming efficiency. That is nonetheless a gaming pc by way of branding and definition, but it surely’s a leaving from what you’d generally be expecting out of those portions in a 16-inch system. Body charges aren’t significantly better than what you’ll be able to in finding in a in a similar fashion configured Razer Blade 14, and now and again they’re downright worse.
With an RTX 4070 (or upper) on the helm, you’ll be able to get a just right gaming enjoy out of this pc with a couple of tweaks. The ones hoping for a MacBook-like gaming pc that may arise toe-to-toe with a desktop alternative shall be disenchanted, then again.
The 3DMark benchmark displays what’s happening right here. When leaping from a 14-inch to a 16-inch pc, you are expecting a good-looking massive soar in efficiency. There’s more space for higher cooling. Certain plenty, the Zephyrus G16 is quicker than the Razer Blade 14 and Zephyrus G14, however the efficiency features are marginal. It’s slower than the Alienware m16 R2, in spite of that pc carrying a weaker CPU.
In actual video games, the Zephyrus G14 struggles to preserve 60 frames in keeping with 2nd (fps) at its local 1600p solution with Extremely settings. Much less challenging titles like Horizon 0 Break of day are advantageous, however video games that may push your PC like Returnal and Cyberpunk 2077 will want a couple of tweaks earlier than they are able to get occasion 60 fps.
The efficiency right here exposes the heavy upside of an Nvidia GPU, then again. Nvidia’s DLSS 3.5 makes operating at upper body charges trivial, even at Extremely settings and local solution. The numbers aren’t what I’d be expecting out of a pc with the specifications of the Zephyrus G16, however you’ll be able to nonetheless get a stunning gaming enjoy right here.
A accumulation of that comes all the way down to warmth control. The Zephyrus G16 will get rowdy — no longer jet engine rowdy just like the MSI GT77 Titan, however rowdy nevertheless — but it surely doesn’t get uncomfortably sizzling. Throw on a couple of cans, turning on upscaling or bump all the way down to the Prime preset in video games, and also you’re sitting good-looking with the Zephyrus G16.
Nonetheless, there’s one thing to mention about expectancies right here. It is a gaming pc, however not like with earlier designs, Asus is relaxed compromising efficiency for a slimmer assemble and lighter frame. For me, it’s an excellent trade-off. For others, you’ll be able to in finding higher efficiency for much less somewhere else, corresponding to with the Lenovo Legion Pro 5.
Strangely just right battery age
The Zephyrus G16 would possibly sacrifice some efficiency, however one cause of its Core Extremely CPU is battery age. In our web-browsing check, it lasted related to 8 hours. AMD opposite numbers just like the HP Omen 16 and the Zephyrus G14 lasted simply over 4 hours on this identical check. It doesn’t all come all the way down to the CPU, however the Zephyrus G16 has stunning battery age for a gaming pc.
Outdoor of the Core Extremely CPU, the Zephyrus G16 comes with Nvidia Complicated Optimus and a MUX transfer, which may also be toggled between the discrete and built-in graphics relying on should you’re plugged in or which software you’re operating. Thrown within the talent to rate by the use of USB-C, and I wouldn’t have any factor wearing across the Zephyrus G16 all era with a USB-C charger.
Must you purchase the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16?
Should you’re then uncooked efficiency, the Zephyrus G16 isn’t for you. Smaller computers which are nonetheless transportable can put up upper effects, and you could have to manufacture a couple of compromises in video games to get clean body charges at local solution. It is a gaming pc, but it surely has an asterisk.
For the best way I usefulness a gaming pc, which is as a transportable significant other to a desktop, the Zephyrus G16 fills an excellent void. It’s extremely transportable and simply tough plenty to play games video games with out primary drawbacks. The cost isn’t evil, both, a minimum of taking into account the specifications and assemble attribute on do business in right here. If you have already got a desktop or some alternative number one platform for taking part in video games, the Zephyrus G16 is a stunning purchase.
As a number one gaming platform, there are higher choices. The aforementioned Lenovo Legion Professional 5 is thicker, but it surely’s additionally less expensive and quicker. At the alternative finish, Asus’ personal Zephyrus G14 supplies matching efficiency for round the similar worth, but it surely’s way more transportable.
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