2024-04-10 18:15:24| Engadget
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has been one of our favorite gaming laptops for damn near half a decade. But the 2024 model is on another level. Thats because even without a fresh generation of GPUs from NVIDIA, ASUS went and redesigned the entire thing anyway. And the result is a notebook with a gorgeous aluminum unibody chassis with a more mature design that doesnt need to throw RGB lighting in your face to get some attention. This edition is also sleeker and lighter while still providing powerful performance. Though ASUS made a few trade-offs when compared to its predecessor, with a starting price of $1,600, the new ROG Zephyrus G14 is not only a better value than almost all of its 14-inch rivals, its also simply one of the best pound-for-pound gaming laptops around.
Design
Compared to previous models that were awash in RGB or had dot-matrix displays built into their lids, this years G14 is an exercise in restraint. Its almost like the line has grown out of its awkward teenage phase and become a stylish but still fun-loving adult. The lid is accented by a simple diagonal slash with white (not RGB) LEDs embedded down the middle. Meanwhile, on the inside, theres a sturdy deck with a large touchpad and surprisingly powerful speakers.
The one thing I miss is per-key RGB lighting instead of ASUS single-zone approach. After all, this is a gaming laptop and if youre going to offer multiple colors, itd be nice to have full customizability.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
That said, the G14s redesign isnt just about style, its functional too. The switch to a unibody aluminum frame has strengthened the whole machine. Theres barely a hint of flex even on typically weaker parts like the lattice between keys. But more importantly, ASUS also reduced the laptop's weight to just 3.3 pounds, which is noticeably lighter than rival notebooks with similar metal builds like the Razer Blade 14 (3.95 pounds). Plus, even with the smaller size, the G14 features a healthy selection of ports including a full-size HDMI 2.1 jack, two USB-C (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A and a microSD card reader.
Display
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Another glowing component of the G14 is its OLED screen. In addition to producing vibrant colors, it has a sharp 2,880 x 1,800 resolution along with a 120Hz refresh rate and a color gamut that covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. Recently, Ive been watching Three Body Problem and Ive been absolutely loving the OLED panels excellent contrast and deep blacks. Furthermore, because ASUS includes a handful of color-calibrated settings for sRGB, D65 P3, DCI-P3 (but not Adobe RGB), the G14 is a very capable photo- and video-editing machine.
The one small issue is that because 2,880 x 1,800 is a somewhat uncommon resolution, you may not be able to play all of your games at their native resolution, which is an issue I encountered when playing Returnal.
Performance
A big change for the 2024 ROG G14 is that GPU options now top out with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 instead of a 4080 like on the previous model. That may be a bummer for some, but as I prefer laptops that are easier to carry around, Im OK with trading out a little top-end oomph for enhanced portability. And with all models featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS chip along with at least 16GB of RAM (or 32GB like on my review unit) and 1TB of storage, you wont be lacking in speed.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
On Geekbench 6, the G14 matched the performance we saw from a larger XPS 16 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. In games, it hit 90 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra settings, which is just shy of a much more expensive Razer Blade 14 (101 fps). That said, there are some important details you should know. Unlike previous models, the latest G14s memory is soldered to the motherboard, so theres no way to add extra RAM later. Additionally, while both ASUS and Razers 14-inch systems appear to have the same RTX 4070 GPU, the G14s is capped at 90 watts versus 140 watts for the Blade, which explains the small gap in gaming performance.
Its also worth noting that heat can be an issue in certain situations. In normal use, its not a big deal as the fans rarely need to spin up when browsing the web or watching movies. But under load, because the G14s vents are on the bottom of the notebook, your lap can get toasty fast. Thankfully, this wont be a major problem if youre gaming, since youll probably want to be at a desk or table to put an external mouse on anyway.
Battery life
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
While the G14 doesnt last quite as long as a traditional ultrabook, it still carries enough juice to last nearly an entire workday. On PCMark 10s Modern Office rundown test, it lasted 7 hours and 29 minutes which is slightly better than the Razer Blade 14s time of 6:46. And, new for 2024, ASUS has added its proprietary Slim Power Jack, which sort of looks like a USB-C port if you squint (but it isnt). However, if you want to really travel light, the G14 supports charging via USB-C so you can leave the adapter at home. The one caveat is that USB-PD on this maxes out at 100 watts (versus 180 watts when using the included brick), so the battery may still discharge while gaming or performing other intensive tasks.
Wrap-up
Even though we already loved its predecessors, the 2024 ROG Zephyrus G14 has managed to take another big leap. Its got an exquisitely crafted chassis along with a vibrant new display and boomier speakers all while shedding nearly half a pound in weight. On the iside, you still get up to an RTX 4070 GPU. Sure, its a touch slower than a similarly equipped Blade 14, but considering our review unit costs $2,000 compared to $2,700 for the closest equivalently specced Razer, Im happy to trade a tiny bit of performance to get a much more affordable machine. And thats before you factor in a starting price of just $1,450 for one with an RTX 4060. My biggest gripe is that ASUS Amoury Crate app still feels clunky, thanks to settings that are hard to find or toggles that dont work like youd expect. But make no mistake, the G14 is a great laptop for both gamers and content creators who want good performance in a portable package. So while I appreciate what the Blade 14 and other high-end notebooks can do, ASUS latest creation is the one Id buy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-2024-review--this-is-the-14-inch-gaming-laptop-to-beat-161524669.html?src=rss
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