Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) assessment: an AMD improve

Asus overhauled its ROG Zephyrus gaming laptops in 2024, giving them smooth, aluminum our bodies and sensible OLED screens. The Intel model of the ROG Zephyrus G16 regarded like a possible MacBook Professional killer when it launched in February; it’s skinny, gentle, and highly effective, however the Core Extremely 9 185H processor hampers battery life. Now that Asus has reissued the G16 with the most recent flagship CPU from AMD, it has lastly turn out to be an all-rounder with sufficient battery life to tote to the workplace.

This model of the Zephyrus G16 has the identical Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU that powers Asus’ Zenbook S 16 to nice impact. The higher built-in graphics and enhancements in effectivity and uncooked horsepower over Intel’s cell Meteor Lake processors make the AMD mannequin the clear winner. If solely it weren’t so dang costly. 

Our $2,300 assessment unit, with an Nvidia RTX 4070 cell GPU, is one in every of 4 G16 variants with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU. There’s one other 4070 mannequin in white, with 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage for $2,300, whereas the least costly model is $1,900 with an RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Extra GPU energy is barely accessible on Intel fashions, with an RTX 4080 choice at $2,700 and an RTX 4090 for $3,300. RAM is soldered to the motherboard, so it’s vital to contemplate earlier than buying.

Aside from the processor, and the soar to Wi-Fi 7 from Wi-Fi 6e, the AMD model of the G16 is sort of similar to the Intel model. Each use the identical 0.59-inch-thick unibody aluminum chassis, ports, and 200-watt charging brick; the one seen distinction is the Copilot key on the AMD mannequin instead of the right-hand Ctrl key. The AMD model can be an oz. lighter at a scant 3.99 kilos. 

I’ve a strong foundation for evaluating the 2 G16s right here. Seeking a transportable work machine I may additionally sport on, I ditched my desktop and acquired the Intel model of the G16, with an RTX 4070 and 16GB of RAM, in August. Since then, I’ve used it not solely to work from home and in espresso outlets but in addition to play all of the video games I’d usually play on my tower.

Whichever processor and graphics card is inside, utilizing the G16 is a rock-solid expertise. There’s little or no chassis flex aside from the plate within the useless heart of the keyboard, the lid lifts simply with a single finger, and display screen wobble is minimal. However the 2560 x 1600, 240Hz OLED ROG Nebula Show steals the present. Due to the superb movement readability, colour accuracy, and distinction, it’s nearly the most effective display screen yow will discover on a gaming laptop computer. The smaller Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 makes use of a 2880 x 1800 OLED panel, nevertheless it’s solely 120Hz.

Asus manufacturing unit calibrates the display screen in every G16 and claims a mean Delta E of underneath 1, a peak brightness of 500 nits, and 100% protection of the DCI-P3 colour area. These are daring claims, however they largely maintain up. I measured 100% protection of the sRGB colour area, 97.2 % of Adobe RGB, and 99.9 of DCI-P3. Though most brightness in SDR solely reached 397 nits, that’s a lot brilliant sufficient to make use of outside within the shade. HDR is even brighter, reaching 644 nits in a ten % window. The typical Delta E, the distinction between an anticipated worth and what was measured, got here in at solely 0.17. That is an astoundingly correct show and ok for color-sensitive work.

Aside from the floating quantity controls and devoted Armoury Crate button above the F row, the minimalist design and keyboard format are a change from the 2023 mannequin and now look rather more like these of Asus’ personal Zenbook line. Whereas the keys aren’t mechanical, the 1.5mm key journey is sufficient to stave off fatigue throughout lengthy typing periods. The spacebar is a bit stiff and might skip if tapped on the furthest edges, nevertheless it doesn’t occur usually sufficient to turn out to be an issue.

The Zephyrus G16’s look has taken a flip for the demure, however Asus couldn’t resist holding some gamer aptitude. Gone is the addressable matrix of LEDs beforehand splashed throughout the again of ROG Zephyrus laptops, changed with a diagonal strip of lighting that runs throughout the lid. Completely different Slash Lighting patterns are programmable in Armoury Crate, however the one colour accessible is white. 

The impact is underwhelming, and that extends to the keyboard. Regardless of the $2,000 price ticket, all variations of the G16 are outfitted with single-zone RGB backlighting, which means that each one keys will at all times be backlit with the identical colour and brightness. Rivals just like the HP Omen Transcend 16 and Razer Blade 16 each supply per-key lighting. The exclusion right here, mixed with the Slash bar, appears like Asus is attempting to toe the road between slim studio laptop computer and full gaming aesthetic, however the outcome feels unlikely to please both crowd.

Regardless of the similar appears, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU pulls forward of the Intel Core Extremely 9 185H in each single artificial benchmark. Generally, it’s a small enchancment in each single and multicore duties, however AMD takes a whopping 20 % single-core and 10 % multicore lead in Geekbench 6.

That lead sadly doesn’t scale uniformly to gaming. It’s true that, at 1080p, the place CPU variations are most evident, the AMD model of the G16 places up a commanding efficiency over Intel’s chip. Outcomes are higher throughout the board, with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 bettering 14 % in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, 13 % in Cyberpunk 2077, and 12 % in Returnal. 

Make no mistake, each the AMD and Intel variations of the G16 are succesful gaming machines, and transferring as much as 1440p or the native 2560 x 1600 decision erases any distinction between the 2. The bottleneck right here is the GPU. Whereas the RTX 4070 continues to be a succesful cell graphics card almost two years after launch, it could’t fairly hit 60 frames per second in each sport at maxed-out settings. Much less demanding titles like Elden Ring will nonetheless run at 60fps on Extremely all day, however this midrange card exhibits its age in newer video games.

Tweaking settings or enabling an upscaler like Nvidia’s DLSS in video games that help it’s a completely viable resolution, and even essentially the most demanding titles like Alan Wake 2 are playable on the 4070 variations of the G16, with compromises. Working round Espresso World as Saga halfway by way of the sport, neither the AMD or Intel model may crack 60fps at 1440p or native decision, and enabling DLSS on the High quality setting solely delivered about 50 frames per second. The sport turns into rather more playable when settings are dropped to medium or body technology is turned on. 

Ray-tracing fans and people with 4K exterior displays ought to think about the 4080 and 4090 fashions. Asus limits the RTX 4080 and 4090 to 115 watts of energy draw to maintain temps down, which means a thicker laptop computer just like the Razer Blade 16 with a 4090 in it can rating about 10 % increased in Time Spy than a G16 with a 4090, owing to its beefier cooling resolution and better energy allowance of 175 watts. It is a negligible distinction for most individuals, however diehards trying to wring out each ounce of efficiency will need to look elsewhere.

AMD constantly dominates Intel within the built-in graphics division, and that hasn’t modified with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. The AMD Radeon 890M is essentially the most highly effective built-in GPU available on the market and might ship strong 1080p gaming efficiency even on battery energy — it’s no surprise that Ayaneo and different producers are utilizing the chip of their latest gaming handhelds. 

Enjoying Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p on battery energy utilizing built-in graphics is a surprisingly nice expertise. The benchmark returned 40 frames per second with the whole lot set to its most, and dropping the settings to excessive and enabling Intel’s XeSS upscaling netted 47fps. The APU — as AMD calls its CPUs with built-in graphics — pulls 42 watts with this setup, which means about an hour and a half of runtime regardless of the G16’s giant 90Wh battery. With a customized energy profile that limits the APU to 25 watts whole (extra granular management is obtainable with open-source Armoury Crate alternate options like G-Helper), the outcomes have been about the identical however stretched the battery life to 2 hours. 

Even heavier titles like Cyberpunk 2077 are playable on built-in graphics. With the 25-watt cap in place, I recorded 47fps within the benchmark with the whole lot set to Medium and AMD’s FSR upscaler set to Balanced and the identical 1.5-hour runtime as Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The Arc Graphics on the Intel Core Extremely 9 185H will play 2D and lighter indie video games simply positive, however it could’t crack 30fps within the above video games on the identical settings. 

This makes the built-in GPU a compelling choice in the event you’re away from wall energy. Working Cyberpunk 2077 on the RTX 4070 with excessive settings at 1080p bought a body charge of 60fps and a scant 45 minutes of playtime. Locking the sport to a 30fps cap and medium settings at 1080p ends in one hour, 20 minutes of battery life. Gaming on built-in graphics could be the answer for individuals who need to go away the cumbersome 200W charger at dwelling and journey with a USB-C wall wart (as much as 100 watts) as an alternative.

Battery life exterior of gaming is the principle motive to contemplate the AMD model of the G16. The Intel Core Extremely 9 185H mannequin provides about six to seven hours of real-world use, which is okay for most individuals however gained’t make it by way of a complete workday. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is just extra environment friendly, lasting about 9 hours in real-world use. That additional three hours pushes the G16 out of the realm of typical gaming laptops and nearer to productiveness machines just like the Zenbook S 16 or the Dell XPS 16.

A extra environment friendly processor means much less warmth, which was (and is) the G16’s Achilles’ heel. Having lived with, gamed on, and typed extra articles than I can depend on the Intel model, I can confidently say that this can be a spicy laptop computer — a lot in order that the underside will get uncomfortably sizzling when gaming on the 4070, even utilizing the Silent energy profile (which restricts energy to the CPU and GPU and cuts fan noise accordingly), and the world proper above the keyboard on the Intel model reaches a scorching 123 levels Fahrenheit. 

The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 thermal throttles at 95 levels Celsius like its Intel-based cousin when underneath load, however no level on the chassis registered over 120 levels throughout testing. Working across the titular metropolis in Baldur’s Gate 3 utilizing the Turbo energy profile now not ends in a burned lap. Cooler temps would possibly let the CPU enhance increased, however it could nonetheless be constrained by the comparatively modest 200-watt general energy restrict. 

I’ve been singing the G16’s praises for many of this assessment, however the sacrifices Asus undertook to make a gaming laptop computer this moveable are evident, even when they may not have an effect on day-to-day use. Repairability and upgradability are subsequent to nil. Storage is straightforward to improve, and there’s a second 2280 M.2 slot, however the RAM is soldered to the motherboard in all variations. (Which is sadly the norm in laptops this skinny. Look to thicker opponents with socketed DDR5 RAM, just like the Alienware m16 R2, if you need the choice to improve later.) If the 16GB supplied by the bottom configuration isn’t sufficient, you’ll need to pony up an additional $300 at minimal for a mannequin with 32GB and might’t go increased from there. 

Software program has by no means been Asus’ sturdy go well with, and Armoury Crate continues to be Armoury Crate: laggy however serviceable sufficient for most individuals. Manually disabling the devoted graphics in Armoury Crate is one of the best ways to optimize battery life, however usually, it requires closing all applications utilizing the 4070, attempting once more, then closing and reopening Armoury Crate to truly make the change. I’ve additionally observed that the G16 generally fails to wake correctly if set to hibernate whereas plugged in after which reawoken on battery. 

Talking of the battery, the one method to allow Battery Care mode, which caps the battery at 80 % cost to lengthen its life, is thru the MyAsus app, a completely separate management panel it’s a must to register for to make use of. Being prompted to enroll and make an account as a part of the Home windows 11 setup feels additional intrusive.

Asus succeeds in delivering a terrific machine for avid gamers who don’t need their laptops to dwell on their desk, in addition to content material creators. The colour-accurate, excessive refresh charge display screen appears unbelievable displaying any kind of content material, the audio system are nearly the most effective yow will discover on a Home windows laptop computer, and the port choice, particularly the full-sized SD card reader, is nice sufficient for photographers and video editors, although the shortage of an ethernet jack is conspicuous.

The worth stays the largest sticking level for both mannequin of the G16. I’ve seen the Intel model on sale for as little as $1,400, which undercuts inexpensive, chunkier opponents with comparable specs just like the Alienware m16 R2 or the Lenovo Legion Professional 5i and even Asus’ personal ProArt line aimed squarely at artists. A 16-inch ProArt P16 configured with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage however a 4K, 60Hz display screen and barely thicker chassis prices $2,300, whereas the comparably outfitted G16 has lately been on sale for $1,999. 

Not that $2,000 for a laptop computer with an RTX 4070 inside is an objectively whole lot when 4080-equipped units fall under that mark on sale. The Intel model of the G16 offers the most effective worth, particularly when it drops under $1,500. Greatest Purchase often lists open-box fashions for as little as $1,100, even cheaper than the smaller G14 with an RTX 4060. Whether or not the additional three hours of battery life is price as much as $900 extra is subjective and is dependent upon how often you journey, although most individuals shall be higher served by saving that cash and throwing a USB-C charger of their bag to maintain the G16 topped off.

In fact, this could be a moot level. It’s rumored that Nvidia will debut its newest 5000-series RTX graphics playing cards at CES 2025, and producers together with Asus will launch revamped laptops quickly after, though concrete particulars haven’t been confirmed but. If the RTX 5070 isn’t a considerable enchancment over the present technology and Asus launches a brand new model of the G16, preserve a watch out for deep reductions on the 2024 fashions. Each variations of the G16 are objectively good all-around laptops, however at worth parity, the AMD mannequin wins out.