Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 Review

In Greek mythology, Zephyrus, the god of the West winds, is known as the gentlest of the four winds, heralding the renewing breath of spring and life. This name also graces a laptop line by Asus, aimed at users seeking a balance between work and gaming. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024, a new entrant in this line, boasts a premium design, a high-resolution OLED screen, and outstanding performance. This gaming laptop poses a formidable threat to MacBooks. So, what makes this laptop stand out? We invite you to experience this ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 review with us!

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 stands out as an ideal laptop that expertly combines robust performance with sleek design. This versatile machine excels in providing an optimal balance for both gaming and professional tasks, making it a top contender in its category.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 Review

Design

If this design seems familiar, it’s because it closely resembles Apple’s MacBook. With its unibody aluminum build, rounded corners, and upscale look, it bears aesthetic similarities to Apple’s laptop series.

It replaces the predecessor’s matrix LED screen with a diagonal white LED strip and a ROG logo on the right corner for better brand visibility. One notable feature is the customizable LED strip. You can configure it as a notification light or turn it off completely if you prefer a more discreet appearance.

Personally, I prefer the matrix LED screen. Not only does it enhance product recognition, but it is also more visually striking.

It features a 16″ OLED display with slim side bezels and a thicker top bezel for the camera. However, the overall look is still very luxurious and high-end. Not inferior to other competitors in the same segment. Discussing the camera, Asus has added AI features to track and remove backgrounds for accurate subject highlight.

Asus innovatively integrates a heatsink slot atop the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024, cleverly hidden under the hinge for cooling. Additionally, air intake vents on the underside further enhance heat dissipation efficiency. In the middle are the words Zephyrus with delicately designed status notification LEDs.

Asus designed the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 hinge for optimal balance between durability and usability. This feature allows users to open the device with one hand. However, the hinge can only be opened up to 135 degrees. Any further would obstruct the heatsink, negatively affecting heat dissipation.

The device measures 35.4 x 24.6 x 1.49 cm and weighs 1.85kg, light for a 16-inch gaming laptop. Or if compared to the Macbook Pro 16 M3 Pro 36GB – 512GB, it is only 300g heavier.

Despite its slim profile, it comes fully equipped with ports including USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio, and a power port on the left edge. Meanwhile, the right side is where USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, one USB-A, and an SD card reader are located. However, it is quite unfortunate that a gaming laptop lacks a LAN port.

Display

The ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 features a stunning 2.5K 240Hz OLED screen, a testament to the ASUS and Samsung collaboration. This screen, with its G-Sync support, offers exceptional color contrast, deep blacks, and superior details and sharpness due to its OLED display. Consequently, it excels in providing top-notch performance for gaming, work, or entertainment.

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024’s screen offers an SDR brightness of 500 nits, adequate for use indoors or in shaded areas. When compared to competitors like the MacBook, which flaunts a brightness of 1,600 nits in HDR mode, the Zephyrus’s specs may seem modest. However, considering my usual usage does not involve exposure to intense light, I personally find the 500-nit brightness more than satisfactory.

Keyboard and touchpad

Despite its 16-inch size, the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 is not equipped with a numeric keypad and a few other function keys, because the keycap size is much larger than some other gaming series. At the same time, the speaker strip placed on both sides of the keyboard takes up part of the area of ​​the numeric keypad. As a gamer, I don’t find the numeric keypad crucial, whether I’m gaming or working.

Regarding typing feeling, this keyboard feels very good to type with just enough key travel, low noise, and the distance between the keys is not too large. In short, you can completely use this keyboard to type comfortably.

Regarding the Touchpad, it seems to understand user needs, so Asus has equipped a large touchpad with a ratio of 16:10 so that users can use it comfortably in case they don’t have or forget to bring a mouse. The large size of the trackpad ensures a comfortable user experience, with accurate tracking of mouse movements and minimal delay.

ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 review test

Our ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 review unit comes powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H chipset and the formidable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, ensuring exceptional performance for both gaming and work-related tasks. Additionally, it features the Intel AI Boost NPU, designed to hasten machine learning algorithms, making tasks that utilize AI run smoother and faster compared to devices without an NPU. From my experience, the inclusion of the NPU significantly enhances performance.

Additionally, the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 comes with 32GB LPDDR5X 7467MHz RAM, enhancing its multitasking capabilities. As expected of a high-end laptop, it also possesses a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 storage for ample memory space. With such specifications, it can confidently tackle anything from AAA games to multimedia processing. To substantiate this claim, I’ll carry out various performance tests in turbo mode, which will allow the device to operate at its maximum capacity.

Cinebench R24

With Cinebench R23, Core Ultra 9 185H reached 17,015 multi-core points and 1,795 single-core points, maximum power reached 95.17W, and CPU temperature now reached 99ºC, but the laptop was still quite cool, not radiating too much heat on the key surface. Obviously, with this score, ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 easily provides smooth experiences even when working or playing games.

Geekbench 6

With the Geekbench 6 test, ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 scored 2,301 single-core points, and 13,915 multi-core points and OpenCL scored 113,699 points. Compared to the i9-13900HX with 2,796 single-core points, 18,035 multi-core points, and 163,116 OpenCL points on the ROG Strix Scar 16 2024, the Core Ultra 9 185H chipset is not too inferior when compared to a pure gaming laptop.

3DMark

Next is the familiar 3DMark test, this test will simulate gaming tasks thereby providing a configuration evaluation score. With the Time Spy Extreme test, the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 scored 5,546 points and the software evaluated it well. Simultaneously, the graphics performance hit 5,527 points, while the CPU scored 5,660 points. Simulating Battlefield V at 1440p with Ultra settings, the device consistently delivered over 110 frames per second (FPS).

Crystal Disk Mark

Overall, the statistical data underscore the exceptional performance of Asus’s laptop, designed for both gaming and office use. However, when analyzing its read and write speeds, a discrepancy emerges, suggesting these speeds do not fully reflect the laptop’s true potential.

ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 gaming test

CS:GO 2

Playing CS:GO 2, known as the pinnacle of FPS games, with graphics settings maximized, the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 delivered a smooth performance, averaging 178 FPS. Despite the CPU temperature reaching 89ºC, the total GPU power consumption remained relatively low at 81.8W, especially considering the performance capabilities of the RTX 4070. This efficient power usage can be attributed to the laptop’s slim design; the company has intentionally limited the GPU’s TDP (Thermal Design Power) to prevent overheating.

In summary, the gaming experience on this device is consistently smooth from beginning to end, with impeccable image quality throughout.

Horizon Forbidden West

I tested the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 on Horizon Forbidden West, a recent, acclaimed yet underrated AAA game. Below, I share the optimal configuration settings I discovered for this game on the laptop.

With the settings on the ROG Zephyrus G16 2024, the frame rate per second is 84, the CPU temperature is about 90ºC, and the GPU power consumption is 80.9W. Movement and attack operations are smooth, FPS is stable throughout the gameplay without lag or drop. Regarding temperature, the device is not too hot and causes discomfort when playing.

Final line

The ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 combines a strong gaming performance with an office-friendly design. It’s ideal for those seeking a laptop capable of handling demanding games while maintaining a professional appearance, avoiding the flashy aesthetic typical of gaming devices. With its compact, thin, and lightweight build, the Zephyrus G16 2024 enhances portability, making it perfect for use in cafes, at work, or in meetings. Moreover, its elegant, high-quality design is a hallmark of Asus laptops.

The high-end, slim, and lightweight design comes with a compromise: a slight reduction in performance to maximize heat dissipation efficiency. Despite this, the configuration remains sufficiently powerful to handle both basic and advanced work and entertainment needs.

Price and availability

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. Prices begin at $2,399.99 for the model with an Intel Core i9-11900H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card.