Among the array of Asus CES 2024 announcements, all-new ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 models turned our heads with fresh designs and the latest components.
We had the chance to go hands-on with these gaming beauties prior to their public unveiling, as you can see in the video above. An eye-catching lid and a combination of AMD Ryzen 8000 and Intel Core Ultra processors power these laptops, paired with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs. There's more going on inside and out, so read on for more details.
An All-New Look for a Portable Gaming Favorite
The ROG Zephyrus G line has been a hit, particularly the hyper-portable Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which we’ve reviewed quite favorably before. These new looks are slick— both thinner and lighter than ever. The aluminum chassis feels pleasant in hand, and the diagonal LED on the lid is an evolution of the matrix-of-LED-dots lid we’ve seen on these laptops before. You can customize the lighting strip with different colors and in an array of patterns.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Starting with the G14, it measures just 0.62 inch thick and weighs 3.3 pounds, an appealing mobile form factor. That’s not a tremendous difference in thinness and weight, but notable given that the device was already quite portable. Even with the trim-down, the laptop’s keycaps and touchpad are larger than before, and are comfortable for typing and working on the road. If I was using this touchpad to play simpler games away from my desk, I’d appreciate the extra room.
The G14 will use the next generation of AMD’s processors, the recently announced Ryzen 8000 series, up to the Ryzen 9 8945HS. You'll find no new Nvidia GPUs at CES this year, so the RTX 40-series GPUs are still the latest and most powerful.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)In the G14’s case, GPU options include the RTX 4050 and RTX 4060, and will top out at the RTX 4070. Limiting this machine here, rather than offering an RTX 4080 or RTX 4090, makes sense for the size. The system can push up to 90-watt (W) TGP with dynamic boost. A liquid-metal thermal solution combines with a tri-fan design to keep this compact body running cool.
It’s not just the design and components that are built to impress—the display is a head-turner too. The G14 will use the ROG Nebula Display, which runs up to a 3K OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync support.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Asus has also improved the laptop’s sound, with six louder speakers and a larger woofer. It uses a 180W power connector for charging, rather than USB-C charging, but still includes USB-C, mini SD card, USB-A, and HDMI connections.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)A Bigger Zephyrus G Experience, With Intel Inside
As for the G16, much of the same core ideas apply, but with some key differences. They share the redesigned style, and this machine is narrowly thinner and nearly half a pound lighter than its predecessor. The Nebula display is similar—though it tops out at a 2.5K OLED panel—and adds a vapor chamber to the cooling solution.
Where the two differ most is the components. This machine will use Intel’s Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” processors, up to the Core Ultra 9 185H. That’s somewhat of a surprise: Even though this is a thinner machine, you’d maybe expect this type of laptop to go for Intel’s recently announced 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh chips.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)But, since the Core Ultra line also scales up to a “9” tier, and has its own high-performance H series, we’re excited to see its gaming chops. Intel's Core Ultra has the benefit, of course, of the built-in neural processing unit (NPU) for AI-related tasks, giving this laptop a leg up in a wider range of automated workloads.
The main G16 models will stick to the RTX 4050, 4060, and 4070, keeping to the core idea that these are capable, but also portable, performers. However, Asus noted there will be additional versions of the G16 with the RTX 4080s and RTX 4090s made available.
Both laptops provide a choice of one-zone RGB backlighting or all-white lighting for the keyboard, as well as a 1080p IR webcam. While both of these laptops will be released sometime in the first quarter of 2024, Asus has not yet released pricing information. Keep it locked to PCMag for deeper review coverage of these feathery gaming rigs.