By reading just a short snippet of this Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review, you will quickly learn that the ROG G14 is another marvellous innovation from Asus. Just like the majority of other products from Asus, the Zephyrus G14 screams excellence in terms of performance and uniqueness. But can it compete with the likes of the Razer Blade 15?
Falling under the ROG (Republic Of Gamers) lineup of gaming laptops, the performance of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is undeniable. Usually, laptops under the ROG series are blocky, heavy and with a gaming finish. However, there are splashes of class with the Zephyrus G14. It has a cool and stunning finish rather than the gritty gamer look we have grown to associate with ROG. This unique style separates the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 from competitive gaming laptops without compromise on what lies inside the unit.
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Screen Display
Sporting a 14-inch anti-glare IPS LCD WQHD display, the ROG Zephyrus G14 comes with 120Hz refresh rate support. Although the display supports WQHD resolution, this drops to FHD when the user enables the 120Hz refresh rate option. As a “Pantone Validated” display with 100% sRGB support, players can expect extremely high-quality graphics.
In addition to this, the display comprises minimal bezels with an 85% screen to body ratio. To the naked eye, this delivers a vibrant display with decent levels of brightness. All of this is with thanks to the fact that the display covers 117% of the sRGB colour gamut.
As with most gaming laptops, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 also supports Adaptive-Sync. This helps in reducing screen tearing, input latency and stuttering. Although the display on this device is considerably small compared to the standard 15.6” displays, it is still good for gaming as well as watching other content.
Unlike other competitive gaming laptops, the display of this device is not specifically designed for gaming. Therefore, while it can compete with gaming displays, the resolution can be up-scaled to support normal use too.
Keyboard & Security
For any gamer, your choice of keyboard is one of the most vital parts of your gaming laptop. Featuring a “Backlit Chiclet Keyboard” the ROG G14 keyboard is decent for both gaming and casual use. Asus claims that the device also features “Overstroke Technology” which helps to improve the user experience by providing faster response on input. The keyboard is also lifted to a specific angle which makes the user experience much better.
The keyboard does come with Hotkey support and the overall experience is up to the mark. Okay, so you cannot expect anything nearly as good as a professional gaming keyboard such as the Logitech G915 TKL, however, as far as gaming laptops go, you will not be too disheartened by the ROG G14 keyboard.
Talking about security, the ROG G14 comes with a fingerprint sensor to unlock the device. The power button acts as the fingerprint sensor which is very responsive and accurate too. There is nothing we hate more than a poorly designed fingerprint sensor. It’s good to see that Asus has not missed the mark with this one.
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Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Performance
Now for the real juice. How does the ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop perform?
As the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a gaming laptop, performance plays a key role and should be given more preference. There are multiple variants of this device and while the low-spec variant does lack several features, some of them you may sacrifice for a cheaper cost. For example, the entry-level ROG Zephyrus G14 does not come with one of the most important design features; the “AniMe Matrix”. But, if you can forego the design and preference performance, this might be a better option for you.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review specifically looks at the upgraded models which are supported by one of the more powerful processors from AMD which is the “AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS”. The processor is very good for gaming and goes head to head against the latest gaming processors from Intel. Regarding the clock speed, the processor has a base clock speed of 3.0 GHz and can be boosted to 4.3 GHz together with 8M of cache.
For the majority of games, this is more than enough power to deliver extremely smooth gameplay throughout.
When it comes to the graphics, the ROG G14 comes with a “6GB of GDDR6 Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060” along with a “Max-Q” design. The Max-Q design is a special technology from Nvidia which is designed specifically for thin and light gaming laptops to deliver more performance inside a smaller unit.
When playing for long periods of time, the Zephyrus ROG G14 performed well during benchmark testing. However, the fan reached maximum speeds trying to cool down which is a sign that the longevity of the laptop may not be as extended as one would hope. There is also a noticeable frame drop due to thermal throttling. But, when you leave the ROG G14 to cool down properly, the laptop performs as usual.
Overall, the performance of the device is excellent. However, you might face frame drops when playing for longer periods of time on high-intensive games.
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Sound & Audio
For anybody not using quality gaming headsets, the audio quality will become a huge factor for you. After all, game audio is one of the most underrated features of modern titles. Sporting quad speakers, of which two of them are powered with 2.5W, the ROG G14 is powered by Smart Amp technology and Dolby Atmos.
For customisation, users can also modify the “AniMe Matrix” effects to match music playback. This is a pretty cool feature for when you are pumping out your favourite beats while at work. As for sound quality, the speakers are actually quite impressive. With Dolby Atmos support, the speakers sound more refined and powerful.
In case if you feel like the audio isn’t loud enough, try to tweak the speakers from Dolby preset modes which will solve your issues. Personally, we prefer less bass.
Battery Life & Performance
Usually, most gaming laptops come with poor battery statistics as they are not designed to game without charge. However, as the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is being considered a portable gaming laptop, it should perform well.
On this note, despite the 4-cell Li-ion 76Whr battery, we were disappointed with the battery performance when gaming. Although when casually performing daily tasks the battery is extremely good, the moment you transform into a gamer, it suffers pretty badly.
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Under certain levels of brightness and basic surfing, the ROG G14 can last easily for 6 to 8 hours. However, when performing heavy tasks like gaming and photo editing, there is a significant drop in the battery percentage. Just like other gaming laptops, the laptop cannot be used for gaming without charging the device.
When it comes to the “AniMe Matrix” effects, these are automatically turned off when the device is not charging. This preserves the battery, however, you can enable the effects by modifying the settings should you wish to show off to your friends just a little.
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Asus Rog Zephyrus G14 Price & Value
Available from anywhere between $1,799 to $2,499 depending on the model you purchase the Asus ROG Zephyrus is a gaming laptop that gamers have been dreaming about. Offering plenty of power for a much more affordable price than other competitive gaming laptops, Asus has done really well here to focus on what is important to gamers.
As a solid mix of power and value, the Asus Zephyrus G14 arguably offers the best blend here. It’s a powerhouse that will handle most gaming demands (both now and in the near future) with ease. Yes, there are a few flaws such as a missing webcam and a shorter battery life when running intensely. However, for overall value, there is lots to be had here.
For this price, you would be hard-pressed to find a competitive laptop that is as portable and durable as the ROG G14. Yes, there are plenty of competitive gaming laptops on the market. But the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 comes with features like no other. From the AniMe Matrix to the smaller sized unit, as a portable gaming laptop, there is great value here.
Asus Rog Zephyrus G14 Review Verdict.
No gaming laptop is built perfectly and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 does come with few issues. That said, these issues are fairly minor which makes gives our Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review a respectable rating of 86%. As a solid all-rounder, the Zephyrus G14 has a comfortable form factor with powerful specifications. The device feels very premium and with a wide range of customizations and special software support, you will own complete control over the laptop.
The performance of ROG Zephyrus G14 is arguably one of the best under this segment and there are no issues with using the device as a daily driver. The battery life when gaming is questionable, however, for casual use 6 to 8 hours is usually more than enough. As for the “AniMe Matrix” effects, this might be a key selling point for this device. It is what makes this laptop unique. However, should you care more for the performance of your laptops visuals, you can always switch this functionality off to preserve battery life and RAM.
Although the device is portable, the ROG G14 gaming laptop does only come with a 14” screen display which is small to play games on compared to competitive rivals. There is also a missing webcam which is a basic thing we would have expected to see on this premium gaming laptop.
To conclude, despite some small flaws, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is still one of the best gaming laptops you can purchase this year. This is especially so if you cannot spend an absolute fortune. If you’re looking for a powerful device to handle high-end tasks like editing and other work-related tasks or for casual use, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a superb choice.
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