ASUS’ ROG Zephyrus G14 was one of our favorites damn near half a decade. But the 2024 model is on another level. That’s because even without the next generation of GPUs from NVIDIA, ASUS went and redesigned the whole thing anyway. The result is a gorgeous aluminum unibody laptop with a more mature design that doesn’t need to throw RGB lighting in your face to attract attention. This edition is sleeker and lighter while also delivering powerful performance. While ASUS has made a number of compromises over its predecessor with a starting price of $1,600, the new ROG Zephyrus G14 is not only better value than almost all of its 14-inch rivals, but simply one of the best for the pound. -around gaming laptops for the pound.
Photo: Sam Rutherford/Engadget
For anyone looking for powerful performance in a portable design, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is the best value for both pounds and dollars.
- Beautiful design
- Awesome OLED screen
- Strong performance
- Good port selection
- Punchy speakers
- The lower vents may be slightly toasted
- The keyboard has only one zone lighting
- The Armory Crate app is kind of a mess
- RAM is soldered
Design
Compared to previous models that were bathed in RGB or had dot-matrix displays on their lids, this year’s G14 is an exercise in restraint. It’s almost like the line has moved out of its awkward teenage phase and into a stylish yet still fun-loving adult. The lid is highlighted by a simple diagonal cutout with white (not RGB) LEDs placed in the middle. At the same time, inside there is a large touch panel and a solid deck with surprisingly powerful speakers.
One thing I miss is per-key RGB lighting instead of ASUS’s single-zone approach. After all, this is a gaming laptop, and if you’re going to offer more than one color, it would be nice to have full customization.
However, the G14’s redesign isn’t just about style, it’s also about functionality. The switch to a unibody aluminum frame strengthened the entire machine. There is no sign of bending, even in the usually weaker parts, such as the cage between the buttons. But more importantly, ASUS has reduced the notebook’s weight to just 3.3 pounds, which is noticeably lighter than competing notebooks with similar metal constructions. (£3.95). Plus, even with its smaller size, the G14 has a healthy selection of ports, including a full-size HDMI 2.1 slot, two USB-C (one of which supports Thunderbolt 4), two USB-A, and a microSD card reader.
Screen
Another brilliant component of the G14 is its OLED display. In addition to producing vivid colors, it has a sharp 2880 x 1800 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and a color gamut that covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. I’ve been watching lately The Three Body Problem and I love the excellent contrast and deep blacks of the OLED panel. Additionally, the G14 is a very capable photo and video editing machine, as ASUS includes several color-calibrated settings for sRGB, D65 P3, DCI-P3 (but not Adobe RGB).
One small issue is that since 2,880 x 1,800 is a somewhat unusual resolution, you won’t be able to play all of your games at native resolution, which is an issue I’ve had while playing. Return.
Performance
The big change for the 2024 ROG G14 is that the GPU options top out with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 instead of the 4080 as in the previous model. This may be a bummer for some, but since I prefer laptops that are easier to carry around, I’m okay with the slightly premium trade-off for improved portability. With an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS chip at least 16GB of RAM (or 32GB as in my review unit) and 1TB of storage, you won’t be lacking in speed.
In Geekbench 6, the G14 matched the performance we saw from the larger XPS 16 with its Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip. It reached 90 frames per second in games Cyberpunk 2077 on ultra settings, it is shy of the more expensive Razer Blade 14 (101 fps). That said, there are some important details you should know. Unlike previous models, the latest G14’s memory is soldered to the motherboard, so there’s no way to add more RAM later. Additionally, while both ASUS and Razer’s 14-inch systems appear to have the same RTX 4070 GPU, the G14s are limited to 90 watts versus 140 watts for the Blade, which explains the small gap in gaming performance.
It should also be noted that heat can be a problem in certain situations. In normal use, this is not a big deal, as the fans rarely need to spin when browsing the web or watching movies. But under load, the G14’s vents can get red hot on the bottom of the notebook. Thankfully, this won’t be a big issue if you’re gaming, as you’ll likely want to be at a desk or table to plug in an external mouse anyway.
Battery life
While the G14 doesn’t last as long as a traditional ultrabook, it still carries enough juice to last almost an entire work day. In PCMark 10’s Modern Office test, it lasted 7 hours and 29 minutes, which is slightly better than the Razer Blade 14’s time of 6:46. And new for 2024, ASUS added its own Slim Power Jack, which if you squint looks like a USB-C port (but isn’t). However, if you want to travel really light, the G14 supports charging via USB-C, so you can leave the adapter at home. One caveat is that the USB-PD is rated at 100 watts (vs. 180 watts when using the included brick), so it can still drain the battery while gaming or performing other intensive tasks.
Collection
Although we already loved its predecessors, the 2024 ROG Zephyrus G14 managed to make another big leap. It features a sleekly designed chassis, along with a vibrant new display and boom speakers – all while shedding nearly half a pound. Inside, you still get up to an RTX 4070 GPU. Sure, it’s a touch slower than the similarly equipped Blade 14, but considering our review unit cost $2,700 compared to $2,700 for the closest equivalent-spec Razer, I’m happy to trade a little performance for a more affordable machine. And that’s just before factoring in the starting price For one with an RTX 4060. My biggest gripe is that ASUS’s Amoury Crate app still feels clunky, with settings that are hard to find or shortcuts that don’t work as you’d expect. But make no mistake, the G14 is a great laptop for gamers and content creators alike who want good performance in a portable package. So while I appreciate what the Blade 14 and other high-end laptops can do, ASUS’ latest creation is what I’d buy.
