The new Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 ditches Nvidia and Intel and opts for a full AMD build. With a Ryzen 6900HS CPU and Radeon RX 6700S / 6800S GPU buzzing underneath a whole host of design and feature changes. The 16: 9 screen ratio is also available, with a larger 2560 x 1600 QHD + display, and along with a handful of ergonomic shifts and an all-white aesthetic. Starting at $ 1,649.99, the new G14 holds its mid-to-high-end position, delivering excellent performance under the hood. However, compressing such a powerful range of AMD components into a 14-inch form factor isn’t without thermal drawbacks.
We put the latest Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 under the microscope to see where the perpetually popular rig stands in today’s range of best gaming laptops.
Drawing
Shipped in Moonlight White or Eclipse Gray (our unit is the first), the G14’s greatest design features are here to stay. You’re still getting the perforated lid panel, with an LED light show flowing around the back of your rig, that raised hinge for keyboard elevation and better airflow, and the squat form factor that many have. learned to know and love. The square shape is even more pronounced with the transition to a 16:10 aspect ratio here, giving the entire deck a little more depth and allowing for a larger glass trackpad along the bottom of the main deck.
This time around, everything but the black bezels around the display is coated in white, with a crisp, clean look that very few machines can offer. This has managed to reduce the “gamer” aesthetic considerably – in an office setting this could be any other laptop if you turn off the LEDs running along the back.
This optional light array comes with high-end configurations by default, but can be added to cheaper builds. I’ve never been a huge fan of this extra design feature – I can’t see it while in use, it’s distracting to anyone sitting across from me if I’ve left it on and adds considerable cost and weight to the G14 without serve a very purpose. However, if you are a fan you will be happy to know that Asus has improved the sharpness of these LEDs, making movement smoother on the panel.
Overall, this is a sturdy laptop. I would have no problem taking the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 on the road, as its build quality feels solid and everything from the hinge to the rounded corners is designed to avoid long-term wear. Opening and closing the G14 is smooth, with an ergolift hinge that lifts the top of the main deck slightly for improved ergonomic elevation and improved airflow around the rear vents.
While not as thin or light as the super thin Alienware x14, the G14’s overall form factor feels like a good compromise between portability and power under the hood, something the x14 makes sacrifices on.
Features
The Asus ROG Zephyrus comes with the choice of an AMD Radeon RX 6700S or 6800S graphics card, but only comes with the AMD Ryzen 6900HS processor. You’ll find 1TB of SSD storage under the hood of all configurations, with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM. Switching to a full set of AMD specs may not be for everyone, as we’ll see in the performance section below, Nvidia’s ditching of GPUs has its drawbacks. However, that’s not the only big change to this spec list.
Asus has stretched the 16: 9 display of its previous models to offer a taller 16:10 panel. I personally prefer a larger screen by far, especially when gaming, and I often feel that 16: 9 is too cramped in a 13.3-inch or 14-inch device. It’s a common complaint against gaming laptops with these small footprints, so the move to 2560 x 1600 is particularly welcome. I much prefer to use this display for both work and play, compared to other 14-inch devices.
The G14 also makes good use of that extra space, with a sharp QHD + panel that beautifully represents colors and keeps up with fast movements. Whether you’re moving through the snowy landscapes of Red Dead Redemption 2 or scrolling through web pages, everything feels crisp and snappy thanks to the high pixel density and 120Hz refresh rate. That said, the darker colors weren’t. represented so well, fading slightly to gray.
You’re getting a set of four speakers here with impressive range erupting from every grille. I was amazed at the power that just came out of the box here, but was blown away when I started tinkering with the Dolby Atmos settings. Everything sounded punchy, held its balance as the volume increased, and while the bass ranges could sometimes hit rock bottom, they offered a detailed soundscape between games and TV.
The keyboard is a bit stiffer than the previous model, but each key still feels comfortably and I found the tactile response much more satisfying. However, the bang slapped under this deck (with barely room to breathe) is a massive glass trackpad. This has been a real plus for me: as I continue to fight my battle against tiny, unresponsive plastic trackpads, the extra sweeping and tapping space here has been immeasurably rewarding.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a new 720p webcam just above the display and a MicroSD card reader that replaces the lock slot on previous models. However, removing this security feature might annoy some.
Performance
Points of reference
Shot of Fire: 21.728
Weather light: 8,644
PC Mark 10: 6.706
Counter: (Multi) – 11,789
Crystal Disc Brand: 3479.8 MB / s read; 3,316.94 MB / s writing
Division 2: High 1080p – 100 fps; 1080p Ultra – 78 fps; QHD + High – 73 fps; QHD + Ultra – 51 fps
Metro Exodus: 1080p high – 82 fps; Extreme 1080p – 36 fps; QHD + High – 57 fps; QHD + Extreme – 25 fps
Red Dead Redemption 2: Balanced 1080p – 81 fps; Higher 1080p – 73 fps; Balanced QHD + – 62 fps; Higher QHD + – 48 fps
Total War: Three Kingdoms: 1080p high – 94.5 fps; 1080p Ultra – 65.7 fps; QHD + High – 51 fps; QHD + Ultra – 36.2 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider: 1080p high – 108fps; 1080p Maximum – 100 fps; QHD + High – 82 fps; QHD + Maximum – 66 fps
It’s safe to say that the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor absolutely sings in the G14. Everything is extremely snappy here, starting and closing in a split second, whizzing between challenging tasks without breaking a sweat, and even keeping a nerve during stress rendering and modeling tests. While not as powerful as the i7-12700H that ships in the similarly priced Alienware x14, or the Ryzen 9 5900HX you’ll find in 2021 Razer Blade 14 models hovering around this price, it worked admirably considering the thermal pressure. exercised on it (more on that later).
Despite offering an impressive QHD + display, however, the G14 feels built for 1080p. The AMD Radeon RX 6800S could not keep up with its impressive 1080p values when pushed to the maximum of 2560 x 1600 in our tests, scoring particularly low in demanding titles like Metro Exodus and Total War: Three Kingdoms . Still, this is a snappy little GPU in its own right, scoring an excellent average score of 21,728 in multiple Fire Strike tests and beating the RTX 3080 Ti sitting in our Razer Blade 15 in a number of areas.
Of course, this GPU isn’t configured for ray-tracing like those other models, which means you’ll sacrifice quite a bit of that performance for more elaborate visuals overall, which was disappointing considering the entry price here.
Then we come to the thermometer. Despite all the vapor chambers and liquid metal added to the new G14, this thing still runs particularly hot. Even lighter games caused the keyboard to heat up under the fingertips, and demanding titles began to stutter as temperatures soared. This is certainly not a car you will want to sit on your lap.
Should you buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14?
The 2022 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 benefits and suffers from its AMD reinvention. It’s a solidly powerful machine, with a gorgeous display on the top and some noticeable quality-of-life improvements running through the spec sheet and design. In the world of 14-inch gaming laptops, it’s easily one of the best on the market. You get a more powerful spec than that of the Alienware x14 by sacrificing some portability to do so and by spending far less than the premium Razer Blade 14 while still getting better price-performance ratio.
However, if you can wriggle out of that 14-inch form factor, you’ll find that the 15.6-inch Alienware M15 R7 offers more power for a similar price, even if you’re giving up the hope of portability entirely.
How we tested the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
I used the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 for daily work and play over the course of ten days and used it directly alongside the Alienware M15 R7. During my daily gameplay, I was running Shadow of the Tomb Raider, SOMA and Planet Coaster, while also running stress tests using Red Dead Redemption 2, Metro Exodus, Total War: Three Kingdoms and The Division 2.
We are also rounding all of the best Alienware gaming laptops and the best Razer laptops if you are looking for more inspiration.
