ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024): What worked (and what didn't)

Summary

The 2024 Asus Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop impresses with its sleek aluminum design, improved portability, and robust build quality. It features an AMD Ryzen 9 8945 HS CPU, integrated Radeon 780M graphics, and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. The laptop boasts a stunning 3K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and G-Sync support. Despite the fixed 16GB RAM and the lack of Thunderbolt in the USB-C port, the G14 offers a harmonious blend of gaming prowess and creative capabilities, making it a compelling choice for gamers and content creators alike.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Asus Zephyrus G14 is a compact gaming laptop with a sleek, portable design that prioritizes portability and sturdiness.
• 🌬️ Zephyrus is named after the Greek god of the West Wind, symbolizing a gentle yet powerful nature, similar to the laptop's performance.
• 📐 The laptop features an aluminum CNC unibody construction, which offers a significant upgrade in materials and durability from previous models.
• 🖱️ It has an edge-to-edge touchpad and a keyboard with increased key cap size, providing a comfortable typing experience with minimal resistance.
• 🔌 The G14 boasts a comprehensive set of I/O ports, including full-sized USB-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, a Micro SD card slot, and a proprietary charging port.
• 🖥️ Asus has partnered with Nvidia and Samsung to bring G-Sync and variable refresh rate technology to an OLED panel for the first time in a gaming laptop.
• 🔊 The laptop includes a new speaker system with two woofers, offering a significant upgrade in audio quality and volume compared to previous models.
• 💻 The G14 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945 HS CPU, integrated Radeon 780M graphics, and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, providing a harmonious balance of power and efficiency.
• 🔴 The laptop has a 3K OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, supporting Dolby Vision HDR and covering 100% of the DCI P3 color gamut for vivid visuals.
• 🔒 The webcam is positioned above the screen for Windows Hello face recognition, but the absence of a fingerprint reader in the power button is a minor drawback.
• 🔄 The G14's cooling system can become warm, especially when the laptop is used in a docked setup without Thunderbolt support for full power and charging capabilities.

Q & A

What is the inspiration behind the name 'Zephyrus' for Asus's gaming laptop?

The name 'Zephyrus' is inspired by the Greek god of the West Wind, which is considered a fairly gentle deity, contrasting with the aggressive meaning of 'Strix', another term mentioned in the script.

How has the design of the Asus Zephyrus G14 evolved compared to previous editions?

The new Asus Zephyrus G14 has a more toned-down and sleek design compared to previous editions, prioritizing portability with an aluminum CNC unibody construction, giving it a sturdier feel.

What are the key features of the Asus Zephyrus G14's keyboard?

The keyboard on the Asus Zephyrus G14 has increased key cap size by 12%, providing a nice and meaty feel with minimal resistance, and the function keys above the keyboard are squishier but serve their purpose when needed.

How does the Asus Zephyrus G14 handle I/O and connectivity?

The Asus Zephyrus G14 has a comprehensive I/O setup with almost every port and connection needed, including full-sized USB-A ports, a headphone jack, HDMI port, Micro SD card slot, and a proprietary charging port.

What changes were made to the Asus Zephyrus G14's display technology?

The Asus Zephyrus G14 now features an OLED panel with 3K resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate, supporting Dolby Vision for HDR viewing, 100% of the DCI P3 color gamut, and G-Sync technology.

How does the Asus Zephyrus G14's speaker system compare to previous models?

The new speaker system on the Asus Zephyrus G14 is a significant upgrade, featuring speaker units on the sides of the keyboard with two woofers, providing louder and richer sound compared to previous models.

What is the significance of the Asus Zephyrus G14 being one of the first to get NVIDIA's G-Sync on an OLED panel?

Achieving variable refresh rate (VRR) on an OLED display is challenging due to the pixel-by-pixel basis of OLED technology. Asus partnered with NVIDIA and Samsung to bring VRR to an OLED panel with custom firmware, enhancing the gaming experience without sacrificing OLED's color and vividness.

What are the performance capabilities of the Asus Zephyrus G14 when using the integrated Radeon 780m graphics?

The integrated Radeon 780m graphics on the Asus Zephyrus G14, when the dedicated GPU is turned off, provides performance similar to the ROG Ally, allowing for several hours of gaming and general work without needing to be plugged in.

How does the Asus Zephyrus G14 handle multitasking and video editing with 16 GB of RAM?

The 16 GB of RAM on the Asus Zephyrus G14 can be limiting for heavy multitasking and video editing, requiring users to close other programs and occasionally reboot the computer to maintain performance.

What are the cooling capabilities of the Asus Zephyrus G14, and how does it affect the user experience?

Despite Asus's efforts to include adequate cooling, the laptop can get warm, especially near the exhaust on the back. Users need to ensure the exhaust area is unobstructed for optimal cooling performance.

What is the main drawback of the Asus Zephyrus G14's USB-C port in terms of desktop connectivity?

The USB-C port on the Asus Zephyrus G14 lacks Thunderbolt support, meaning it cannot fully power and charge the laptop, requiring the use of the proprietary power adapter alongside the dock for a complete desktop setup.