Review of Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: High Specs, Mixed Results

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 has emerged as a prominent choice in the thin gaming laptop market. Featuring a Core Ultra 9 185H and a GeForce RTX 4090, this high-end model boasts impressive specs. However, does its performance live up to the expectations?

Vapor Chamber Cooling: A Step Up?

Asus has equipped the most powerful ROG Zephyrus G16 models with vapor chamber cooling. This system replaces the conventional cooling unit found in RTX 4070 configurations, which uses three fans and heat pipes. The key question is whether this new cooling method significantly improves performance and emissions.

Our review unit, labeled GU605MY, costs $3,649. It comes with 32 GB of RAM and a 240 Hz OLED screen. This review focuses on the differences between the RTX 4070 and the high-end model’s performance and emissions.

Performance Comparison

The high-end ROG Zephyrus G16 configuration aims to deliver top-tier gaming performance. The Core Ultra 9 185H, combined with the RTX 4090, promises exceptional speed and graphics. However, the actual performance gains from the vapor chamber cooling compared to the conventional cooling in the RTX 4070 model are marginal.

Emissions and Cooling Efficiency

While the vapor chamber cooling system should theoretically provide better thermal management, our tests show that the improvement is not as significant as expected. The system manages to keep the laptop cooler under heavy loads but still struggles with high temperatures during extended gaming sessions. The emissions, in terms of noise and heat, remain a concern for a laptop in this price range.

Additional Features

The ROG Zephyrus G16 continues to impress with its OLED display, delivering vibrant colors and a smooth 240 Hz refresh rate. The build quality remains solid, and the laptop maintains a sleek, portable design.

Asus plans to release an updated model with AMD’s new Strix Point processors (Zen5), though these will only feature the RTX 4070 GPU. This upcoming update might offer a more balanced performance without the high-end price tag.

Conclusion

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, with its slim design and high-end specifications, shows promise. However, the potential of its vapor chamber cooling system remains unfulfilled. While it delivers powerful performance, the thermal management and emissions could use further refinement.