Pros:
– Slim but strong chassis that is easy to carry
– Premium design
– Gorgeous OLED display
– Solid battery life for a gaming laptop
– Exceptional port selection
– Impressive sounding speakers
Cons:
– Slightly more expensive that it needs to be
– Integrated webcam could have been better
– RTX 4070 has been undercut
Price: Rs 2,49,999 for the tested variant
Rating: 4.5/5
Asus cracked the code for making solid gaming laptops quite some time ago. Off late though, they are on a completely different level. One of their most recent offerings, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is no different.
Here we have a laptop that performs incredibly well for what it costs, has a great display, comes with a pretty solid battery life, and more importantly, doesn’t make its users look like a gaming lunatic with over the top aggressive styling or RGB lights flaring out of every nook and cranny.
What’s more is that the Zephyrus G16, despite being a gaming laptop, does not sacrifice of the little things that most premium gaming laptops do. For example, it has a pretty solid keyboard and its sizeable trackpad is actually good, one that I actually loved using in day-to-day tasks.
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 in the configuration that we tested, i.e. with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, coupled with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, is a beast when it comes to productivity and gaming. But how does it fare as a regular laptop? What is it like, living with a gaming beast of this stature, day in and day out?
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Design & build quality
When it comes to gaming laptops, the Asus Zephyrus G16 manages to break away from the pack in the best way possible. It’s easily one of the most stylish machines I’ve tested, with a design that stands out but never feels over-the-top. There’s something about its clean lines that gives you the sense it’s both understated and powerful at the same time.
This laptop redefines what a gaming machine can look like. It’s slim and lightweight, weighing just over 1.8 kgs and measuring only 1.49 cm in thickness – a far cry from the heavy-duty gaming laptops of the past. This makes it a fantastic choice for gamers who need to travel with their gear. The sleek light strip across the lid gives it a modern edge without being too flashy. Whether you’re working or gaming, this design fits seamlessly into both environments.
The Platinum White version of the G16 exudes sophistication, but if you prefer something a little more subtle, the Eclipse Gray model is a great option, although at the time of writing this review, it isn’t available in India.
What really sets this laptop apart is how it balances performance with style. It doesn’t scream “gamer” but it still has enough personality to stand out in a crowd. At a meeting, it might catch a few eyes, but it’s not the kind of laptop that demands attention.
Both colour options come with a Slash Lighting LED array on the back, adding a dash of flair to the overall look. There’s a soft white light underneath that you can customise to fit your style. Plus, it doubles up as a notification light when the lid is closed, making it super handy.
The hinge on the Zephyrus G16 is another highlight. It’s smooth, sturdy, and so easy to open with one hand. Even when nudged, the screen stays firmly in place, avoiding any wobbling that can be a nuisance on other laptops.
When it comes to ports, this slim machine packs a punch. On the left side, you get an ASUS Slim Power Jack, a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port, a Type-C USB 4 port with DisplayPort and Power Delivery support, a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
On the right, there’s another USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with the same DisplayPort and Power Delivery support, another USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a full-sized SD card reader. No matter what your business is, hardcore gaming or content creation, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 won’t let you complaint about the lack of ports.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Display
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 that we tested boasted a stunning 16-inch ROG Nebula OLED display that takes your visual experience to the next level. With a sharp 2.5K resolution (2560 x 1600) and a 16:10 aspect ratio, it offers plenty of screen space for both gaming and work tasks.
What makes it even more impressive is its 240Hz refresh rate and a super-fast 0.2ms response time, ensuring smooth gameplay even in fast-paced action sequences. We also get G-Sync which reduces screen tearing and stuttering, making the gaming experience feel incredibly fluid.
Do note that Asus is offering the Zephyrus G16 in a number of display options, including an ISP one. A word of advise from us would be don’t bother with anything else, and just get the OLED option. If you’re going to splurge this much on a gaming laptop, you might as well pay the premium and get something that
While the technical specs are impressive, it is Zephyrus G16’s colour reproduction that truly steal the show. It covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which offers rich and vibrant colours that are perfect for everything from gaming, colour grading photos and videos, and watching content.
Plus, the display can achieve a peak brightness of 500 nits, which makes it pretty bright enough for use in well-lit environments.
You also get support for Dolby Vision which further enhances the vibrancy of colours, especially on streaming platforms that are compatible, making your movies and games pop in a way that’s hard to ignore. On top of that, the panel is Pantone validated, which ensures colour accuracy, which is ideal for content creators and professionals who need precise colour reproduction.
Whether you’re playing visually stunning games like Far Cry 6, Black Myth: Wukong, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, the visuals are immersive and engaging. Plus watching films like Top Gun: Maverick and Oppenheimer is at a whole new different level of bliss. The contrast is deep, and the colours are punchy, all of which deliver an experience that feels like you’re right in the action.
The 16:10 aspect ratio also adds valuable vertical space, perfect for tasks like working on large spreadsheets or reading long documents. I absolutely enjoyed colour-grading photos and annotating PDFs on the laptop during my testing. Plus, with the Armoury Crate app’s GameVisual tab, you can calibrate the colours to your exact preferences, making it an ideal choice for video editors and photographers who need precise control over their display settings.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Keyboard and trackpad
The keyboard on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is not only visually appealing but also impressively practical. It’s designed with a spacious layout, including a generous number pad and large arrow keys, making it easy to navigate. While the keyboard is full-sized, it’s worth noting that the number pad is absent. There are also a few special function keys that might take a moment to get used to, but once familiar, they can significantly speed up your workflow. I was excited to try the Zephyrus G16’s keyboard, especially given how neat and well-organised it looks. The keys offer a satisfying springy feel, which is always a nice touch.
When it comes to typing, the keyboard doesn’t disappoint. It’s comfortable, especially for those who spend a lot of time typing. For me, this is a big plus. The chiclet-style keys deliver a nice click when pressed, providing a tactile feel without being too noisy. Despite having a good amount of key travel, I found the keyboard easy to use and didn’t experience any slowdowns while typing, which is a sign of good design.
As for the trackpad, it’s a joy to use. It’s responsive, accurate, and has excellent palm rejection, making it perfect for those who need precise control. The trackpad is also quite large, giving you plenty of room to move your fingers around. Even though it’s made of plastic, it feels nearly as smooth and premium as glass, which speaks volumes about its quality. Whether you’re navigating or performing multitouch gestures, the trackpad ensures a smooth experience every time.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Webcam and audio
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 comes equipped with a 1080p webcam neatly tucked away in the slim bezel at the top. The quality is decent, making it more than adequate for work calls and video chats. Additionally, the webcam is paired with IR sensors, enabling Windows Hello face unlock. In my experience, it worked around 8 out of 10 times, which is pretty reliable.
When it comes to audio, the G16 features a robust 4-speaker system, which includes dual force woofers and two tweeters. Thanks to Smart Amplifier Technology, the audio performance is impressive. While I wouldn’t say it rivals the MacBook Pro 14-inch in sound quality, it certainly comes close.
Even at maximum volume, there’s no distortion or creaking, and the sound remains well-balanced. Whether you’re watching movies, listening to music, or editing videos, the speakers provide a solid audio experience without the need for external headphones.
On top of that, the laptop is equipped with AI noise-canceling technology and Dolby Atmos support, enhancing the overall sound experience, especially for those using headphones. It also boasts Hi-Res certification for headphone use, ensuring top-quality audio for audiophiles. To round it off, the G16 comes with a built-in 3-microphone array, improving voice clarity during calls and ensuring your voice is heard loud and clear.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Performance and AI Features
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is an absolute beast when it comes to performance, packed. Powering the laptop is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, a 12-core chip (4x Zen 5 and 8x Zen 5c) with 24 threads. Running at a base speed of 2.0GHz and capable of hitting 5.1GHz, it’s designed to handle anything you throw at it. Furthermore, we get AMD’s XDNA NPU that delivers up to 50 TOPS, making this laptop great for AI-powered tasks.
The G16 also comes with a solid 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM running at 7500 MT/s in Dual Channel, However, it’s worth mentioning that the RAM is soldered in, so it’s not something you can upgrade later on. However, 32GB is more than enough for most people.
The Zephyrus G16 also comes with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, packing 8GB of GDDR6 memory. While the GPU is capped at 105W (a bit lower than the 140W max some RTX 4070 chips can reach), it still performs exceptionally well. I think Asus could have been a little bit more aggressive with the GPU, but then, it would have entered into the ROG Strix territory and ended cannibalising its sales.
Still, you might not get the absolute peak performance of some bigger, bulkier gaming rigs, but the G16 strikes a perfect balance between power and efficiency, ensuring the system stays slim and manages heat.
AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip comes with a 28W TDP, similar to the HS series in previous AMD gaming processors. This helps the Zephyrus G16 maintain a slim profile while keeping the temperature in check, meaning the laptop won’t overheat even when you’re pushing it to its limits. Plus, it features a Radeon 890M integrated GPU, which kicks in when you’re doing less demanding tasks, helping save power and extend battery life.
In terms of gaming, the G16 performs impressively, but there’s a slight caveat: the GPU’s 105W cap does limit its top-end performance. However, the system still delivers great results, even with the reduced power limit. If you use features like upscaling or frame generation in supported games, you can boost performance significantly. While it might not top the charts in terms of GPU power, it’s certainly more than enough for most gamers.
Even in synthetic benchmarks, the G16 holds its own. Considering its slim design, the laptop does an excellent job at handling demanding tasks without throttling or overheating. In real-world use, the laptop’s performance continues to impress. We ran 36 Chrome tabs simultaneously, and the G16 handled it without breaking a sweat. It also cruised through editing a slightly edited 4K video clip in Premiere Pro.
One of the standout features of the G16 is its AI capabilities. Thanks to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, the laptop is designed to take advantage of the XDNA 2 NPU, a dedicated AI processing unit. While AI-powered laptops are still a relatively new concept, the G16 benefits from several AI features that make it stand out from the competition.
We also get the Asus Armoury Crate app which is a neat way to manage the G16’s performance and overall experience. Through this app, you can adjust the laptop’s settings for performance, monitor system components, tweak RGB lighting, and optimise the display for different tasks.
The app also features a game aggregation section that lets you easily access your favourite games, and it allows you to set up performance profiles for various activities, whether that’s gaming, editing, or working. For system updates and diagnostics, the MyAsus app ensures your system stays up-to-date and running smoothly.
As for thermals, under very heavy workloads, the laptop does experience some marginal heating but not to a level that would be disconcerting in anyway.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Battery life
The Zephyrus G16 is part of a growing trend of gaming laptops that defy expectations when it comes to battery life, largely thanks to AMD’s powerful CPUs. With its 4-cell 90WHr battery, the Zephyrus G16 lasts just shy of 10 hours on the Laptop Mag battery test, which is impressive for a gaming machine.
A key factor in this stellar battery life is the MUX switch, which allows the G16 to seamlessly switch between the RTX 4070 and the integrated graphics from the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. This clever feature helps conserve energy when the high-end graphics aren’t needed, contributing to the overall efficiency.
While it may not quite reach the 18+ hours that some MacBooks or Qualcomm-powered devices promise, the G16 comes remarkably close, offering fantastic battery performance for a Windows laptop. It’s more than enough to get you through a long workday or a gaming session without scrambling for the charger.
When it comes to charging, the G16 comes with a compact 200W charger, which is efficient and easy to carry around. Alternatively, you can charge the laptop via USB PD, with support for up to 100W charging, making it versatile for different power sources.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Review: Verdict
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, is a standout choice for both gamers and creators. What’s really impressive is how the processor combines speed with efficiency, effortlessly handling gaming and multitasking without draining the battery or slowing down.
Asus has really hit the mark with this one, and has created a laptop that’s not just about raw power, but about how easy and enjoyable it is to actually use day-to-day, and how good it looks.
For creators, the G16 offers just the right balance of performance and hardware, making it a solid choice for anyone looking for a reliable machine without overpaying for features they won’t use. While there are cheaper options out there for gamers, the G16 stands head and shoulders over them.
With the RTX 4070, the G16 delivers impressive performance for its price. On top of that, the laptop is beautifully designed, with premium build quality and a stunning 2.5K OLED display that makes everything from editing to gaming look amazing. The AMD processor is the real star here, offering both speed and efficiency, and giving us a glimpse into the future of AMD’s chips in 2025. If you’re looking for a laptop that looks as good as it performs and has the power to back it up, the G16 is definitely worth considering.
