Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Small, thin, and impossibly mighty

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The 2024 ROG Zephyrus G14 shows off proportions and a weight profile surprisingly close to an ultrabook – upgrades I would expect to see alongside a corresponding drop in performance. But no! That might have been the case if it had last year’s chipset, but the G14 now packs a class above, an AI-infused Ryzen 9 CPU and an ultra powerful RTX 40 Series GPU. Hence then, the reason why it shows such defiance. Yes, it’s tiny, but wow this laptop packs a punch.

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Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: Specifications

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a premium laptop and has a premium set of specifications to match. It equips an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU with an RTX 4060 GPU and 16GB of RAM. A TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD provides quick access to stored files.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
• RAM: 16GB DDR5 / 6400MHz
• Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4060
• Display: 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate, 100 % PCI-P3 color gamut, 0.2ms response time, G-Sync
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080P IR Windows Hello compatible
• Connectivity: 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB-C 4, HDMI 2.1 FRL, 3.5 mm combo audio jack, microSD card reader. 
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Battery capacity: 73WHrs
• Dimensions: 12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63 inches
• Weight: 3.31 lbs (1.5kg)
• Cost: $1,599.99 (base price)

A model featuring the above specs costs $1,599.99, or else a top-of-the-line model with RTX 4070 GPU costs $2,199.99. Asus’ US website was out of stock of all 2024 models at the time of writing this review, but the laptops were in-stock at several other retailers.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: Design and build

Measuring just 12.24 x 0.66 x 0.63 inches, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is an exceptionally sleek and compact laptop that brings new meaning to the word portable. I scarcely see gaming laptops as thin as ultrabooks, but that’s essentially what Asus has achieved here.

The other half of the portability equation is its weight, which tips the scales at just 3.31 pounds. That makes it a cinch to hold and carry. In fact, I can pick it up with just my index finger and my thumb for leverage, which is saying a lot for my skinny fingers.

Asus has an example of the precision machining process on its website. After reading that I could better imagine how the components were fitted around the laptop’s new 2nd Gen Arc Flow fans which Asus says provide an 11 percent increase to airflow.

All that precision machining has made the G14 impeccably tough, too. Asus has used a premium CNC-milled aluminum alloy throughout, so the laptop feels built to withstand any kind of punishment. Gamers don’t hold back, hence why the lid is virtually inflexible, and the base is every ounce as immovable as I’d expect a larger gaming laptop’s to be.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Dominic Bayley / IDG</p></div>

Style and flair? Yes, this laptop has plenty of that too. My review unit was the Eclipse Grey colored variety, but this year you can also buy the laptop in a new Moonlight White color. The grey is a likeable charcoal hue that’s darker in the trackpad and keys to the surrounding metal base, which makes them easier to see.

Other aesthetic touches include a mix of the modest and flashy: Indeed, I could barely see the ROG logos on the laptop’s lower bezel and upper portion of the lid but couldn’t for the life of me miss the programmable flashing light strip, which Asus has dubbed ‘the Slash Lighting Array.’ It’s just for show, of course, but it’s a nice touch that hints at the G14’s AI capabilities.

Asus ROG Zephyrus 14: Keyboard and trackpad

Asus has made great use of a tight space to squeeze in a large keyboard. The keys have a stone slate-like look, but surprisingly they feel anything but stony to hit; they feel soft and a little mushy. They are spot-on size-wise, though, bearing quite large keycaps – Asus says they are 12.24 percent larger than last year’s model. A generous 1.7mm of horizontal travel means it’s even harder to register a miss hit.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

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