Gaming laptops must be all-in-one packages that provide a good effort throughout the board with none drawbacks (relative to the worth vary), and the Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) was so near providing that. however fell brief. Right here’s what occurred.
For $1,999, you get the Asus ROG Strix G16’s springy keyboard, dazzling audio system and highly effective efficiency — all catered by a long-lasting battery. Nevertheless, all of it comes crashing down once you see that poor 16-inch show tormented by mediocrity. It doesn’t assist that this laptop computer can be hella thick (not thicc).
I wouldn’t name it one of many finest gaming laptops, however for those who’re somebody already utilizing an exterior show, then the Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) is a superb selection.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) value and configurations
Asus ROG Strix G16 specs
Worth: $1,999
CPU: Intel Core i9-13980HX
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB SSD
Show: 16-inch, 1200p, 165Hz
Battery: 8:49
Dimension: 13.9 x 10.4 x 0.9~1.2 inches
Weight: 5.5 kilos
I reviewed the $1,999 model of the Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J), which comes with an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 16-inch, 1200p, 165Hz show.
The cheaper mannequin runs for $1,599 and drops you to an RTX 4050 GPU, however upgrades the show to 1600p, 240Hz. In the event you’ve acquired an additional $200 mendacity round, you may choose up the $2,199 model, which’ll elevate our mannequin’s reminiscence to 32GB and internet you that aforementioned 1600p, 240Hz show.
If that is greater than you want, take a look at our finest low-cost gaming laptops web page.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) design
Asus delivers a few of my favourite designs for gaming laptops. They’re not all the time as colourful as I’d like, however they’re hardly ever plain and normally have one thing trendy up their proverbial sleeves. The Asus ROG Strix G16 is available in with the metal black lid, presenting a darker ROG insignia and classy etchings of the written-out brand diagonally throughout. That design connects over to the hinge, the place the brand is spelt out as soon as once more. Within the entrance there’s a beaming mild bar, engaging me to open the lid.
Popping open the hood reveals the flat metal inside, persevering with the ROG etching motif. There’s loads of room on the deck, however surprisingly little or no bezels on the show, other than the lip for the webcam. Above the keyboard are devoted media keys and the ability button.
I used to be stunned to learn how chunky this machine is, coming in at 5.5 kilos and 13.9 x 10.4 x 0.9~1.2 inches. In contrast with the MSI Katana 15 (2023) (5 kilos, 14.1 x 10.2 x 1 inches), Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 (2022) (4.3 kilos, 14 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches), and Lenovo Legion 7i (Gen 6, Intel) (5.5 kilos, 14.2 x 10.2 x 0.8~0.9 inches), the G16 remains to be the thickest.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) ports
There are greater than sufficient ports to go round on the Asus ROG Strix G16.
Look to the left and also you’ll discover the ability jack, an Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.1 port, one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB Kind-C port and an audio jack. On the precise, you’ll discover two USB Kind-A ports.
In the event you want extra ports, take a look at our finest laptop computer docking stations and finest USB Kind-C hubs pages.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) show
The Asus ROG Strix G16’s 16-inch, 1920 x 1200p, 165Hz show could be stunning if it was on a machine half of its present value.
Within the trailer for Renfield, the titular character dragged throughout some meals for Dracula in a dimly lit area, and it was powerful to see all the corners within the room. Regardless of having a matte show, the Strix’s panel caught sufficient glare from my window that it was more durable to see. When Renfield was strolling again to his residence, the one colourful factor that stood out was the purple and pink Swiffer Moist Jet, whereas the lettuce was a boring inexperienced.
It was actually tough to play by way of Murderer’s Creed Valhalla on a dim display. The distinction is wonky, so once you enter right into a darker area, all the corners are extremely darkish. The grassy hills throughout the nation aspect had been listless and my torch’s flame appeared muted in distinction to the encompassing shadows. The 165Hz is sweet to fiddle with on decrease settings — I used to be faster to catch on to enemy assaults and actions.
In response to our colorimeter, the Asus ROG Strix G16 lined 75.9% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which is dismal in contrast with the premium gaming laptop computer common (88.4%). To be truthful, the Katana 15 (46.1%), Zephyrus G15 (79.9%), and Legion 7i (80.2%) did not make the common both, however the Strix G16 nonetheless discovered itself additional down their ranks.
At 279 nits of brightness, it is powerful to vouch for the Asus ROG Strix G16 when the class common is a whopping 384 nits. The Katana 15 tanked once more (248 nits), however at the very least the Zephyrus G15 (307 nits) had a good effort whereas the Legion 7i crushed it with 488 nits.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) keyboard and touchpad
My fingers bounced throughout the Asus ROG Strix G16’s keyboard like I used to be Tremendous Mario in search of hidden blocks. They’re comfy and springy.
I nailed 81 phrases per minute on the 10fastfingers.com typing check, which beat out my typical 78 word-per-minute common. The keys are pronounced, well-spaced, and supply nice resistance when typing.
The Asus ROG Strix G16 does include a per-key RGB-lit keyboard, which you’ll configure in its entirety by way of the Armory Crate app.
The 5.1 x 3.4-inch touchpad isn’t the softest, however not sticky both. It does produce a deep but smooth click on, as properly, which is satisfying.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) audio
I used to be impressed by the Asus ROG Strix G16’s pair of bottom-firing audio system for music, however gaming may use some work.
I listened to Honey Revenge’s “Airhead,” and the refrain popped off with crisp, clear vocals and thick electrical guitar. The percussion was a bit muted, however the image got here off clearer than the remaining. Extra importantly, the devices had been distinct and didn’t get misplaced in one another’s sounds.
Throughout Murderer’s Creed Valhalla, the dialogue was loud, however often matched the degrees of different background sounds, forcing me to pay attention that rather more rigorously. The hacks and slashes sounded a bit hole, and background noises had been current within the foreground of the audio. In the meantime, my footsteps and the general aural presence of my character felt distant.
The Strix G16 comes with Dolby Entry, which nets you nice audio settings for Sport, Film, Music, and Voice. It additionally incorporates a Dynamic setting, which brings up the amount solely. I most well-liked Sport for gaming and Dynamic for music.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) gaming, graphics and VR
Tucked throughout the bowels of the Asus ROG Strix G16 lies the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card with 8GB of VRAM. I ran throughout the rolling hills in Murderer’s Creed Valhalla, seeking to plant my axes into some jamoke’s throat at a easy 104 frames per second on Extremely, 1080p settings.
On the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (1080p, Highest, DX12), the Strix G16 hit 116 fps, which simply falls wanting the common premium gaming laptop computer (122 fps). Nevertheless, it confirmed up the Katana 15’s RTX 4070 (113 fps), the Zephyrus G15’s RTX 3070 Ti (82 fps), and the Legion 7i’s RTX 3070 (105 fps).
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Strix G16 | Katana 15 | Zephyrus G15 | Legion 7i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPS | 116 | 113 | 82 | 105 |
The Strix G16 averaged 98 fps on the Far Cry 6 benchmark (Extremely, 1080p), which crippled the class common (89 fps) in addition to the Katana 15 (94 fps), Zephyrus G15 (68 fps), and Legion 7i (78 fps).
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Strix G16 | Katana 15 | Zephyrus G15 | Legion 7i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPS | 98 | 94 | 68 | 78 |
On the Borderlands 3 benchmark (Badass, 1080p), the Strix G16 scored 100 fps, falling wanting the common premium gaming laptop computer (110 fps). It nonetheless crushed the Katana 15 (99 fps), Zephyrus G15 (68 fps), and Legion 7i (89 fps).
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Strix G16 | Katana 15 | Zephyrus G15 | Legion 7i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPS | 100 | 99 | 68 | 89 |
The Strix G16 ran by way of the Crimson Lifeless Redemption 2 benchmark, (Medium, 1080p) and managed 72 fps, which once more doesn’t meet the 81-fps class common, however it matched the Katana 15 and beat the Zephyrus (55 fps). Regardless of that, the Legion 7i crawled its approach as much as 77 fps.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Strix G16 | Katana 15 | Zephyrus G15 | Legion 7i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPS | 72 | 72 | 55 | 77 |
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) efficiency
Backing up that large GPU is the monstrous Intel Core i9-13980HX processor with 16GB of RAM. It melted away 40 Google Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube movies with out breaking a sweat.
On the Geekbench 5.5 total efficiency check, the Strix G16 scored 18,227, blowing previous the common premium gaming laptop computer (9,661). It even wasted the Katana 15’s Intel Core i7-13620H processor (11,581), the Zephyrus G15’s AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU (10,017), and the Legion 7i’s Intel Core i7-11800H CPU (9,250).
The Asus ROG Strix G16 transcoded a 4K video to 1080p in simply 5 minutes and 5 seconds on our HandBrake benchmark. Now, that doesn’t beat the common (4:40), however it did full it sooner than the Zephyrus G15 (6:07) and Legion 7i (5:44). Nevertheless, the Katana 15 managed 4 minutes and 35 seconds.
Asus’ 1TB SSD has a switch price of 1,238 megabytes per second, which isn’t too removed from the class common (1,480 MBps). It surpassed the 1TB SSDs within the Katana 15 (783 MBps) and Zephyrus G15 (1,170 MBps), however total the Legion 7i was the quickest (1,806 MBps).
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) battery life
Asus has been championing lengthy battery life for gaming laptops for some time now, and that has not modified with the Asus ROG Strix G16. On our Laptop computer Magazine Battery Take a look at, the Strix lasted 8 hours and 49 minutes, virtually matching the Zephyrus G15 (8:48) all whereas crushing the Katana 15 (2:48), the Legion 7i (5:02), and the common premium gaming laptop computer (5:44).
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) webcam
Asus’ 720p webcam is blurry and washed out, however at the very least it exists (referencing earlier Asus laptops with no webcams).
The check shot of my face erases half of my facial hair — come on, I would like all I can get! The ceiling above me is sort of solely washed out because of the poor distinction and daylight. Nevertheless, the Gurren Lagann poster behind me was appropriately coloured. Once I play D&D, I wish to look good, so do your self a favor and choose up one of many finest webcams — make your self look as fairly as you ought to be.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) warmth
The Asus ROG Strix G16 will get a bit heat whereas gaming. After gaming for quarter-hour, the underside hit 109 levels Fahrenheit, which is above our 95-degree consolation threshold. The middle of the keyboard and touchpad reached 94 and 78 levels, respectively. The laptop computer was hottest on the underside, close to the hinge, clocking in at 119 levels.
It’s significantly cooler whereas not gaming. After streaming a 15-minute video, the underside climbed as much as 88 levels, the keyboard hit 83 levels, and the touchpad measured 77 levels.
Asus ROG Strix G16 (G614J) software program and guarantee
A very powerful software program within the Asus ROG Strix G16 is the Armory Crate, which provides you entry to CPU, GPU, and fan settings. That is additionally the place you’ll management the keyboard lighting and numerous show and macro settings. In the meantime, the MyASUS app is the place you’ll discover the guarantee and system diagnostic info.
Naturally, you’ll discover some Home windows 11 bloatware, like WhatsApp and Spotify.
The ROG Strix G16 comes with a one-year restricted guarantee. See how Asus carried out on our Tech Assist Showdown and Greatest and Worst Manufacturers rating.
Backside line
The Asus ROG Strix G16 is a superb gaming laptop computer — so long as you’re not trying on the show. It’s not a horrible panel, however it doesn’t need to be in a $2,000 laptop computer. Sure, the efficiency is nice, the battery is lengthy, and the keyboard is cozy, however I would like fairly in my life.
In the event you care extra in regards to the show, take a look at the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15, which affords a extra aggressive show for the same value.
Nevertheless, you’d be dropping out on some sick efficiency beneficial properties from the Asus ROG Strix G16. In the event you’re somebody who doesn’t trouble an excessive amount of along with your show, then this gaming laptop computer may be for you.
