CES 2024 is currently in full swing in Las Vegas, which means we're getting a highly anticipated cavalcade of new tech products. If you're a laptop geek (like me), you've probably been keeping an eye on Asus' new hardware, and the company has delivered as expected – with a selection of six new gaming laptops under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand.
The main event is of course the gigantic new Asus ROG Strix Scar 18: a monster machine with a huge 18-inch screen and a full keyboard. It is joined by its little brother, the ROG Strix Scar 16, which is still no slouch despite its smaller screen.
There are also a pair of more affordable Strix laptops, the ROG Strix G16 and G18, which will undoubtedly be solid contenders for the best gaming laptop crown – and won't share the high entry price for the Scar models, which start at a wallet-friendly price. . – a whopping £3,999.99 in the UK (regional pricing to follow; the Strix G laptops launch later this year).
However, I'm most intrigued by the slick redesign of the ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 that Asus showed off. With a sleek outer chassis highlighted only by a diagonal stripe of LED lighting, these two thin and light gaming laptops look more like something a professional would use, but without sacrificing the power under the hood. That's the kind of gaming system I wouldn't be ashamed to bring to the office, but more on that later.
ROG Strix Scar 16 and 18: bigger is better
Looking at the main laptops first, both new Strix Scar models will feature an Intel Core 14900HX CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card, marking them as the absolute top tier of portables (and I use that word somewhat generously, considering the size of these laptops) gaming hardware. Up to 64 GB of DDR5 RAM and a triple-fan cooling system keep these components free from limitations.
The display is of particular importance here; an 18- or 16-inch mini LED panel with 2.5K resolution and an ultra-responsive 240Hz refresh rate, Pantone validated for superior color accuracy and an impressive 1100 nits peak brightness.
An interesting new feature here is the interchangeable 'armor covers' on the back of the laptop, which can be adjusted as desired to better showcase the RGB lighting along the back of the laptop. And thankfully, Asus has joined the masses in implementing universal USB-C charging. Personally, I won't say a sad goodbye to the billion different types of proprietary laptop chargers.
The ROG Strix G laptops will be slightly less powerful (and slightly less pricey), topped off by an RTX 4080 GPU with 32GB of RAM. That's still a lot of laptop; We don't yet know what the more budget versions will look like in terms of specifications.
The Strix G16 and G18 still feature the same triple-fan cooling system and Thunderbolt 4 support as the more powerful Scar models (though the latter has pretty much become a mandatory addition on gaming laptops at this point), and while the displays aren't quite Being of high quality in terms of brightness or color accuracy, they still feature the same 2.5K resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, with a fast 3ms response time – perfect for esports titles such as Valorant.
All four Strix laptops will feature Wi-Fi 6E, Dolby Atmos audio, and 90Wh batteries with fast charging support, a boon for anyone who likes to game on the go. The G-series systems don't have the nifty interchangeable armor covers, but at least they still have customizable RGB lighting.
ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 – power, professionalism
Let me get one thing clear first: I've loved the ROG Zephyrus G14 since its debut in 2020, so I'd obviously be excited to see a new model. However, this streamlined redesign is even better than I hoped.
Weighing just 1.5kg and 1.59cm thick, the 2024 model of Asus' premium gaming ultrabook looks fantastic. This aesthetic is as clean as it gets; a pristine aluminum outer shell in white or gray, with a stainless steel slash across the lid that glows softly with customizable LED lighting. Visually at least, this is what compact gaming laptops should aspire to.
The screen doesn't disappoint either: a beautiful 3K OLED panel with both Pantone and VESA DisplayHDR certifications that make it a viable option for professional work like video editing or digital art, as well as gaming. The Zephyrus G14 also gets a six-speaker upgrade, which Asus claims is a whopping 252% louder than the previous model at maximum volume.
Asus has stuck to its previous rule of using AMD processors for the Zephyrus G14, with the new model packing the latest Ryzen 8000 processors – which feature Ryzen AI. Likewise, the G16 model will use Intel's new Core Ultra CPUs, which utilize Intel's dedicated on-chip neural processing unit (NPU) to accelerate AI workloads.
However, both the 14- and 16-inch Zephyrus models will use Nvidia GPUs, with the G14 topping out at the RTX 4070, while the G16 can be configured up to a powerful RTX 4090. Both come with 32GB of DDR5 and, like the new Strix laptops, feature improved batteries with fast charging.
Curiously, the Zephyrus G16 has a slightly lower screen resolution than its smaller sibling – 2.5K instead of 3K – but it comes with double the refresh rate to balance things out. Finally, both laptops have “stealth hinge technology,” which… okay, I'm not entirely sure what that is. Asus wasn't open about it in the press release, but I was assuming it's a new hinge design that allows the laptop to be made even thinner than before. Care to give us some more information, Asus?
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