The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 defies the typical stereotype of bulky, garish gaming laptops. This sleek, premium machine combines an OLED Nebula display, a powerful Intel Core processor, a GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU, and a stylish aluminum body to deliver an exceptional gaming experience.
But is this powerhouse the right fit for you? Let’s find out in this review.
Design and Build
The ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 boasts a sleek and minimalist design, reminiscent of the MacBook Pro with its curved corners and flat sides. It does not look like a gaming laptop at all. With its stealthy and modern aesthetic, I reckon it would fit in an office environment as well.
Compared to its predecessor, this model is noticeably thinner and lighter, measuring 13.94 x 9.69 x 0.65 inches and weighing only 1.95 kg (4.30 lbs). The laptop’s exterior is made from aluminum, which further adds to its durability and premium construction.
The lid features the Slash Lighting array, a customizable streak of LEDs that pulse to music and notifications. While this feature is attractive to some, I have turned it off to attract less attention.
The Zephyrus G16’s sturdy build quality also means there are no noticeable creaks or flexing. The device feels solid and well-made, as expected of a device at this price range.
The keyboard has a standard layout with ample key spacing. The keycaps are 12% larger than those on the 2023 model. They are easier to hit, resulting in a more comfortable typing experience.
Above the keyboard is an additional row of media control keys which offer some customization options. The power button is made of glass, located separately from the main keyboard to prevent accidental presses.
There is no dedicated numpad, however, but I do consider this a boon for a 15-inch laptop. The extra space is taken over by top-facing speakers on each side.
I found the typing experience to be quite excellent, thanks to the long 1.7mm travel distance and soft touch. They provide a very satisfying feedback.
The keyboard has backlighting via a 1-zone RGB, adjustable through the Armoury Crate. It is uniform, bright, and pleasing. Beneath the keyboard lies a spacious touchpad that has a smooth and responsive glass-like surface.
The Zephyrus G16 has a quad-speaker setup — one on each side of the keyboard and two woofers underneath. The speakers have unbelievably good audio quality. Probably the best I’ve heard from any laptop. And the volume can get loud too without any distortion.
A 1080p FHD web camera sits at the top of the display. There’s no fingerprint scanner, but it does have an IR camera for Windows Hello authentication.
Display
The Zephyrus G16 features a 15-inch Nebula Display with a glossy OLED panel. This screen is surrounded by thin bezels and boasts a 2.5K resolution with an ultra-smooth 240Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 500 nits, and a 0.2ms response time.
Moreover, it has a Pantone Validated certification with a high Delta E < 1 color accuracy, which means the laptop is also suitable for creative professionals and content creators who need color accuracy.
The display has 100% DCI-P3 coverage and Dolby Vision HDR. It is also compatible with NVIDIA G-Sync technology and includes a software MUX Switch for NVIDIA Advanced Optimus.
The Zephyrus G16’s display is gorgeous, to say the least, with vivid colors and deep blacks. And at 15 inches, it looks great, be it for movies or gaming.
I/O Ports
No need for dongles and adapters for this laptop. It has a good selection of ports. On the left side, we have the rectangular ASUS Slim Power Jack, an HDMI 2.1, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with Thunderbolt 4 (which supports DisplayPort 2.1, Power Delivery 3.0, and G-Sync), a USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, and a combo audio jack.
While on the right side, there is an SD card reader, another USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 that supports DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0.
The SD card reader is a great addition, which further adds to the laptop’s credibility as a machine for creatives and content creation.
Performance
Our review unit has a top configuration of an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor with an Intel AI Boost NPU, a 32GB LPDDR5X RAM, and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD. For graphics, it has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU with 12GB GDDR6 RAM.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is part of the Meteor Lake series boasting 16 cores (8 E-cores and 6 P-cores), 22 threads, and high clock speeds of up to 5.1GHz.
In gaming, the laptop delivered exceptional performance. For games, I ran Valorant, Hogwarts Legacy, and Diablo IV. For productivity, I used it mostly for documents and writing; including Word and Chrome, YouTube and Netflix streaming; and Adobe Photoshop for photo editing.
During testing, I did not experience any noticeable frame drops or stutters. However, for the best performance, I suggest setting the graphics to medium.
I did notice the laptop became hot to the touch (even in Turbo Mode), especially in the keyboard area somewhere around the numbers 5 to 8 and the letters T to I keys. The heat in the Philippines didn’t help much either. With that, I don’t recommend placing the laptop on your lap when gaming.
As for the fan noise, Turbo Mode does get loud but I did not find it too distracting or bothersome. You can set it to Silent Mode at the expense of some performance drop-off.
Benchmark scores
- PCMark 10: 7,821
- Cinebench R23: 17,733 (multi-core); 1,852 (single core)
- 3DMark Night Raid: 51,314
Graphics score: 114,065
CPU score: 12,463 - 3DMark Time Spy: 12,755
Graphics score: 13,552
CPU score: 9,569 - 3DMark Nomad: 3,005
Graphics test: 30.05 fps - 3DMark Fire Strike: 26,633
Graphics score: 32,742
Physics score: 27,729
Combined score: 10,833 - Geekbench 6: 2,487 (single-core); 14,469 (multi-core)
- Geekbench 6 OpenCL: 145,724
- Geekbench 6 Vulkan: 134,424
- Geekbench 6 ARC GPU OpenCL: 13,262
- Geekbench 6 ARC GPU Vulkan: 9,453
Battery
The Zephyrus G16 has a 90WHr 4-cell Li-ion battery. It also comes with a 200W AC adapter and a compact 100W USB-C adapter.
For productivity work, I got around 5 to 6 hours of use, which mostly included Word documents, the Chrome browser, and Adobe Photoshop on moderately high brightness and refresh rate.
You can push this further by adjusting the settings, such as lowering the brightness, adjusting the refresh rate to 60Hz, and setting power mode to “Best power efficiency,” among others.
Final Remarks
I did enjoy my time with the ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GU605. The gaming laptop offers a robust build, powerful performance, and modern design that appeals to both gamers and professionals alike.
When it comes to gaming, you can rely on the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and RTX 4080 GPU to deliver. Moreover, the OLED display and speaker quality are huge pluses, punching way above their class for a complete audio and visual experience.
However, it’s not the perfect device. While the laptop offers a relatively slim and lightweight design, it may still be considered bulky for certain users. Additionally, it also gets hot during demanding gaming sessions.
Ultimately, the ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GU605 remains a great option for those with the budget for a premier gaming laptop with a premium aesthetic. While it may not surpass the raw power of more specialized gaming machines like the ROG Strix SCAR 16 G634J, it offers a good balance of performance, portability, and design.
Price
The ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GU605 is priced at Php 249,995 for the Core Ultra 9/RTX 4080 12GB model and Php 179,995 for the Core i7 Ultra/RTX 4070 8GB model. It is available in Platinum White and Eclipse Gray colors.
The laptop is bundled with a free ROG Impact gaming mouse and a gorgeous Zephyrus G16 sleeve. For the list of stores on where to get one, go here.
ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GU605 specs
| Display | 15-inch WQXGA ROG Nebula Display, OLED, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz Refresh Rate, 0.2ms Response Time, G-Sync, Pantone Validated, MUX Switch + NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, Dolby Vision |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Intel AI Boost NPU |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU 12GB GDDR6 |
| RAM/Storage | 32GB LPDDR5X RAM 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD |
| Front Camera | 1080P FHD IR Camera for Windows Hello |
| I/O Ports | Left: 1x ASUS Slim Power Jack 1x HDMI 2.1 1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C w/ DisplayPort, PD, G-SYNC 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack Right: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C w/ DisplayPort, PD 1x SD card reader |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Others | Backlit Chiclet Keyboard 1-Zone RGB, Touchpad, Dolby Atmos 4-speaker system, SmartAmp Technology, hi-res certification, 3-microphone array, Aura Sync, TPM |
| OS/Software | Windows 11 Home Office Home and Student Armoury Crate |
| Battery | 90Wh Li-ion 240W AC Adapter ASUS Slim Power Jack 100W AC Adapter Type-C |
| Dimensions | 13.94 x 9.69 x 0.59 ~ 0.69 inches 1.95 Kg / 4.30 lbs |
