ASUS' Panther Lake ROG Zephyrus G14/G16 laptops set to debut with flagship prices over $5,000

ASUS UK has revealed pricing for its updated family of ROG Zephyrus G14/G16 laptops with Intel's latest Panther Lake CPUs, as reported by Notebookcheck. If you were looking to get your hands on one of these laptops, be ready to pay a hefty price. ASUS UK has ballooned the price tag of the base G16 model by almost 30% as compared to last year. This is largely because the new base model now sports an RTX 5070, pushing the entry point into a higher price bracket.

It is important to note that these prices reflect the market in the United Kingdom, which is subject to VAT (Value Added Tax). That said, our comparison is within the same market, so we're likely to see a similar upward trend in the global market as well. The USD pricing provided in this article is estimated by removing the UK's standard VAT from the list price.

The floor for ASUS' 2026 lineup has shifted significantly. The most affordable G14 (GU405AP-SY004W) now starts at £2,899 (~$3,195), packed with an RTX 5070 and the Core Ultra 9 386H. If you want the larger G16 (GU606AP-TB003W) with the same specs, that entry point climbs to £3,199 (~$3,525). For context, last year's G16 with the RTX 5060 is now available for as low as £2,099 ($2,320). Whether you compare it to the base MSRP (a 30% hike) or to current retail prices (a massive 60% jump), there is a clear upward trend in pricing for these newer models.

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At the top of the stack, the Zephyrus G16 2026 (GU606AX-TB002W) decked out with an RTX 5090 and 64GB of memory, commands a staggering £4,899.99 (~$5,405). Even at current prices, that's more than a fully-built RTX 5090-equipped desktop setup would cost. In addition, this is 25% more expensive than last year's flagship G16, which is currently on sale.

This price hike is largely attributable to the ongoing DRAM crisis, which affects both the GPU and RAM sides of the story. Adding to the mix, Panther Lake production is still ramping up, with many laptops in the initial launch phase, like HP's OmniBook and Dell's XPS 14 lineup, breaching the $2,000 territory. If thin-and-light premium laptops without a dedicated GPU are that expensive, it's no wonder ASUS's flagship gaming rigs are scaling the $5,000 mark.

As it stands, users are better off purchasing last year's models if battery life and efficiency are not a priority. Panther Lake's architectural innovations are impressive, but they translate into only minimal performance gains over Arrow Lake in the real world. Even newer AMD options cannot compete with the aggressive clearance sales on older models. If maximum battery life isn't your primary concern, last year's hardware is simply too good a bargain to pass up.