ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (Strix Point APU + RTX 4070 Laptop GPU) Gaming Laptop Review

TweakTown's Rating: 90%

The Bottom Line

ASUS offers a premium, feature-packed, ultra-slim gaming laptop with its ROG Zephyrus G16. 1600p 240Hz OLED goodness on-the-go thanks to the AMD Strix Point APU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.

Pros

• AMD Strix Point APU and RTX 4070 Laptop GPU
• 16-inch ASUS ROG Nebula OLED display
• 1600p resolution + 240Hz refresh rate
• 32GB RAM + 1TB Gen4 SSD
• ROG aesthetic and ultra-slim

Cons

• RTX 4070 Laptop GPU = 105W only
• Gets hot, real hot

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon for $1430 USD

Buy at Amazon for £2366.22

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

ASUS sent over its ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop (2024 model) for me to look at a few weeks ago, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU, 32GB of RAM, NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, and an utterly gorgeous 16-inch 2.5K 240Hz OLED display.

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The first impressions right out of the box for me were fantastic, with a premium look, feel, and style, a beautiful 16-inch 2.5K 240Hz OLED display, an actually awesome keyboard, and it's thin enough for me to take everywhere with me. If you want a ton of power, but don't want to overdo it, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop could be for you.

Note: I'm reviewing this during and after CES 2025, where ASUS has unveiled its new 2025 fleet of gaming laptops, offering new CPUs and NVIDIA's next-gen GeForce RTX 50 Laptop GPUs. It was my workstation system for the 100+ news stories I wrote for TweakTown over CES 2025, with the keyboard holding up to my crazy-fast typing skills. I'm digging the blend of the Strix Point APU + RTX 4070 Laptop GPU + 16-inch 2.5K 240Hz OLED mix inside of a sleek ultra-thin chassis. There's plenty of connectivity here with HDMI 2.1 output, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C and Type-A ports, Thunderbolt 4, an SD card reader, and more.

I used the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop as my main workstation and gaming PC for a few weeks for the purposes of this review, replacing my desktop PC configured with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32GB RAM + RTX 4070 SUPER, for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU + 32GB RAM + RTX 4070 Laptop GPU inside of the Zephyrus G16.

My gaming addiction is Overwatch 2, which I put 15-20 hours into a week, playing it on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop and its 16-inch OLED display at 1600p and 240Hz was nothing but a joy. It's a downgrade from a 27-inch or 32-inch monitor that you'd have on your desk, but the portability of a laptop is what this is all about, and that 16-inch ASUS ROG Nebula OLED display is luscious.

The 12-core, 24-thread Strix Point APU has plenty of grunt without requiring too much power, and even has an integrated RDNA 3.5-based Radeon 890M GPU that's pretty good for casual and even 1080p 60FPS gaming. But, there's an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU inside of this gaming laptop, and when mixed with the Strix Point APU it packs quite a potent punch for an ultra-thin laptop.

ASUS has the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop available now, for an MSRP of $2099.

Best Deals: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 Gaming Laptop

	Today	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$1430 USD	$1449 USD	$1479.99 USD	Buy
	$1430 USD	$1449 USD	$1479.99 USD	Buy
	£2366.22	£2396.33	£2508.96	Buy
	$1430 USD	$1449 USD	$1479.99 USD	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 3/26/2025 at 10:41 am CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.

Overview

ASUS Design + Build

The chassis of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop is painstakingly CNC-machined to minize excess volume while maintaining rigidity, built from aluminum alloy 6063. ASUS uses precision tools just 0.7mm in diameter, channels for the keyboard, touchpad and speakers are milled to ultra-tight tolerances for a premium and robust chassis, with components that are stretching from edge to edge.

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After an 8-step process, the sandblasted, polished, and anodized G16 chassis stands ready to support the high-end hardware inside.

Design Story: ASUS makes its ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop in Platinum White and Eclipse Gray, with a precision CNC-machined from aluminum alloy, this high-strength material accepts complex shapes and also looks absolutely gorgeous.

Slash Lighting Array: The new ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop features an all-new lighting design known as the Slash Lighting array, which is an awesomely styled bold streak across the lid of the laptop. Slash Lighting is an evolution of the elegance and individuality that makes Zephyrus so unique.

Features + I/O

On the left of the ROG Zephyrus G15, we've got the ASUS Slim Power Jack, HDMI 2.1 output, USB Type-C support for DisplayPort 2.1 + Power Delivery 3.0, a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

On the right, we've got an SD card reader (SD 7.0 support) with a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port and, finally, a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port with support for DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0.

Power

The AUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop has always been defined by its portability, with the 2024 model being no different. We have an insanely thin-and-light design that weighs in at just 1.85kg, with some models getting down to just 1.49cm thick.

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We've got a 90Wh battery that supports fast-charging from 0-50% in just 30 minutes, as well as support for Wi-Fi 7 wireless networking... making the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop a mobile force to be reckoned with.

Keyboard + Trackpad + Audio

ASUS has a Premium Glass Power Key on the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop that actually does feel premium when you slide your finger across it and press it to turn the laptop on.

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Keyboard: The trackpad and keyboard are some of the most used parts of any laptop, with ASUS sparing no expense with the design of the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop. Even though it's just a 16-inch laptop, we have an impressive 16:10 aspect ratio, matching the proportions of the screen itself. ASUS is also using 12.24% larger key caps,

ASUS has also increased the keycap size by 12% for smoother typing, as well as extra rigidity from the CNC machining. An extra long 1.7mm travel distance gives the keyboard a premium typing feel, and with a lifetime of 20 million presses, it'll last a lifetime. There's also Aura Sync support, so you can tweak not just the RGB lighting on the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop, but also any ROG RGB equipped peripherals.

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Audio: On the audio side of things, ASUS has a 6-speaker audio system inside of the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop, with dual-side woofers and Dolby Atmos certification. The new and improved woofers inside of the Zephyrus G16 have a huge 47% increase in volume and an ultra-low bass frequency of 100Hz; the G16 produces a clear and vibrant sound that you wouldn't otherwise get from an ultra-slim 16-inch laptop.

AMD Ryzen AI and Windows Studio Effects

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 supports AMD's new Ryzen AI, with the dedicated NPU built into the APU silicon, combined with a suite of software, freeing up the CPU and GPU resources to ensure optimal performance in all-new experiences.

This includes hand gesture detection to eye gaze correction, as well as super-resolution scaling so that your video calls will feel "more lifelike and seamless" than ever, says ASUS. You've got Copilot+ in Windows 11 as well.

AI Noise Cancellation: ASUS has its advanced Two-Way AI Noise cancellation technology running on the Strix Point APU, freeing up the GPU to provide all of its performance for your games. It works with any input device (a microphone) with downstream connections, letting you remove noise from both your microphone and even from incoming feeds. Noise-cancellation settings can be tweaked per program, filtering specific apps like voice chat without having an effect on your game audio.

There are 3 modes for the integrated microphone array to give you control of your input, with Cardoiod mode capturing sound from right in front of the G16 laptop, while minimizing input from the back, making it perfect for streaming and gaming. Stereo mode uses right and left channels to record a wider soundscape for live music or other immersive experiences.

Detailed Look

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The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop is a beautiful-looking machine, from start to finish you're in safe hands knowing you've got a high-quality ROG product. The machine feels great in your hands and to the touch, with premium materials on every inch of the G16.

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It's an ultra-slim gaming laptop that fits inside of your bag without taking the entire thing up, and without weighing it down so you're not lugging around something heavy.

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You've got plenty of I/O to play with on the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop, with Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, and USB-A ports as well as an SD card reader.

Some of that ultra-slim goodness is from the ROG Nebula OLED display, which is ultra-slim in itself... but the entire thing is just beautifully thin. It feels very Apple-esque but with that ASUS ROG feel all over.

The keyboard is fantastic, with a nice feel to it for typing and gaming. The trackpad is great if you're mobile, but I've always got a mouse with me.

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ASUS provides some ROG shortcuts on the left of the G16, with the power button on the right.

Benchmarks (Synthetic + CPU + SSD)

ASUS also sent their slightly lower-end TUF Gaming A14 gaming laptop for review, so I've got those results for all future synthetic and gaming benchmarks. They both feature the same Strix Point APU (12C/24T), with the difference being the TUF Gaming A14 features the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop has the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.

CrystalDiskMark

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The 1TB Gen4 SSD inside of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop pumps away at 5GB/sec (5047MB/sec) writes, and 3.6GB/sec (3643MB/sec) during SSD testing under CrystalDiskMark.

Cinebench R24

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The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU has more power than a desktop Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor when it comes to multi-core tasks, with the Strix Point APU inside of the ROG Zephyrus G16 beating the 7800X3D in both multi-core and single-core testing (12C/24T on Strix Point vs 8C/16T on the 7800X3D).

3DMark Speed Way + Steel Nomad

Starting our synthetic benchmark journey with 3DMark and its Speed Way ray tracing benchmark, the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU scores 2895 points in Speed Way compared to 2801 points on the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. The desktop RTX 4070 SUPER, however, is far more powerful at 5203 points.

The same goes for Steel Nomad, with the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU inside of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop hitting 2665 points, with the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU hitting 2569 points.

3DMark TimeSpy Extreme + TimeSpy

The RTX 4070 Laptop GPU inside of the ROG Zephyrus G16 scoots ahead of the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU inside of the TUF Gaming A14, with 5611 points in the Graphics test of TimeSpy Extreme versus 4334 points on the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU.

Benchmarks (Gaming)

I haven't got many gaming laptops in-house right now, so I've benched the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop against the TUF Gaming A14 that I've got here (review in the coming days) and the Aftershock Nimbus desktop gaming PC that features an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D + 32GB RAM + RTX 4070 SUPER graphics card.

Cyberpunk 2077

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Moving into the gaming benchmarks, starting with Cyberpunk 2077 at native 1600p without DLSS enabled and on the Ultra graphics preset. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop and its RTX 4070 Laptop GPU hit 44FPS average, compared to 38FPS on the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU. Not bad, but you would want DLSS enabled on an RTX series GPU.

At the same 1600p resolution but now with all of Cyberpunk 2077's graphical bells and whistles enabled -- NVIDIA DLSS (on Performance) + Ray Tracing + Frame Generation + DLSS Ray Reconstruction -- the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU pushes a smooth 90FPS average, which is a decent upgrade over the 70FPS average from teh RTX 4060 Laptop GPU.

Black Myth Wukong

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Black Myth Wukong shows some more impressive results, with the ROG Zephyrus G16 pushing out an average of 86FPS with DLSS set to Performance and RT + FG enabled, compared to 77FPS from the TUF Gaming A16 and its RTX 4060 Laptop GPU.

Forza Horizon 5

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Forza Horizon 5 is such a joy to play on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop with 167FPS average on the High preset at the native 1600p resolution.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

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The same goes for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop running it natively at 1600p and 120FPS. While turning on DLSS to Quality, you're still seeing 139FPS (up from 101FPS on the TUF Gaming A14 with the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU) and an impressive 169FPS with DLSS on Performance (124FPS on the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU).

Performance + Thermals + Battery Life

I used the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop as my main workstation + gaming PC for a few weeks, with a million-and-one Chrome tabs opened, watching something (movie, TV episodes) in the background, and playing games, of course. Overwatch 2 ran at a super-smooth 144FPS locked at 1600p with DLSS enabled, keeping me very happy.

AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU with its 12 cores and 24 threads of Zen 5 processing power is enough for everything you can do with a regular laptop, while sipping on power with less than 15W of idle power. Compared to the previous-gen Ryzen 9 7940HS in other AMD-powered gaming laptops, and any of the Intel 14th Gen Core-HX processors, Strix Point blows them out of the water with CPU performance, and supreme power efficiency.

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The XDNA 2-based NPU isn't a huge help in your everyday life, but you probably already know that... but there's a built-in NPU ready for Copilot+ and other AI workloads. Copilot+ isn't something I ever use (I flick between Grok and ChatGPT), but it's there if you want it.

NVIDIA's mobile GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU handles the gaming side of the ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop, but ASUS did something that I'm not happy with: limited the TDP to the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU to just 105W. There are competing RTX 4070 Laptop GPU-powered gaming laptops on the market with the full 140W TDP.

Right now, I don't have any of those, or I would've provided some benchmark data to show the difference between the 105W and 140W models of RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. You would definitely lose double-digit FPS in gaming with 35W less TDP, and there's no thermal trade-off as the GPU gets mega-hot... hitting temperatures of 100C.

Thoughts on Thermals

ASUS does an alright, but not stellar job keeping the ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop cool. The GPU runs at a toasty 90-100C, while the CPU is only a little bit better at 95C max. At this point, it doesn't matter what fan speed you've got the G16 gaming laptop, the CPU and GPU get hot, there's no stopping that.

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Using ASUS's in-house Armoury Crate, the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU runs at a toasty 79C average inside of the ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop. Not too bad, but not great either... this is also at the ROG Boost OC clocks of 2595MHz on the GPU, too. Does it affect gaming on the ROG Strix G16 laptop? Yes and no... the temperatures aren't too hot that you can't touch the keyboard, but it gets hot enough that you definitely feel the heat coming off the laptop. Not cool, pun intended.

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Using ASUS's in-house Armoury Crate, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU reaches an insane 95C average under load... just too hot.

My daughter played Fortnite for many hours on the ROG Strix G16, and without me prompting her, she even said "hey Dad, this laptop feels really hot" and noticed the heat coming from the laptop. It's mostly constrained to the top of the laptop, close to the display (where the CPU and GPU are placed, with a huge heatsink) but your hand is right on the WASD keys... so you feel that heat.

Battery Life + Charging

Let's face it: you're not buying a gaming laptop to live on it through the battery, as it's only going to last a couple of hours, max. Another issue is driving the maximum performance through to it, especially to pull the best performance out of the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU... but more performance = more battery used.

I found with the ASUS ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop that a couple of hours of on-and-off gaming was fine, while I had far hours of battery life at around 6-7 hours of battery. This will change from user to user, but that's just regular workstation loads, and lots of Chrome tabs.

Final Thoughts

ASUS impressed with its ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptop, providing me with enough horsepower from the CPU + RAM + SSD + GPU to do everything I do on the daily for work... and enough gaming power to drive 1600p @ 240FPS in Overwatch 2.

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One of the biggest wins for the G16 is the gorgeous Nebula OLED display, looking outright gorgeous in any setting. Productivity looks better with an OLED, video content looks better with an OLED and gaming... yeah, gaming on an OLED is unbeatable. Once you go OLED, you won't go back.

Inside, we've got the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 "Strix Point" APU with 12 cores and 24 threads of Zen 5 processing performance, with 50 TOPS of AI performance from the XDNA 2 NPU. It's an impressive processor, mixed well with 32GB of RAM and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU.

The keyboard and trackpad are also impressive, with enough I/O to keep you happy... the audio system is stellar, pumping out room-filling audio that doesn't actually suck, which is nice to see (or should that be, nice to hear).

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If you're in the market for a new gaming laptop and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 ticks enough boxes for you, don't hesitate in picking it up. There are some shortfalls (battery life, heat output) but they're fixed by the impressive APU, OLED display, and GPU.

ASUS only lets 105W of power flow into the RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, which hinders gaming performance compared to other gaming laptops with the same GPU, which provides up to 140W of power (115W base + 25W dynamic boost). It's not something that would stop you from buying the ROG Zephyrus G16, but it's something to be aware of. However, if you want more GPU power... the new ROG 2025 gaming laptops aren't too far away, with NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 50 Laptop GPUs with far more GPU oomph.

If you're after an ultra-thin gaming laptop with one of the best OLED displays around, a ton of CPU and GPU performance (even throttled at 105W versus 140W on the RTX 4070 Laptop GPUs in competing gaming laptops), and that awesome ROG aesthetic, the ROG Strix G16 is a formidable choice.

Be aware of the thermal issues and the RTX 50 Laptop GPU-powered gaming laptops in the coming weeks and months, but that means older ROG Strix G16 gaming laptops will drop in price as well, so picking it up on the cheap is a fantastic decision.