I have just noticed an certainly brilliant gaming notebook offer in the ongoing Amazon Spring Sale that I believe totally blows the others out of the water today.
It can be this RTX 3070-outfitted MSI Katana GF66 for just £899 (was £1,599) (opens in new tab), a device that presents an remarkable lineup of specs for a relatively modest price stage. This is the offer in whole:
Far better than the competitors nowadays
What I enjoy about this individual listing is that it can be a real hidden gem in the Amazon Spring Sale. It is not on the front page it is not even displayed prominently on the gaming laptops classification web page. It is fairly merely just sitting there on site two or a few of the benefits web page minding its own organization.
It is, having said that, a machine which is a lot, significantly far better worth than some of the other listings. For case in point, you’ve got got selections like this Acer Nitro 5 for £1,085 (opens in new tab) or this Asus TUF A15 for £999 (opens in new tab) – both equally of which are pricier than the MSI when featuring a decidedly inferior RTX 3060 graphics card. By comparison, the RTX 3070 in the MSI definitely blows them away effectiveness-sensible – and you get a massive 1TB SSD as the cherry on top rated.
More mature, but however very good…
If there’s one particular caveat I can think of with this MSI GF66 it is really that it truly is a slightly older equipment now. Neither the RTX 3070 or the Intel Core i7 inside of are the most current factors – which is undoubtedly why it can be acquired such a deep discount in the Amazon Spring Sale. Like with lots of merchandise on sale today, the retailer is undoubtedly attempting to shift this matter right before the next era of devices arrives in the warehouse.
If you want the most current and greatest parts, then it truly is a great strategy to wait around and see what crops up. Even so, for sheer bang for the buck, I strongly advise checking this MSI out.
It is not at the chopping edge any more but the RTX 3070 inside of need to be serviceable for a great few a long time down the line, you’re likely to have a good deal of storage on the generate, and you really don’t have to have to up grade the RAM to get great out the box general performance. Over-all, it can be just a top-notch equipment for the cash and one that’s up there with the most effective gaming laptop bargains I’ve witnessed this yr.
Gaming laptops with RTX 4080 GPUs are a tiny much too highly-priced right now, and when you have strong devices outfitted with an RTX 3080 and available at these desirable bargains, there is definitely no just one that can overlook this variety of present. Indeed, we are speaking about the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15, a 15.6-inch portable powerhouse that is offered for only $1,499.99 on Amazon right after a substantial $500 price cut.
At its existing value, the Scar 15 can be yours for the selling price of an RTX 3070 gaming laptop, and many thanks to the GPU’s 130W electrical power limit, you will get the best frames in graphically demanding game titles. Also, if you are a articles creator, the RTX 3080 with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM will help you in numerous workflows. The develop excellent of the machine is decent and includes a blend of metallic and plastic. The hinges are also rigid, so it is perfectly-manufactured to endure extended durations of use.
How the gaming laptop manages to retain its thermals beneath handle
However, this design does not function a webcam, so you will have to go all around this setback by obtaining a independent webcam if you even now want to invest in the Scar 15. The 1080p 300Hz IPS Lcd monitor is produced for aggressive titles, and the RTX 3080 will simply be in a position to churn out people frames. The GPU is complemented by the 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU, which is highly effective and productive, granting the consumer a number of hrs of battery lifetime when the device is not plugged in.
RGB lights on the keyboard is included, if that matters to you
Speaking of battery life, the gaming notebook options a big 90WHr cell, and when paired with the Ryzen 9 5900HX, ASUS statements that you can get up to 12 several hours of runtime on a solitary demand. You can also cost the laptop with the bundled electricity adapter or via a USB-C brick. The 16GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB of PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD can be upgraded when you experience that they have began limiting the full experience.
A number of specs of the gaming screen
For $1,499.99, there are a few issues that will place off the prospective buyer, inspite of that desirable pricing. Many thanks to its effective internals, the Scar 15 is quite thick, which adds pounds to the chassis, making it tricky to carry all over. Also, a lacking webcam can be a offer breaker for many. Even so, if your most important concentrate is gaming and undertaking productiveness-connected duties, ASUS’ RTX 3080-driven gaming laptop computer should really be your following purchase.
We ended up skeptical at initial, but Framework has shipped on the assure of its authentic 13-inch laptop computer. 3 solution generations in, the organization has designed a respectable competitor for the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air that can be fixed, modified, and upgraded, and owners of the original laptop computer can quickly give by themselves a considerable efficiency strengthen by upgrading to the new 13th-era Intel or AMD Ryzen-centered boards the company introduced right now.
Framework is now on the lookout to create on that monitor file with an all-new Framework Notebook 16. It is a larger sized-screened product that can in shape additional effective processors, dedicated GPUs, and a assortment of distinct keyboard modules, all with the exact same commitment to repairability and upgradeability found in the authentic Framework Notebook (now retroactively dubbed the Framework Laptop 13).
Framework isn’t really talking about numerous facts nevertheless preorders will not likely open up till “this spring,” and shipments won’t start until finally “late 2023.”
Now, the organization supplied a preview of the laptop’s characteristics, together with developer documentation to encourage the creation of new Enter Modules—components that allow for keyboard customization considerably like the latest Enlargement Card program lets for port customization.
It is not just about the GPU
Enter Modules had been born of the wish to fix the variety pad difficulty for significant laptops: do you use the extra space to develop in a quantity pad even though creating the rest of the keyboard experience possibly cramped or off-middle, or do you make a keyboard with no amount pad and threat squandering a bunch of room?
“Following accomplishing some sector analysis, we observed out there is just about specifically a 50/50 break up amongst people today who appreciate and require numpads and people today who dislike them,” Framework’s site post claims. “We used this as an option to not only allow you choose your choice there, but also completely customise the input knowledge.”
Input Modules come in three dimensions: modest, medium, and substantial. Significant modules are for the keyboards them selves, and Framework suggests it will provide both white backlights and RGB backlights for its to start with-celebration modules. Medium modules can in good shape variety pads, but they’re also big enough to accommodate other forms of input products, like “jog wheels, sliders, touchscreen displays, e-ink notepads, smartcard visitors, and far more.” And tiny modules are mostly intended for cosmetic customization, even though Framework says that “it can be also doable to construct functional modules like an LED Matrix or haptic slider.”
All modules can be up to 3.7 mm tall and however fit into the Laptop’s scenario. “Many” of Framework’s 1st-celebration modules will use open up resource firmware and a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, opening them up to further more customization by builders and end end users.
The Framework Laptop computer 16 with no Expansion Bay mounted. (You can also see a trace of a keyboard with a numpad if you glance.)
Framework
The laptop computer with an Expansion Bay put in. It sticks out from guiding the lid, not compared with the style and design of several 17-inch gaming laptops.
For gamers who are planning to buy a new gaming laptop, we’ve got good news for you — Best Buy just launched a host of gaming laptop deals involving products by some of the top computing brands such as HP, MSI, and Asus. We’re not expecting these offers to last long, so to help you make a quick decision, we’ve rounded up some of the best bargains that are still available in the retailer’s ongoing clearance sale.
The MSI Sword gaming laptop promises smooth gameplay with its 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, and 8GB of RAM, all inside a sleek body that’s easy to carry with you wherever you go. The gaming laptop also comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a refresh rate of 144Hz, and Windows 10 pre-loaded in its 512GB SSD. You can upgrade its operating system to Windows 11 for free, so you can enjoy the features of Microsoft’s latest operating system.
Play games like a pro on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop, which is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS processor and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. It’s also equipped with 16GB of RAM, which will be enough for most gamers, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. The gaming laptop is compact with its 14-inch Full HD display with 144HZ refresh rate, but you can install several AAA games on its 512GB SSD that comes with Windows 11 pre-installed.
MSI Sword Gaming Laptop — $1,200, was $1,600
If you’re drawn to the MSI Sword gaming laptop but you want a version that’s more powerful, this is the one that you’ll want to buy. You’ll get the 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card, and 16GB of RAM, for smoother performance even when running the more advanced titles. The gaming laptop features Windows 11 Home out of the box, pre-loaded in its 1TB SSD, and it retains the 15.6-inch Full HD display with a refresh rate of 144Hz.
For a gaming laptop that will surely be able to run the games of today and tomorrow without any issues, go for the Asus ROG Strix Scar 15. Its eye-catching design masks extremely powerful performance from its AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM, and you’ll appreciate the details of modern titles on its 15.6-inch display with Full HD resolution. The gaming laptop offers ample storage space with its 1TB SSD, which has Windows 11 Home pre-installed.
Among Asus’ esports-branded Strix laptop, the 16-inch ROG Strix G16 is the option for those who prefer something smaller. (The Strix G17 and Strix G18 sit above it in size). The ROG Strix G16 features a top-of-the-line Intel Core i9-13980HX Raptor Lake processor and Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 4070. This marks the second laptop we’ve tested with Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace-based mainstream laptop GPU.
The ROG Strix G16 also represents the latest laptop transitioning from a 16:9 to 16:10 aspect ratio, with a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) 165 Hz IPS display. This laptop has the goods to contend with some of the best gaming laptops on the market and includes 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory, a 1TB SSD, and a high-quality chassis that we’ve come to expect from Asus ROG.
With a price tag of $1,999 as configured, the ROG Strix G16 offers a lot of competent hardware, but how does it stack up to the competition?
Design of the Asus ROG Strix G16
Asus has completely redesigned the chassis of the ROG Strix G16 for 2023, and I think it looks great. Asus uses aluminum for the lid and plastic for the rest of the chassis. Plastic doesn’t have to mean “cheap,” as the ROG Strix G16 has a high-quality fit and finish throughout, along with a satin-like sheen.
Asus keeps it relatively subtle with the RGB lighting; a thin “under-glow” LED strip runs along the laptop’s front edge and wraps around to the sides and per-key lighting for the keyboard. Each is configurable using Aura Sync in the Asus Armoury Crate software.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Speaking of the keyboard, Asus added five programmable hotkeys at the top of the keyboard, labeled M1 through M5. By default, they handle functions like volume, microphone on/off, and a shortcut to the Armoury Crate. The ROG Strix G16 does not feature a number pad despite seemingly being large enough to accommodate it.
The right side of the ROG Strix G16 is home to just two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports. However, the left side features one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, a 2.5 GbE port, HDMI 2.1 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a proprietary barrel-style power port. There are large vents along both sides of the laptop and rear to exhaust heat generated by the Core i9-13980HX and GeForce RTX 4070.
The laptop measures 13.94 x 10.39 x 0.89 inches (354 x 264 x 304 mm) and weighs 5.51 pounds (2.5 kg). That weight compares to 5.73 pounds for the Gigabyte Aorus 15X, 5.2 pounds for the HP Omen 16 and 4.4 pounds for the Razer Blade 15.
Asus ROG Strix G16 Specifications
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CPU
Intel Core i9-13980HX
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (8GB GDDR6, 2,225 MHz Boost Clock, 140 W Max Graphics Power)
Memory
16GB DDR4-4800 (2x 8GB)
Storage
1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Display
16-inch, 1920×1200, 165 Hz, 16:10
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.2
Ports
1x Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 2, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 2, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2.5 Gbps Ethernet
Camera
720p
Battery
90 Whr
Power Adapter
280 W
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
Dimensions (WxDxH)
13.94 x 10.39 x 0.89 inches (354 x 264 x 304 mm)
Weight
5.51 pounds (2.5 kg)
Price (as configured)
$1,999
Gaming Performance on the Asus ROG Strix G16
The Asus ROG Strix G16 is a powerful gaming laptop featuring an Intel Core i9-13980HX (8 performance cores, 16 efficiency cores, 5.6 GHz max turbo boost), an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-4800 (two SO-DIMMs) and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. The laptop has a somewhat awkward 1920 x 1200 resolution. It’s slightly more pixel-dense than a 1920 x 1080 display but well below the 2560 x 1440 panels we often see in the $2,000 price band for gaming laptops. As a result, all the competitors in this group feature 2560 x 1440 panels because that’s what you’ll typically find in gaming laptops with GeForce RTX 3070/4070-class GPUs these days.
While benchmarking is intriguing, I wanted to spend some time gaming with the ROG Strix G16, so I fired up Overwatch 2. I set all detail settings maxed out at 1920 x 1200 resolution. I maintained 165 fps, matching the 165Hz refresh rate of the display. The 165 fps figure was maintained in just about any scenario while gaming online, even when a lot of action took place on the screen.
In our Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark, the ROG Strix G16 quickly moved to the head of the class at 1080p with 116 fps, just barely beating out the Gigabyte Aorus 15X (Core i9-13900HX, GeForce RTX 4070). The Razer Blade 15 (Core i7-12800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti) and HP Omen 16 (Core i7-12700H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti) tied for third place with 90 fps at 1080p.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Moving to Grand Theft Auto V, the Razer Blade 15 and HP Omen 15 took top honors, hitting 104 fps at 1080p. Unfortunately, the GeForce RTX 4070-equipped ROG Strix G16 and Aorus 15X had to take a backseat. And as you’ll notice, all the other laptops fell significantly in performance at 1440p, which is understandable compared to the ROG Strix’s minimal drop from 1080p to 1200p.
Red Dead Redemption 2 saw the ROG Strix eke out another win at 72 fps over the Aorus 15X at 1080p. However, the Razer Blade 14 and Omen 16 weren’t too far behind. Again, the ROG Strix G16 showed a minimal drop at 1200p, compared to the more precipitous drop for the 1440p laptops.
The ROG Strix G16 and Aorus 15X ran away from their lesser GeForce RTX 3070 Ti-equipped competition in Far Cry 6, with each nearly hitting 100 fps at 1080p. The Razer Blade 15 came in third place with 83 fps, while the Omen 16 pulled up the rear with 66 fps at 1080p.
Finally, our Borderlands 3 test showed an outsized victory for the Aorus 15X, with 151 fps at 1080p. With a stronger CPU and the same GPU, the ROG Strix G16 only mustered 100 fps. We ran this benchmark multiple times to verify our results, but that’s where things stand. The Omen 16 and Razer Blade 15 came in third and fourth place, with 79 and 76 fps, respectively, at 1080p.
In games with DLSS support, such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Metro Exodus, quality mode upscaling can generally improve performance by 30–50 percent, sometimes more, and the resulting image quality often competes well against native rendering. DLSS 3 Frame Generation, where supported, can artificially boost the rate of frames sent to your display by 50–100 percent, but it causes additional latency and the actual feel of games with DLSS 3 doesn’t improve nearly as much as the higher FPS would indicate. It’s not a bad option to have, but personal preference becomes a real factor in what Frame Generation does to the overall experience.
To stress-test the ROG Strix G16, we ran Metro Exodus on its RTX preset at 1200p for 15 runs, which takes about half an hour. The system ran the game at an average of 79.35 fps, with all runs falling between 79.10 and 79.66 fps. The Core i9-13980HX’s performance cores ran at an average of 3.93 GHz, while the efficiency cores measured 3.3 GHz. The CPU package measured 76 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the RTX 4070 ran at an average 1,717 MHz and measured 65.4 C.
Productivity Performance on the Asus ROG Strix G16
Given its Core i9-13980HX processor, the Asus ROG Strix G16 packs some serious firepower for productivity tasks. This is Intel’s flagship Raptor Lake mobile processor, with 24 cores and 32 total threads. The processor performance cores have a maximum turbo clock of 5.6 GHz, while the efficiency cores top out at 4 GHz. Asus then pairs that processor with 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory using two 8GB SO-DIMMs.
Things started strong with Geekbench 5, with the ROG Strix G16 delivering a single-core score of 2,067 and a multi-core score of 18,227. These numbers just slightly outpaced the second-place Gigabyte Aorus 15X. With their less powerful Alder Lake-based processors, the Razer Blade 15 and HP Omen 16 trailed far behind, particularly in multi-core performance.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The ROG Strix G16 came in second place in the file transfer test, which involves copying 25GB of files across the SSD. We measured 1,238.04 MBps during the test, putting it roughly 30 percent slower than the first-place Aorus 15X (1,721.37 MBps). Asus uses a Micron 2400 SSD (MTFDKBA1T0QFM) in the laptop, which isn’t exactly the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD on the market.
The ROG Strix G16 came in second place in our Handbrake test, which involves transcoding a 4K video to 1080p. It took the laptop five minutes and 5 seconds to complete the task compared to 3 minutes and 55 seconds for the Aorus 15X.
Display on the Asus ROG Strix G16
The Asus ROG Strix G16 features a 16-inch 165 Hz IPS panel with a 1920 x 1200 resolution. Laptops with thisunt of CPU and GPU power typically feature a 2560 x 1440 or 2560 x 1600 display. While our review sample came with a 1920 x 1200 panel, Asus does produce versions of this laptop with a 2560 x 1600 panel, which I think should be the standard here.
I like trying Overwatch 2 when looking at displays because of the bright and colorful palette. The greens and reds popped, and the calming blues of the Greek-focused Ilios map stood out on the ROG Strix G16’s punchy display.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
For a more grounded take on the display, I watched Throttle House’s magnificentreview of the Lotus Emira. The Emira, painted in a gorgeous British Racing Green, was faithfully represented, and the on-location visuals were stunning. I also caught thefinal trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Everything from the lava surrounding Bowser’s castle to the pinkish hues of the Sand Kingdom looked faithfully recreated.
In instrumented testing, the ROG Strix G16 wasn’t as vivid as its competitors — namely, the overachieving Razer Blade 15 — but it’s definitely in the running. We measured 75.9 percent of the DCI-P3 and 107 percent of the sRGB color gamuts. Its brightness of 279 nits was enough to score second place behind the HP Omen 16.
Keyboard and Touchpad on the Asus ROG Strix G16
Asus provides a full QWERTY keyboard layout and additional top hotkeys. The hotkeys are programmable and, by default, control volume, microphone, fan settings, and give access to Armoury Crate. You can change the function of the programmable keys using the Armoury Crate software. All of the keys have individual RGB backlighting.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Asus says the keys offer 2 mm of travel, and I found it easy to type on. My fingers quickly felt at home on the keys, which had a soft finish that made them comfortable to use for hours at a time. My go-to test for keyboards is keyhero.com. As I’ve repeatedly mentioned, I’m not the fastest or most accurate typist, but I scored 67.81 words per minute with an accuracy of 97.1{b7c9e2c88beb1a84f22d94ab877a147f4adc4b3519717f3f957a0f34e16918d1}.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Despite its large 16-inch frame, Asus didn’t find the space to fit in a number pad on the ROG Strix G16, which may be disappointing to some (some of my colleagues, however, are glad to go without it). I occasionally reached for the non-existent number pad, only to be stymied every time. Asus does offer versions of the laptop with a number pad integrated into the touchpad, but my review sample did not have this option.
Speaking of the touchpad, it is large (5.12 inches x 3.5 inches) and glass-covered. Although I prefer to use a mouse when using a gaming laptop, the touchpad proved spacious and allowed me to glide easily, be it in everyday apps in Windows 11 Home or when gaming (though for games you’re far better off using one of the best gaming mice).
Audio on the Asus ROG Strix G16
Asus uses a two-speaker system in the ROG Strix G16, which sounds fine. I decided to queue up “What You Won’t Do for Love,” performed by Bobby Caldwell. Although little bass was represented here, Caldwell’s soulful vocals soared, perfectly complemented by the horns and guitar licks.
Circling back to Throttle House’s review of the Lotus Emira, I instantly honed in on the sound of the 3.5-liter V6 engine. While the engine comes from a lowly Toyota Camry, Lotus massaged it and bolted on a supercharger to add over 100 more horsepower. As a result, I could hear the subtle supercharger whine in the background as the V6 revved to its 6,800 revolutions per minute redline. The crackling and burbling of the exhaust while easing off the throttle also came blaring through the speakers.
The audio while gaming wasn’t exactly the ROG Strix G16’s strong point; again, the lack of bass took a lot of the impact out of explosions in games like Grand Theft Auto V and Overwatch 2. However, I cranked the volume without distortion, which helped to drown out the internal fans.
The Dolby Atmos app can adjust audio profiles, including Dynamic, Game, Movie, Music and Voice. I didn’t notice much difference between the settings, so I just left it on Dynamic, which automatically adjusts based on the content being played.
Upgradeability of the Asus ROG Strix G16
I ventured inside the Asus ROG Strix G16 by first removing 11 screws. However, I wasn’t done yet. It takes some careful prying to remove the bottom panel, and I didn’t want to risk damaging the RGB strip that runs along the front of the chassis. So, I started prying near the ethernet port and was able to completely remove the panel.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
This gave me access to the internals, including the Micron 2400 PCIe 4.0 SSD situated on the right. A second, unused M.2 slot is on the opposite side of the chassis next to the Intel Wi-Fi 6E card. Located toward the center of the motherboard are the two SO-DIMM slots. Our unit came populated with two 8GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMMs, but the machine is upgradeable to 32GB (2x 16GB). The battery also appears to be easily replaceable.
Battery Life on the Asus ROG Strix G16
Gaming laptops have earned a bad reputation regarding battery life, but the Asus ROG Strix G16 bucks that trend. Compared to the less powerful Razer Blade 14, the ROG Strix G16 lasted nearly four additional hours. The laptop also lasted at least three hours longer than the HP Omen 16 and the Gigabyte Aorus 15X.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The performance is even more remarkable compared to the similarly equipped Aorus 15X with a larger 99 Whr battery. However, we must remember that the Aorus 15X drives a 240 Hz, 2560 x 1440 display.
Heat on the Asus ROG Strix G16
To test heat output on the Asus ROG Strix G16 while gaming, we ran our Metro Exodus stress test in a loop. This benchmark gets laptops plenty hot, giving us the perfect opportunity to measure heat levels.
We measured the center of the keyboard between the G and H keys, which reported 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 degrees Celsius). That’s right in line with what we’d expect from a gaming laptop, and some get quite a bit warmer. The touchpad was a comparatively cool 78 F (25.5 C).
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The bottom of the laptop measured 109F (42.7 C). The hottest part of the laptop – the underside near the hinge/exhaust – measured 119 F (48.3 C).
The fans are clearly audible during gaming sessions, but the pitch is not objectionable and is easily overpowered by the speakers. If you wear headphones while gaming, the sound from the fans is a non-issue.
Webcam on the Asus ROG Strix G16
Although more gaming laptops are transitioning to 1080p webcams, Asus is, unfortunately, sticking to its 720p guns. There’s no guarantee that a higher resolution camera would translate to an immediate boost in image quality, but the fact that Asus didn’t even try on this laptop is disappointing.
As a result, we’re left with performance that is simply average in this class. Unlike the Gigabyte Aero 15X’s 1080p camera which impressed me with its overall quality and low-light performance, the ROG Strix G16’s camera looked as if it was coated in a thin layer of Vaseline. The fine detail in my mustache and beard stubble was lost in translation and low light caused a considerable increase in background noise.
Software and Warranty on the Asus ROG Strix G16
The Asus ROG Strix G16 comes with the standard bloat included in Windows 11 Home, like Spotify, Kindle, WhatsApp, and various trials of Microsoft Office apps. However, Asus includes its own apps, which are useful for customers.
The aforementioned Armoury Crate allows you to monitor system vitals (temperature, clock speeds, memory, storage, etc.), customize the five hotkeys, adjust the Aura Sync RGB lighting and more. MyAsus provides customer service and warranty information along with social media interactions with Asus. Aura Creator is a utility that allows you to create your own custom lighting schemes that can be synchronized between devices.
Other installed apps include Dolby Access, the Realtek Audio Console, and McAfee LiveSafe.
The ROG Strix G16 comes with a one-year warranty.
Asus ROG Strix G16 Configurations
The Asus ROG Strix G16 is available in multiple prebuilt configurations starting from $1,399. Our $1,999 review sample (G614JI-AS94 (opens in new tab)) features an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB DDR4-4800 memory, a 1TB SSD, 1200p 165 Hz display and per-key RGB lighting.
All ROG Strix G16 configurations available from Asus come with a Core i9-13980HX processor but are available with GeForce RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 GPUs. Upgraded display options include a 2560 x 1600 display with a 240 Hz refresh rate, and up to a 2TB SSD, taking the price to $2,199.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Asus ROG Strix G16 is a fine entry into the ~$2,000 gaming laptop segment. Its closest competition is the Gigabyte Aorus 15X, which is just $100 more. The Aorus 15X gives you a higher resolution display at 2560 x 1600, but the ROG Strix G16 offers an additional three hours of battery life.
Regarding performance, the Asus ROG Strix G16 is an impressive gaming laptop that continues to show the strength of Intel’s new Raptor Lake mobile processor and Nvidia’s fresh GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs. The laptop has many other strengths, including its solid build quality, RGB lighting that doesn’t go overboard, and comfortable keyboard.
The ROG Strix G16 didn’t ace our file transfer test, but it got second place and performed well in the other productivity tasks. The 1920 x 1200 resolution is a bit of a bummer given the kind of hardware that this laptop is packing, but customers can upgrade to 2560 x 1600 for some extra cheddar. Asus also skimped out on the speakers and webcam, with the latter being a big miss in this work-from-home climate.
Despite these flaws, the Asus ROG Strix G16 deserves to be on your shopping shortlist as a powerful, 16-inch gaming PC in a premium design.
The Asus ROG Stirx G16 is able to extract a lot of performance from its strong hardware. An Intel Core i9 and a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 ensure high FPS on a 240 Hz panel in many games. But things get really interesting when it comes to the volume.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 is powered by up to 170 watts in the Asus ROG Strix G16. In Turbo mode, the gaming notebook achieves a level of performance that brings it close to devices equipped with the more powerful RTX 4090. While the laptop can be annoyingly loud at 52 dB(A), the ROG Strix G16 can also do things differently: thanks to a massive cooling system consisting of three fans and liquid metal, the laptop is also able to run without much noise. For our review, we took the opportunity to analyze the gaming laptop’s other operating modes and came to an interesting conclusion: gaming with ray tracing is possible with current titles as long as you are willing to forego a few FPS.
Frame rates remain above 60 frames per second in many games, even in UHD resolution at ultra settings. F1 22 is one such example: at just under 40 dB(A) in Silent mode, the ROG Strix G16 manages 72 FPS in the racing game with activated ray tracing. So the Asus ROG Strix G16 can certainly be used for gaming without noise pollution or ANC headphones. Unfortunately, one of the laptop’s problems also becomes apparent in this operating mode. Instead of fan noise, you then hear the laptop’s power supply struggling. Coil whine comes to the fore as soon as the laptop makes use of the boost performance of the Intel Core i9-13980HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080.
We also found a few problems with the chassis in our review of the Asus ROG Strix G16. Nevertheless, the laptop ultimately manages to perform well overall.
ROG Strix G16
ROG Strix G16
ROG Strix G16 – cooling system
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From an early age I liked to thoroughly examine all kinds of devices to see how they worked, which also involved taking my own devices apart and therefore not always to the delight of my parents. Nevertheless, with my grandfather’s support, I became a computer and electronics tinkerer. With the family PC and Lego Mindstorms, my interested in software and programming took off, and I am currently an engineering program student. I enjoy building all sorts of gadgets with Arduino and 3D printers, and I still like to put electronic devices through their paces. By joining the Notebookcheck editorial team, I have been able to turn my hobby into a profession.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 175 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
