ASUS ROG Strix G16 – Review of This Gaming Laptop

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The latest Asus ROG Strix G16 is a powerful gaming laptop with an impressive arsenal of hardware. Its Intel Raptor Lake processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU make it well-suited for modern games.

It also has a 1TB SSD that performed well in our tests. It surpassed the Katana 15, Zephyrus G15, and Legion 7i.

1. Intel Core i7 processor

The Asus ROG Strix G16 (2023) packs a top-tier arsenal. It comes with a high-end combo CPU-GPU and 16GB RAM. Its i7-13650HX processor (with eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores and a maximum turbo boost of 5.6 GHz) and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU make this laptop one of the best gaming notebooks under $1,000. It can handle even the most demanding modern games on Ultra settings. I enjoyed dangling my character in the trailer for Renfield as Dracula dragged his food across a dimly lit table, and driving through the hills of Updaam in Forza Horizon 5 was a sleek rush of sharp metallic bodies and idyllic scenery.

Asus did a great job of keeping the chassis as thin and light as possible without sacrificing functionality. The resulting laptop is easy to carry and has a nice feel. The keyboard is comfortable and the trackpad is spacious, with a precision glass surface that’s smooth to the touch. The only drawback is that it doesn’t double as a virtual NumberPad, which is standard on some of the brand’s other 2023 models.

The display is impressive, too. It has a 79% screen-to-body ratio with thin and symmetrical bezels. It also supports both the DCI-P3 and sRGB color gamuts. Its brightness of 279 nits is also excellent. The only downside is that the speakers aren’t very loud, but they’re still fine for gaming and media consumption.

2. Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU

The ROG Strix G16 comes with a Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU, which gives the laptop the power needed to handle modern games without any slowdowns or frame drops. This is an impressive feat, considering that most gaming laptops with similar CPU and GPU power have to settle for a lower resolution display. The ROG Strix G16, on the other hand, is able to maintain 165 fps at its 165Hz refresh rate, allowing gamers to enjoy their favorite titles at high graphical settings without any performance issues.

In our Grand Theft Auto V benchmark, the ROG Strix G16 was able to score 104 fps, which is well above the Gigabyte Aorus 15X and Razer Blade 15. However, the laptop trailed behind the HP Omen 16 and the Asus ZenBook 13 when it came to 1440p. When we tested Red Dead Redemption 2, the ROG Strix G16 was unable to pull ahead of its competitors, but it did manage to score 72 fps at 1080p.

The ROG Strix G16 is a great choice for gamers and creators alike who are looking for a powerful portable computer with a stunning display. The combination of the Core i9 CPU and the RTX 4070 GPU ensures that modern games will run smoothly, even when cranking up the graphical settings. From the melting ice caps of Deathloop to the idyllic fields in Forza Horizon 5, the game’s details will sing on the pristine screen.

3. 165 fps at 165Hz

With a 1920×1200 (WUXGA) 165Hz IPS display and 16GB of DDR5-4800 RAM, the ROG Strix G16 delivers gaming performance that rivals some of the best laptops in the world. The powerful hardware is complemented by a comfortable keyboard and spacious touchpad. Unfortunately, the laptop’s speakers and webcam leave a bit to be desired.

Asus’s Alder Lake processor shines in benchmark tests, with an impressive score on Geekbench 5. It also performs well in our Overwatch 2 tests, delivering 165 fps at the display’s 165Hz refresh rate and maxed out details.

In our Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark test, the G16 pushed 118 fps at 1080p. This put it ahead of the Gigabyte Aorus 15X (Core i9-13900HX, GeForce RTX 4070), while the Razer Blade 15 (Core i7-12800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti) and HP Omen 16 tied for third with 90 fps.

One thing that might be a turn off for some gamers is the placement of the ports on the laptop’s back. Most of them are located on the left side which could be a problem for right-handed players. Additionally, the USB-C port is placed on the bottom of the laptop which means you’ll have to reach all the way back to get to it. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it might be an issue for some people. If it is, you can always buy an add-on card for the laptop.

4. Stylish design

Asus has made the Strix G16 look like it’s ready to conquer the world of gaming with its stylish design. It has a slim, lightweight chassis that makes it easy to carry with you. The keyboard is comfortable and features per-key RGB lighting, which gives you the ability to customize your color scheme. The spacious trackpad also provides a great typing experience.

The chassis is made of aluminum and plastic, which provides a premium feel for a budget-friendly laptop. It has a sleek, black finish that looks great. Its thin “peeping-glow” LED strip runs along the front edge of the laptop and wraps around to the sides, giving it a unique look. You can control the lighting through Asus’ Aura Sync app in its Armoury Crate control software.

The Asus ROG Strix G16 has impressive graphics performance and is ideal for gaming. It can run games at high settings without any noticeable lag or frame rate drops. I played Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Forza Horizon 5, and they ran smoothly with no visible screen tears or stuttering. Its powerful speakers also provide an immersive audio experience that enhances the gameplay. This laptop is a good choice for gamers who want a high-performance desktop replacement.

5. Long battery life

The ROG Strix G16 has a surprisingly long battery life for a gaming laptop. It lasted just over three hours when we tested the battery while running games at high settings with all of the lighting turned up. That’s a decent result, especially since the Strix G16 isn’t the most power-efficient gaming laptop on the market.

The G16 also has plenty of ports to connect your accessories, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and one USB-C port with DisplayPort support and Power Delivery 100 watts support. There’s also a headphone jack for those who prefer to use wired headphones.

As expected from a gaming laptop, the Strix G16 has several programmable hotkeys that can control a variety of different functions. These can be customized in the Armoury Crate app, along with other keyboard and display settings. The app also allows you to synchronize the RGB lighting on your Asus laptop with other devices using Aura Sync.

The Asus ROG Strix G16 is a great option for gamers who are looking for a powerful gaming laptop with a premium design. The laptop offers excellent CPU and GPU performance, a comfortable keyboard, and a gorgeous display. Plus, it has a stylish cyberpunk-inspired design and is priced less than some of its competitors.

6. Comfortable keyboard

Asus has made improvements to the keyboard in this iteration of the Strix series, making it even more comfortable for gamers. The keys are a bit taller and the layout has been tweaked slightly, resulting in a much more comfortable typing experience. The trackpad is also a standout, offering users a smooth and responsive navigation experience. Unfortunately, the webcam is a little disappointing with only 720p resolution, but this isn’t a deal-breaker.

Overall, the Asus ROG Strix G16 is an excellent gaming laptop that showcases the power of Intel’s new Raptor Lake mobile processors and Nvidia’s latest RTX 40 Series GPUs. This gaming machine also features a solid build quality, comfortable keyboard, and beautiful RGB lighting. However, the 1920 x 1200 resolution might be underwhelming for some users, but customers can opt to upgrade for a little extra money. The speakers and webcam may also leave a little to be desired, but these flaws aren’t enough to take away from this powerful gaming laptop.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.