When it comes to gaming laptops, ASUS is definitely one of the names that is always present in the minds of all gamers. No wonder, through its flagship ROG brand, ASUS is very diligent in producing innovative products. For example the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14.
Unlike most gaming laptops on the market, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 puts forward a compact and lightweight body so it’s more comfortable to carry around. Although classified as slim, the composition of the hardware it carries is not half-hearted.
Are you curious about the capabilities of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14? Come on , just take a look at our review:
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 design
One thing that should be appreciated about the design of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is its minimalist exterior appearance while still presenting a futuristic side to maintain its identity as a member of the ROG family. A design like this in our opinion makes ROG Zephyrus G14 not only suitable for gamers, but also professional workers who need a high-performance laptop.
The variant we are reviewing is Moonlight White. At first glance, the impression you want to put forward is more towards an elegant and low profile. We are sure, bringing ROG Zephyrus G14 Moonlight White when meeting clients, working in coffee shops, or at office meetings will not seem excessive.
If you want to attract attention, the ROG Zephyrus G14 has a unique feature called AniMe Matrix. This feature consists of 1,215 mini LEDs that can display animation, text, and various interesting effects on the back of the ROG Zephyrus G14 screen.
The fun thing is, you can also adjust and modify what you want to display through AniMe Matrix through the Armory Crate application. You can enter images, animations, to battery notifications or an equalizer mode that will sync with the audio.
As mentioned above, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is a gaming laptop that is compact, lightweight, and easy to carry even in a sling bag. Its thickness is only 1.79cm long and 32.4 x 22.4cm wide. It weighs just 1.6 kilograms. Size and weight which in our opinion can still compete with mainstream thin laptops.
Discussing a little about the keyboard, ASUS said that even though the body is slimmer, the keyboard on the ROG Zephyrus G14 uses a layout and features that are more or less the same as those used by ASUS on other ROG laptops.
During our tests, we found this keyboard comfortable enough to play games and work. The feedback is decent, the travel distance is fun, the distance between the keys is right, and there is a three-level LED backlit. N-Key Rollover technology is back to make every input translated accurately.
On the top right of the keyboard you will find the power button which also functions as a fingerprint sensor. The name is SSO Power Button. According to ASUS, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is the first gaming laptop in the world to use this technology.
Regarding the availability of I / O ports, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has a 3.5mm combo audio jack, HDMI 2.0b, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (display support / PD), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A. Connectivity is supported by the latest WiFi 6 (Gig +) module, aka 802.11ax.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 screen
ASUS designed the screen on the ROG Zephyrus G14 so that it is ideal for use not only by gamers, but also content creators. The size is 14 inches and is available in two options according to the type. What we are reviewing is one that carries a QHD 2560 x 1440 pixel screen with just a 60Hz refresh rate. There is also a type with a Full HD 144Hz screen.
Of course, each screen option has its own advantages. It’s up to you which one best suits your needs, whether you want to use the ROG Zephyrus G14 100 percent for gaming, or as a device for working on creative content. To be sure, both ROG Zephyrus G14 display options have been calibrated for color accuracy and are certified PANTONE Validated Display.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 performance
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 that we review in this article is one that relies on an AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS processor (with Radeon Graphics). You could say, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is the first ultra-thin 14-inch laptop that is able to come with a processor configuration of up to 8 cores and 16 threads.
Meanwhile, heavier graphics performance needs are entrusted to the Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q GDDR6 6GB 192-bit GPU. Just to remind, this GPU already supports the real-time Ray Tracing feature. The embedded RAM is 16 GB DDR4, while the storage is 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe3.0 SSD.
What’s more interesting, through the Armory Crate application you can choose a performance mode according to your needs, from Silent, Performance, to Turbo. Of course, if you want maximum gaming performance, you must choose Turbo mode.
We tried to play some games to test what the ROG Zephyrus G14 is capable of. Just take a look at the results:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
This game can be played in the Highest 1440p resolution setting smoothly without problems. The average frame rate is around 56fps without enabling Ray Traced Shadow Quality. Meanwhile, with Ray Traced Shadow Quality the High average fps setting is 33.
Red Dead Redemption 2
RDR2 can run smoothly at 1440p resolution with average medium-high graphics settings. The maximum frame rate is up to 110, while the average frame rate is around 58fps.
Call of Duty: Warzone
At 1080p resolution with High graphics settings, games can be played in the 80-90s fps frame rate range. Meanwhile, when changing the resolution to 1440p, the average frame rate obtained is in the 50s fps range.
Apart from games, we also tested using several benchmark software such as PCMark 10, 3DMark, Cinebench R23, and CrystalDiskMark. Following are the test results:
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 cooling system and battery
The cooling system on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 uses a special module with a thinner heatsink. This allows for a greater number of fins to be installed and the total surface area to spread heat over a wider area.
Coupled with fans that have more fan blades than other laptops, ROG Zephyrus G14 not only has guaranteed air circulation but also overall better cooling performance. ASUS also designed the ErgoLift hinge, which makes the main body lift when the screen is opened so that the air cavity is wider. Yes, at first glance it looks reliable.
However, we think there are times when this cooling system is unable to disperse heat optimally when invited to run heavy games. On the part between the touchpad and the hot space button is quite excessive. The keyboard in the WASD area and the left and right sides of the keyboard also felt hot, making our hands sweat. The good news is, the performance tends to be stable.
About the battery, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has a pretty good endurance when asked to do light work. For those of us who work as writers and don’t really need applications that require high performance performance, using this laptop to complete tasks feels fun. Long battery life. Testing with PCMark 10 (work mode) was able to penetrate 9 hours.
For your information, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is equipped with a 180W charger adapter. According to ASUS, in order to provide maximum performance, gamers are required to install this 180W charger. Even so, the ROG Zephyrus G14 battery can still be recharged with a 65W charger.
Conclusion
ASUS ‘move to deliver a high-performance gaming laptop in a compact design that is easy to travel with deserves high appreciation. ROG Zephyrus G14 has proven to be a successful device that not only functions as a game machine, but is also ideal for supporting the work of professionals who are always mobile.
For those interested, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with a 1440p screen along with the same specifications as we reviewed in this article is sold for around USD $2,332.
The advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401IV-R9R6F8G):
- Compact and lightweight design for the size of a gaming laptop
- AniMe Matrix is able to present a cool appearance
- WQHD PANTONE Validated Display
- Fast performance, perfect for gaming and video editing
- Storage speeding
- The battery is quite durable
- Armory Crate makes it easy for gamers to access various features
- Audio is pretty steady
Lack of ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401IV-R9R6F8G):
- Hot body in certain areas, sometimes disturbing the comfort of playing
- It would be more interesting if equipped with a webcam
- There is no card reader
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (WQHD display) is ideal for: Gamers who travel a lot. A content creator who needs a device to work on a mobile basis.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (WQHD screen) is less than ideal for: Hardcore gamers who don’t need a slim laptop. Gamers who need a screen with a high refresh rate.
