Recently, we reviewed the Zephyrus G14 GA402, the 2022 model of ASUS ROG’s highly regarded gaming laptop. Much like the first G14 that we reviewed, the 2022 GA402 model did not disappoint as it proved once again to be the ultimate gaming laptop, but not for the reason that you might think.
When someone says, “ultimate gaming laptop,” the gaming notebook that comes to mind is something that can perform to the level of a full-size gaming PC. And while the Zephyrus G14 is a powerful gaming machine, its performance is decidedly in the mid to upper mid-range of gaming hardware. Sure, its Ryzen 9 6900H and Radeon RX 6800S combo is powerful, but it’s performance won’t equal that of the top-of-the-line gaming PCs that you can build (provided you can get a new GPU at a good price). In fact, even when compared to ASUS ROG’s other laptops such as the new Zephyrus Duo 16, its performance isn’t exactly a match.
So, what makes the G14 the ultimate gaming laptop for us? Well, it’s the fact that it’s an actual gaming machine that you can bring with you everywhere, without sacrificing performance.
We mentioned how the new Zephyrus G14 is outperformed by even other gaming laptops. But you have to remember, gaming laptops that outperform the G14 are all much larger devices. Sure, there have been major innovations when it comes to making gaming laptops thinner and lighter, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a gaming laptop that can fit most backpacks or shoulder bags like the G14 can.
In my experience reviewing gaming laptops, the G14 is the only gaming laptop that I’ve been able to bring with me in my backpack. As my backpack is designed to fit only up to 14-inch notebooks, I was out of luck with bringing the other gaming laptops with me to a café or a meeting for instance.
Most of the gaming laptops that you can get now are pretty much desktop replacements, unless you’re fine with lugging around a large notebook with you when going out. Given this, if you’re someone who often goes outside for work, you’ll likely need another, more portable laptop for when you need to travel.
But if you have a Zephyrus G14, you can get a powerful enough machine when at home for your gaming needs, all while having a laptop that’s easy to bring with you everywhere you go. And if you think that you’ll be chained to a power outlet, think again as the G14 has a surprisingly long battery life. In our test of the laptop, it drained only by around 10% after 1 hour of browsing/MS Office use, meaning it can last for a full workday if you can’t find an outlet (provided you don’t game or edit videos on it of course). This result is impressive as it matches even other premium ultrabooks when it comes to battery life.
This impressive battery life also doesn’t mean the processor isn’t capable though. When plugged in, the Ryzen 9 6900H and Radeon 6800x combo proved to be capable of running demanding triple A titles, even at the laptop display’;s native resolution.
Here is a quick rundown of the laptops’ performance:
Take note, while the performance might not seem impressive at first, these games were played at a resolution higher than 1080p. If you bring down the resolution to full HD, you’ll get higher frame rates that take advantage of the 120Hz refresh rate display.
Speaking of the display, the Zephyrus G14 comes with a 14-inch screen. This might be smaller than other gaming laptops, but the quality is still just as good, if not even better. On top of this, the display on the G14 features adaptive sync technology, meaning you get a tear-free gaming experience. For comparison, other gaming laptops also feature high refresh rate displays, but with no adaptive sync so the gaming experience isn’t as smooth.
Based on its portability, performance, battery life, and display, the Zephyrus G14 GA402 is an excellent gaming laptop. Though it does come at a cost as the Ryzen 9 model is priced at PHP 134,995 (the Ryzen 7 variant is a bit more affordable at PHP 119,995). But if you buy a desktop replacement laptop along with an ultrabook, that’s going to cost you a lot more, much more so if you get a full gaming PC with a portable laptop. In this regard, the Zephyrus G14 can function as a true all-in-one solution for your gaming and portability needs, making it, in our eyes, the ultimate gaming laptop that you can get if you have the budget for it.
Want to know more about the Zephryus G14 2022 model, check out our review here:
For more info on the Zephryus G14, visit the official product page.