When my five-year-old gaming laptop finally gave up the ghost last month (in the middle of a Starfield session, no less), I found myself diving headfirst into the current gaming laptop market. After weeks of research and hands-on testing, I’ve found a serious contender worth talking about: the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024). And yes, while I was initially looking at several options including the Gaming Laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, the ROG Strix G16 ultimately won me over for reasons I’ll get into shortly.
First Impressions and Design Elements
Let me start by saying that unboxing a new gaming laptop still gives me that Christmas morning feeling, even after reviewing them for over a decade. The ROG Strix G16 arrived in ASUS’s signature premium packaging, and my first thought was “wow, this thing means business.”
The 2024 model features a refined design that balances gamer aesthetics with professional sensibilities. It’s sleek without being boring, aggressive without looking like a transformer that got stuck mid-transformation (I’m looking at you, gaming laptops circa 2018).
Build Quality and Portability
The aluminum chassis feels solid — no flexing or creaking when typing or picking it up from one corner. At just under 5.5 pounds, it’s not ultralight by any means, but I’ve been carrying it in my backpack between my home office and local coffee shop without developing any new back problems.
The dimensions are reasonable considering the power packed inside. I particularly appreciate the reduced footprint compared to previous ROG models, making it actually usable on my lap when I’m working from the couch (a rare feat for gaming laptops).
Display That Demands Attention
The 16-inch QHD+ 240Hz display is… well, I wasn’t prepared for how good it would be. Coming from my older laptop, the difference was immediately obvious in everything from gaming to watching Netflix.
Colors pop without looking oversaturated, the 240Hz refresh rate makes even simple things like moving windows around feel buttery smooth, and the 3ms response time means no ghosting in fast-paced games. I’ve been playing a lot of Forza Horizon 5 lately, and the sense of speed and clarity while drifting through Mexico is honestly breathtaking.
Performance: Where It Really Matters
Alright, let’s talk about what’s under the hood. While my research initially included the Gaming Laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 5700U for its excellent price-to-performance ratio, the ROG Strix G16 configuration I tested comes with Intel’s latest Core i9 processor paired with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU.
Raw Gaming Power
The performance is, in a word, exceptional. I threw everything I could at this machine, from CPU-intensive strategy games like Total War: Warhammer III to ray-tracing showcases like Cyberpunk 2077, and it handled everything with aplomb.
Some quick benchmarks:
- Cyberpunk 2077 (High settings, ray tracing medium): 85-95 FPS
- Forza Horizon 5 (Ultra settings): 110-120 FPS
- Counter-Strike 2: 300+ FPS (limited by the engine more than the hardware)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Ultra settings): 85-100 FPS
What impressed me most wasn’t just the raw numbers but the consistency. Even during extended gaming sessions, I didn’t notice any significant thermal throttling or performance degradation that’s common with many gaming laptops.
Cooling System and Thermal Performance
Speaking of thermals, the cooling system deserves special mention. ASUS has implemented what they call “Intelligent Cooling” with liquid metal compound on the CPU, multiple heat pipes, and strategically placed fans.
During my testing, after a 3-hour session of Cyberpunk 2077, the CPU peaked at 86°C while the GPU stayed around 75°C. Those numbers are impressive for a gaming laptop running a demanding title for that long. I could definitely feel hot air blasting out of the vents, but the keyboard and palm rest remained cool enough for comfortable use.
The fans get loud under full load — there’s no getting around that — but they’re not as whiny or irritating as some other gaming laptops I’ve tested. And in balanced mode for everyday tasks, they’re practically silent.
Beyond Gaming: Productivity and Creative Work
As a content creator who occasionally edits videos and does some graphic design work, I need my gaming laptop to pull double duty. The ROG Strix G16 didn’t disappoint here either.
Content Creation Performance
Adobe Premiere Pro rendered a 10-minute 4K video in just under 6 minutes. Photoshop and Lightroom handled my RAW photo editing without any lag, even with multiple adjustment layers. I even tried some 3D modeling in Blender, and while I’m no expert, the performance seemed excellent for a laptop.
The combination of the powerful CPU, dedicated GPU, and fast DDR5 RAM makes for a versatile workstation that can handle just about anything you throw at it.
Keyboard, Trackpad, and I/O
Let me tell you about this keyboard — it’s probably the best I’ve used on a gaming laptop. The per-key RGB lighting is customizable and looks great, but more importantly, the typing experience is excellent. There’s good travel, tactile feedback, and a layout that doesn’t require retraining your muscle memory.
The trackpad is larger than previous ROG models and feels precise. Of course, I’m using a gaming mouse for actual gaming, but for general browsing and productivity, the trackpad is more than adequate.
As for ports, the selection is generous:
- 2x USB-C (one with Thunderbolt 4 support)
- 2x USB-A
- HDMI 2.1
- Ethernet
- 3.5mm audio jack
- SD card reader
I particularly appreciate the inclusion of both Thunderbolt and a dedicated Ethernet port — a combination that’s becoming increasingly rare but is incredibly useful for both gaming and large file transfers.
Battery Life and Portability
Gaming laptops aren’t known for battery life, and while the ROG Strix G16 won’t be winning any awards in this category, it’s better than I expected.
For general productivity work with the screen at about 50% brightness, I consistently got around 5-6 hours. For gaming, well, you’ll want to stay plugged in — I got about 1.5 hours of Forza Horizon 5 at medium settings before needing to find an outlet.
The 280W power adapter is fairly chunky, but that’s par for the course with high-performance gaming laptops. ASUS does include USB-C charging capability for light tasks when you don’t want to lug around the main charger, which is a thoughtful addition.
Software Experience
ASUS’s Armoury Crate software has come a long way in recent years. It provides easy access to performance modes, lighting controls, and system monitoring. I particularly like the ability to create custom profiles for different games that automatically activate when you launch the game.
There’s still some bloatware — McAfee antivirus being the most annoying — but overall the software experience is clean and useful rather than intrusive.
The Sound of Gaming
The audio system on the ROG Strix G16 is… actually good? This caught me by surprise since laptop speakers are usually an afterthought, but these Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers produce clear, loud sound with a decent amount of bass for a laptop.
Are they going to replace a good headset or external speakers? No. But for watching YouTube videos or casual gaming without headphones, they’re more than adequate. The positional audio is particularly impressive in games like Apex Legends where sound cues are crucial.
Value Proposition and Conclusion
So here’s the million-dollar question (or rather, the two-thousand-dollar question): Is the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024) worth the investment?
If you’re looking for a high-performance gaming laptop that doesn’t make too many compromises, my answer is a resounding yes. The combination of powerful hardware, excellent cooling, a gorgeous display, and thoughtful design touches makes for a package that feels premium and purposeful.
Is it perfect? No. The battery life could be better, it’s still a bit chunky compared to non-gaming laptops, and the price puts it firmly in the premium category. But for what it offers, I think it’s actually reasonably priced in today’s market.
For those looking at alternatives, I did consider several models with the Gaming Laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor for their excellent value proposition, but the overall package of the ROG Strix G16 won me over for my specific needs.
If you’re interested in checking out the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2024) for yourself, I found the best deal here: ASUS ROG Strix G16 on Amazon
At the end of the day, a gaming laptop is an investment in both work and play. After three weeks of using the ROG Strix G16 as my daily driver, I can confidently say it’s an investment that pays off in performance, versatility, and just plain enjoyment. And really, isn’t that what we’re looking for in a gaming laptop?
