Reviewing the best gaming laptops is a great privilege, as I get to try out the newest machines and play some of the latest games as part of my job. But I am asking for your pity today dear reader, for the sake of my back.
Too often lugging around these gaming laptops is an ordeal – they are often heavy machines, and the chargers make the total package even heavier. On top of my usual backpack load, I find myself sinking into the pavement when out and about.
But not this time. Thanks to the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, herein lies a stellar gaming laptop package in a smaller footprint than most, cutting the weight – but not compromising on power.
ROG Zephyrus G14: Price & availability
The ROG Zephyrus G14 I was loaned to review features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 8000 series CPU. This is pretty much the top specification you can get for this machine (there is no RTX 4080 or 4090 version) and will set you back around £2399/$2499.
ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Design
If you come from the school of thought that MacBooks are the best-looking laptops out there, then the ROG Zephyrus G14 will be right up your alley. It resembles Apple's machines quite a bit.
The G14 has an ultra-slim profile (it's just 1.59cm thick), is gloriously lightweight (only 1.5kg) and has a lovely premium quality to its all-aluminium body. It's even available in a choice of black (the same colour as my review model, as pictured) or a brand new Platinum White finish that looks very slick.
One thing you won't find on a MacBook is an illuminated slash on the back of the lid. A ROG trademark, I'm a really big fan of this indulgence. It's the one feature on the laptop that screams 'gaming!' and makes it feel special, especially when you customise it with different lighting patterns.
The drop from a 16-inch display to 14-inch one shouldn't feel like a lot, but it really does make travelling around with this laptop a breeze. Design-wise the G14 is one big (or not so big) tick. There is of course a place in my heart for giant RGB lighthouses, but this is a rare gaming laptop I wouldn't mind using in any location.
ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Display
Yes the screen on the G14 is only 14-inches across the diagonal – but that's not to say it doesn't pack a punch.
The G14 and the new ROG Zephyrus G16 are the first ROG gaming laptops with OLED displays – and it shows. OLED is particularly great for displaying rich blacks, thanks to individual per-pixel illumination, so games with lots of sneaking and shadows like Deathloop look great.
The G14 has a 3K (2880 x 1800) resolution display and a refresh rate of 120Hz. That's an impressive showing, and while we would have loved a slightly higher refresh rate, 120fps is more than enough for smooth gaming, especially with the 0.2ms response time.
ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Performance
You might think with its dinky size that the G14 can't play with the big boys when it comes to performance. And while admittedly it's not quite king of the playground, it very much holds its own.
The model I have on review features an AMD Ryzen 9 8000 series processor – which is a pretty serious CPU, especially when paired with 32GB of RAM, as it is here.
As for the graphics, Asus has opted to max out the G14 with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. There is no way for a 4080 or 4090 option to fit in the laptop's tiny frame, and I think 95% of users won't notice.
Obviously, with any gaming laptop, the proof is in the playing – and I did indeed put the G14 to the test. An RTX 4070 isn't the most expensive GPU out there but it's still enough to get some fantastic performance on AAA titles, and the quality of the display will go a long way to making visuals pop.
Playing Deathloop on the mouth-watering Ultra settings, I managed a consistent frame rate of just over 40fps. When running on battery power I managed an impressive 35fps (which is nice to see). Running Starfield on Ultra I was impressed to get between 30-40fps, while on battery power it was locked to 30fps – pretty impressive to have a whole galaxy running smoothly on such a small machine.
When pushing it to the limit the fans will become more noticeable, but never obnoxiously so. It isn't one of the louder gaming laptops I've tested. However, I did find that the G14 would occasionally get pretty warm, never dangerously so, but not comfortable to the touch.
If you're into your benchmark scores then I can provide those too: the CPU registered a single-core score of 1222 and a multi-core score of 5747. As for the GPU, the G14 posted a measure of 92,264 using Geekbench to measure.
ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Features
In general use, this laptop is a joy to use. There's plenty under the hood to get everyday tasks done and the keyboard is a very satisfying one to use that's well-spaced – even in such a small frame.
Some 14-inch ultra-slim laptops are very stingy when it comes to ports, but that's not the case here. While you won't find Thunderbolt 4 speeds, there are two USB-A 3.2 ports, a 3.2 USB-C port, and a USB4 Display Port connection. Throw in an HDMI and 3.5mm audio jack and you should be covered for pretty much any eventuality.
There's a 1080p webcam too for crystal-clear video calls, too, and while it doesn't have a privacy slider that's nothing a bit of tape can't fix.
ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Battery life
I find myself saying it every time with gaming laptops, but the battery life of the G14 isn't going to win any prizes. Understandably given the machine's size, the battery isn't a full-sized 99Whr unit. Instead, we have a 73Whr battery which, when using the G14 as a normal machine (i.e. not playing games), can get you around 4-5 hours.
It's a little bit disappointing that a machine so portable requires you to be chained to the wall so much though. When gaming you will realistically be lucky to get an hour of unplugged play.
The saving grace is that the charger is much smaller than some other gaming laptops I've seen, and barely a little chunkier than a regular laptop charger.
ROG Zephyrus G14 review: Verdict
The 16-inch laptop space is a heavily congested fight between some big-name machines, but the 14-inch pool is comparatively quiet. In my mind, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is the best 14-inch gaming laptop for most people.
While the slim design is obviously eye-catching, this laptop is more than just a pretty face. The display is superb and the gaming performance is solid.
Yes, the battery life is lacklustre, but provided you're not on top of a mountain, you should have no problems carrying both the charger and laptop around to enjoy your favourite games anywhere.
Also consider
If portability is your main concern and you don't fancy the G14, then you'll probably want to look at the HP OMEN 16 Transcend. It's not as slick as the ROG in my view, but has a 16-inch display without the bulk of other offerings. It's also not particularly showy, so if you're trying not to stand out that might appeal.
Perhaps you don't mind going bigger? Then sticking with the ROG brand is a compelling thought. The ROG Strix Scar 16 is a powerhouse machine with a price tag to boot, but it also features some of the best audio we've seen (well, heard) on a gaming laptop.
Of course, our favourite is the MSI Raider GE 78 HX, but the massive price tag isn't going to be for everyone. It's worth it if you can afford it though.
