JOIN USAsus ROG Zephyrus G14: A mighty performer
ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401 IV Specifications
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS/ AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 VRAM (Boost clock: 1285MHz, 65W)
Memory: Up to 32GB, DDR4 3200MHz SDRAM
SSD: M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 512GB/ 1TB
Display: 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz, 100% sRGB, Pantone Validated, adaptive sync
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100 sRGB, Pantone Validated, adaptive sync
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 60Hz, 100% sRGB, Pantone Validated
Keyboard: Backlit chicklet keyboard
Audio: 2 x 2.5W speakers; 2 x 0.7W tweeter, Array Microphones; Dolby Atmos
I/O ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort1.4 and power delivery; 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C; 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A; 1 x HDMI 2.0b; 1 x 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack; 1 x Kensington lock; Power: 180W power adaptor; Support Type-C PD 3.0 up to 65W
Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth: Intel Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.0
Dimensions: Width: 32.4cm; Depth: 22.2cm; Height: 1.79cm (Regular); 1.99cm (AniMe Matrix)
Weight: Regular: 1.6kg; AniMe Matrix: 1.7kg
OS: Windows 10 Home/ Pro
The first thing that one cannot help is to appreciate the looks and compactness of the Republic of Gamers Zephyrus G14 laptop. But its small size is obviously no indicator of its prowess and will be a gamer’s delight.
Gaming machines have become popular these days. The G14 we reviewed came with the new AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (with 6 GB of VRAM), both of which make for a powerful machine. The processor has 8 cores, 16 threads with a base clock speed of 3.0 GHz and going up to 4.3 GHz when boosted. Yes, this combination is going to be great for gaming, but it can also be for demanding tasks like video work. With specs like in the review set we got, this is probably more suited for content creators.
Physical characteristics:
The G14 is compact in size and not too heavy. This makes it easy to carry around.
The body of the G14 is made of magnesium alloy and the build quality is just awesome. On the right are two USB 3.0 ports, a Type-C port and a Kensington lock provision. On the left side are the power adapter connector, HDMI port, Type-C port (with DisplayPort and laptop charging capabilities) and a 3.5 mm audio-out. There are heat vents on either side.
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Opening the top can be done with one hand and the hinges are very smooth. The hinges are so placed that on opening the top the laptop gets raised a little and Asus calls this the Ergo Lift that helps with a stance for comfortable typing. There are heat vents that fire towards the bottom of the display.
The keyboard layout looks very neat. Just above the regular keys on the left are the volume up and down, mute and the Armoury Crate hotkeys. Towards the right is the power button that doubles up as the fingerprint sensor (which works well). The backlit (this could have been better) keys give a good feel while typing and the touchpad is comfortable to use. The spacebar is slightly wider on the left half. This could be useful to some while gaming.
The screen bezel is very thin, but the G14 does not have a webcam.
One of the coolest features of the G14 is the optional AniMe Matrix. This is an LED array that can display the time, gifs, customised text scrolling or one can also have a spectrum analyser while playing music. Naturally, the cost goes up substantially if you want this feature.
Performance:
We reviewed the 16 GB RAM version (one 8 GB module is soldered and the other is removable) and gaming was a breeze. While playing Asphalt 9: Legends, the 14-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel offered a good visual experience at 60Hz (there is also a 120 Hz display option). Thanks to the CPU-GPU combination that we tested, it was a seamless experience.
The sound quality is pretty good. There are two tweeters just below the keyboard, while there are two more speakers in the bottom panel. The mid and high frequencies are very good, but bass it limited. The G14 has Dolby Atmos and sound modes can be changed.
With the Armoury Crate, the performance can be adjusted according to the task the G14 is being used. There are Silent, Performance, Turbo preset modes but there is a Manual mode to adjust computer performance according to the need. There is a basic Windows mode as well.
The fans can get noisy sometimes, but with demanding tasks like gaming, this is to be expected.
The battery easily lasts 10 hours with normal tasks and a fairly bright screen. This can be charged with the 180W power adaptor or there is an addtional option of a 65W Type-C charger that can be carried along with the laptop. This compact charger might make sense because the 180W charger is quite big.
The G14 is a very capable machine, whether it is for gaming or other demanding uses. Of course, the high-spec version can be a bit pricey, but it is worth it.
The price of Zephyrus G14 we reviewed with a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 and AniMe Matrix is Rs 1,61,990. The G14 with AniMe Matrix starts from Rs 98,990 and without AniMe Matrix starts from Rs 80,990.
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