The year 2024 brought a plethora of exceptional gaming laptops — ranging from sleek and transportable devices like the HP Omen Transcend 14 to the massive Alienware m18 R2. Selecting my favorite seemed challenging, but one laptop outshined all others.
And which gaming laptop is that? It’s none other than the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. As I mentioned in my Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review, this laptop feels tailor-made for me. It encompasses everything I desire: a simple design, robust performance, and an OLED screen. The fact that numerous colleagues were also captivated by the Zephyrus G14 highlights just how remarkable this device is.
Continue reading to discover why the Asus Zephyrus G14 is my preferred laptop of 2024 and why I recommend you to check it out.
Subdued design
Gaming laptops used to be heavy devices that could dazzle you with their intense RGB lighting. While such machines still exist, there’s been a shift towards designs that are more toned down, minimizing or completely removing RGB lighting. The Zephyrus G14 exemplifies this trend as it hardly resembles a gaming laptop.
I wouldn’t fault anyone for confusing Asus’ gaming laptop with a MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 since it carries a flat, practical design. If not for the diagonal illumination on its lid, you might not even realize it was a gaming device. That’s a significant advantage, especially when I’m working in a café or restaurant.
Despite its relatively slim profile, the Zephyrus G14 boasts a generous selection of ports. It includes a couple of USB-C ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and a microSD card slot. Additionally, it has two USB-A ports for older accessories. The laptop’s aluminum chassis is also quite durable and feels pleasant to carry when moving around.
Brilliant display
The vibrant and colorful 14-inch (2880 x 1800) 120Hz OLED display makes games, videos, and websites shine at their best. Although you don’t receive 4K resolution, 1800p is more than sufficient for clear visibility on this 14-inch screen. While I wish the colors were slightly more saturated, the more realistic tones appear fantastic.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) | HP Omen Transcend 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Nits (brightness) | 391 (SDR) | 392 (SDR) |
| sRGB | 114.4% | 190.6% |
| DCI-P3 | 81.1% | 135% |
| Delta-E | 0.3 | 0.2 |
I played titles such as Doom Eternal and Cyberpunk 2077 and was astounded by how fantastic they looked on the Zephyrus G14’s screen. The OLED display delivers a striking contrast between dark and light aspects, enhancing color vibrancy. The 120Hz refresh rate and 0.2ms response time guarantee seamless performance without noticeable input delay.
Impressive performance
Finally, the Zephyrus G14’s outstanding performance stands out. My review device is equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU, an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. These specifications enable the unit to execute a variety of games at the laptop’s native 1800p resolution with high settings without compromising performance.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) | HP Omen Transcend 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed: Mirage | 56 fps | 66 fps |
| Dirt 5 | 58 fps | 30 fps |
| Far Cry 6 | 55 fps | 40 fps |
| Grand Theft Auto V | 40 fps | 31 fps |
Throughout my assessment, I played the previously mentioned Doom Eternal and Cyberpunk 2077 at 1800p with elevated graphical settings. I activated Nvidia’s frame-enhancing DLSS to ensure smoother gameplay. Under those configurations, Doom Eternal delivered an incredibly smooth 120 to 130 frames per second while Cyberpunk 2077 achieved between 45 to 55 fps, which is impressive for that specific game. Both games also performed adequately without DLSS engaged, losing approximately 10 to 15 fps each.
Clearly, the Zephyrus G14 effortlessly manages regular tasks. It never lagged, even when having more than 30 Chrome tabs open with a YouTube video playing in the background. Those in pursuit of a gaming laptop that can also serve as their daily device for work and leisure will not be let down. The Zephyrus G14 possesses ample capability for nearly any undertaking.
Final Thoughts
With CES 2025 approaching, we anticipate numerous announcements for new gaming laptops. Could any of these devices surpass the Asus Zephyrus G14 as my preferred gaming laptop? It’s conceivable, although it won’t be a straightforward task since Asus’ laptop is virtually flawless.
However, even if an alternative device (perhaps even a successor) manages to usurp it, the Zephyrus G14 will remain one of the most exceptional gaming laptops ever produced.