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I have had several models of Zephyrus G14 on my desk over the past few months, and I have used them both as a daily driver and in various tests.
I’ve used the pre-sales and sales models in different configurations: in white and gray, with or without Anime Matrix LED display, with FHD 120Hz and QHD 60Hz displays, and with Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 configurations, so I can share a few thoughts about life with this laptop that should help you make your purchase decision.
Now I’ve already covered the G14 in an earlier thorough evaluation and comparison with the larger G15 and A15 models, which are based on similar AMD hardware, so this article is not another evaluation.
Instead, I will focus on some of the options you can choose, talk about the configuration of the Ryzen 9 4900HS and how it compares to the Ryzen 7 4800HS versions, and discuss what I think are some small software changes that Asus could implement to improve your daily experience with this laptop.
Asus Zephyrus G14 specification sheets under test
| Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401IV | |
| show | 14-inch, 2560 x 1440 px IPS 60Hz, 16:9, non-touch, matte, ActiveSync, AU Optronics B140QAN02.3 Panel or 14-inch, 1920 x 1080 px IPS 120Hz, 16:9, non-touch, matte, ActiveSync, CEC LM140LF-1F01 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS or Ryzen 9 4900HS, 8C/16T |
| Video | AMD Radeon Vega 7/8 + Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q 65W 6 GB GDDR6 (with Nvidia 442.74) |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz (8 GB solderable, 1x 8 GB DIMMs), up to 40 GB with 32 GB SDIMMs |
| Storage | 1x M.2 PCI x4 slot (1TB Intel 660p SSDPEKNW01 ) |
| Link | Wireless 6 (Intel AX200) 2×2, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ports | 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x USB-C gen 2 with DP1.4 and charging (left), 1x USB-C gen 2 for data only (right), HDMI 2.0b, headset/microphone, Kensington Lock |
| Battery | 76W, 180W power supply, USB-C charging up to 65W |
| Size | 324 mm or 12.75 inches (W) x 222 mm or 8.74 inches (D) x 19.9 mm or 0.78 inches (H) |
| Weight | 1.7 kg (3.75 lb) with aniseed matrix display, 1.64 kg (3.65 lb) without anise matrix display, 0.59 kg (1.3 lb) brick and power cable, EU version |
| Besides.., | White backlit keyboard, no webcam, quad speakers, finger sensor, optional animated matrix display |
Structure, inputs and anime display
Of course it is not possible to change the physical aspects at this stage. The G14 is what it is, a high-performance 14-inch laptop with an excellent keyboard, pretty good input/output and two good screen options, and a computer that runs hot when you play and blows some hot air on the screen. That’s what we talk about when we talk about gambling. We’ll also talk about reading on an external monitor with the lid closed.
The G14 is very pleasant and has an excellent grip. In terms of build quality, it’s not quite on the same level as a MacBook or Blade, but it’s close by, and I doubt there’s much to be said here about the build or design.
Asus offers a choice of white/silver (Mirage White) or dark grey (Space Gray). I generally prefer the first, the white and silver finish hide stains well, but this white model also comes with a disappointing silver keyboard. The problem is the low contrast when the white light is on. The backlight is not very bright and uniform, and the attached silver keys make writing difficult to read in many situations. Switching off the lights helps in some cases, but becomes a problem in other cases.
Can you live with that? Yes, of course. I prefer the grey version with black buttons and white backlight.
It is a pity that Asus omitted this detail, because the white version is the only one available in most regions, at least for now, and this keyboard is also one of the most beautiful you can find on an Ultrabook these days.
The secondary matrix representation of the anime must also be stated. A nice extra, I admit, but if I had a choice, I’d prefer the standard blanket. It still looks the same, with the same dimple pattern on half of the outside, but the models without an anime should be more affordable, and also slightly thinner and lighter (about 50 grams). However, Asus resembles Anime Matrix displays by default with high-end configurations in most regions.
Some of you don’t like these nooks and crannies and say they can accumulate dirt and dust over time. That may be true, but at the same time you have to accept what you have to accept here.
Screens
As far as the screens are concerned, you have a choice. While the basic configurations only get a fairly medium FHD 60Hz panel at 250 nits, the mid- and high-end versions are available with a 120Hz FHD panel or a 60Hz QHD panel. Both are matt, IPS and inviolable and in terms of specifications quite similar.
We tested both models and here is the result (with the X-Rite i1 Display Pro Sensor):
| 120 Hz FHD panel | 60Hz QHD panel |
|
|
For more information on these two devices, see our in-depth study of the G14.
In our tests, the FHD panel is 20% brighter, making it a better option for environments with intense lighting.
The QHD panel offers greater sharpness, deeper blacks and higher contrast, which is confirmed by the almost complete absence of light bleeding at the edges. In daily life it is almost impossible to notice these differences, even with two laptops next to each other, but the deeper blacks are noticeable when watching a movie in the evening.
However, there are other aspects to be taken into account. First of all there is the scaling up in Windows and various applications. Although you can use an FHD screen at 100% scale, most of you will probably use 125-150% scale on this panel, and at least 150% on a QHD panel. In general, the applications and browsers are well suited, but I noticed a blur in the QHD panel in Word or Winrar or Total Commander. I haven’t come across any applications that aren’t up to scale at all, but there may be some, especially older ones. In general, I expect that there will be occasional problems with conversations with both options, both on Windows and on older software. Of course not if you want to use the FHD panel on a 100% scale, but I can’t, my eyes need at least 125%.
The higher resolution of the QHD panel also affects battery life. No significant load, but the FHD model is expected to last 30 to 60 minutes longer with daily use and 1 to 2 hours longer with video load.
Finally, there’s a playful aspect. If you’re going to play a game on this laptop, the FHD panel is the obvious choice, with higher frame rates and more suitable resolution for the hardware inside, as the Max-Q 1660/2060 chipset fights QHD gaming. However, both panels support active synchronisation (which prevents the screen from tearing), and both are quite slow, with the response time of the GTG being about 40 ms. This means that ghosts can be seen in fast-paced games – which usually benefit from a higher frame rate.
I don’t play competitive games, so the mind is not a problem for me on any of these screens, but it’s something to keep in mind. If you like these titles, none of the screen options of the G14 will suit you, and instead you should choose the fastest 15-inch panels, such as those of the Zephyrus G15 or Zephyrus M15, or others.
G14 as a daily driver
I only used the Ryzen 7/9 version of the Zephyrus G14 with the RTX 2060 dGPU, but I don’t expect the other models to be different in daily use.
These G14s work cool and quiet while surfing the web, watching videos and multitasking every day. Asus offers different force profiles in the Arsenal drawer. The laptop runs on batteries and the Turbo and manual functions are available as an option when the laptop is connected. Silence is good for very light use and for video, but the laptop becomes lethargic at this setting, and it is not something I could imagine using.
Instead, I would probably leave it on Performance and only put it on Turbo at high load, because it increases the fan speed.
However, these fans are still active in both modes. They reach approximately 30-33 dB in silent / efficient mode during daily use, which is a sound level that the speakers can easily cover and that would not be noticed in a normal school/office environment. However, they are still audible in a quiet room, and I would like to have a setting that allows me to turn them off completely when watching videos or surfing, even with the resulting rise in temperature.
Update : There is now a way to turn off the basic fans manually. For more information, click here.
The laptop is cold as it is, the hottest part reaches temperatures in the mid thirties with daily use, and probably in the thirties with more intense multitasking.
I should also mention that the G14 has been indicted for some time. Inside is a 76-watt battery, enough for a 14-inch laptop, and the AMD Zen2 hardware is efficient, unlike previous Ryzen generations.
However, we did have some problems with the FHD model at 120 Hz, so Nvidia’s dGPU and battery were constantly put to the test. I had expected 120 Hz to be the culprit, but manually turning off the refresh at 60 Hz didn’t change anything about our machine. However, keep this tip in mind if you have a 120 Hz screen: Unlike other Zephyrus models, our G14 did not automatically switch to 60 Hz when disconnected from the wall, so it had to be done manually each time. Asus must automate this change. Maybe you can let me know in the comments if they did it for the detail models.
It seems that uninstalling the Radeon settings application and installing the driver manually should solve the dGPU query problem, so try it if your device’s battery is low (thanks @Wertzius for the suggestion in the comment section). In fact, I don’t have 120 Hz models anymore, and the retail QHD version worked well with the Radeon settings installed.
In short, I can only offer realistic results on battery life for the QHD retail model, with the display brightness set to about 120 nits (~70% brightness).
- 8W (~9+ hours usage) – Google Drive text editing, silent profile, screen set to 70%, Wi-Fi ON ;
- 7.6 W (~10 hours of operation) – Full Screen 1080p YouTube Video in Edge, Silent Profile, Screen set to 70%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 7.5 W (~10 hours usage) – Netflix Full Screen in Edge, Silent Profile, Screen set to 70%, Wi-Fi ON ;
- 10W (~7+ hours usage) – Onboard Display, Power Profile, 70% Screen, Wi-Fi ON ;
- 42 W (~1 h 30 min. usage) – Games – Witcher 3, no fps rate, power profile, 70% screen, Wi-Fi ON.
The GA401IV configuration comes with an updated and compact 180-watt power supply that still weighs 0.6 kg with the included cables. To power the components of this notebook a full-size brick was needed, but charging via USB-C is also supported via the USB-C port on the left side, up to 65W. A USB-C charger is not included, you will have to buy one on the site.
Game performance
With heavy workload and games, everything changes. On the Turbo, fans reach 44-45 dB at head height, which isn’t as loud as on other ultra-portable gamelaptops, but you’ll probably want to plug in headphones to hide them anyway.
The heat also builds up, both indoors and outdoors. The Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processors both run regularly at 90-95 degrees in races, and the RTX 2060 GPU has an average of 77-80 degrees in Turbo and slightly better performance. We’re gonna take another look downstairs.
Concerning the fan noise I repeat here our results (for the Ryzen 9 4900HS + RTX 2060 configuration) :
- Turbo – 45-46 dB in games (45 dB in Arsenal), up to 45-46 dB in the Cinebench loop test ;
- Performance is 41-42 dB in games (41 dB in the Weapons tab), and up to 42-43 dB in the Cinebench loop test;
- Quiet – 36-38 dB in games (35 dB in the Gun Box), 35-36 dB in the Cinebench loop test, 27-33 dB (23 dB in the Gun Box) in daily use.
Outdoor temperatures range from 40 to 50 degrees at the hottest points, but with this design, the WASD and arrow keys remain comfortable in the mid to high 30s. A lot of hot air is still blown into the screen, but a fairly large chin helps. So the plastic chin beats the temperature in the 40s, but the panel actually works a little colder, in the 40s, in the hottest places.
Details below, of our Ryzen 9 4900HS + RTX 2060 model.
* Games – Turbo – Play Far Cry 5 for 30 min, Turbo profile, fan at 45-46dB (43dB in cabinet)* Games – Performance – Play Far Cry 5 for 30 min, Performance profile, fan at 41-42dB (40dB in cabinet)* Games – Silence – Play Far Cry 5 for 30 min, Silence profile, fan at 36-38dB (33dB in cabinet)
Although the laptop in Silent runs quieter and cooler, this is accompanied by a significant drop in performance, so playing with this profile is currently not an option for most games. Also keep in mind that the lower configurations run cooler, especially the Ryzen 5 4600Hs + GTX 1650 Ti 50W base. Too bad it’s usually only available with a shitty 60 Hz screen.
Now, as far as gaming on this laptop is concerned, we have run a number of DX11, DX12 and Vulkan titles in the standard Turbo/Performance/Silent modes on FHD and QHD resolutions. Here’s what we’ve got:
| Ryzen 9 4900HS + RTX 2060 65W | FHD-turbo | FHD performance | FCD Silence | QHD-turbo |
| Battlefield V (DX 12, ultra-pre-set, beam tracks AUS) | 68 frames per second (46 frames per second – 1% drop) | – | 22 frames per second (18 frames per second or 1% less) | 49 frames per second (38 frames per second – 1% drop) |
| Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, Beam Tracking Mode On, DLSS Off) | 39 frames per second (28 frames per second is 1% less) | – | 12 frames per second (9 frames per second is 1% less) | 24 frames per second (15 frames per second is 1% less) |
| Dota 2 (DX 11, best preset appearance) | 92 frames per second (72 frames per second is a percentage of 1%) | – | 46 frames per second (39 frames per second – 1% drop) | – |
| Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Ultra Preset, SMAA) | 82 frames per second (66 frames per second – 1% decrease) | 80 frames per second (68 frames per second or 1% less) | 24 frames per second (21 frames per second, or 1% less) | 59 frames per second (51 frames per second – 1% drop) |
| Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (DX 11, Ultra Preset) | 113 frames per second (82 frames per second – 1% decrease) | 108 frames per second (79 frames per second or 1% less) | 28 frames per second (20 frames per second is 1% less) | 81 frames per second (61 frames per second, or 1% less) |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 (DX 12, ultra-optimized, TAA) | 61 frames per second (51 frames per second or 1% less) | 58 frames per second (49 frames per second – 1% drop) | 19 frames per second (16 frames per second is 1% less) | 44 frames per second (38 frames per second is 1% too much) |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider (DX 12, high preset, FXAA) | 80 frames per second (56 frames per second – 1% drop) | 78 frames per second (54 frames per second – 1% decrease) | 23 frames per second (17 frames per second, or 1% less) | 60 frames per second (46 frames per second – 1% reduction) |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DX 12, high preset, TAA) | 72 frames per second (52 frames per second – 1% decrease) | 69 fps (50 fps is a low rate of 1%) | 21 frames per second (15 frames per second is 1% less) | 54 frames per second (38 frames per second – 1% decrease) |
| The Foreign Brigade. (Volcano, ultra predetermined) | 106 frames per second (84 frames per second – 1% drop) | 101 frames per second (81 frames per second – 1% drop) | 27 frames per second (23 frames per second or 1% less) | 77 frames per second (62 frames per second – 1% drop) |
| Witch 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Ultra Preset, Haircut at 4) | 74 frames per second (57 frames per second – 1% decrease) | 73 frames per second (58 frames per second – 1% drop) | 19 frames per second (15 frames per second is 1% less) | 41 frames per second (32 frames per second is 1% less) |
- Battlefield V, The Witcher 3 – recording with the Fraps counter/in game FPS in campaign mode ;
- Far Cry 5, Middle Earth, Strange Brigade, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tomb Raider Games – registered with the reference utilities enabled;
- The optimized profile of Red Dead Redemption 2 is based on these parameters.
These results are about the same as those of the Ryzen 7 4800HS + RTX 2060 variant, which is not surprising given the great similarity of the processors, both are overpowered compared to the integrated 65W RTX 2060 dGPU, which is a limiting factor in both configurations.
Few people are upgrading to 8Core/16Threads now, and most support CPU usage between 15-30% at full GPU load. At the same time, all these games run the CPU and GPU at high hours and temperatures, as can be seen in the following logs of Witcher 3, FarCry 5, Dota 2 or Battlefield V.
The G14 works fine in all of these games, but I would like to be able to reduce the excess CPU power of these laptops, both the TDP and the frequency the Throttlestop provides to Intel laptops. Firstly, it would lower the temperature, and secondly, it would provide additional space for the GPU, which could improve the throughput on most replicas, particularly those in which the GPU is involved. Now, that’s just something Asus could implement in the game profile in the armory box, and you’ll see in the next section of this post that such a profile would work and help a lot with CPU temperature.
It may sound counterintuitive, but for me it makes sense on these unbalanced laptops with a large performance gap between the CPU and GPU. I already feel uncomfortable with devices that operate at such a high temperature. Of course they are within limits, but heat and electronics don’t mix, and in the long run I would feel more comfortable with a CPU running in the 80s and a GPU running in the mid 70s.
Update : This setting limits the frequency of the CPU and should solve most overheating problems. I no longer have the G14 to test it, but others have confirmed that it works.
An overhaul can help lower these temperatures, but don’t expect too much of it, and it will invalidate the warranty, and it’s not something most people would be willing to do. If you lift the notebook off the table, or better still, put it on a decent cooling stand, you can lower the temperature of the outdoor cabinet and GPU by 2-3 degrees, but in most titles the CPU will continue to rotate at 90-95 degrees.
Performance mode games should be an interesting option.
This profile reduces the fans to 41-42dB, compared to 45-46dB on Turbo, but it also limits the CPU a bit, which means it runs a bit cooler, with an average of 85-90 degrees. At the same time, this profile translates into a slight rise in GPU temperatures, which are now between 78 and 84 degrees Celsius, and a slight rise in outside temperatures. However, in combination with the cooling pad, the performance is probably the best balanced play parameter available.
In addition, the reduction to Silent limits both the CPU (up to 12W) and the GPU (up to 30W), with the fans running at 36-38dB in our tests. Of course this makes the laptop quieter and the internal components much cooler, but performance suffers and you’ll have to sacrifice settings to get decent images in most titles. The above table contains our data with the FHD Ultra settings, while we can expect average frame rates of 27-32 in Far Cry 5, Witcher 3 or Battlefield V on FHD media.
Looking at the logs above, I think there is room for a slightly higher GPU limit in this Silent profile, which would bring the average FHD frames to a range of 40 more playable.
Finally, playing on batteries on the Zephyrus G14 is only an option for older and simpler games, where the CPU is limited to 6W and the GPU to 30W.
Games on external display
Surprisingly, plugging in an external monitor and closing the lid somehow leads to the setting I mentioned in the previous paragraph: limited CPU power and full GPU. This translates into solid performance in most games at FHD resolutions and Ultra settings, with little or no difference to the game on the internal screen, but with a significant drop in CPU/GPU and external housing temperature.
When the laptop is simply placed on the table, the CPU averages 80-82 degrees in Witcher 3 and Far Cry 5, and the GPU averages 78-80 degrees.
By lifting the G14 off the table and maybe placing it in some kind of vertical stand, I lowered the temperature of the CPU to 78-80 degrees and the GPU to 70-75 degrees, which is the ideal temperature I was aiming for.
Of course, if you play with the lid closed, most panels will be exposed to temperatures between 40 and 40 degrees if you place this G14 on a vertical stand, and between 40 and 40 degrees on a table, so I recommend you use this stand. I have no recommendations, but don’t forget to choose something suitable for a 20mm thick laptop.
Overall, I did not expect this behaviour when I plugged in an external monitor.
However, I found that the game doesn’t work on the external monitor, but with the lid open. In this case, the processor continues to operate at more than 25 watts, but as soon as you close the lid, the power drops to about 15-20 watts, which is noticeable when the temperature drops. Asus lijkt een soort trekker te hebben die naar deze instellingen overschakelt wanneer hij detecteert dat de afdekking gesloten is, wat waarschijnlijk thermische schade aan het scherm zal voorkomen.
I also tried to disable the Vega GPU in the device manager to simulate this exact behavior on the internal screen, but it ended with crashes and poor performance in both Windows and games, so it’s not an option at the moment.
Update : Other G14 users have not been able to confirm this behavior on their G14, so I would appreciate it if you could try it on your device and see if you can confirm or deny my conclusions.
Upgrades, benchmarks and other performance tests
Finally, we must talk about the specifications and general characteristics of this configuration of the Rzyen 9 4900HS.
In short, the Ryzen 9 4900HS outperforms the Ryzen 7 4800HS for some CPU loads and test results, but for the most part they are between 2 and 7%, making the difference negligible under real conditions.
When it comes to upgrading, access to the components is easy and requires the removal of the rear panel. Here you have access to the SSD drive and only one memory card. All our G14 models are equipped with a 1TB Intel 660p drive, which is not as fast as some of the other options available, and you should consider upgrading if your workload requires higher speeds. However, it is suitable for everyday use and play.
As far as memory is concerned, the G14 receives partially soldered RAM and an additional DIMM. All our configurations are soldered with 8GB DDR4 3200 MHz and an additional 8GB DIMM of DDR4 3200 MHz (Micron 8ATF1G64HZ-3G2J1 to be precise) operating in two-channel mode. Dual channel memory makes a big difference in this laptop, especially for gaming, as explained in this article.
The memory slot can hold up to 32 GB of RAM, but only 16 GB operates in two-channel mode. You also need to search for a 3200 MHz DIMM in this laptop, otherwise the memory works on a lower frequency.
Finally, I would expect Asus to eventually offer G14 configurations with 16GB of memory soldered as they do with the G15, which would allow 32GB in two-channel mode, but at the moment this is not an option.
In terms of performance, we first test the overlay behaviour of the CPU by running Cinebench R15 10 or more times per cycle with a delay of 2-3 seconds between each run with the laptop on Turbo. At the moment there is no way to reduce the voltage or modify this processor, so the turbo stock profile is the best you can get here.
The Ryzen-9-4900HS processor is clocked at 3.4+ GHz, has 70+ degrees Celsius and scores 1670+ points. However, the CPU runs at 53+W for the first 5-8 games, giving a score of 1850+ points, and then starts to drop to its 35W TDP as shown in the graph below. For comparison, the Ryzen 7 4800HS runs at 42+W for the first few strokes before dropping to 35W, so the Ryzen 9 performs better under short loads.
The transition to power doesn’t change behavior, but this time it does. In both cases, the Ryzen 9 and 7 processors stabilized at 35W after more than 15 passes. By switching to Silent, the power of the TDP is further reduced to about 25W. Finally, the power is limited to only 25W on the battery and drops to 20W after a few starts in Performance mode (in which case the Turbo is switched off). Details below for both Ryzen 4 4900HS and 7 4800HS CPUs.
We tested our results in the more demanding Cinebench R20 loopback test and in Prime95. In short, the Ryzen 9 and 7 do the same work on longer routines, but the Ryzen 9 has an advantage over shorter bursts because it can work on a continuous power of 53W, while the Ryzen 7 only works on 42W.
We then performed a combined CPU+GPU 3DMark stress test. This test is carried out 20 times per cycle and looks for changes and deterioration in performance over time. All our configurations have passed with flying colours and demand consistent performance under extended combined loads.
We then performed all the tests and checks with the turboprofile in the case of the arsenal.
- 3DMark 13 – Shooting : 14205 (Graphs – 15179 Physics – 21546) ;
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy : 6136 (Graph – 5803, CPU – 9099) ;
- 3DMark 13 – Port Royal : 3320 ;
- Motor Overlay – 1080p Extreme : 3499 ;
- Uniengine Overlay – Environment 1080p : 11214 ;
- Handbrake 1.3.1 (4K coding at 1080p): average speed of 41.26 per second ;
- PassMark: Assessment: 5537, Processor number: 20041, 3D graphics brand : 9415 ;
- PCMark 10 : 5419 (Foundations – 9596 , Productivity – 6628 , Creation of digital content – 6793) ;
- GeekBench 4.4.2 64-bit : Single core: 5308, multi-core : 30017 ;
- GeekBench 5.0.1 64-bit : Single core: 1208, multi-core : 7822 ;
- CineBench R15 (best odometer reading) : Processor 1903 kb, single-core processor 191 kb ;
- CineBench R20 (best performance): 4184kb processor, 478kb single-core processor ;
- x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit : Pass 1 is at 221.82 fps, Pass 2 at 107.68 fps ;
- x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 32.48 s.
Please note that the GPU is already overclocked on the Turbo profile (+100MHz core/+130MHz memory) and running hot in most games, so there is little room for extra overclocking. Having said that, I would investigate this further if you consider connecting your laptop to an external monitor, as discussed in the previous paragraph.
We also performed work-related tasks on the same Turbo profiles:
- Blender 2.82 – BMW Car Stage – CPU Computing: 3m 22s (Turbo) ;
- Blender 2.82 – Cool Scene – CPU Computing: 10m 56s (Turbo) ;
- Luxmark 3.1 – Luxball HDR – OpenCL CPU + GPU Evaluation : CPU is not supported;
- SPEC Viewfinder 13 – 3DSMax : 139.54 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder Page 13 – Katia : 92.87 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder Paint 13 – Creo : 133.9 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder 13 – Energy : 13.68 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder Paint 13 – Maya : 162.47 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder 13 – Medical : 41.33 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder 13 – Showcase : 73.97 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder Paint 13 – SNX : 15.06 (Turbo) ;
- SPEC Viewfinder 13 – SW : 72.1 (Turbo).
As mentioned earlier, Ryzen 9 eventually beats Ryzen 7 in all these tests, but the difference is in the order of 1-10% and is reduced under long combined loads such as 3DSMax or Catia or Maya. In the mixer, however, the Ryzen 9 is about 10% better than our Ryzen 7 model.
Last but not least, you may be interested in the results of the Silent Profile, which keeps fan noise below 40 dB.
- 3DMark 13 – Shooting : 13704 (Graphs – 14752 Physics – 20363) ;
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy : 5846 (Graph – 5550, CPU – 8383) ;
- Blender 2.82 – BMW Car Stage – CPU Computing: 4m 08s (Turbo) ;
- Blender 2.82 – Cool Scene – CPU Computing: 12m 26s (Turbo) ;
- PCMark 10 : 5363 (Foundations – 9176, Productivity – 7459, Creation of digital content – 6118) ;
- GeekBench 5.0.1 64-bit : Mononuclear: 1201, multi-core: 6525 ;
- CineBench R20 (best odometer reading) : Processor 3595 kb, single-core processor 449 kb ;
- x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 35.58 s.
Of course there is a ~20% performance loss compared to the Turbo profile, but still the G14 works very well in this configuration and smokes most major Intel Core H platforms as partial performance and low noise. This underlines the key technological advantages of these Zen2 AMD platforms today, making them ideal for multi-wire loads.
Conclusion
After using the G14 in the last few weeks, my opinion hasn’t changed compared to the initial assessment.
Currently, there is no other notebook like the Zephyrus G14 with the same performance in the same compact form factor and in the same price range. The fact remains that this is a niche product with three potential culprits: Screen selection, silver keyboard on the white model and high internal temperature.
There’s nothing we can do about the choice of screen unless Asus can come up with a brighter, faster 120Hz FHD screen that could fill the gap for competing players. Regarding the choice between the existing FHD 120 HZ and QHD 60 Hz panels, I would opt for the former, it is brighter and there are significantly cheaper models available. As far as the silver keyboard is concerned, you can choose the room-grey model, which I recommend.
However, Asus could certainly do something about these temperatures by providing a game-optimized power profile that limits excessive CPU power to keeping things cool in games. This should not be difficult to implement, as the profile already seems to exist, but it only works automatically when playing on an external monitor and closing the laptop cover. Is that gonna happen? I hope so, but I won’t hold my breath.
Regarding the choice between the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processors, the Ryzen 9 is a slightly faster processor at high load, but at best it performs 5-10% better than the Ryzen 7 and probably less than 5% at high load. That is why the Raisen 7 model is theoretically the best value for money. However, you may still need to purchase a Ryzen 9 if you are targeting a specific display, GPU or memory capacity, and this varies from region to region.
Anyway, this will be one of my last articles on the Zephyrus G14 (see the full series here, a thorough review here, and a comparison with the AMD G15 and A15 options here), as I’m on my way to a bunch of other laptops waiting for my attention. But if you have any questions about the series, please contact us below, I will do my best to help you.
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