Asus’s ROG Zephyrus line of gaming laptops don’t really look like gaming laptops. They’d fit in at a business meeting just the same as they would at an esports tournament. ROG Zephyrus notebooks represent a breed of thinner, lighter machines that don’t feature the ostentatious design flair common among gaming laptops, but aim to deliver high-end performance typically associated with larger, bulkier notebooks.
In May, the Taiwanese firm refreshed its ROG line of gaming laptops with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, offering different SKUs across 14 and 16-inch models. At the time of the launch of its 2025 range of ROG laptops, Asus told Gadgets 360 that pre-orders for the new machines were the highest in recent years, despite the steep average price per unit of Rs. 2.5 lakh. Clearly, there’s a sizable demand for the latest models even at premium prices.
However, Asus still offers the ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 laptops from 2024, which feature OLED displays, AI-ready processors, and the same sleek aluminium-body design. And while the 2025 models are clearly an upgrade on the graphics front, last year’s models hold their own in nearly every other aspect. We tested out 2024’s Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605, using it for everyday work and intense gaming. More than a year after its launch, the laptop remains a versatile performer. But is it worth picking up in 2025, even with the new models out in the wild? Here’s what we found out in our time with it:
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 Design: Built for the Office
- Dimension – 354 x 246 x 149 ~ 164 mm
- Weight – 1.85kg
- Colour – Silver
The 2024 Zephyrus G16 is almost indistinguishable from the 2025 G16. At first glance, the laptop seems deceptively compact for a 16-inch model. The aluminium build keeps it incredibly light, too, at just 1.8kg. The thin and light design is paired with a clean aesthetic — the only visible gamer flair is the customisable diagonal lightbar. The same lightbar has been retained in the 2025 G14 and G16 models, too.
The build is quite sturdy, and you can lift the lid with one hand. There’s plenty of space on either side of the large trackpad to rest your palm while typing. The ports are placed conveniently on the left and right edges — a proprietary charging port, an HDMI 2.1 port, USB 4 Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack on the left; and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, and an SD card reader on the right.
The vents are located on the backside and the rear edge of the laptop, but this limits the hinge’s range of motion to 130 degrees — not a significant issue for a 16-inch laptop, as you’re less likely to work with it while lounging around.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2024 Display: OLED Extravagance
- Size and type – 16-inch OLED HDR panel, response time 0.2ms
- Resolution – 2.5K (2560 x 1600, WQXGA), 16:10 aspect ratio
- Refresh rate – 240Hz
The vibrant OLED display on the G16 is its standout feature. It’s a glossy panel that can get reflective in bright lighting conditions, but its vivid reproduction of colours, with 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, is excellent. The 16-inch display is great for watching films and gaming, producing pitch-dark blacks and crisp images.
The display is bright enough for indoor use (it reaches around 400 nits), especially with HDR enabled. A 16-inch laptop is not really meant to be carried outdoors, so the panel is more than adequate for both home and office environments. It supports Dolby Vision HDR, G-Sync/Adaptive-Sync, and a 240Hz refresh rate, making it an ideal panel for gaming.
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