ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RK 14″ QHD 120Hz 16:10 Gaming Laptop (AMD Ryzen 9-6900HS, AMD Radeon RX 6800S, 16GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Windows 11)

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good gaming laptop
The build quality is excellent and the performance is right up there with the quickest laptops. I’m very impressed with both the integrated Radeon graphics and the dedicated 6800S GPU.

I’m not keen on the split enter key – not what we expect in the UK, and a bit frustrating to type on. I’ve got three decades of muscle memory using a double row enter key. The only other annoyance is the light bleed on the display – not acceptable on a premium laptop. I would have returned for another, but it seems like they all have it, so I’ve chosen to live with it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good laptop let down by terrible coil whine.
I got this used from the Amazon Warehouse in supposed ‘Very Good’ condition, and low and behold, it arrived in pristine condition. The box was clearly worn however, and because of the strange way Asus design their boxes, to basically holster the laptop as you’re opening the lid, it broke, and was an absolute pain to close the box again without essentially removing a piece of cardboard.

Now, as for the laptop itself. It’s one of the flagship configurations for the 2022 model, with a 6900HS, and 6800S making it an excellent choice for high end gamers. I was particularly excited, not having owned a small gaming laptop since the days of the Blade Stealth from Razer. But i also cautioned myself against spending a truckload of money on a new Blade 14 or something because i don’t really play anything intensive. Anyhow, i tried my hands on this G14, and out of the box i was immediately impressed. It feels premium enough for me not to complain about it, even if it can’t quite match the Blade’s unibody chassis. I’ve personally never been that keen on ROG gaming laptops, having owned the Z13, X13 (2023) and X16 (2023) which all produced uncomfortably high pitched fan noise. So first turning the machine on, i was anxious it would just be another return because of horrible fan noise, but much to my delight, the fans sounded really pleasant. There was a hint of that high pitched whine, but i was barely able to make it out of the usual whoosh you get from spinning fans. From there on, i honestly thought i’d finally settled on something i’d be happy to use for years to come…until i started using the laptop unplugged. When away from the wall, on silent mode (in which the fans remain at 0db the entire time thanks to Ryzen’s efficiency), i could make out a faint high pitched electronic noise being emitted from the laptop; faint because i had my fan heater on. Placing my ears closer to the right side of the chassis confirmed it was coil whine, an unusually high pitched coil whine. I turned the heater off, and naturally, the electronic noise became ever more prominent. It’s fair to say i’ve grown accustom to the usual coil whine you find in laptops these days, but the G14 produces coil whine like no other. It’s high pitched to the extent where you feel you’ll get a headache after a few minutes. It’s not a pleasant noise, let’s put it that way.
Starting to get a bit infuriated, i started perusing online forums to see if this is more common ground than i initially thought, and there was a forum on Reddit discussing solutions to this issue; so clearly this isn’t a one off, or simply a faulty unit. It’s just a thing with this laptop it seems. Ways to supress the coil whine were discussed on the forum, but they did nothing to really cure the issue. Potential ways of ameliorating the problem were to increase the keyboard backlight brightness to maximum and insert a power drawing usb dongle or something into one of the laptop’s ports. But It was still audible, albeit a little less. To me, as far as i’m concerned, this is unacceptable. I can’t possibly use a laptop knowing i’d probably get a headache the moment i disconnected the machine from it’s power adapter.

I’ll devote a brief section about the good, because none of this matters for me. The keyboard is a delight to use, but the trackpad rattles. Display gets very bright, but i would have liked it dimmer at it’s lowest level. Speakers, hailed as some of the best by some mediums, are ok but i wouldn’t consider them that good, my latitude 9330 sounds quite a bit fuller. Performance is great, falling more closely in line with the 6800M than the 6700M. It get’s hot, but that’s to be expected from a 6nm chip. Temperatures aren’t a concern for me. I could most certainly elaborate on everything regarding the good, but the coil whine overshadows it all. Sorry, but i just can’t recommend it because of that. To my knowledge, there isn’t a hardware fix around this, nor, from the looks of things, a software fix. I will be sending the laptop back.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value for money
I’ve been using this laptop for the past few months, and the performance has been great. As a student, this was an affordable option for a gaming laptop which can also double as a work laptop. The silent fan settings are great for when I’m attending lectures or working in a public area since it makes no sound at all. As for gaming, the laptop can’t really handle when fans are running too high as games have crashed when I turn it up, but works perfectly fine if you moderate it, and it’s easy to customize these settings. I also love the white design of the laptop, and it’s also not very heavy as a gaming laptop, which gives me an easier time carrying it around. Also, as a previous Macbook user, I found that using a Windows laptop for applications such as OneNote and other Microsoft apps to be much better. I was able to perform many functions more easily using shortcuts, which weren’t available in Macbooks, so that’s a plus.

1.0 out of 5 stars IF YOU WANT A GAMING MACHINE, THIS AINT THE ONE FOR YOU! 🙁
If a gaming laptop is what you are looking for then this is not for you – 100% mission abort!

On paper the AMD config [CPU + GPU] should communicate well together to produce a smooth gaming experience. However, no matter how you adjust settings for GPU, fans or power etc. frame rate is pretty low, the CPU struggles to the point that is becomes unusable. Playing Fortnite the graphics card is unable to produce any fine detail and at times it cant produce colour correctly. I have an Nvidia 3070Ti that blows the Raedeon RX6800S out of the water. It has never let me down and produces excellent results every single time. The core temperatures reach between 85-90c very quickly and you can literally smell the insides cooking even when the fans are on full belt!

Speaking of temperatures, the machine has no effective cooling not just for gaming but it seems to overheat even when performing basic windows tasks or when at idle. The keyboard becomes defunct due to the heat as it is too hot to touch and my fans sounded absolutely terrible. I am not just talking your typical fan noise but they made a creaky snapping like sound that could only be drowned out by the use of headphones. Another thing to consider is that the vents face on to the screen of the device due to the engineering of Asus hinges. I would be concerned long term about the screen life as even though I am sure his has been tested, I cant see that it is heat-proof. As the temperatures run hot 95% of the time I used it, I would have concerned for the heat reducing screen quality and life.

The screen quality of the 120Hz config is really poor. Colour accuracy is rubbish and the sharpness, contrast and brightness lets the device down big time. I have a Google Pixel 8 and the screen quality is better on there than the laptop. When you are gaming the screen mode changes with filters that you can manually change but the temperature colours give a magenta and blue tint that is really over done. It ruins any colour accuracy and makes shadows too dark and contrasts too black when gaming. This can make movement in games diffcult to detect or make your reactions and responses delayed.

The keyboard travel time is pretty good and the keyboard is extremely easy to adapt to. The only issue is the RGB backlight. It is extremely faint and is barely visible through the keys. Bare this in mind if backlighting is important to you. The track pad is very good and responsive.

The laptop is very portable and light for a ‘gaming’ laptop. I really cant use this for gaming in any way shape or form. I had to return it as it is unable to function for gaming unless you just like to play solitaire. AAA games are going to struggle every single time! I am still to be convinced that a small form factor is able to produce the same qualities for gaming as a 15.6″+ can. Someone please prove me wrong as I would really like a great 14″ gaming laptop. All I know is that this is not it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishingly Brilliant
I must express my sheer enthusiasm for the ASUS Zephyrus G14, a laptop that has left me utterly impressed. Let me share my excitement about this remarkable device:

Exquisite Design and Portability: This laptop is a true design marvel! Its lightweight nature makes it a perfect companion for university students and anyone on the go. The elegant grey finish, complemented by LED lighting, is a visual treat.

Dream-like Performance: The power packed into this laptop is simply mind-blowing. With the AMD Ryzen 9-5900HS processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060, the performances are super great. I use it for 3D graphics programs like 3ds Max and Unreal Engine 5, as well as the Substance suite, to create stunning graphics for gaming. It handles these demanding tasks with ease, making it an absolute gem for creative professionals.

Top-Notch Build Quality: The craftsmanship here is truly top-notch. You can see and feel that this laptop has been meticulously designed and constructed. It’s robust and durable, ready to take on any challenge.

Exceptional Versatility: It’s not just a workhorse; it’s a gaming beast too. With high-end gaming specs, you can effortlessly switch from work to play without missing a beat.

Anime Matrix WOW: The Anime Matrix is like the cherry on top. It captures everyone’s attention with its customizable visuals. It’s a truly fantastic added touch.

In summary, the ASUS Zephyrus G14 is an exceptional laptop in every aspect. Its lightweight build makes it perfect for students and those on the move. Its power, build quality, and Anime Matrix feature set it apart from the competition. Working and gaming on this laptop is an absolute joy. I highly recommend taking a closer look at this technological gem!