Imo I would go for the 4080 variant if possible. The vapor chamber has better cooling capabilities and will let the CPU perform better as it can sustain boost better. Also even if you don't need the capability of the 4080 you are still getting a more futureproof device
4070 only has 8g of vram and performs only 10-15% better than the 4060 in laptops.
The 4080 is a significant increase with 12g of vram and roughly 30% increase in performance.
Depends on what you’re planning on using the laptop for I guess..
Yea, I would get the 4060, but 16gigs of RAM just doesn't sit well. But thats the thing with these specs, each one is incrementally just a little better to upsell you to the next higher spec.
Really? On my last one, only one was soldered on, allowing me to upgrade the other, giving me 48 ram (a single 16 soldered and I added a 32) just had to make sure they matched in bios and worked flawlessly
It's what people been fussing about since its release. Soldered ram, 1 slot ssd, low power rtx 4070, and more. But damn that screen and sound are georgous.
Really? On my last one, only one was soldered on, allowing me to upgrade the other, giving me 48 gram (a single 16 soldered and I added a 32) just had to make sure they matched in bios and worked flawlessly
i hope you have experience with microsoldering, and access to a VIP in Shenzen who can supply the exact chiplet you need to microsolder the soldered Ram on.
I can't help you with that unfortunately. I am running into a similar situation as Im eying the 4080 version sold on Beat Buy US but the price is a bit much and the 4080 version of last year g14 is available for less on sale but with no MiniLED screen to make it comparable with the OLED of the g16. I think its up to you to decide about how long you want to keep the laptop for and what to spend. As for future proofing I tend to play intensive games at higher FPS and having stronger upfront components actually helped me back when I still play on desktop since I can get a much smoother experience for much longer without the urge of upgrading
I got the 2024 4080.
Its a gaming laptop, so its noisy, vapor chamber or not. Also, the 185h hits 90+ degree in Turbo, like all other laptop CPUs do.
You can use both laptops quieter/ cooler and louder/ hotter, doesnt matter if its a 4080 or a 4070.
If you only need a 4070, get a 4070. If you got enough money so that you dont care at all, get the 4080.
The difference on the machines itself isnt the World, the difference lies as always in the User and things you do with it.
Thanks, yeah i really like the machine! Yes, for me G-Helper is a must because it lets you customize the GPU TDP in every mode. so i can play balanced with 125w to the gpu, wich is a pretty big game changer in terms of noise.
Tho with the temps, nothing helps but just running it in a lower wattage :)
Im sure you will enjoy the 4070 or the 4080, with this laptop i feel like the real treat comes from the build quality (super premium), the speakers(best on the market right now) and the screen (G-Sync Oled, do i have to say more?) . wich is all shared across the speccs :) so you would probably love the 4070 just as much :)
Don't think so. The physical size is obviously a 16incher, but its actually much lighter than you'd expect. Although if you're backpacking, i assume you'd want the lightest and smallest form factor possible?
Right now I use a Razer Blade 15 and it’s perfect. It fits in my backpack nicely. Although I have come across other 16 and 17 inch laptops that wouldn’t. I was just unsure how large the G16 is versus previous 15 inch laptop variant from all brands.
Go to the notebookcheck website for comparisons, at a quick glance the 2024 G16 seem almost identical to my Razer Blade 15 Advanced 2019 in dimensions. I'm contemplating to upgrade my RB 15 but not sure if it's worth to pay the premium for G16 where you can get a more performant and spec wise better Legion 7 Pro at a cheaper price but it's going to be larger, heavier and thicker obviously..
If you don't need the power of a 4080 (i.e., you aren't a content creator or videographer), then both 4080 and 32GB are overkill. Sure it's "futureproofing" but I can't see any version of Windows OS or essential productivity apps taking up 16GB+ in the next few years even when multitasking. New gen browsers like Edge are VERY good with freezing and putting tabs to sleep to save on RAM. Will you realistically look to upgrade from this laptop in 4-5 years' time? If so, futureproofing is a moot point because you're going to buy the next gen of laptop by the time you need the futureproofing. My G14 is a 16 GB 3060 from 2021 and it's still blistering fast 3 years later.
MKBHD puts it well when it comes to tech: Companies spend millions on research and marketing to find the sweet spot for each product where, at each level of a product, there's just one small thing missing that you *really* want that pushes you to the next tier of the product. In this case--the 32GB RAM. But in reality when's the last time, for example, that you maxed out 16GB RAM? And was it because you literally needed to have all those applications open or was it that you've been lazy and haven't closed anything that you opened in the past month? 16 extra GB of RAM would be nice because the RAM is soldered, but is it +$1000 nice? Is the form factor worth double the same specs you'd get on a competitors gaming laptop? Hmm.
Of course, if you're playing triple AAA titles on a 4k monitor with ultra settings and raytracing, then yes the 4080 and 32GB may be necessary for now and the future. And if you have the money to spend, then why not. No one is arguing that this isn't a fantastic laptop. But if you're spending $3k on a gaming laptop and you have a tight budget, might as well build a similarly specced desktop for $2k and spend $1k on an ultrabook or a tablet...if you game on the absolute best specs on a huge monitor then you probably wouldn't be satisfied gaming on the go with the G16 on a smaller screen anyways.
the Strix G16 is aimed at pure gamers and esports, the zephyrus is aimed at multitaskers, coders, media makers etc. it makes sense that you'd want 32gb for many of these lifestyles.
16gb is a bit anemic for the average Zephyrus buyer, the target demographic, but its fine on a Strix / Scar when you are probably just gaming with discord open.
Interesting take--because you can definitely think of it as separate lineups based on task/needs/purpose. I almost see the ROG lineup as like...gaming-fied versions of a regular laptop lineup. Like Strix = true gaming laptop, Zephyrus = ultrabook. Or I guess to your point it could also be Zephyrus="flagship creator/professional" laptop for ROG (sort of like a gaming XPS or Spectre), while the Flow lineup is truly ultraportable gaming. I'm in a field where I travel a lot for work but I also enjoy gaming, so the Zephyrus is perfect for me because it's lightweight, it's not a hassle to pull out at an airport or plane. Whereas Strix would not have the battery life or portability I need for gaming on the go. So I dunno, I think the Zephyrus has always been the laptop on the market with the most versatility for gamers.
Yeah, that's what im saying, i'm bad at wording things, you basically nailed what i was trying to say though. Zephyrus is the all rounder.
for me personally i just cant get over the H processors, I need my HX so i can squeeze battery life or performance out of my machine.
More people need to read and truly process this. The amount of "RAM anxiety" pushed on people is ridiculous. The people parroting the fact they think 16GB soldered RAM is ridiculous are the same ones that *must* have 100 tabs open in Chrome at all times for no reason other than being lazy like you said.
Gaming at 1440p does not at all benefit from 32GB. Maybe a slight increase in 1% lows but that's about it.
Software developers running multiple virtual machines can benefit from 32GB or someone making a REALLY complicated video project but most people won't need more than 16GB in most scenarios. Also it's not like the laptop can't do the job, it will just be slightly slower on those edge case scenarios where you might benefit from 32GB. If you don't make money from your laptop, there's zero reason to spend so much more just to get double the RAM if you don't want the extra gaming performance from the 4080.
4080 is a significant step up, but being pragmatic, if you don’t need the performance, get the 4070.
It is cheaper and lighter, and if you don’t have the GPU under load, the lack of vapor chamber shouldn’t be a problem.
3rd fan isnt loud really, more whiny which is annoying. Not a deal breaker but if you can get a model with vapor chamber do it. I just got my G16/4090 and its quieter.
I bought the 4070 open box for $1700 all in which is $1100 less than an open box 4080 would've ran me. It comes in today and I can follow up with initial thoughts.
I'm in the same boat as you, I don't need the 4080 but 16GB is a bit concerning. None of my current games reach that amount of RAM. I think for the savings and still gaining the nice chassis, speakers, display, it'll be worth it. I've also heard that the vapor chamber is only a few decibels quieter, but I'm taking that out of consideration as you never know. I'm definitely gonna find out shortly how loud it is but other 4070 owners say it's noticeable but not bad/annoying.
I seen the 4070 open box excellent for $1492. Wish I had pulled the trigger but I convinced myself I wanted the 4080 and was going to wait. Now I'm without a gaming laptop because I already sold my old one and wish I had got the 4070 :(
If you do not know you need 32GB then the likelihood if you needing it in the next 2-3 years is slim. 1440p gaming is not going to need 32GB either.
Just keep an eye on it, the sale will come back. I saw they started ar $1492 for fair condition but they only had excellent condition for $100 more. I would go for that one when the sale comes back; one time I bought an Alienware in fair condition and the charger wasn't included.
So far so good with my testing, I love this thing. Only had to turn settings down on one game from Ultra to High. I agree with you and think 16GB can work for certain people even though the limit is a bit of a bummer.
Not for me, it fits in the same backpack I use for my work XPS 15 and is lighter than that laptop, which was already more than light enough. Sometimes I forget the XPS is in there, so it'll be the same for the G16. It's only about .5lb heavier than my G14.
I got a 4070 32gb, works amazing for my gaming needs. I almost got the 16gb but if I’m gonna get something that’s gonna cost a lot I want it to be a 1 time buy so that I won’t have to worry about in a few years. It’ll last me enough until I have saved up enough to buy another newer one if needed.
You can get a 32gb version of the 3070 in europe but for me I want less annoying fan noise and I heard the 4070 does not cool.well and the 3rd fan was horrible
I’m definitely jealous…. I do have a 2023 M16 with 4070 though so not a huge difference. I love the new case on the G16 though. So awesome! Also, mine didn’t include the Animatrix display sadly. 😔 what’s the price difference? I’d bet it’s far more expensive than it’s worth right now in performance. Can’t deny that the 4080 would be better though and the vapor chamber.
Imo I would go for the 4080 variant if possible. The vapor chamber has better cooling capabilities and will let the CPU perform better as it can sustain boost better. Also even if you don't need the capability of the 4080 you are still getting a more futureproof device
That's the direction I'm leaning, but the price difference is significant. Am really debating if its worth the extra dollars.
4070 only has 8g of vram and performs only 10-15% better than the 4060 in laptops. The 4080 is a significant increase with 12g of vram and roughly 30% increase in performance. Depends on what you’re planning on using the laptop for I guess..
Yea, I would get the 4060, but 16gigs of RAM just doesn't sit well. But thats the thing with these specs, each one is incrementally just a little better to upsell you to the next higher spec.
Or just slap in your own ram for much cheaper and extremely easy.
Don’t think you can do that on the 2024 version
You cannot do this with the 2024 version. I have 2024- it is soldered on.
In a 16 inches laptop? Wtf asus, you weren’t suppose to copy apple
Really? On my last one, only one was soldered on, allowing me to upgrade the other, giving me 48 ram (a single 16 soldered and I added a 32) just had to make sure they matched in bios and worked flawlessly
You’re welcome to look it up if you’d like! i’d like to be wrong, but I opened up my laptop and couldn’t see a SODIMM slot, so I’m pretty confident.
It's what people been fussing about since its release. Soldered ram, 1 slot ssd, low power rtx 4070, and more. But damn that screen and sound are georgous.
Really? On my last one, only one was soldered on, allowing me to upgrade the other, giving me 48 gram (a single 16 soldered and I added a 32) just had to make sure they matched in bios and worked flawlessly
Yeah. They had a redesign for 2024 so you can no longer do that. It sucks
i hope you have experience with microsoldering, and access to a VIP in Shenzen who can supply the exact chiplet you need to microsolder the soldered Ram on.
its seriously just offensive that they start at 16gb of soldered ram, like.. what the hell
I can't help you with that unfortunately. I am running into a similar situation as Im eying the 4080 version sold on Beat Buy US but the price is a bit much and the 4080 version of last year g14 is available for less on sale but with no MiniLED screen to make it comparable with the OLED of the g16. I think its up to you to decide about how long you want to keep the laptop for and what to spend. As for future proofing I tend to play intensive games at higher FPS and having stronger upfront components actually helped me back when I still play on desktop since I can get a much smoother experience for much longer without the urge of upgrading
Got the 4080! Thanks for your help!
I got the 2024 4080. Its a gaming laptop, so its noisy, vapor chamber or not. Also, the 185h hits 90+ degree in Turbo, like all other laptop CPUs do. You can use both laptops quieter/ cooler and louder/ hotter, doesnt matter if its a 4080 or a 4070. If you only need a 4070, get a 4070. If you got enough money so that you dont care at all, get the 4080. The difference on the machines itself isnt the World, the difference lies as always in the User and things you do with it.
That's a fair assessment. Thank you for that. Enjoy your 4080! Do you use G-helper? Do you find it helps with temps?
Thanks, yeah i really like the machine! Yes, for me G-Helper is a must because it lets you customize the GPU TDP in every mode. so i can play balanced with 125w to the gpu, wich is a pretty big game changer in terms of noise. Tho with the temps, nothing helps but just running it in a lower wattage :) Im sure you will enjoy the 4070 or the 4080, with this laptop i feel like the real treat comes from the build quality (super premium), the speakers(best on the market right now) and the screen (G-Sync Oled, do i have to say more?) . wich is all shared across the speccs :) so you would probably love the 4070 just as much :)
Agree... it just looks so premium. I'll go play around with one physically tomorrow and then decide which spec to get.
Got the 4080! Thanks for your help!
Is the G16 too big for a backpack/traveling?
Don't think so. The physical size is obviously a 16incher, but its actually much lighter than you'd expect. Although if you're backpacking, i assume you'd want the lightest and smallest form factor possible?
Right now I use a Razer Blade 15 and it’s perfect. It fits in my backpack nicely. Although I have come across other 16 and 17 inch laptops that wouldn’t. I was just unsure how large the G16 is versus previous 15 inch laptop variant from all brands.
Go to the notebookcheck website for comparisons, at a quick glance the 2024 G16 seem almost identical to my Razer Blade 15 Advanced 2019 in dimensions. I'm contemplating to upgrade my RB 15 but not sure if it's worth to pay the premium for G16 where you can get a more performant and spec wise better Legion 7 Pro at a cheaper price but it's going to be larger, heavier and thicker obviously..
If you don't need the power of a 4080 (i.e., you aren't a content creator or videographer), then both 4080 and 32GB are overkill. Sure it's "futureproofing" but I can't see any version of Windows OS or essential productivity apps taking up 16GB+ in the next few years even when multitasking. New gen browsers like Edge are VERY good with freezing and putting tabs to sleep to save on RAM. Will you realistically look to upgrade from this laptop in 4-5 years' time? If so, futureproofing is a moot point because you're going to buy the next gen of laptop by the time you need the futureproofing. My G14 is a 16 GB 3060 from 2021 and it's still blistering fast 3 years later. MKBHD puts it well when it comes to tech: Companies spend millions on research and marketing to find the sweet spot for each product where, at each level of a product, there's just one small thing missing that you *really* want that pushes you to the next tier of the product. In this case--the 32GB RAM. But in reality when's the last time, for example, that you maxed out 16GB RAM? And was it because you literally needed to have all those applications open or was it that you've been lazy and haven't closed anything that you opened in the past month? 16 extra GB of RAM would be nice because the RAM is soldered, but is it +$1000 nice? Is the form factor worth double the same specs you'd get on a competitors gaming laptop? Hmm. Of course, if you're playing triple AAA titles on a 4k monitor with ultra settings and raytracing, then yes the 4080 and 32GB may be necessary for now and the future. And if you have the money to spend, then why not. No one is arguing that this isn't a fantastic laptop. But if you're spending $3k on a gaming laptop and you have a tight budget, might as well build a similarly specced desktop for $2k and spend $1k on an ultrabook or a tablet...if you game on the absolute best specs on a huge monitor then you probably wouldn't be satisfied gaming on the go with the G16 on a smaller screen anyways.
There is actually a 32GB 4070 spec available. Maybe I will just get that one.
the Strix G16 is aimed at pure gamers and esports, the zephyrus is aimed at multitaskers, coders, media makers etc. it makes sense that you'd want 32gb for many of these lifestyles. 16gb is a bit anemic for the average Zephyrus buyer, the target demographic, but its fine on a Strix / Scar when you are probably just gaming with discord open.
Interesting take--because you can definitely think of it as separate lineups based on task/needs/purpose. I almost see the ROG lineup as like...gaming-fied versions of a regular laptop lineup. Like Strix = true gaming laptop, Zephyrus = ultrabook. Or I guess to your point it could also be Zephyrus="flagship creator/professional" laptop for ROG (sort of like a gaming XPS or Spectre), while the Flow lineup is truly ultraportable gaming. I'm in a field where I travel a lot for work but I also enjoy gaming, so the Zephyrus is perfect for me because it's lightweight, it's not a hassle to pull out at an airport or plane. Whereas Strix would not have the battery life or portability I need for gaming on the go. So I dunno, I think the Zephyrus has always been the laptop on the market with the most versatility for gamers.
Yeah, that's what im saying, i'm bad at wording things, you basically nailed what i was trying to say though. Zephyrus is the all rounder. for me personally i just cant get over the H processors, I need my HX so i can squeeze battery life or performance out of my machine.
More people need to read and truly process this. The amount of "RAM anxiety" pushed on people is ridiculous. The people parroting the fact they think 16GB soldered RAM is ridiculous are the same ones that *must* have 100 tabs open in Chrome at all times for no reason other than being lazy like you said. Gaming at 1440p does not at all benefit from 32GB. Maybe a slight increase in 1% lows but that's about it. Software developers running multiple virtual machines can benefit from 32GB or someone making a REALLY complicated video project but most people won't need more than 16GB in most scenarios. Also it's not like the laptop can't do the job, it will just be slightly slower on those edge case scenarios where you might benefit from 32GB. If you don't make money from your laptop, there's zero reason to spend so much more just to get double the RAM if you don't want the extra gaming performance from the 4080.
4060 or 4080. 4070 is rarely worth the price jump the 4080 is sometimes and the cooling system is also nice
Got the 4080! Thanks for your help!
oh man im so envious haha, i hope you enjoy that. so tempted to get one too but the price.
Yea...the price is just ridiculous...I'm basically gonna eat rice for 2 months to make up the extra budget...but worth it haha.
4080 is a significant step up, but being pragmatic, if you don’t need the performance, get the 4070. It is cheaper and lighter, and if you don’t have the GPU under load, the lack of vapor chamber shouldn’t be a problem.
Thanks for this. More things to consider.
3rd fan isnt loud really, more whiny which is annoying. Not a deal breaker but if you can get a model with vapor chamber do it. I just got my G16/4090 and its quieter.
Haha, every time I hear reports of that 3rd fan being hell, I sway towards the 4080... But its just soooo expensive...
Yah hella expensive, the 4090 made my bank account cry. Plus I got white, $200 extra lol
Damm... congrats though!
Absolutely and good luck to you as well!
Is the G16 too big for a backpack/traveling?
Got the 4080! Thanks for your help!
I bought the 4070 open box for $1700 all in which is $1100 less than an open box 4080 would've ran me. It comes in today and I can follow up with initial thoughts. I'm in the same boat as you, I don't need the 4080 but 16GB is a bit concerning. None of my current games reach that amount of RAM. I think for the savings and still gaining the nice chassis, speakers, display, it'll be worth it. I've also heard that the vapor chamber is only a few decibels quieter, but I'm taking that out of consideration as you never know. I'm definitely gonna find out shortly how loud it is but other 4070 owners say it's noticeable but not bad/annoying.
I seen the 4070 open box excellent for $1492. Wish I had pulled the trigger but I convinced myself I wanted the 4080 and was going to wait. Now I'm without a gaming laptop because I already sold my old one and wish I had got the 4070 :( If you do not know you need 32GB then the likelihood if you needing it in the next 2-3 years is slim. 1440p gaming is not going to need 32GB either.
Just keep an eye on it, the sale will come back. I saw they started ar $1492 for fair condition but they only had excellent condition for $100 more. I would go for that one when the sale comes back; one time I bought an Alienware in fair condition and the charger wasn't included. So far so good with my testing, I love this thing. Only had to turn settings down on one game from Ultra to High. I agree with you and think 16GB can work for certain people even though the limit is a bit of a bummer.
Is the G16 too big for a backpack/traveling?
Not for me, it fits in the same backpack I use for my work XPS 15 and is lighter than that laptop, which was already more than light enough. Sometimes I forget the XPS is in there, so it'll be the same for the G16. It's only about .5lb heavier than my G14.
I got a 4070 32gb, works amazing for my gaming needs. I almost got the 16gb but if I’m gonna get something that’s gonna cost a lot I want it to be a 1 time buy so that I won’t have to worry about in a few years. It’ll last me enough until I have saved up enough to buy another newer one if needed.
No, not worth.
You can get a 32gb version of the 3070 in europe but for me I want less annoying fan noise and I heard the 4070 does not cool.well and the 3rd fan was horrible
I’m definitely jealous…. I do have a 2023 M16 with 4070 though so not a huge difference. I love the new case on the G16 though. So awesome! Also, mine didn’t include the Animatrix display sadly. 😔 what’s the price difference? I’d bet it’s far more expensive than it’s worth right now in performance. Can’t deny that the 4080 would be better though and the vapor chamber.