The ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers excellent performance for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, engineering, and gaming with a larger screen, but it comes at a higher price and it’s heavier, which affects portability. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is less expensive and more portable due to its lighter weight, while still delivering good performance for various uses, including engineering and gaming. The battery life on both models is comparable, but you'll have to consider the importance of screen size, weight, and cost when making your decision. If you frequently travel and prefer a lighter laptop, the Zephyrus M16 is the better option, whereas if screen size and maximum performance are priorities and you're less concerned about weight and price, go for the Strix G18. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Good portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.7/10
9.0/10
18.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 for software development, and content creation, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and Zephyrus M16 deliver vibrant and detailed visuals, suitable for general tasks and engineering design, thanks to their high-resolution displays and excellent color reproduction covering a wide range of color gamuts. However, their lower refresh rates hinder smoothness, making them less ideal for gaming and 3D applications, where quick screen updates are crucial for an immersive experience. Additionally, while both laptops have panels that render sharp images and accurate colors, gamers and 3D professionals would benefit more from displays with faster refresh rates to match their high-paced, visually intensive tasks.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Poor
Good
18.0in
SIZE
16.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.8/10
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$2,299
$2,059
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a price of $2,299 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs $2,059.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix G18 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is better suited for general use due to its superior CPU, RAM, and screen quality, which translate to faster performance and better visuals, making it very good for a variety of tasks; however, it is less portable and has shorter battery life, which impacts convenience. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, while also good for general use and offering decent performance, excels in portability and battery life, making it a more practical choice for on-the-go users but lacks the higher power and display benefits of the G18.
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
8.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both very good for gaming and AI.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are excellent for gaming and 3D applications due to their powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 GPUs and high screen refresh rate of 240Hz, providing smooth visual performance essential for such demanding tasks. While both laptops have similar screen quality with IPS panels and the same resolution, the larger screen size of the Strix G18 offers a more immersive gaming experience, but the Zephyrus M16 is more portable due to its smaller size and lower weight.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
8.8/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.6/10
8.2/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
8.1/10
7.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers ASUS ROG Strix G18 to be very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the ASUS ROG Strix G18 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 compare to other laptops
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
About ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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