The ASUS ROG Strix G18 offers superior performance for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, thanks to its high-end processor and graphics card. However, its larger size and heavier weight make it less portable. The ASUS Zenbook 14X, on the other hand, is more portable and offers an OLED display with excellent color coverage, making it suitable for general use and entertainment. If you are looking for a machine for high-performance tasks and gaming and can handle a larger, heavier laptop, the Strix is the better option. If portability and a high-quality display for everyday tasks are more important, consider the Zenbook 14X. 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 engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good battery life
Best in class speakers
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14X
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.3/10
7.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
422.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
5.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18, with a high-performing CPU and ample RAM, is very good for general use, but it's less portable and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for on-the-go usage. The ASUS Zenbook 14X also offers sufficient CPU power and RAM for general tasks, has a high-quality OLED screen and better battery life, making it a good choice for portability without significantly sacrificing performance.
Gaming and AI
8.7/10
6.5/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.2/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is only fair.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is better for gaming and 3D because it has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate of 240 Hz, which result in smoother visuals and better performance in these tasks. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 14X, with a less powerful Nvidia MX550 graphics card and a lower refresh rate of 90 Hz, offers a compromise between moderate gaming capabilities and everyday use.
Engineering and Design
8.9/10
7.7/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18, with its higher-end CPU and GPU, excels in engineering and design due to its robust processing power and superior graphics capabilities, well-suited for complex computations and 3D graphics, but it's heavier which makes it less portable. On the contrary, the ASUS Zenbook 14X, though lighter and more portable, has a less powerful CPU and GPU, making it suitable for less demanding engineering and design tasks; its OLED screen offers exceptional color and contrast, which is advantageous for design work where color accuracy is critical.
Content Creation
8.6/10
7.6/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X is good.
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
7.4/10
9.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X 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.
Screen Quality
8.7/10
8.3/10
18.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
240Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
422.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14X for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14X has a better screen for engineering and design.
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 and ASUS Zenbook 14X likely have displays with high resolution and panel quality, offering sharp and vibrant visuals for everyday tasks and professional design work where color accuracy and detail are crucial. Since they excel in color gamuts, they can display a wide range of colors precisely, which is essential for engineering and design applications where subtle color differences matter. However, for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smoother motion and fast-paced visuals, their lower refresh rates compared to specialized gaming laptops may result in less fluid experiences.
Battery
8.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14X has 5.5 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
Very Good
18.0in
SIZE
14.0in
6.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
1.0in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14X has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$2,299
$777
$0
$500
$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 Zenbook 14X costs $777.
"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."
"With the Zenbook 14X, Asus has a 14-incher in its range that is - mostly - a joy to use. First, there is the colorful OLED panel with 3K resolution that displays the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. The Zenbook is also at the forefront in terms of workmanship, input devices and connections with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports and a generous keyboard layout. A pleasure to use, the Zenbook 14X is a solid, very well-built subnotebook that sits well on the table. A runtime of five hours, however, is below average for a high-end subnotebook nowadays. The OLED screensaver causes increased power consumption when in idle mode."
Get a great deal on the ASUS ROG Strix G18 or the ASUS Zenbook 14X
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
101,595
Recommendations made
22,013
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.