The brand new technology of gaming laptops has launched with a flash, a bang, and the sound of a thousand jet generators all whirring into life on the similar time. The brand new cell gaming machines sporting the pseudo RTX 4090 GPU are loud; that is been my most important takeaway from my testing to date.
However that is at all times been the way in which for high-end gaming laptops, however can Asus’ Zephyrus M16 change that?
Briefly, no. Not if you happen to nonetheless need to get probably the most out of your costly new GeForce graphics chips and the mega-core Intel Raptor Lake CPUs paired with them. And costly they’re, as a result of this Zephyrus M16 GU604VY (opens in new tab) is listed for $4,000 / £4,100. Yikes, and all that.
That mentioned, Zephyrus M16 continues to be my favorite of the three next-gen machines I’ve examined to date this yr, and that is not one thing I anticipated to be saying once I first clapped eyes on the Razer Blade 16 (opens in new tab) forward of its CES 2023 reveal. I’ve lengthy been extra of a Blade than a Zephyrus fan, however this technology may simply change that… if the decrease spec variations of the M16 and G14 are available a bit extra moderately priced then I is perhaps a convert.
In the meanwhile, nonetheless, we’re nonetheless taking a look at round $2,000 for an RTX 4060 machine, so I am not 100% satisfied but.
However this model of the Zephyrus M16 is not about affordability, that is all about extra in a modest chassis. To these ends we’re trying on the RTX 4090 model, although not the acute 175W degree Razer and MSI have allowed (opens in new tab) the GPU to of their techniques. That is the marginally extra parsimonious 150W RTX 4090 spec, which continues to be technically on the high of its potential TGP ranking, however with out the additional 25W leeway producers are allowed on high of that determine.
Asus is definitely itemizing it as 145W, however the Nvidia software program on the machine is claiming a 150W peak. Who’s proper? Effectively, not one of the GPUs we have examined to date have gone all the way in which as much as their allotted peak energy ranges in-game, so it’d nicely be a moot level in relation to the matter of 5W.
Zephyrus M16 specs
CPU: Intel Core i9 13900H
Cores | Threads: 14 | 20
Increase clock: 5.4GHz
GPU: Nvidia RTX 4090 (150W)
Cores: 9728
VRAM: 16GB
System Reminiscence: 32GB DDR5-4800
Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD
Display screen: 16-inch
Decision: QHD+ 2560 x 1600 @240Hz
Value: $4,000 (opens in new tab) | £4,100 (opens in new tab)
As we have famous in our protection of the brand new cell GeForce chips, this is not the identical because the desktop model of the RTX 4090 (opens in new tab). It’s really utilizing a very completely different GPU, in reality, it’s utilizing the identical silicon because the RTX 4080 (opens in new tab), proper right down to the core, cache, and reminiscence configuration. That also makes it a excessive efficiency graphics chip, however an RTX 4090 in title solely.
The Zephyrus M16 additionally comes sporting certainly one of Intel’s subsequent technology of cell processors from the Raptor Lake lineup. This Core i9 13900H (opens in new tab) is a 14-core chip, with 20-threads. In Intel’s trendy hybrid parlance, which means six Efficiency-cores with Hyperthreading, and eight Environment friendly-cores with out.
That’s markedly down on the Core i9 13950HX we have checked out within the Blade 16 and the Titan machines, which has a full 24 cores and 32 threads. However, actually, for a gaming laptop computer, I am not satisfied that you simply’re actually lacking out when this chip continues to be fortunately supporting that monster Nvidia GPU with single core efficiency across the high of the charts.
If you wish to entry the complete potential efficiency you are going to need to let it run as sizzling and as loud because it must.
And its 5.4GHz enhance clock pace is not some ephemeral determine for the advertising materials, both, you’ll really see that degree of CPU efficiency in gaming, too… if you happen to let the processor run that quick.
Which is the difficulty with all of the machines I’ve examined on this new technology of gaming laptops. If you wish to entry the complete potential efficiency of the {hardware} baked inside your machine, you are going to need to be ready to take the shackles off and let it run as sizzling and as loud because it must.
The excellent news is the cooling contained in the Zephyrus M16 is sweet sufficient that each the RTX 4090 and the Core i9 CPU are in a position to run at high ranges, although the commerce off is that you simply do need to put up with these unreasonable noise ranges. Perhaps, perhaps if you happen to’ve obtained a extremely good set of noise cancelling headphones you can put up with such a sonic assault simply to hit the body price heights essential to get the likes of Witcher 3’s new extremely ray tracing mode operating at over 60 fps (even on the 1600p setting of this display screen), however actually I do not assume I might do it.
1080p gaming efficiency
1440p gaming efficiency
System efficiency
Nonetheless, you may see what the Asus machine is able to within the benchmarks right here. Regardless of buying and selling that further 25W on the RTX 4090 TGP with the Blade 16, the Zephyrus M16 continues to be in a position to ship body charges virtually on par with the costlier Razer system. Curiously, in some CPU sure video games at 1080p you may even see it pulling forward, though it would not have as highly effective a processor inside it.
The straight ‘Efficiency’ mode setting within the Armoury Crate software program offers a greater stability of fan noise and gaming body charges, nonetheless, and that is the place I count on you are going to be spending your time. Not less than till a pair years down the road when a cell RTX 4090 is beginning to look leggy within the newest video games.
There is a set of configurable buttons above the keyboard which will be set to do a number of issues, and certainly one of them is to cycle between energy settings. Having the ability to change to ‘Efficiency’ or ‘Turbo’ for gaming after which ‘Silent’ for every little thing on the desktop—very similar to with the Blade 16—makes for a constructive on a regular basis PC utilizing expertise.
That is all accessible and configurable through Asus’ Armoury Crate software program, which I am really warming to. When it is controlling each facet of the system, from display screen to lighting to CPU and GPU energy modes, it is a absolutely useful, efficient, and highly effective little bit of software program. I hate having to put in it simply to run a pleasant mechanical keyboard, however I am into it right here answerable for the Zephyrus M16.
The ultimate piece of the next-gen triumvirate within the new vary of gaming laptops is the display screen. It is an excellent center floor between the acute calls for of the 4K panel within the Blade 16 and an older high-refresh price 1080p show. The Zephyrus M16 in RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 flavours comes with a mini LED backlight on its 16:10 screens, and it makes this vibrant panel and extremely efficient HDR show.
There is a constant problem throughout the newest lappies, although, and that surrounds the MUX change shifting between Nvidia GPU and Intel iGPU. It blacks out the show when it shifts between modes, typically altering the color palette barely, and recurrently resizing home windows and altering your scaling settings. It is not peculiar to Asus, however it could have me contemplating simply utilizing the discrete GPU full time if I am plugged in.
With a 2560 x 1600 native decision it isn’t fairly so demanding of the GPU by way of pixel depend, however at 16-inches you continue to get a extremely tight pixel pitch, which makes pictures nonetheless look crisp, and the panel is all types of vibrant, too. The mini LED shows we have seen in trendy notebooks are the perfect we have come throughout, and so they imply HDR gaming on the PC is the place it ought to at all times have been.
I really like the very fact I can simply allow HDR in Home windows and go away it there. I by no means have to consider enabling it on a per-game foundation, which I’d nonetheless need to do on a desktop machine, and I can simply boot up a suitable recreation with out ever having to consider it. I simply get the advantages of HDR at any time when it is on provide. That is as a result of on these panels enabling HDR would not completely trash commonplace dynamic vary content material, particularly something on the Home windows desktop.
That is lengthy been a dealbreaker for me, and why I by no means allow it on my dwelling rig.
Over $4,000 for a gaming laptop computer is unconscionable.
This display screen is likely one of the causes I am so enamoured with the Asus Zephyrus M16. I nonetheless desire the general styling of the Razer Blade 16, regardless of its chonkier chassis, however as an all-round package deal I believe I would in all probability decide the Asus rig over Razer proper now. The Zephyrus chassis continues to be impressively slight, and the lifting motion of the display screen hinge stays a sensible means of accelerating airflow, it is just a bit extra angular and extra historically ‘gamery’.
It’s one minor factor, however I am much more into the keyboard on right here, perhaps even over the mechanical switches of the MSI Titan laptop computer. Sacrilege for a keeb fanatic, I do know.
However I am at all times going to return again to that value. I get that that is the highest spec for the Zephyrus M16, and it is a complete new technology, which goes to be a big a part of the explanation for the early adopter value premium, however over $4,000 for a gaming laptop computer is unconscionable.
For $3,500 perhaps I would think about it expensive however comprehensible, however the ever growing prices of PC gaming {hardware} is getting fully unreasonable. That is the one actual unfavorable I’ve for the Zephyrus M16, and although value is a giant one, it would not change the very fact that is the {hardware} package deal that is impressed me probably the most on this present technology of gaming laptops.