One of my favorite laptops of last year has been updated for 2025, and these are my initial thoughts.
Alotof laptops have graced my desk in the last few years, and most quietly fade into obscurity as I move on to newer and more interesting machines. There have been a few machines that carved out a place in my brain, though, and the successor to one such laptop is finally here.
WhenI reviewed the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024), I boldly proclaimed it the "best 14-inchgaming laptopever," and I stood by that.ASUShas now updated the Zephyrus G14 for 2025 with newAMDandNVIDIAhardware, and made an interesting decision along the way.
I've been waiting for months, and Ifinallyhave the brand-new ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) on my desk — but can it hold on to its crown? After all,I recently reviewed the redesigned Razer Blade 14 (2025), and I praised that laptop on almost every front.
Ahead of my full, in-depth review, here are my initial thoughts on the brand-new Zephyrus G14, one of my most anticipated laptops of the year.
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What's new with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14?
ASUS redesigned the Zephyrus G14 in 2024, and as I noted in my original review, the company prioritized a better balance between performance and portability. I wholeheartedly agreed with that decision.
In 2025, ASUS is unsurprisingly keeping to the same design, which I loved last year and still love 12 months later. However, ASUS has taken a unique two-pronged approach to the Zephyrus G14 this year.
There are actually two versions of the new Zephyrus G14, depending on what's important to you.
ASUS updated the Zephyrus G14 with the latestAMD Ryzen AIandNVIDIA GeForceRTX 50-series hardware, which improves performance, efficiency, andAIsmarts in one fell swoop. In fact, the new Zephyrus G14 is a full-blownCopilot+ PCand benefits from all the latest and greatestAI PCfeatures.
That's just for the higher-end configurations, though, which come with their own trade-off. There's a second version of the Zephyrus G14, too, which rocks the same overall design, features, and 2.8K/120Hz OLED display... but it's not quite the same laptop.
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ASUS didn't need to overhaul this design, and I'm glad it didn't.
However, the new Zephyrus G14 is noticeably thicker... At least with most configurations.
You can see the new thermal hood design, which uses thicker fans for superior cooling versus last year.
If you want the true "2025" upgrade for the Zephyrus G14, you also have to accept a thicker laptop. ASUS adopted a similar thermal hood design asRazerwith the new Blade 14/16 laptops, but went the opposite direction — instead of making the Zephyrus G14 thinner, ASUS added support for more powerful (and therefore hotter) discrete GPUs.
Last year's Zephyrus G14 was around 16mm in thickness, and the new 2025 model is around 2mm thicker in some places — but it can handle up to anNVIDIA GeForceRTX 5080 (which is a little crazy for a 14-inch laptop).
If you want the exact design as last year, you can still do that! The entry-level Zephyrus G14 isnota Copilot+ PC, though, relying on the uncommonAMDRyzen 9 270 and up to a GeForce RTX 5070 GPU. It's absolutely less powerful and a little less future-proofed, but some will prefer the sleeker design.
It's a unique approach, but now there's a Zephyrus G14 for both sides.
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What's it like to unbox the new Zephyrus G14?
Unboxing the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is a nearly identical experience to last year, in that you'll be greeted with your typical, large ROG box with a much smaller box inside of it (and a third box just for the proprietary 200W charger).
There's still a distinct lack of plastic and few weird obstructions to getting to the laptop, though, so I've no complaints. I will note, however, that I immediately questioned if ASUS had made the Zephyrus G14 thicker — even after not handling last year's version for around six months.
My instincts were correct, as the new Zephyrus G14 is noticeably chunkier to help cool the more intense GPU options. Whether ASUS made the right decision here will have to wait until my full review.
How does the Zephyrus G14 compare to the Razer Blade 14?
WhenI discussed whether the average person should consider buying the ultra-premium Razer Blade 14 (2025), one of my most prominent counterpoints was the existence of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14.
After all, the Zephyrus G14 is a direct competitor for the Blade 14, but consistently undercuts Razer's offering in pricing while only (at first glance) compromising on sheer build quality.
The ROG Zephyrus G14 still has the edge in pricing over the Blade 14, but I'll need more time to decide if ASUS' approach is superior.
Now that I've had some time with both 2025 iterations, how does the latest ROG Zephyrus G14 compare to the redesigned Blade 14? It's mostly the same story, but with an interesting twist.
Razer caught up with ASUS in terms of slimness and weight with its latest Blade 14, and it's an impressive (but much more expensive) laptop. On the other hand, ASUS made a thicker (but still lighter) laptop that now offers a higher performance ceiling.
I'll admit that Razer's build quality is still superior, but whether you prefer portability or power, the Zephyrus G14 still has the edge in pricing. I'll need to spend a lot more time with the latest Zephyrus G14 to ascertain if it's still a viable, more affordable alternative to Razer's 14-inch flagship, though.
Should I buy the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)?
On one hand, most of what I loved about 2024's ROG Zephyrus G14 has carried over into this year's version. On the other hand, you can interpret the lack of change as stagnation, and pair that with the uncertainty surrounding the shift in design principles.
After a few hours with the brand-new Zephyrus G14, I'm feeling very positive overall, but I also feel that slight apprehension around ASUS attempting to shove GPUs typically exclusive to 16/18-inch laptops into a 14-inch chassis. The new Zephyrus G14 is thicker and heavier, and whether that actually translates to better performance is a question dependent on my continued testing.
A full, in-depth review of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) will be coming in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I have been loving what I've experienced so far. If you don't mind the loss of AI features and would rather stick to what worked so well last year,the entry-level ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is available for$1,799.99 at Best Buy.
I'm willing to take the bet on the thicker, smarter, and more powerful Zephyrus G14, though,with my review configuration running for$2,499.99 at Best Buyor$2,499.99 at ASUS. If you're unsure, just wait for my complete thoughts in the coming weeks.
