ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 2023 (GA402XI) Review

The 2023 Zephyrus G14 24 (GA402XI) from ASUS is a feat of engineering that sets the bar for 14-inch display portable gaming laptops.

It packs high-end performance that fits into a relatively small and lightweight package, offering gamers both power and portability.

While it is pricey, its performance and design make it a compelling option for those in need of a gaming laptop that is also fit for multimedia productivity on the go.

However, there’s a new elephant in the room — cost.

Design and Construction

The Zephyrus G14 (GA402XI) doesn’t win any awards for innovative designs; the first iteration of this little beast was unveiled back in 2020! But it is still a feat to behold how much power this little beast from ASUS is capable of. 

This time, finished in Moonlight White, it gets a matte texture to it that I doubt will stand the test of time if you have the sweaty-hand gene. If you do have that issue and don’t mind a stealthier look, the 2023 Zephyrus G14 is also available in Eclipse Gray. 

The laptop is built sturdy but lightweight thanks to its magnesium alloy case. It’s fairly light at 3.8 lbs and you can definitely feel it during commutes! (I daily-drive a heavier laptop housed in a 14-inch chassis closer to 5 lbs with an even heavier 230W charging brick.)  

And thanks to its thin-bezel design, this 14-inch display is housed in a 13-inch chassis, making it’s compact dimensions suitable for those always on the move, fitting effortlessly into almost any backpack or messenger bag. The attention to detail in the durability and portability of the G14 is further complemented with the addition of a more compact 65W charger that utilizes the 2023 Zephyrus G14’s USB 4.0 (Type-C) PD capabilities.

So you might say “Asus really knocked it out of the park this time”.

They addressed every gripe I had with the first Zephyrus G14. A webcam? Added. A taller display? Done. A brighter screen and a more spacious touchpad? Check and check.

But with all these additions, the price went up too (more on that later).

I/O and Connectivity

For I/O, it offers enough options to fit in a 13-inch chassis.

On the right side, it features one USB Type-C (3.2 Gen 2) port that doubles as a Display Port, two USB-A (3.2 Gen 2) ports, and a microSD (UHS-II) card reader.

Found on the left side is the charging port, followed by an HDMI (2.1) port, a USB Type-C 4.0 port (support for PD, DP using integrated GPU, and G-Sync), and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.

For wireless connectivity we get support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. 

And nope, we do not get a dedicated ethernet (RJ45) socket on this laptop, but with the amount of space we get here maybe we just couldn’t.

Alternatively, someone who needs a wired connection will have to utilize a Type-C to Ethernet dongle. 

Overall I am quite satisfied with the port selection from the 2023 ASUS Zephyrus G14, I guess my only nitpick would probably stem from getting more use out of a standard sized SD card reader, but I already have a dedicated adapter for that anyways. But yeah, if ASUS could fit that in instead of the microSD port, I’m pretty sure that would be appreciated! 

We even get a 1080P FHD IR Camera for video calls with support for Windows Hello, enabling a more secure locking and unlocking experience on the laptop.

Display and Multimedia

Though it lacks a 4K option, the 14-inch Mini LED QHD+ (2560×1600) display is nothing short of impressive.

It features a 165Hz refresh rate, and peaks at 600 nits of brightness with support for HDR. It also features 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut for phenomenal color accuracy!

Whether you’re playing AAA titles or editing photos and videos, this screen will not disappoint!

So much so, I usually turn the contrasty panel down for almost anything except post-production work to save my retinas the possibility of any quicker degradation (anyone ‘would’ probably get used to it with time).

165Hz may not be the highest refresh rate out there for competitive shooters, but the compromise this year is for the extra resolution.

Either way, this wasn’t much of an issue for myself when playing competitive FPS titles like Valorant on the 2023 Zephyrus G14.

However, I did face some issues that involved the display not turning on after waking from hibernation. The keyboard and fans would seemingly boot after pressing the power button but the display would not turn on.

I even went through a BIOS update I thought would fix this issue but no dice.

The band-aid solution for this weird lemony-issue was holding the power button down and not letting go till its fans and lights turned off. Then holding the power button when turning it on till the display turned on (not sure if holding the power button is necessary the second time).

I suspect this might be some sort of software issue for when I use the included Type-C PD charger over the DC one and vice versa when putting the system into hibernation, but to be honest, I’m not exactly sure.

Despite this, when I did get the display to turn on most of the time, it wasn’t as if it powered on from a shut down either. So that was something weird that would happen once in a while with the review unit we had. And never did it really impede me from using it, but of course some of you who might experience this issue might not innately know to try the boot sequence I described.

So just make sure the system’s drivers are stable and updated for the most part.

On a better note, the speakers found in this year’s Zephyrus G14 is pretty good! They get loud with very good separation, but could still use more punch when compared to the latest 16-inch Macbook Pro. 

It does have an ace up its sleeve with Dolby Atmos support!

—Change your sound profile to Dynamic in the Dolby Atmos application and never go back again, it really does make a difference.

Performance and Benchmarks

When it comes to performance out of a 14-inch gaming laptop, the 2023 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is a powerhouse; With its AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS which features 8 cores and 16 threads clocked at 4 GHz, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (mobile) combo, this unit runs AAA games and professional-grade multimedia production software with almost no slouch.

It’s without a doubt remarkable how ASUS has managed to fit this much power into a 13-inch form factor without the most significant thermal throttling considering its size, especially in the TURBO power option.

The laptop also features a 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD out of the box, providing ultra-fast storage solutions for games and large files. For memory, we get 16GB of DDR5 RAM (upgradable to 32GB).

Apart from the accurate display, editing videos on this device was exceptional! Next-gen power with the Ryzen 9 7940HS and RTX 4070 handled a project I worked on that involved a lot of motion graphics and cross-media linking with no issues whatsoever.

So much so, it made me question my current rig that utilizes a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 (my personal gripe is most likely with storage woes though, I reckon).

Either way, the 2023 Zephyrus G14 is still a beast when it comes to gaming and productivity. It features the ability to solely use the Nvidia GPU over the integrated AMD one (a software muck switch).

You can do so by accessing the Armory Crate.

Average frame rates were recorded while in Performance mode and in the game’s recommended Graphics settings, check them out below:

• Valorant: 300fps
• Call of Duty Warzone: 90fps
• Farlight 84: 220fps

For synthetic benchmarks we ran them in Silent, Performance, and Turbo mode, these power modes can all be accessed through the Armory Crate, but when selecting power options from Windows Settings, keep in mind it supersedes Armory Crate’s tuning. 

Based off our scores, it was a little odd to realize that from the get go, Silent mode can give you better CPU performance especially when in transit, at the same time give you better battery performance.

But for more GPU-intensive tasks Performance mode, and most especially Turbo mode will be the way to go. It’s worth mentioning that in TURBO mode, users can expect those fans to crank up.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard provides a great tactile experience, with the added flair of one-zone RGB lighting. The trackpad is precise with support for windows gestures. But there have been times where it wouldn’t respond to touch input! This may have been solved with a driver update because eventually it went away.

Special mention: we also get some mappable macro keys, customizable in the Armory Crate as well.

Overall the typing experience feels good but definitely not my preference for long-night typing sessions. Of course, I wouldn’t be complaining either if this was the only option available.

Battery 

The 2023 Zephyrus G14 features a 76Whr Li-Ion battery. 

It charges up the quickest with the big 240W power adapter included in the box. Alternatively, buyers also get another 65W power included as well, meant for use with the Type-C 4.0 port on the left side that supports Power Delivery.

It’s great for bringing on trips for lighter baggage and portability. We aren’t given access to Turbo mode with the 65W adapter but in my experience, it still provides enough power to run demanding AAA titles when away from the more bulky charger.

However before your curiosity makes you do something you’ll regret, you shouldn’t try charging the laptop with both chargers plugged in! We’ve seen reports online from 2023 G14 users experiencing fried motherboards because of this.  

For a 13-inch gaming laptop that features a 14-inch QHD display, the Zephyrus G14 surprised us with its decent battery life, offering 6.5 hours of full-screen video streaming. 

This could potentially stretch to an 8-hour workday for lighter number-crunchy tasks with moderate display brightness and speaker volumes, which is not something many gaming laptops can claim.

OS, Software

The 2023 Asus Zephyrus G14 comes with Windows 11 Home out of the box. It’s still very much Windows, and if you haven’t updated or experienced Windows 10 or 11 yet, most Windows users should feel right at home with a more modern and updated UI design.  

Like most Asus ROG laptops, your best friend is Armory Crate, where you get to tweak most performance and customizability options available.

Price

While certainly on the expensive side, the 2023 Asus Zephyrus G14 offers a package that can ACTUALLY justifies its premium pricing, as long as you can afford it.

Those who need a blend of high-performance gaming, productivity and portability should feel right at home with this laptop.

Our review unit, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA402XI) 39 gets an official retail price of PHP 159,995.00USD 2,726INR 231,129EUR 2,597CNY 19,855 on our local shores.
This still isn’t the most expensive variant available, nor is it the most budget friendly.

Conclusion

It’s definitely a premium investment now, compared to what you could get for PHP 100,000USD 1,704INR 144,460EUR 1,623CNY 12,410 or less back in 2020. 

But keep in mind that this investment is one that will pay off for those in need one of the best performers in 2023 for a highly portable gaming and creative workflow. 

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA402XI) impresses on almost every front and is hard to beat in the 14-inch gaming category. If your budget allows for it, this is the gaming laptop to get in this form factor.

Notable options in the slim 14-inch gaming laptop category include:

• Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 14 (AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS)
  Starts at PHP 96,995.16USD 1,653INR 140,119EUR 1,574CNY 12,037 38
• 2023 Razer Blade 14 (AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS)
  Not Officially Available locally at the time of writing. 

What we liked:

• High-end gaming performance.
• Compact and portable.
• Versatile for both gaming and professional work.
• 2K color accurate display with support for HDR.
• 2 CHARGERS IN THE BOX!

What we didn’t like:

• Buggy drivers and software (that SHOULD be fixed with updates).
• Expensive price tag.
• Potential future wear and tear.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 2023 (GA402XI) specs:

14-inch ROG Nebula Display with QHD+ 16:10 (2560 x 1600, WQXGA)
Mini LED, anti-glare display, 100% DCI-P3, 165Hz Refresh Rate, 3ms Response Time, G-Sync, Pantone Certified, MUX Switch + NVIDIA® Advanced Optimus, and Support Dolby Vision HDR
Operating System: Windows 11 Home
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS Mobile Processor (8-core/16-thread, 16MB L3 cache, up to 5.2 GHz max boost)
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU with ROG Boost: 2030MHz at 125W (1980MHz Boost Clock+50MHz OC, 100W+25W Dynamic Boost) and 8GB GDDR6
Memory: 16GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM (upgradable to 32GB, dual channel)
Storage: 1TB PCIe® 4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
1x HDMI 2.1
2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort / power delivery / G-SYNC
Backlit Chiclet Keyboard (single-zone RGB)
1080P FHD IR Camera for Windows Hello
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax, Tri-band)
Bluetooth 5.3
Battery:  76WHrs with 240W AC Adapter and 65W PD Adapter
AURA SYNC
Weight: (3.79 lbs)
Dimensions (W x D x H): 12.28″ x 8.94″ x 0.77″
Microsoft Office: Office Home and Student is included
Xbox Game Pass: Xbox Game Pass for PC 3 months is included