Many individuals affiliate the Asus ROG vary with huge, daring and ponderous gear, however it does not all the time should be that method, as proven by the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16. On the surface, you may discover a sleeker and extra mature design than on most different ROG units, and on the within the Zephyrus M16 deploys top-end internals that push the envelope when it comes to pace and high quality.
Certainly, it is on the within the place Asus has executed many of the work on this yr’s M16 (mannequin GU604). The new Asus laptop is available in three flavors, with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070, RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 obtainable. Elsewhere, you may discover a new, high-resolution show and Intel Core i9-13900H processor.
As of writing these three fashions aren’t listed at retail, however they’re coming quickly – and Asus has informed us that costs will vary from $1,949 to $3,499. Till listings begin to seem, we’ll should assume that the RTX 4070 mannequin will price $1,949 with the RTX 4090 machine occupying the highest spot and the RTX 4080 model within the center.
These gaming laptops are usually not low-cost, however the costs aren’t too unhealthy when you think about opponents. The Razer Blade 16 with the RTX 4090 prices $4,299, for example, and the Alienware m16 will probably have the same worth.
In our RTX 4090 Laptop GPU review we used the monster MSI Titan GT77, which outpaces the Asus due to an i9-13950HX processor and 64GB of reminiscence, however it’ll price $5,299. Even when that $3,499 worth rises just a little, the Asus should emerge as one of many extra inexpensive RTX 4090 choices – however is it definitely worth the money?
Options and Design
The Zephyrus M16’s aesthetics have not modified a lot from final yr’s mannequin and that is to say this laptop computer nonetheless seems nice. The enclosure makes use of darkish, matte-black aluminum, the logos are small and discreet, and the one lighting you may discover is on the keyboard. Modest speaker grilles line either side of the keyboard and beneath the show you may discover chunky, slatted cooling vents.
It is received an ergo hinge to tilt the keyboard ahead and enhance cooling beneath, however we want Asus would transfer the standing lights – they’re beneath the display screen, and the hinge renders them just about hidden in most conditions. Visually, this rig sits nearer to the darkish visuals of the Razer Blade than the litany of lights you may discover on the MSI.
There’s one contact that helps the M16 bridge the hole between refined notebooks and louder gaming rigs – the AniMe Matrix lid. It installs a layer with 1,711 LEDs behind 18,710 CNC-milled holes and permits customers to show animated designs and logos on the lid.
Head into the Asus Armoury Crate app and you may customise the lighting. Animated Asus logos and customizable textual content are simple to configure, and there are a great deal of further downloadable designs. It is even potential to make use of ROG’s Omni mascot as an animated digital pet.
The matrix display screen can use a sound visualizer to mirror your music, and you may even show your battery degree, clock, date or your variety of unread emails on the lid – though why you’d need helpful data on the again of the show is anybody’s guess. It solely runs in white, too, so do not get any concepts about animated RGB LED designs.
Asus has improved the Matrix lid for this yr’s mannequin – extra milled holes means extra element – however it’s nonetheless only a gimmick. Asus says this function will solely be obtainable on some fashions, and the web site solely lists it as a function on the RTX 4090 mannequin. Fortunately, when you do find yourself with undesirable lighting, the Matrix is simple to deactivate.
For many individuals who need a refined system that is a boon, and the M16’s construct high quality stays distinctive. Attempt to flex the lid or base and you will have to exert loads of effort earlier than something strikes.
At 5.07 kilos, the M16 is gentle contemplating the {hardware} inside – the Razer Blade 16 and Alienware m16 each weigh 5.4 kilos and the MSI Titan GT77 sits at a beefy 7.2 kilos. If you do not have the AniMe Matrix display screen, that weight drops to 4.6 kilos. Even after extra next-gen laptops launch, the M16 might find yourself because the lightest RTX 4090 laptop computer obtainable.
Its 22.9mm thickness is not unhealthy, both – a tiny bit thicker than the Razer however slimmer than the Alienware and MSI notebooks.
Flip the slim chassis over, although, and you will find one other sensible concern. A lot of individuals will wish to improve their pocket book, and the M16 has pairs of PCI-E 4.0 2280 M.2 sockets and RAM slots alongside its wi-fi chip, however Asus makes it exhausting to get contained in the Zephyrus. Fifteen Philips screws safe the bottom, and 7 sit beneath rubber pads which are very tough to take away with out scratching the bottom.
At first it seems like a smaller part of the bottom may be eliminated for element entry, however that is not the case. To get inside you may have to drag away your complete base panel, and it is very tough.
Total, then, not a lot has modified in regards to the M16 from final yr. It is nonetheless a handsome, strong pocket book that is slimmer and lighter than most of its friends. However that inner entry is disappointing and the AniMe Matrix is a gimmick that provides weight, so extra work within the design lab is required.
The Show
You will see progress within the show division. Final yr’s M16 had a 2560 x 1600 IPS show with a 165Hz refresh fee, 3ms response time and 400-nit peak brightness degree. This time round, avid gamers get a Mini LED panel with the identical decision and response time, a beefed-up 240Hz refresh fee with Nvidia G-Sync, and a quoted brightness degree of 1200 nits.
These are huge enhancements. The Mini LED panel has 1,024 dimming zones and will mix with the hefty peak brightness to ship a big increase to HDR video games and flicks. The refresh fee will sate most esports lovers, and solely the keenest gamers will wish to drop the decision in favor of a 360Hz or 480Hz refresh fee.
The 2560 x 1600 decision provides sharpness throughout gameplay, and the 16:10 side ratio provides just a little top for extra immersive gaming and simpler working.
Benchmarks do not disappoint. In SDR mode the show’s brightness degree of 618cd/m2 is huge and sits alongside a miniscule black level of 0.027cd/m2. The ensuing distinction ratio of twenty-two,888:1 is mighty, and it combines with the Mini LED’s 1,024 dimming zones to ship unimaginable depth, nuance and brightness – the daring highs and sensational lows make any recreation or film look unbelievable.
Head over to HDR mode and you may see a brightness degree simply past the quoted Asus determine of 1,200cd/m2 and even higher distinction, so HDR video games look even higher.
Colours are nice, too. The M16’s show renders 100% of the sRGB gamut at 151.1% quantity and 98.6% of the DCI-P3 house at 107%, so it has the chops to provide punchy variations of just about each shade required by video games and media. It will possibly’t fairly deal with the Adobe RGB house due to an Adobe protection degree of 87.2%, however that is no shock for a gaming laptop computer. Equally, the Delta E of three.65 is sweet sufficient for video games and mainstream inventive work, however not correct sufficient for powerful design instruments.
It stays to be seen if the M16’s high quality can be crushed by the remainder of this yr’s notebooks. However, proper now, this is without doubt one of the finest laptop computer panels ever, with unimaginable vibrancy and depth, sensational element and nuance in SDR and HDR conditions and a strong mixture of decision and refresh fee. It knocks any IPS panel right into a cocked hat and you may solely get something higher when you swap to OLED as an alternative.
It is a super display screen, however you’ve got nonetheless received choices elsewhere. The M16’s greatest rival right here is the Razer Blade 16. That laptop computer additionally makes use of Mini LED know-how, however it goes past the Asus with two working modes: avid gamers can swap between a 3840 x 2400 possibility that runs at 120Hz and a 1920 x 1200 decision at 240Hz. The Razer’s 1000-nit peak brightness falls just a little behind the M16, however these twin modes add versatility. Given Razer’s display screen energy previously, it is certain to supply a powerful problem to the Asus.
The MSI GT77 falls behind. Its 2560 x 1440 panel runs at 240Hz, however it’s IPS. And whilst you do get Mini LED at 3840 x 2160 in different MSI GT77 rigs, that display screen solely runs at 144Hz. Whereas the Alienware comes with three panels, together with a 480Hz possibility, they’re all IPS too.
Keep in mind that not each Asus has the very good Mini LED panel. Within the US you may discover it on the RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 machines, however the RTX 4070 has an IPS display screen. It shares its decision, refresh fee and response time with the Mini LED model, however it will not be as daring.
You will all the time get good audio system, a minimum of. The Zephyrus M16 has pairs of 2W tweets and 2W woofers, and also you get daring bass, detailed treble and cheap top-end efficiency with lashings of quantity. This audio equipment matches another gaming laptop computer and is definitely adequate for gaming, though when you’re an audiophile who needs to nit-pick you may want that the top-end was a bit extra strong and rather less tinny.
Enter and Connectivity
The Zephyrus M16’s right-hand edge has one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A port and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-C port that additionally handles DisplayPort and 20V/5A charging. You will additionally discover a microSD slot on the right-hand aspect. Swap to the left and you may uncover one other full-size USB port, a Thunderbolt 4 connector, an HDMI 2.1 output for 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz gaming, a headphone jack and the ability socket.
Internally, the Asus deploys triple-band 802.11ax wi-fi and Bluetooth 5.2, however there is not any wired web. Above the show is a 1080p webcam with Home windows Whats up performance.
For on a regular basis avid gamers, that is superb. The MSI and Razer machines embody one extra full-size USB port. The MSI and Alienware each add 2.5Gbps wired web and have two Thunderbolt ports, and all three opponents have SD card slots. The MSI additionally features a fingerprint reader, which is lacking from the Asus.
The ergonomics are a bit inconsistent, too, though we’ll begin with the positives. The typing expertise on the M16 is sweet: the buttons have 1.7mm of satisfying motion, they’re quick and constant, and the strong base makes them bounce again rapidly. It is simply adequate for hammering via frantic video games.
Go searching, although, and you will find weaknesses. There is no numberpad, the cursor keys are small, and the Enter secret is single-height. The trackpad is giant and correct, however its buttons are too smooth to interchange an excellent gaming mouse.
If the keyboard does not swimsuit, you might have choices on different notebooks. The Razer Blade 16 gives a near-identical format to the Asus however provides per-key RGB lighting that outstrips the single-zone illumination on the M16. The Alienware is on the market with an optionally available Cherry MX low-profile mechanical keyboard that is snappier and extra strong.
On the prime of the tree, the monstrous MSI delivers Cherry MX mechanical {hardware} by default and it is received a numpad and per-key RGB lighting.
We’re not saying that the M16’s keyboard is unhealthy, as a result of it is a good gaming unit. However loads of different machines are higher, and that is one space the place the outside may gain advantage from vital adjustments.
Efficiency
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 laptop computer GPU is a beast, with 9,728 shader items, 16GB of reminiscence and 76 RT cores. If you would like to delve into the AD103 core, head right here for our in-depth review. Contained in the Zephyrus M16, the RTX 4090 rattles together with a 120W energy restrict and 25W of dynamic increase. These numbers are hardly modest, however they do fall behind the unfettered GPU, which ran 150W and 25W within the MSI. It’ll additionally run at these ranges within the Razer Blade 16 and Alienware m16.
The Intel Core i9-13900H deploys six P-Cores with Hyper-Threading and a prime pace of 5.4 GHz alongside eight E-cores. The M16 has 16GB of dual-channel 4800MHz DDR5 reminiscence and a 1TB Samsung PM9A1 SSD with very good learn and write speeds of seven,049 MB/s and 5,152 MB/s.
The RTX 4090 – even on this comparatively modest guise – can drive just about any top-end recreation. In Murderer’s Creed Valhalla at 2560 x 1600 and Extremely settings the Asus ran at 88 fps, and it hit a mighty 101 fps in Horizon Zero Daybreak at Final settings.
In Guardians of the Galaxy, the Asus averaged 108 fps at 1600p, it topped out at 106.9 fps in Forza Horizon 5, and a Rainbow Six Siege common of 260 fps is a surprising rating that proves the M16’s esports energy.
You can play any top-end, single-player recreation right here with out compromising on many of the graphics settings – ray tracing, DLSS and prime graphics choices will run easily. You may as well output to 360Hz panels and run most esports titles on the speeds required.
You will solely hit hassle if you wish to deploy demanding anti-aliasing settings or when you’d choose to output to 4K screens, VR headsets or widescreens with out fidgeting with graphics choices.
In isolation, these outcomes make the M16 sound potent, however a have a look at the broader market brings the Asus again all the way down to earth…
In Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080p and Excessive settings, for example, the M16 averaged 109.67 fps, however the full-power RTX 4090 within the MSI Titan hit 132 fps. In Horizon Zero Daybreak’s 1080p Final check the M16 averaged 118 fps, however the Titan topped out at 143 fps. In Guardians of the Galaxy at 1440p the M16 hit 112 fps, however the unfettered RTX 4090 averaged 150 fps.
The sample repeated all through our exams. And at this TDP the M16’s RTX 4090 could not all the time overhaul the full-power RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU, both – in Horizon the M16’s 118 fps rating was solely two frames quicker. Its Forza Horizon 1440p results of 110.1 fps simply beat the RTX 3080 Ti and the RTX 4090 was additionally a lot faster in Purple Lifeless Redemption 2, however it fell behind in Guardians of the Galaxy.
All of those outcomes have been recorded utilizing the M16’s default “Efficiency” mode, and that possibility causes huge points if you wish to get the very best tempo potential from the RTX 4090: on this mode the M16’s GPU solely makes use of about 85W of energy with just a little extra for dynamic boosting. That is hardly totally different from the weak 80W model of this GPU that Nvidia is making obtainable to laptop computer producers.
Switching to the rig’s “Turbo” mode makes an infinite distinction, as a result of it permits the RTX 4090 to hit the Zephyrus M16’s full 120W GPU TDP…
The M16’s authentic Horizon Zero Daybreak 1600p rating of 101 fps rose by ten frames with Turbo mode enabled. We recorded a nine-frame leap in Forza Horizon 5, and the rig’s 260 fps Rainbow Six Siege common rose to 297 fps. Essentially the most profound enchancment got here in Murderer’s Creed Valhalla: the rig’s authentic 88 fps common rose to 107 fps.
The enhancements aren’t sufficient to assist the M16 overhaul the full-power RTX 4090 within the MSI – the M16’s Horizon rating improved to 122 fps, however the MSI nonetheless hit 143 fps and the MSI remained 20 fps faster in Forza. Nonetheless, it does ship a big increase and helps this RTX 4090 outpace the RTX 3080 Ti.
Artificial exams spotlight the ability distinction. In Efficiency mode the M16 scored 14,298 in 3DMark Time Spy – in Turbo mode it hit 18,195.
The M16 additionally has Home windows and Silent choices. The Home windows mode is an efficient middle-ground that delivers strong on a regular basis gaming efficiency due to a TDP that hovered at round 70W, whereas the Silent setting stored GPU energy ranges sitting at about 80W and it stored the noise down – however it noticed inner temperatures skyrocket, so it is tough to suggest.
A lot of individuals purchase gaming laptops for work and play, and the M16 has sufficient CPU energy to deal with most productiveness and content-creation duties.
In Cinebench R23 and within the M16’s default Efficiency mode the M16 delivered single- and multi-core outcomes of 1,967 and 16,415, with the previous outcome simply outpacing any last-gen Intel chip and the latter sitting solely barely behind the full-power model of the i7-12700H. Swap on Turbo mode and that rating improves to 19,175, which is much better than the older Core i7 CPU and the Core i9-12900HK.
The i7-13900H retains impressing. Its Matlab results of 0.8784 in Efficiency mode beat each Twelfth-gen CPUs. Its Excel results of 6.39s matched these chips and improved to six.19 in Turbo mode. Its PCMark 10 Functions results of 14,732 beat the i7-12700H and improved to fifteen,325 in Turbo mode, with these outcomes not far behind the i9-12900HK.
The M16’s 7-Zip Compression rating of 63.4MB/s is cheap and rose to 75.5MB/s in Turbo mode, with the latter outcome capable of compete with nearly something Intel gives. It could not fairly sustain within the decompression exams, however its finest rating of 913.7MB/s isn’t any catastrophe.
The i9-13900H is reliably quick. Within the Zephyrus M16’s default mode it is received the ability to deal with most content material creation workloads and multitasking conditions, and when you deploy Extremely mode it is going to outpace nearly another chip in its class. You will solely get extra energy with a CPU just like the i9-13950HX, however few individuals really want that pace and laptops just like the MSI and Razer are pricier than the Asus.
Thermals and Battery Life
As anticipated, the Zephyrus M16 was at its loudest in Turbo mode. On this mode and within the trickiest video games the followers settled at noise ranges close to to 55db, and the noise was high-pitched and worsening – superb when you’ve received a noise-canceling headset however problematic when you depend on the audio system.
Retreat to the default Efficiency possibility and the noise degree is on the decrease finish of the size on the subject of high-end gaming laptops. You will not have any points even when you’re utilizing the audio system slightly than a headset.
The Home windows possibility drops the noise additional, and the Silent possibility nearly lives as much as its title, with extraordinarily quiet operation. That silent mode, although, is the place the M16 encounters its greatest warmth issues, as a result of it retains GPU speeds comparatively excessive however cuts again fan tempo. When you play video games on this mode you may discover that the steel above the keyboard and beneath the laptop computer turns into nearly too sizzling to the touch.
The Zephyrus M16’s exterior panels are heat while you play video games in each different modes, too – you may actually discover the warmth round many of the chassis after a protracted gaming session – however the Silent possibility is the toastiest by a long way.
Swap over to processing duties in Turbo mode and the noise ranges are simply as excessive as throughout powerful gameplay. Fortunately, in each different efficiency mode the M16 was quieter when processing than when gaming.
Whereas the i9-13900H did not hit its theoretical speeds in powerful workloads, its prime single-core tempo of 5.1 GHz is superb and its multi-core speeds ranged between 3.6 GHz and 4.3 GHz relying on the efficiency mode. All of these clocks allow strong working potential throughout each energy possibility.
Asus hasn’t modified the Zephyrus M16’s 90Wh battery for this yr’s mannequin, so do not count on a lot right here. With the show ramped as much as most brightness we received via an hour and fifteen minutes of gameplay, and that determine solely improved by 14 further minutes with the brightness dialed down. Run a very powerful title that challenges the internals and people figures will dip beneath an hour.
In a modest work check with the show brightness lowered the Asus lasted for simply over 5 hours, however that determine dropped by an hour with the brightness raised again up. If you wish to use extra demanding content material creation instruments, slice an hour off these instances. And it doesn’t matter what you do, do not count on this machine to final till lunchtime whilst you’re working.
Wrap Up
The 2023 model of the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 makes most of its huge adjustments on the within, and it will get loads of issues proper in that regard. The display screen is unimaginable: a high-resolution, nuanced and detailed Mini LED show that trounces just about another moveable panel.
Video games look unbelievable, and the RTX 4090 runs them easily, too – even when this comparatively slim pocket book cannot match the beefiest fashions on the subject of Nvidia’s newest GPU.
The Core i9-13900H is a reliably quick CPU, the Zephyrus M16 is a good thermal performer except you head over to Turbo mode, and the Asus is slimmer and lighter than nearly the rest with this spec. It additionally maintains nice construct high quality regardless of its measurement. And assuming the value stays within the $3,499 vary it will most likely arrive as one of the vital inexpensive RTX 4090 notebooks.
You will actually get higher efficiency from the RTX 4090 in pricier, bigger laptops, however these are most likely focusing on a unique sort of gamer’s wants anyway. The AniMe Matrix lid is a cool gimmick that provides weight and little else, and the keyboard is sweet – however plenty of different notebooks are significantly better. The battery does not final very lengthy and it is unnecessarily exhausting to get contained in the M16.
As new gaming laptops launch for 2023, the Zephyrus M16 will nearly actually retain its crown because the slimmest, lightest RTX 4090 machine, and that Mini LED show will undoubtedly stay among the finest laptop computer shows round. And but we’d nonetheless maintain off a purchase order till different RTX 4090 laptops arrive except that is precisely what you have been in search of on a brand new gaming machine.
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