A new generation of gaming laptops launched with a flash, a bang, and the sound of a thousand jet turbines all at once. New mobile gaming machines with pseudo-RTX 4090 GPUs are noisy. That’s the main takeaway from the tests so far.
But that’s always been the way high-end gaming laptops are, can Asus’ Zephyrus M16 change that?
In short, no. If you want to get the most out of your expensive new GeForce graphics chips and the megacore Intel Raptor Lake CPUs paired with them, this is not the case.And they are expensive, because this Zephyrus M16 GU604VY (opens in new tab) Listed at $4,000 / £4,100. yeah and all.
That said, the Zephyrus M16 is still my favorite of the three next-gen machines I’ve tested so far this year, and when I first saw the Razer Blade 16, I couldn’t help but say I didn’t think so. (opens in new tab) Ahead of the CES 2023 announcement. I’ve long been a Blade fan rather than a Zephyrus fan, but this generation may change that, and if lower-spec versions of the M16 and G14 were offered at a bit more affordable prices, I’d be a convert It may become
However, we’re still not 100% sure as the RTX 4060 machine still costs around $2,000 at this point.
However, this version of the Zephyrus M16 is not affordable. This is extra for a modest chassis.For these purposes we are looking at the RTX 4090 version but not at his 175W levels of extremes Razer and MSI allowed (opens in new tab) Integrate the GPU into your system. That’s a slightly pared-back 150W RTX 4090 spec, technically at the top of the potential TGP ratings, but without the extra 25W headroom, the manufacturer could just top that number. increase.
Asus actually lists 145W, but the machine’s Nvidia software claims a peak of 150W. Now, the 5W issue may be moot as none of the GPUs we’ve tested so far have reached the peak power level allotted in-game.
Specs of Zephyrus M16
As we mentioned in our article on the new mobile GeForce chips, this is not the same as the desktop version of the RTX 4090. (opens in new tab)It actually uses a completely different GPU and actually uses the same silicon as the RTX 4080 (opens in new tab), down to core, cache, and memory configuration. It will still be a high-performance graphics chip, but the RTX 4090 is only in name.
The Zephyrus M16 also features one of Intel’s next-generation mobile processors in the Raptor Lake lineup.this Core i9 13900H (opens in new tab) It’s a 14 core chip with 20 threads. In Intel’s modern hybrid terminology, this means 6 performance cores with hyperthreading and 8 efficient cores without hyperthreading.
This is noticeably lower on the Core i9 13950HX we checked out on Blade 16 and Titan machines with a full 24 cores and 32 threads. But honestly, for a gaming laptop, I don’t think you’re really losing out when this chip still supports monster Nvidia GPUs with single-core performance higher up the charts .
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If you want to make the most of its potential performance, it needs to run as hot and as loud as it needs to.
Also, its 5.4GHz boost clock speed is not a temporary number in marketing materials. In fact, you’ll see that level of CPU performance in games…if you let your processor run that fast.
This is a problem with all the machines we tested with this new generation of gaming laptops. If you want to take full advantage of the performance potential of the hardware baked into the machine’s internals, you’ll need to remove the shackles and be prepared to run it as hot and loud as you want.
The good news is that the cooling inside the Zephyrus M16 is good enough to allow both the RTX 4090 and Core i9 CPUs to run at their highest levels. perhaps, perhaps If you have really good noise-cancelling headphones, this is the only way to reach the high frame rates you need to run things like The Witcher 3’s new Ultra Ray Tracing mode at 60+ fps. Able to withstand similar sound attacks. 1600p setting on this screen), but I honestly don’t think I could have done it.
1080p gaming performance
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1440p gaming performance
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system performance
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Still, you can see what the Asus machine is capable of in the benchmarks here: Despite trading the extra 25W in the RTX 4090 TGP for the Blade 16, the Zephyrus M16 delivers frame rates roughly on par with more expensive Razer systems. can. Interestingly, some CPU-bound games at 1080p find themselves ahead even without a very powerful processor under the hood.
However, the straight “performance” mode setting in the Armory Crate software gives you a good balance between fan noise and game frame rate, and I think you’ll be spending your time there. Until a few years later when you start to look like you have long legs.
Above the keyboard is a set of configurable buttons that can be set to do different things. One of them is toggling power settings. Like the Blade 16, you can switch to ‘Performance’ or ‘Turbo’ for gaming and then ‘Silent’ for everything on your desktop, making your everyday PC experience positive.
All of this can be accessed and configured via Asus’ Armory Crate software. When it comes to controlling every aspect of your system, from screens to lighting to CPU and GPU power modes, it’s a fully functional, effective, and powerful piece of software. Nice mechanical he doesn’t need to be installed just to run his keyboard, but here he is crazy about controlling the Zephyrus M16.
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The final piece in the next generation trinity of new gaming laptops is the screen. It’s a nice middle ground between the extreme demands of his 4K panel on the Blade 16 and the older high refresh rate 1080p displays. The Zephyrus M16 in RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 flavors comes with a mini LED backlight on the 16:10 screen, making this bright panel and incredibly effective HDR display possible.
However, there is a consistent problem across modern laptops surrounding the MUX switch that shifts between the Nvidia GPU and the Intel iGPU. Switching between modes blacks out the display, sometimes slightly alters the color palette, and periodically resizes windows and changes scaling settings. It’s not Asus-specific, but if it’s plugged in, you should consider using the discrete GPU full-time.
The native resolution of 2560 x 1600 does not put too much demands on the GPU in terms of pixel count, but even at 16 inches you get a very narrow pixel pitch, so images look crisp and the panels are all kinds of colorful. , that too. The mini LED displays we see on modern laptops are some of the best we’ve come across, meaning HDR gaming on PC is always where it should be.
I like the fact that you can enable HDR in Windows and leave it alone. No need to think about enabling it for each game. This should be done on a desktop machine. Just launch a compatible game and don’t even think about it. Enjoy HDR benefits whenever HDR is available. This is because enabling HDR on these panels does not completely discard standard dynamic range content, in particular. everything on your Windows desktop.
It’s been a long time deal-breaker for me and the reason I never turn it on in my home rig.
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Over $4,000 for a gaming laptop is unconscionable.
This screen is one of the reasons I’m obsessed with the Asus Zephyrus M16. I still prefer the Razer Blade 16’s overall styling, despite its quirkier chassis, but I’d probably opt for the Asus rig over the Razer now as an all-around package. is still surprisingly small, and the lifting action of the screen hinge remains a smart way to increase airflow.
It’s one of those little things, but I’m much more interested in the keyboard here. Probably also about the mechanical switches on MSI Titan laptops. Keeb-lover’s sacrifice, I know.
But I will always go back for that price. It’s the top spec of the Zephyrus M16, it’s a whole new generation, and I think that’s a big reason for the early adopter’s price premium, but it’s unconscionable that he’s going over $4,000 for his gaming laptop.
At $3,500, I might think it’s expensive, but I get it. That’s the Zephyrus M16’s only real negative. It’s a hefty price tag, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s the most impressive hardware package of the current generation of gaming laptops.
