Asus ROG G18 | RTX 4070 - Pains and gains of size

An 18 inch display initially made more of an impression on me than I had anticipated with the ASUS ROG STRIX G18. In today’s world where portable gaming is regaining popularity with the Asus Ally, the steam deck, Legion Go and many other brands, it is difficult to really evaluate portability of pc gaming and along with that, the right display size. 2 extra inches might make a difference for many gamers and maybe not so much. Compromising on portability is generally not something I would agree to. There are a few things I learnt during my usage of the G18 and hope that you all find it useful to better understand what Asus is offering here. Please do drop in your comments below and share your thoughts.
Overall, I was left thinking that ROG left many opportunities on the table to make this a formidable competitor in the desktop replacement class that can be all things to both gamers and creators. It would be nice to see something that truly competes with the Razer Blade 18 at a lower price point (perhaps a ZEPHYRUS M18 is what would be nice… at least to me). Though my personal tastes does not align with the typical STRIX styling with the cheesy statements everywhere, It would be nice to see ROG pull more gaming enthusiasts into the PC gaming fold. I have also started to develop deep respect for the Armory crate software, what once looked very childish has started to look impressive. Either ROG really knows what gamers want or my brain development is in retrograde.
I have organized the video in the following chapters
0:00 Intro, Hardware, Specs
2:37 Physicals, Dimensions, Build
3:53 Ports
4:43 Display
5:36 Keyboard, Trackpad, functions, biometrics, webcam
7:33 The ROG Strix styling rant
10:10 Software, RGB, controls, features
12:11 Battery life, GPU Power, Efficiency, Charging
15:09 Sound
15:41 Thermals, Stress
17:04 Performance, Benchmarks
19:25 Starfield
20:45 Conclusion
The following are the specs of the specific device I have here:
• Title: ROG Strix G18 (2023) ; SKU: G814 G814JI-BS91-CB
• CPU: Intel i9 13th Gen 13980HX - 24 Cores (16 E / 8 P Cores) | upto 5.6 Ghz
• GPU Nvidia RTX 4070 - 8GB GDDR6 / 128bits / 115+25 Watts - I did not see a 4080 option on the Asus Canada website though.
• GPU: 16” QHD+ IPS | 240hz | 3ms | ~450 nits | Mux | Advanced Optimus | 3 Ms response time | G Sync | 100% SRGB coverage, 93% DCI-P3, 86% Adobe SRGB
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5 4800Mhz (2 SODIMMS)
• Storage: 1 TB Gen 4 (+1 empty PCIE slot)
• Battery: 90 WH
• Camera: 720P
• Biometrics: None
The games / applications covered in this review include:
• Starfield
• Hogwarts
• Shadow of Tomb Raider
• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Division 2
• Farcry 6
• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Gears of War
• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
• Modern Warfare 2
• 3d Mark timespy DX12
• Firestrike Extreme DX11
Other devices shown in this video include:
• Razer Blade 15 Advanced Edition - Intel i7 11800H + RTX 3070
• Alienware X16 R1 2023 - Intel i9 13900HK + RTX 4080
• Lenovo Legion 7 Gen 7 2022 - Ryzen 6800H + Radeon 6700M
• Asus Zephyrus M16 - Intel i9 13900H + RTX 4070
• Motorola Razr Plus
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/jeff-kaale/coco
License code: MZVP1WTOGSQMSKRS
Video recorded using a Samsung S22 Ultra with an external wireless mic

Пікірлер: 74

  • @abdullahnafis2256
    @abdullahnafis22568 ай бұрын

    Amazing Machine 🔥 Great review as always!!❤

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    8 ай бұрын

    Yaaar bhuttz, you are awesome. Thank you always!

  • @esfsefes
    @esfsefes7 ай бұрын

    I love your style of reviewing - humor does the thing :)

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank youuu! I have to try real hard to resist breaking into my dad jokes form Hope to keep on bringing new content that works! :)

  • @esfsefes

    @esfsefes

    7 ай бұрын

    @@kazmiee :D hope we'll get them sometime in future he he

  • @mutawi3i
    @mutawi3i4 ай бұрын

    Proper good video mate. Well done🎉

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    4 ай бұрын

    Thank you! Appreciate you watching my video! :)

  • @h1ghpower
    @h1ghpower6 ай бұрын

    I watched a lot of reviews..but I liked this one the most lol..the honesty..the amusement ..thanks man..I’m 31 but still buying it for work and a little gaming ahhaha

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    6 ай бұрын

    I am so sorry for my tardy response. I do greatly appreciate your encouragement and am happy that you found my content to be useful. And trust me I can totally relate. Gaming laptops are definitely the way to go atleast for me being in my 30s. Apparently I look like some spoilt man child gaming on a desktop but with a laptop the perception is not too bad :P Gamers never die, we only respawn. Keep at it man. Others read books, but we experience grand stories through this medium. No such thing as age for gaming

  • @mmmhowbowfoqyew

    @mmmhowbowfoqyew

    4 ай бұрын

    Literally did the same thing lol i needed new work laptop for working at home and on the go. Need bigger screen for my type of work. But also do some gaming lol glad am not alone in that rationale

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    4 ай бұрын

    @@mmmhowbowfoqyew do you have any options in mind so far?

  • @janeS4489
    @janeS44897 ай бұрын

    Great video, man!

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank you Jane. Really means a lot :)

  • @heysunnysideup2754
    @heysunnysideup27545 ай бұрын

    wow under rated reviewer you earned a subsriber ill stick with my strix g17 2022 still wait for the next 18 inch ports made me dont want it .....back ports is a must these days

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you sunny side up! Really grateful for the sub!. Hope I can continue to bring out useful content. :)

  • @user-gc3my5lr5j
    @user-gc3my5lr5j3 ай бұрын

    I am wondering if the fan is running on IDLE. I have an acer nitro. And these cpu fans runs hearable at 40 degrees at idle. Thats really annoying if i am at the library to study for university. I already did a lot of researches and theres no way to turn these off. Can you really shut the fans completely down when you only browsing or reading an pdf file at full screen brightness on the asus ROG strix G18? Or do they automatically get turned on at a certain cpu temperature just like the acer nitro?

  • @madcapper6
    @madcapper66 ай бұрын

    Unless you're one of those people who like to re-up on their laptops every year, that T4 port might come in handy for an eGPU sooner rather than later, especially if you've got the 4070 model. VRAM limitations are already a thing with the 4070 but at the same time, the very high end 13980HX cpu offers some future-proofing. Having that option open with this laptop with the T4 port is nice to have imo.

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    5 ай бұрын

    Sorry about the delay in response! For sure! I was super excited about TB4 and was looking forward to seeing TB4 GPU enclosures, but somehow YEARS later, we never expanded past 4 PCIE lanes at least through the type C interface. I do hope this is something that manufacturers continue to think about in the future. ALSO, make these eGPU enclosures a bit more affordable as well. Are you currently using such a setup? How has your experience been so far?

  • @madcapper6

    @madcapper6

    5 ай бұрын

    @@kazmiee Hello, thank you for the response. Currently I'm using a 2060 Super (via the Alienware graphics amp) with an Alienware 17 r2 that has a 6th gen i7 6700hq. Being able to go from the internal 970m gpu to the 2060 Super really gave that laptop a second life as I've been able to play games like RDR2, God of War, Forza Horizon 5 and even cyberpunk at a full 60fps with decent to good settings. Games I clearly wouldn't have been able to play on it with the 970m. With the 6th gen cpu though, I run into some trouble with bottlenecking on more cpu-bound games, like AC Origins and Elden Ring. When I originally got the graphics amp, all I had at that time to put in it was a 970 desktop gpu, a nice little banger of a gpu back in the day. I was getting around 45-50fps on Elden Ring at 1080p and medium settings. When I swapped it out for the 2060 Super, I was still maxing out at 45-50, regardless of graphic settings so I was clearly pushing that old i7 to its limit. The graphics amp I guess has a little less overhead than TB4 and it was only cutting into the card's performance by about 5% or so. Unfortunately, if I'm not mistaken Alienware discontinued the graphics amp and interface in either '20 or '21. I thought about getting one of the most recent models that still had it but ultimately decided to go a different direction. I definitely agree with you about the cost. As if the price of a decent gpu isn't high enough, gotta shell out another few hundred for an enclosure so then by the time you're done you could be easily in for another $1k or so. And yeah, it's unfortunate. I was fortunate enough to come across that graphics amp in like new condition on FB Marketplace for $100 and the 2060 Super I used with it I already had so it was just the $100 that ended up being the total cost. Do you see eGPUs having a viable future or will the cost continue to make it kind of a niche product? Thanks again for your original response and the vid. Cheers.

  • @DanielNistrean
    @DanielNistrean8 ай бұрын

    Again a great review! G18 vs M16 vs Legion Slim 7 for 3D work ?

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    8 ай бұрын

    You will certainly appreciate the larger size for 3D models. Screen size and thermals are the main reasons to get the g18. But m16 and Slim 7 are just.. better overall laptops

  • @plingela276
    @plingela2768 ай бұрын

    Спасибо за душевный ролик

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Thank you for your support and kind words!

  • @chrishewlet5471
    @chrishewlet54715 ай бұрын

    I wonder about the noise level on this laptop when browsing or watching a KZread video. I am trying to make up my mind between this G18 G814JI and the A17 FA707XI. Price wise there is a $300 difference between the two, so not that much. I just need the thing to be not too loud (does that silent mode really work?) Any coil whine?

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    5 ай бұрын

    Apologies for the late reply, the device is back with Asus now but I remember the fan noise was very "whooshy'. No whine at all and the noise level was also very impressively low.

  • @h1ghpower
    @h1ghpower6 ай бұрын

    Have you used this laptop since then Ali? Do you have any recomendation / tips or feedback in regards ? Really planning to buy the i9, 4060 version sith 32gb ram ... Just wondering abiut the bad things (extra than the video) that i should be aware or ...thanks man

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    6 ай бұрын

    Sorry about the late reply. The device is now back with the manufacturer unfortunately. I was daily driving it for a month and honestly I overall liked it and was not expecting to. My only specific major issues with the device were... no biometrics, sad webcam, thick and large size, If you can live with these and are leaning towards the rest, the G18 should work well for you in this screen size. Let me know what you decide on... or considering how late I am replying.. let me know what you decided on. Also, is there a specific use case you are looking for with this purchase? Which laptop were you using before this? / currently using?

  • @h1ghpower

    @h1ghpower

    6 ай бұрын

    @@kazmiee thanks for the feedback .in the meantime it became out of stock here where I live so I'll wait some more before buying something ..most probably Jan or february when people are poor after holidays should be the perfect time to buy one ....

  • @khalifa6413
    @khalifa64137 ай бұрын

    may i know what is the external monitor that you showed earlier? i want to buy a 16 inch external monitor but don't know which one

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Ahh. It's kind of an unknown "AYY" brand I found on Amazon. But I like it. High refresh rate, qhd+, 500 nits. And so far reliable: 2K Portable Monitor - AYY 16''... www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B87WZR2L?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

  • @aldenthomas5317
    @aldenthomas53177 ай бұрын

    Hey man, Great review! I was wondering if you could cover the asus vivobook pro 16x; it has same hardware specs (i9 13980hx, rtx 4070), but in a much smaller package, with an oled screen. I'm finding it around 1637 USD.

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    The vivobook should also be pretty good. OLED is going to really up the game there. I am a huge fan of their ZENBOOK in the same pro 16x version. Have not used vivobook, but if it is anything like the ZENBOOK, it should be good!

  • @vpsjdon
    @vpsjdon15 күн бұрын

    I got the same model and man it's an absolute BEAST. PS: The 'official' max ram is just a number. I've seen plenty of people using the same laptop and 64 gigs of memory. Are you still using this device by the way? I do have some questions if that's the case. An extremely informative video though. Enjoyed it a lot!

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    14 күн бұрын

    Hey Vedant. Really glad that you found my video useful. And thank you for also sharing that with me. Means alot. Unfortunately I do not have the g18 anymore but perhaps I might still be able to answer your questions?

  • @vpsjdon

    @vpsjdon

    14 күн бұрын

    @@kazmiee Did you try to upgrade the ram or ssd of this device? A lot of people on Reddit recommend disconnecting the battery before doing such upgrades, but I'm seeing posts of people who have actually managed to ruin their battery connectors or bent the pins by doing that. From what I've read, this model has some sort of light sensor that automatically cuts the power from the battery when the panel is opened right? So do you think it's necessary to disconnect the battery? Just to add a new ssd and replace the memory sticks? I don't want to fry the mobo but at the same I don't want to touch the components that I don't have to

  • @fabioslink5867
    @fabioslink58677 ай бұрын

    Hi, i’m valuating the g18 with 4060 and i7 13650hx for video editing and general use. What do you thinking about? I find it at a very great offer now in italy. Please lei me know. Thanks

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Would you be editing large batches of 4k content?

  • @fabioslink5867

    @fabioslink5867

    7 ай бұрын

    @@kazmiee max large 45min ok 4K but only sometimes, usualy short 4K Clips of max 4 min

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    @@fabioslink5867 the 4060 with that CPU should be fine, if you find yourself editing say 20 min 4k videos in the near future, configure with 32gigs. Its just a large machine. Hope you're not thinking about lugging it around too much

  • @user-hg1dh3gg8o
    @user-hg1dh3gg8o5 ай бұрын

    What about to use this laptop for after effect and Blender? Version with 16 gb und 1tb ssd? Thank you for the answer❤

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    5 ай бұрын

    Would be good to up the ram to 32 gb for a smoother experience dealing with large volume content

  • @kennysponto6568
    @kennysponto65687 ай бұрын

    The strix 18 rtx 4080 @ $2,099 on sale is the best laptop of 2023

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Certainly has good value for money! Do you have the 4080 version of the Strix 18?

  • @aelgendy7198
    @aelgendy71987 ай бұрын

    Please do you recommend me Lenovo legion pro 7i rtx 4080 or Asus rog strix g18 rtx 4080

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    I am tempted to say the G18? - If portability and mobility does not matter to you much, I think the G18 can offer a bit more? Though, with the Legion you get extra ports, and you also get stuff like TOBII head tracking. I also think, in terms of "PERCEIVED" thermal performance, which is what you feel on the outside on the keyboard deck and all, the G18 was absolutely excellent! HOWEVER, the gen 8 Legion 7 I reviewed was a 4070 which did NOT come with a vapor chamber on the GPU. Regardless, a bigger body show help with thermals. I dunno, I think portability for me would be the main deciding point :)

  • @ahmadtn4792
    @ahmadtn479211 күн бұрын

    8:00 that was painful

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    11 күн бұрын

    "No laptops were harmed or injured in the making of this film" hehe

  • @pokerbarloahavia
    @pokerbarloahavia3 ай бұрын

    They just put 32gb ram max on the site because that is their upgrade option if you buy 2 32gb sticks for a total of 64gb and install it yourself it will work.

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    3 ай бұрын

    Ah. Good to know! Thanks for sharing!

  • @richardcsebak7309
    @richardcsebak7309Ай бұрын

    Does it need cooling pad?

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    Ай бұрын

    For ambient temperatures up to 25 degrees C.. no, something above 30, perhaps a cooling pad can help for sustained loads. But overall, the G18 had a pretty good thermal solution. If you get it with a 4090, perhaps a cooling pad can then become a bit more relevant

  • @aks1008
    @aks10083 ай бұрын

    Hello is 8gb vram enough for latest games..like cyberpunk 2077, cod mw3 etc..

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    3 ай бұрын

    Hey, Thank you for your question! Wellllll... as you might expect.. it depends.. I have also been testing a Legion LoQ with a 3050 which has 6 gigs of Vram and it seems to do a pretty decent job at 1080p and medium settings. Way better than I had ever expected actually. But if you want to play these games at higher resolutions like 4k or even just qhd+ at max settings, 8 gigs will definitely been needed. But it also depends on the generation of the card. 8 gigs on 4000 series Nvidias will outperform 8 gigs on 3000 series. And it also depends on the performance expectation and how sensitive you are to stuttering in games. That might be a big reason for you to maintain 8 gigs atleast because when large texture sizes from modern games try to fit in smaller VRAM, it might require a more frequemt handoff of graphical data and can result in lower 95% fps due to greater dips in performance, something that can mess up especially a competitive multiplayer experience like in COD. Hope this helps! Btw, what are you current options in gaming laptops that you have in mind right now?

  • @aks1008

    @aks1008

    3 ай бұрын

    @@kazmiee like for qhd+ resolution on 4070 laptop will 8gb vram be enough at max settings

  • @aks1008

    @aks1008

    3 ай бұрын

    I want to get an asus g18 rtx 4080 laptop but price is too much that's why g18 rtx 4070 looks like a nice option..only problem is 4gb vram difference between 4080 and 4070 so that's why was thinking is 8gb vram enough for qhd+ resolution at max settings

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    3 ай бұрын

    @@aks1008 at max settings at qhd+, without dlss or frame gen, for example for cyperpunk, a 4070 might average I think around 45fps. And this is without RT as well. In comparison, a 4080 might be close to 60 fps but even there, its not the extra VRAM that is helping. VRAM is going to be most useful for texture size / sharpness / detail in rendering. Anyway, if you are seeking to use DLSS alot, then texture quality might also become less relevant. I personally dont like using upscaling like dlss because I can notice the dip in quality and I dont like that. Anyway, a 4070 is perfectly acceptable and should generally perform well at qhd+ across your AAA titles.

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    3 ай бұрын

    @@aks1008 that is a very relevant decision point. From the devices tested, I found that the 4080 offers a pretty decent performance jump over the 4070. Like you can generally expect 20-30% better framerates on average across your games, if the price difference is less than that, you know you will get better value for money. Also the g18 has a nice big chassis to house a more power hungry card so a 4080 might suit it well. And it will also stand the test of time better as newer games just demand more texture space. If you are a casual gamer though, a 4070 can easily satisfy. What is your current machine btw?

  • @krsnadasschleusener3367
    @krsnadasschleusener33678 ай бұрын

    8:09 My man stealth shows a basket of twix and m&ms while talking about the childish styling of the laptop!

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    8 ай бұрын

    Hahaha, eagle eyed viewing award nominee right here. I had to get into the right vibe for this review so I chose the twix and mnm way.

  • @oterkoo
    @oterkoo4 ай бұрын

    Size matters bro😂

  • @kennysponto6568
    @kennysponto65687 ай бұрын

    Please Review the 2023 vector GP68hx rtx 4080 with a 144hz retro 1969 black & white tearing display... Absolute garbage. Can always use the power brick as an anchor for a small boat. Or one cement boot 🥾 in case you have dispose of a dead body.

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    7 ай бұрын

    Haha, I have always found that when manufacturers try to make budget gaming laptops, they throw money at making it more... "gamer-esque" and giving it strange styling and the actual hardware, they will compromise on. Better to spend slightly higher for the mainstream offering or don't spend at all. I have been thinking about checking out the LOQ series by lenovo and seeing if they can offer better value than hand held devices.. I mean the Legion Go and the LOQ with the 4050 is the same price.

  • @gamerrayan3280
    @gamerrayan32806 ай бұрын

    I got a question i am looking for a gaming and editing laptop and i saw the asus rog strix g18 4080 i9 13980hx for 2000 and i saw the lenovo Legion pro 7i with a 4080 i9 13900hx for 2000 and i was wondering wich of those 2 Will be better to buy (I Watch alot of movies so screen is important😁)

  • @kazmiee

    @kazmiee

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you for your question Rayyan and I do apologize for the late response; I wonder if you have made your decision already. :/ Other than the screen size, I believe for the specific SKUs you are considering, both are IPS panels with a similar color gamut and similar brightness levels. HOWEVER, I am not sure which region you're from and you may be getting the ROG Nebula HDR displays which is a 10 bit display with HDR brightness going to 1100 nits. For the Legion 7, I dont think they have a miniled option. You will have to consider the Legion 9 for that - not sure if you had that in consideration. ASSUMING the former, considering both have a similar price tag and since you like watching movies, I am sure You wont mind a bigger screen, however not sure how portable you want your device to me. If you are not going to move it around too much, The G18 seems like a better choice. You're also getting the slightly more powerful CPU, though if you are not intending to have large CPU bound workloads (AutoCAD, Premiere etc ), you should still be perfectly okay with the 13900HX. BUT, you get a 720P webcam - not great for meetings. If you're okay with the size and the gamer styling, the G18 can be a nice machine over the Legion. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any further questions

  • @kennysponto6568
    @kennysponto65687 ай бұрын

    Funny review