Asus ROG Strix G16 G614, G18 G814 – Intel or AMD, RTX 4000 graphics

Asus ROG Strix G16 G614, G18 G814 – Intel or AMD, RTX 4000 graphics
By Andrei Girbea, last updated on February 1, 2024

In this article, we’re discussing the Asus ROG Strix G16 G614 and ROG Strix G18 G814 lineups, the mainstream full-size full-power ROG laptops available for the year.

This year, the Strix G and the Strix Scar models are nearly identical designs, with only some minor aesthetic and specs differences between them.

At the same time, both are 16-inch and 18-inch chassis and exclusive Intel Raptor Lake platforms with Nvidia RTX graphics, unlike in the past, where the Scars were Intel designs and the Strix Gs were AMD. Both also get the same updated tri-fan 7-Heatpipe thermal module.

So why are there separate Strix G16/G18 and Scar 16/18 models, then?

Well, while the specs sheets mention up to i9-13980HX and RTX 4090 configurations for both the Scars and the Strix G lineups, I expect Asus to list these top-tier i9 + RTX 4080/4090 configurations primarily on the Scar models, while offering the Strix Gs in a multitude of other mid-tier and even lower-tier specs, including Core i7 platforms with RTX 3050 to RTX 4070 graphics chips.

But how about AMD-based ROG laptops, if the Strix Gs are Intel now for the 2023 generation?

Asus are offering 2023 AMD platforms with Nvidia RTX graphics in the updated ROG Scar 17 and ROG Strix G17 models, reviewed in the linked articles.

Update: Here’s our full review of the Asus ROG Strix G16 series, and here’s our review of the larger Asus ROG Strix G18.

In this one, we’ll go over the two Asus Strix G16 and Strix G18 lineups down below, comparing them to their Strix G15/G17 predecessors (here’s our review of the 2022 ROG Strix G15), and then we’ll follow up with our in-depth reviews in the near future, once these are available in stores.

2023 Asus ROG Strix G16 and Strix G18

Here’s the complete specs sheet of these 2023 ROG Strix G16 and ROG Strix G18 models.

2023 ASUS ROG Strix G16 G614 – review 2023 ASUS ROG Strix G18 G814 – review
Display 16-inch, 16:10, non-touch, matte
Nebula QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px IPS, 165 Hz 3ms, 500-nits, 100% DCI-P3
FHD+ 1920 x 1200 px IPS, 165 Hz 7ms, 300-nits, 100% sRGB
18-inch, 16:10, non-touch, matte
Nebula QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px IPS, 240 Hz 3ms, 500-nits, 100% DCI-P3
FHD+ 1920 x 1200 px IPS, 165 Hz 7ms, 300-nits, 100% sRGB
Processor Intel 13th-gen Raptor Lake i7-13700HX, up to Core i9-13980HX 24C/32T
Video Intel UHD + Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB to RTX 4090 (up to 175 TGP with Dyn Boost)
with MUX, Advanced Optimus, GSync
Memory up to 64 GB DDR5-4800 (2x DIMMs)
Storage 2x M.2 gen4 SSD slots
Connectivity WiFi 6E (Intel AX211) 2×2 with Bluetooth 5.2, Gigabit LAN
Ports Left: power, 2.5G Lan, 1x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C gen2 (with video, data, power), HDMI 2.1, headphone&mic
Right: 2x USB-A 3.2 gen2
Battery 64 or 90Wh, 240/280/330 W power adapter, USB-C charging up to 100W
Size 354 mm or 13.94” (w) x
264 mm or 10.4″ (d) x
22.6 – 30.4 mm or .89″ – 1.2” (h)
400 mm or 15.75” (w) x
294 mm or 11.57″ (d) x
23.1 – 30.8 mm or .9″ – 1.21” (h)
Weight 2.5 to 2.7 kg (5.5 to 5.95 lbs) + charger 3.1 to 3.3 kg (6.9 to 7.3 lbs) + charger
Extras updated glass touchpad and rubber-dome 4-zone or per-key RGB keyboard, HD camera, quad speakers, updated tri-fan cooling module, 2 color options – green-volt and black

Update: Here’s our detailed review of the 2023 Asus ROG Scar 18 model, and we’ll follow up with our take on the Strix G models in due time.

These 2023 Asus ROG Strix G16 and Strix G18 lineups are pretty much identical in design, ergonomics, and functionality to the 2023 Asus Strix Scars that we’ve already covered in-depth in this other article. So head on over there for my in-depth impressions on the revamped 2023 chassis.

2023 rog strix g16 designs2

There are, however, a few differences between the Scars and the Strix Gs that you should be aware of:

  • While the Scars get the partially transparent main deck around the right-side corner, the Strix Gs are an all-solid design with a dark-gray color. This approach most likely does a better job at hiding smudges and finger oil, as per our experience with the previous generations.
  • There are a multitude of rather aggressive ROG branding elements and engravings on the Strix models, while the Scars are cleaner and simpler looking.
  • The Strix Gs are available in two design variants: a simpler model with black accents and a non-backlit black ROG eye on the lid, and a flashy variant with bright green-volt accents and a green eye.
  • The eye on the lid is not backlit on either of the Strix G models, unlike on the Scars, where it is RGB lit. There’s also one-extra RGB lightbar behind the screen on the Scars, not available on the Strix G models.
  • the keyboard on the Strix G models is either 4-zone RGB (on the lower-tier models) or per-key RGB (on the top configurations).

These aside, the two are the same chassis, with the same keyboard layout and touchpad, the same 16:10 displays with an HD camera and microphones at the top, the same 4x set of speakers, and the same cooling module that occupies the entire back edge of the laptop, pushing the ports to the left and right sides. Those include USB-C and USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, 2.5G Lan, and an audio jack, but no Lock or card reader.

2023 rog strix g16 designs

I must mention that you do get the miniLED Nebula HDR display option as an exclusive for the Scar 16, and that’s not available for the Strix G16. In fact, both the Strix G16 and the Strix G18 notebooks are available with either:

  • a lower-tier FHD+ IPS panel with 300-nits of brightness and 100% sRGB colors, 165Hz refresh, and 7 ms response time,
  • or a higher-tier QHD+ IPS panel with 500-nits of brightness and 100% DCI-P3 colors, 240Hz refresh, and 3ms response time.

The latter is reserved for the higher-tier configurations.

Hardware specs for the 2023 ROG Strix G16 and G18

Speaking of, for the 2023 generations, the ROG Strix G16 and Strix G18 are exclusive Intel designs with Nvidia graphics.

I wasn’t expecting this, given how the past generations were smartly differentiated between AMD+Nvidia on the Strix and Intel+Nvidia on the Scars, but that’s the way it is. In fact, Asus steered away from AMD hardware on a couple of other designs, such as the 2023 ROG Zephyrus G16 and ROG Flow X16.

Anyway, the specs sheets mention up to Core i9-13980HX and RTX 4090 16GB configurations for the Strix G models, but in reality, you’ll most likely find these with mid-tier specs, namely with Core i7/i9 processors and RTX 3050/4060/4070 dGPUs.

Expect various amounts of memory and storage between them, but keep in mind that the base-tier RTX 3050 models will only ship with smaller 64 Wh batteries, while all the other variants will get the standard 90Wh battery available on most other ROG laptops.

Furthermore, both these ROG Strix lineups are an up to 230W total power crossload designs: 55W CPU + 175 GPU (for the RTX 4080 configurations). That’s identical to the higher-tier Scars.

Update: Here are the configurations available for the Asus ROG Strix G16 and Strix G18 (2023) series:

  • Asus ROG Strix G18 G814JZ / Strix G16 G614JZ – Intel Core i9-13980HX + RTX 4080 175W + QHD display;
  • Asus ROG Strix G18 G814JI / Strix G16 G614JI – Intel Core i9-13980HX + RTX 4070 140W + QHD display;
  • Asus ROG Strix G18 G814JV / Strix G16 G614JV – Intel Core i7-13650HX/Intel Core i9-13980HX + RTX 4060 140W + QHD/FHD display;
  • Asus ROG Strix G18 G814JU / Strix G16 G614JU – Intel Core i7-13650HX/Intel Core i9-13980HX + RTX 4050 140W 6GB + QHD/FHD display;
  • Asus ROG Strix G18 G814JJ / Strix G16 G614JJ – Intel Core i7-13650HX/Core i9-13980HX + RTX 3050 95W 6GB + QHD/FHD display.

The mid-specced mid-powered configurations should run very well on the updated tri-fan thermal module implemented here, which is identical to the one implemented in the Scars, with the full-length Pulsar heatsink spreading across the entire back edge and the extra fan in the middle of the chassis, designed to pull in extra fresh air over the main components.

It also seems that you’re getting the top-tier Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal compound on these Strix Gs as well, unlike in the past, when it was exclusive for the Scars only.

rog scar cooling

Now, with the Strix Gs available in these mid-tier configurations, I would expect them to be far more accessible than the top-specced Scars. However, I doubt that these 2023 Strix G models will be as competitively priced as the previous generations were, as those 16/18 inch displays and the updated cooling will most likely add up to the cost.

Instead, the 2023 Asus ROG Strix G17 is most likely going to be the most accessible ROG laptop of this generation, an option to consider if you’re shopping for a laptop on a lower budget or if you preffer AMD processors over Intel and don’t care much about the design and internal changes of the 2023 models. That’s because the 2023 Strix G17 is still built on the 2022 ROG Strix G chassis, with a standard cooling module and 17-inch 16:9 display options.

Anyway, we’ll know more about these laptops in a few weeks and I look forward to properly reviewing them and finding out how they fare in performance and overall behavior against the Scars and the previous ROG generations.

Update: Here’s our full review of the Asus ROG Strix G16 series, and here’s our review of the larger Asus ROG Strix G18.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to your thoughts on these 2023 Asus ROG Strix G16 and Strix G18 laptops, so let me know what you think about them in the comments section below.

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Author at Ultrabookreview.com
Article by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com. I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.

7 Comments

  1. Lee

    February 3, 2023 at 6:58 am

    A lot of the 18" models are sacrificing weird features: Alienware with no 240Hz option, Asus with no FHD webcam, Acer with no 4090 model.

  2. Dave

    April 2, 2023 at 5:38 pm

    All the Strix G16/G18 I've seen so far have gigabit only ethernet… Not 2.5Gb as on the Scars versions.

    • Andrei Girbea

      April 2, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      thanks, that was an error in the specs. Updated.

  3. Baxterdigi

    April 9, 2023 at 3:01 pm

    Ok gizmosliptech’s review, he also mentioned that the Scar has better speakers than the Strix even though they have the same number- can you confirm this?

    • Andrei Girbea

      April 10, 2023 at 10:39 am

      They shoudl be the same as far as I can tell.

  4. Aurelio

    April 9, 2023 at 11:44 pm

    Hey Andrei,
    I've just seen a model of the Strix G16 G614JV (G614JV-AS73) with an Intel Core i7-13650HX (with more modest specs – FHD+ and 4060); maybe it's worth updating the article?

    amazon.com/ASUS-ROG-Strix-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B0BV8H8HVD?th=1
    newegg.com/p/2WC-000N-0BPN9

    (Asus own site is historically bad when it come to the specs, I never understood why)

    Also, you listed 5 different "series" for this Strix G16; do you think all 5 series will receive the tri-fan cooling solution?
    (that would be so cool, specially for the lower tiers, where I expect this will be capable of cooling the machine on much lower RPMs)

    Thanks for all the information and hard work. :-)

    • Andrei Girbea

      April 10, 2023 at 10:40 am

      Interesting, thanks.

      Yeah, the cooling should be more or less similar on all models. Lower tier specs might get fewer heatpipes, though, based on pat experience. I'm currently testing the 4060 G16 and 4070 G18

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