Time to discuss the 2025 update of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 series, a powerful and yet still compact and lightweight series of all-purpose laptops.
More specifically, we’re talking about the Intel-based Zephyrus G16 GU605, which is now powered by a Core Ultra 9 Arrow Lake processor, alongside various Nvidia Blackwell RTX 5000 chips.
This particular review unit is a mid-level configuration, with 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 5070Ti 12GB GPU. It is one of the better-value configurations for this generation, even if it goes from $2599 in the US and €3399 over here in Europe. It does come with a few extra perks that might not be that obvious on a first glance in comparison to the lower-tier variants, or the previous-gen 2024 configurations.
Nonetheless, you’ll find what to expect from this series and this particular model down below in the review, as well as how this fares against 2024 configurations with RTX 4000 chips or some of the other 2025 variants.
2025 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605C
2025 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GU605CR
Display 16-inch, 16:10, glossy, non-touch,OLED QHD+ 2560 x 1600 px , 240 Hz VRR 0.2ms , 400 nits SDR, 100% DCI-P3 colors
Processor Intel Arrow Lake H, Core Ultra 9 285H, 16C/16T
Video Arc + Nvidia RTX 5070Ti 12GB (up to 115W with Dyn Boost) on this GU605CR version
Memory 32 GB LPDDR5x-7467 (onboard)
Storage 1TB SSD, 2x M.2 PCI 4.0 x4 slots
Connectivity WiFi 7 2×2 with Bluetooth 5.4 (Mediatek MT7925)
Ports left: DC-in, HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4.0 , 1x USB-A 3.2, audio jack
Battery 90 Wh, 240 W power adapter , USB-C charging up to 100W
Size 354 mm or 13.96” (w) x 246 mm or 9.68 (d) x from 14.9 or .59” (h)
Weight from 2.1 kg (4.65 lbs) for this RTX 5070 version,
Extras clamshell format with 130-degree hinge,
Design and ergonomics The 2025 Zephyrus G16 is the exact same chassis as the 2024 models, which means it’s a premium all-metal 16-inch design, available in either Platinum White or Eclipse Gray variants. Our unit is the white silver version, but I preffer the gray one for the nicer keyboard contrast and a more appealing integration of the LED bar on the lid. That still doesn’t make any sense to me, and I would have much preferred a clean simple lid, like on the ProArt P16 sibling lineup .
Here’s how the two color variants look side by side.
And here are some pics of this exact 2025 model in the Platinum White color.
I’m not covering all the bits and pieces again in this review, since I’ve already discussed them in the past, and nothing has changed for this 2025 refresh. So go ahead and read my thoughts over here .
It is important to understand something that is far from obvious, though: there are actually two chassis variants offered for this Zephyrus G16 lineup, one that’s a little heavier, at around 2.1 kg, and comes on the 5070Ti/5080/5090 configurations, and another that’s lighter at 1.95 kilos and is offered with the 5050/5060 models for this generation. The weight difference is due to the internal cooling: vapor-chamber on the higher-tier model with higher power settings and cooler temperatures, and heatsink array on the lower-tier versions. So, when deciding between a 5070 and a 5070Ti model, you have to account for the differences in cooling, power settings or weight, alongside other differences in specs and performance.
That being said, this Zephyrus G16 is still one of the nicest full-size Asus laptops ever made, and a solid contender in its class. It’s not quite on par with the general hefty premium feel of an Apple MacBook or Razer Blade, but it’s darn close.
My gripes with this series are the lid design and the limited screen angle. I need a 180 display on this sort of portable design, but I guess it might not matter that much to most of you, since very few other similar laptops offer 180 displays anymore these days.
Ergonomics are otherwise alright. There are no pescky lights in the line of sight, there’s good grip on a desk, there’s an ample palm-rest and what seems like good hinges, somehow a little stiffer on this generation than I remember from the 2024 models. Might be just my impression from this being a new sample, though.
You also get a nice set of ports on the sides, including Thunderbolt (just 4, not TB 5), full-size HDMI, several USBs, and a card reader. Only the left side USB-C port supports Thunderbolt, but the other one on the right side comes with video output and charging as well.
Still not a fan of the redesigned square charger plug on these recent ROG laptops, with the straight plug. The older 90-degree Asus rounded plug was a more practical design.
Keyboard and touchpad This Zephyrus series offers one of the best typing experiences in this segment of premium all-purpose laptops. I’d even argue it trumps the MacBook and ThinkPads.
The layout is minimalistic, without a NumPad or extra keys, aside from the media controls offered on all ROG devices. Some of you might resent that, but I preffer this sort of a simplified layout.
As far as the two color choices go, there’s an actual white keyboard on the Platinum model and a gray color-matched one on the Eclipse variant. The latter offers better contrast with the RGB lighting system, but also shows smudges easily on the darker keycaps. Personally, I’d choose the Gray variant if given the choice, all else being equal.
The RGB system is single-zone only, so not per key, but the LEDs are bright enough and uniform. There are no fancy controls and settings as on some competing devices from Razer or MSI or even Lenovo, such as highlighting function keys when hitting FN or highlighting secondary functionality when hitting Shift, and there are no spectacular light effects to choose from either. This is a more simplistic approach to keyboard lighting, where you can only change the base color.
The TouchPad works fine for the most part, but it’s just too big for its good, spanning all the way from a millimeter under the space key to a millimeter from the front lip.
For general use, that’s not an issue, especially as palm rejection works flawlessly. But for couch or leg use, not having a proper separation between the touchpad and the front of the laptop can cause ghost swipes and touches from your clothes. Once more, this is something I find annoying on a portable chassis that is not going to just spend all its life on a desk.
As far as biometrics go, there’s an IR camera here, but no finger sensor in the power button.
16-inch OLED display, 240 Hz The display on this 2025 Zephrysu G16 is identical to the one offered on the 2024 models, which means it is a 2024-gen Samsung OLED with a 2.5K 240Hz panel in a glossy non-touch implementation.
It’s a versatile display for regular use, for creator work, and multimedia consumption. It’s an excellent choice for gaming as well, with 240Hz refresh, fast response times, and GSync support.
The limitations of this technology are inherent to OLEDs of this generation: glossy finishing and limited sustained brightness, at only up to around 400 nits, which means usability in bright environments is somewhat of a concern. And then there’s the flickering at low brightness levels and potential burn-in of misused, aspects explained more indepth in this article on OLED laptops .
Anyway, here are the technical specs of this OLED panel:
Panel HardwareID: Samsung SDC41A3 (ATNA60DL01-0);
Coverage: 100% sRGB, 94.3% AdobeRGB, 100% DCI-P3,;
Measured gamma: 2.2o;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 408.62 cd/m2 on power;
Min brightness in the middle of the screen: <5 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 1:1;
White point: 6500 K;
Black on max brightness: 0 cd/m2;
PWM: Yes.
Hardware and performance – Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, GeForce RTX 5070Ti dGPU Our test model is a mid-specced configuration of the 2025 Asus Zephyrus G16 lineup, code name GU605CR, with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070Ti 12GB dedicated graphics, 32 GB of DDR5-7467 of RAM, and a fast 2 TB gen4 SSD.
Disclaimer: This unit was sent over for review by Asus. I tested it with the software available as of late June 2025 (BIOS 306). This is mature software at this point.
Spec-wise, this series is based on Intel Arrow Lake H hardware and Nvidia RTX 5000 Blackwell graphics.
The CPU is the Core Ultra 9 285H, a mobile hybrid design with 16 Cores and 16 Threads. It implements a mix of Performance and Efficient cores, all updated from the Core Ultra 9 185H platform implemented in the 2024 models. The processor runs at 80-85W of sustained power in this chassis.
For the GPU, this 2025 Zephyrus G16 configuration comes with a RTX 5070TI 12GB GPU, but 5060, 5070, 5080, and 5090 configurations are available as well. So plenty of options to choose from.
There’s a MUX here, Advanced Optimus and GSyns support on the main display.
For the RAM, the series is available with 32 or 64 GB LPDDR5x-7467 memory, onboard. The good news is that even the 5060 model comes with 32 GB of memory for this generation, but 64 GB are only offered for some of the RTX 5080/5090 variants.
For storage, there are two M.2 2280 PCIe gen4 slots on this series and no support for gen5 drives. Our sample comes preconfigured with a 2TB Micron 2450 drive.
Getting inside to the components requires you to remove a few Torx screws, all easily accessible. However, these screws are of three different sizes, so make sure you put them back in their right place. There is a pop-up screw on this model, which from what I remember was not offered on the 2024 chassis.
Specs aside, Asus offer their standard power profiles in the Armoury Crate control app: Silent, Performance, Turbo, and Manual, with various power settings and fan profiles between them, summarized in the following table.
Silent Performance Turbo Manual
CPU only, PL1/PL2 TDP
45/60W
70/95W
70/95W
75/95W
GPU only, max TGP
~55W
90W
115W
125W
Crossload
~80W, 25 + 55W
~110W, 20 + 90W
~130W, 25 + 105W
~140W, 25 + 115W
Noise at head-level, tested
~35 dBA
~42 dBA
~48 dBA
~52 dBA
Keep in mind that mostly similar power settings are set for the 5080/5090 variants, while the 5060/5070 configurations run at 10-20W lower levels on both the CPU and GPU.
Before we jump to the performance section, here’s how this laptop handles everyday use and multitasking on the Silent profile, unplugged from the wall.
Performance and benchmarks On to more demanding loads, we start with the Cinebench R15 loop test, testing the CPU’s abilities in sustained CPU loads.
I’ve mostly tested the laptop raised off the desk, to favor proper cooling. The performance isn’t impacted when keeping it flat on the desk, but internal and external temperatures run hotter by a few degrees.
But first, here’s Turbo mode with the laptop on desk. The Core Ultra 9 285H processor runs at about 80W of power, with temperatures in the low 90s °C and scores of ~3050 points. The fans spin at ~46 dBA at head level in this mode.
Raised off the desk, the performance and scores do not change in any notable way, but temperatures drop by several degrees, averaging 88 °C.
Then there’s the Manual profile with the fans set at 100% rpms. Fan noise increases to 52 dBA, with higher sustained power for the first loops, Eventually, the CPU settles at around 85W, with temperatures in the low 90s °C and scores of 3150 points.
Performance is the mid-level profile. The CPU is limited at 70W in this mode, with temperatures in the low-90s °C and fan noise at ~42 dBA at head-level. Performance drops about 5% compared to the top profiles.
I then tested Performance mode on 100W PD power, which scored only 2450 points, due to the CPU being capped at only 45W.
On Silent mode, the CPU stabilizes around 55W, with sub-35 dBA fan noise and temperatures still in the high-80s °C. The CPU scores 2700 points on this profile, which is about 80% of the score on Turbo.
Finally, the CPU runs at ~45 W of power on battery use, on the Performance profile. Details below.
To put these findings in perspective, here’s how this Core Ultra 9 285H implementation fares against other modern platforms in this test.
It’s merely a few percent faster than the previous-gen Core Ultra 9 185H at similar power, but about 10% slower than AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 implementations at around 80W. So it’s a competitive performer for this thin-and-light segment, but without impressing in any way.
We then went ahead and further verified our findings with the more taxing Cinebench R23 loop test and Blender – Classroom, which resulted in similar findings to what we explained above (85W for Manual, 80W for Turbo, 70W for Performance, 55W for Silent). With high temperatures in the 90s °C.
We also ran the 3DMark CPU test on the Turbo profile.
Finally, we ran our combined CPU+GPU stress tests on this notebook. 3DMark stress runs the same test for 20 times in a loop and looks for performance variation and degradation over time. This review unit fails the test while flat on the desk, albeit by a small margin, and passes it when raised off the desk. That showcases a slight limitation in cooling capacity flat on the desk. We’ll further discuss this in the Gaming section below.
Next, we ran the entire suite of tests and benchmarks, on the Turbo profile with the GPU set to Standard mode (Advanced Optimus), and with the screen set at the native 2.5K+ resolution.
All these tests are running on Nvidia Studio drivers, and I later switched to GameReady drivers for the gaming tests.
Here’s what we got:
3DMark 13 – CPU profile: max – 11279, 16 – 11268, 8 – 8160, 4 – 4868, 2 – 2461, 1 – 1249;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike (DX11): 32775 (Graphics – 37477 , Physics – 35130, Combined – 16055);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX): 9290;3DMark 13 – Time Spy (DX12): 13808 (Graphics – 13968, CPU – 12971);3DMark 13 – Speed Way (DX12 Ultimate): 3765;3DMark 13 – Steel Nomad (DX12 Ultimate): 3409;3DMark 13 – DLSS: 20.90 fps DLSS Off, 83.81 fps DLSS On;
Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 8121;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 25465;
PCMark 10: 8539 (Essentials – 10546, Productivity – 10733, Digital Content Creation – 14927);GeekBench 6.2.2 64-bit: Multi-core: 16753, Single-Core: 1605;CineBench R15 (best run): CPU 3284 cb, CPU Single Core 288 cb;CineBench R20 (best run): CPU 8529 cb, CPU Single Core 742 cb;CineBench R23: CPU 21633 cb (best single run), CPU 20710 cb (10 min run), CPU Single Core 2107 cb;CineBench 2024: GPU – pts, CPU 1161 pts (loop run), CPU Single Core 116 pts.
And here are some workstation benchmarks, on the same Turbo profile:
Blender 3.6.5 – BMW scene – CPU Compute: 1m 55s;Blender 3.6.5 – BMW scene – GPU Compute: 14.97s (CUDA), 7.03 (Optix);Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 4m 39s;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute: 27.22s (CUDA), 16.33s (Optix);Blender 4.3.2 – BMW scene – CPU Compute: 1m 54s;Blender 4.3.2 – BMW scene – GPU Compute: 14.73s (CUDA), 7.39 (Optix);Blender 4.3.2 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 5m 09s;Blender 4.3.2 – Classroom scene – GPU Compute: 28.54s (CUDA), 16.22s (Optix);
Puget Benchmark – Adobe Photoshop (26.1) – tbu;Puget Benchmark – Adobe Premiere (25.1.0) – tbu;Puget Benchmark – Davinci Resolve (19.1) – 7583;
SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 164.06;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 80.92;SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo: 104.37;SPECviewperf 2020 – Energy: 49.40;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 535.61;SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical: 48.39;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 29.82;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 374.23;V-Ray Benchmark: 12336 – CPU, 1948 – CUDA, 2613 – RTX.
On the CPU side, the Core Ultra 9 285H comes out a few percent faster than the Core Ultra 9 185H platform implemented in the previous Intel Zephyrus G16 chassis. At the same time, though, it scores 10-15% better than the Core Ultra 7 155H, and that’s an important comparison, because for the 2024 generation most of the mid-tier configurations shipped with an Ultra 7 and not with the Ultra 9. For the 2025 models, there’s an Ultra 9 285H on all variants.
At the same time, the competing AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 platform outscores the Ultra 9 285H in similar implementations at around 80W TDP. We’re looking at 10-15% higher scores in both single-core tests and in sustained multi-core CPU performance.
On the GPU side, the 5070Ti in this G16 scores somehow 5-8% lower in GPU benchmarks than the same 5070Ti in the Zephyrus G14, despite running at theoretically higher TGP here. Weird.
With mixed loads, though, this G16 outscores the G14. Look at the PCMark and SpecViewPerf scores.
At the same time, it scores 10-20% higher than the RTX 4070 in the previous-gen Zephyrus lineup. And about 15-20% lower than the RTX 4090 in the same device. So it’s a mid-tier GPU, with the extra benefit of offering 12 GB of vRAM, enough to make a difference in some games and applications over GPUs with only 8 GB of vRAM (such as the 4070 or the 5070/5060).
Overall, this configuration offers plenty of performance for most work activities and can tackle most games as well. Sure, you could get better performance with a 5080 (15-20% or so over a 5070Ti) or a 5090 (20-25% over a 5070Ti). But those specs come with a hefty price. Not that this 5070Ti model is cheap by any means.
Performance mode – mid level, at 38-40 dBA This Zephyrus G16 laptop runs at around 48 dB on the Turbo profile, which is loud. Performance mode keeps fans quieter around 42 dBA, with still solid capabilities.
Here’s how this 2025 Zephyrus G16 scored on the Performance profile:
3DMark 13 – CPU profile: max – 11158, 16 – 11124, 8 – 8065, 4 – 4815, 2 – 2458, 1 – 1239;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 30776 (Graphics – 35844, Physics – 33716, Combined – 14047);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX): 8560;3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 12986 (Graphics – 13018, CPU – 12811);3DMark 13 – Speed Way (DX12 Ultimate): 3440;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 7093;CineBench R23 (10 min loop): CPU 20225 cb, CPU Single Core 2131 cb;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 4m 54s.SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 156.80;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 75.74;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 450.35;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 29.60;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 312.27.
We’re looking at 90-95% of the CPU scores on Turbo, due to the small difference in TDP settings between profiles.
On the GPU side, this profile scores about 85-90% of Turbo mode.
Solid mid-level profile.
Silent Mode – still fast, and much quieter at sub 35 dBA Silent mode is quieter at sub-35dBA. Here’s how the laptop scores on this profile.
3DMark 13 – CPU profile: max – 9686, 16 – 9750, 8 – 6920, 4 – 4342, 2 – 2359, 1 – 1243;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 24746 (Graphics – 27355, Physics – 29544, Combined – 12634);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX): 6088;3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 10133 (Graphics – 9918, CPU – 11558);3DMark 13 – Speed Way (DX12 Ultimate): 2153;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 6158;CineBench R23 (10 min loop): CPU 16323 cb, CPU Single Core 2118 cb;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 5m 36s.SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 155.75;SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 59.96;SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 371.56;SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 37.11;SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 253.20.
The CPU performance is OK, at 75% of Turbo mode, due to the 55W sustained TDP limit.
The GPU performs at about 70% of Turbo mode as well. That’s somehow better than on most other laptops of this sort. Another solid profile for what it is.
Performance Mode on PD power PD power on this Zephyrus G16 isn’t meant for sustained loads, as the overall performance is a little lower than on Silent mode with the main charger plugged in.
Here’s what we got on Performance mode hooked up via a 100W USB-C PD charger:
3DMark 13 – CPU profile: max – 9195, 16 – 9209, 8 – 6786, 4 – 3987, 2 – 1975, 1 – 904;3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 23964 (Graphics – 27248, Physics – 27383, Combined – 11460);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 9682 (Graphics – 9489, CPU – 10950);Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 5914;CineBench R23 (10 min loop): CPU 16841 cb, CPU Single Core 1668 cb;Blender 3.6.5 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 5m 58s.
I’m still testing whether there’s power passthrough implemented for this mode. Based on my experience with other ROG laptops of this generation, there isn’t, and the battery slowly discharges with sustained loads. But I need to test this further.
— updating
Gaming performance I ran our standard set of gaming tests on this Zephyrus G16, and the results are below. Keep in mind that I loaded GameReady drivers for these gaming tests.
Manual profile comes with the fans maxed out and a +100 MHz Core +200 MHz Memory GPU overclock.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 RTX 5070Ti Laptop 90-115W QHD+ Turbo, QHD+ Manual OC, QHD+ Performance, QHD+ Silent,
Black Myth: Wukong 48 fps (36 fps – 1% low)
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Black Myth: WukongMFG On 2x 59 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
65 fps (25 fps – 1% low)
54 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
41 fps (18 fps – 1% low)
Black Myth: WukongMFG On 4x 109 fps (22 fps – 1% low)
117 fps (24 fps – 1% low)
97 fps (20 fps – 1% low)
72 fps (15 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk 2077 62 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
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Cyberpunk 2077 20 fps (12 fps – 1% low)
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Cyberpunk 2077MFG On 2x , Ray Reconstruction On, 74 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
78 fps (30 fps – 1% low)
63 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
48 fps (18 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk 2077MFG On 4x , Ray Reconstruction On, 128 fps (27 fps – 1% low)
136 fps (29 fps – 1% low)
112 fps (23 fps – 1% low)
84 fps (18 fps – 1% low)
Far Cry 6 96 fps (80 fps – 1% low)
100 fps (81 fps – 1% low)
88 fps (76 fps – 1% low)
75 fps (58 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 56 fps (43 fps – 1% low)
62 fps (46 fps – 1% low)
50 fps (38 fps – 1% low)
42 fps (26 fps – 1% low)
Horizon Forbidden West 110 fps (86 fps – 1% low)
116 fps (88 fps – 1% low)
96 fps (72 fps – 1% low)
76 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
Red Dead Redemption 2 87 fps (52 fps – 1% low)
89 fps (55 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (50 fps – 1% low)
61 fps (34 fps – 1% low)
Resident Evil 4 95 fps (80 fps – 1% low)
106 fps (86 fps – 1% low)
80 fps (62 fps – 1% low)
66 fps (48 fps – 1% low)
Shadow of Tomb Raider 114 fps (92 fps – 1% low)
118 fps (94 fps – 1% low)
106 fps (82 fps – 1% low)
79 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (v4.04) 127 fps (70 fps – 1% low)
130 fps (72 fps – 1% low)
118 fps (80 fps – 1% low)
86 fps (56 fps – 1% low)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (v4.04) 92 fps (70 fps – 1% low)
95 fps (71 fps – 1% low)
86 fps (66 fps – 1% low)
63 fps (42 fps – 1% low)
Cyberpunk, Horizon FW, Witcher 3, Resident Evil – recorded with MSI Afterburner fps counter in campaign mode;
Black Myth, Far Cry 6, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tomb Raider – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;
Red Dead Redemption 2 Optimized profile based on these settings .
Most games run smoothly at 2.5K Ultra in all profiles, including in Silent mode. With some exceptions, such as Horizon and Wukong, without DLSS.
These results are also significantly better than on the Ryzen 9 + RTX 5070Ti configuration in the Zephyrus G14, which, sure, runs at somewhat lower power. But still, we’re looking at differences of 10-15%. I wasn’t expecting it, especially since the G14 scored higher in the GPU synthetic benchmarks than this G16.
Compared to the RTX 4070 in the previous-gen Zephyrus G16, this 5070Ti update scores ~15-25% higher framerates. On top of that, the 5070Ti supports DLSS 4.0, which greatly impacts framerates in supported titles, especially if you opt for Multi Frame Generation set on 4x.
With that out of the way, let’s go over some performance and temperature logs.
First, Turbo mode with the laptop flat on the desk. The CPU averages 85-88 °C and the GPU runs at 82-85 °C between games. There’s no throttling, but the components run hot, with the GPU close to its thermal limit.
Bump up the back of the laptop by 5 cm or more, to allow for better airflow into the fans, and things change dramatically: 78-82 °C on the CPU and 75-77 °C on the GPU. Those are fine temperatures for a laptop of this sort.
There’s also Manual mode that allows all sorts of tweaking. For my test, I switched the fans on max rpms and overclocked the GPU. This barely impacts the performance in games, and has a minimal impact on CPU/GPU temperatures compared to Turbo mode, both with the laptop raised off the desk.
Turbo mode runs noisily at 48 dBA, so if you’re looking for a quieter gaming experience, Performance and Silent modes are worth pursuing.
On Performance mode, noise drops to 42 dBA, but the laptop is hardly usable on this profile unless you place it on a stand or raise it off the desk.
Here are the logs for Performance mode on the desk. Toasty, especially on the CPU.
Raised up, the CPU averages 80 °C , with 75 °C on the GPU. All these at 85% of the framerates on Turbo, with quieter fans.
Silent mode is even more interesting, though, as it still gives about 60-70% of the gaming capabilities, with dub 35 dBA noise. This Silent profile on the G16 is somehow much better designed than on the Zephyrus G14, despite the fact that the GPU runs at similar power on both devices.
You can use this laptop flat on the desk on Silent mode, with still acceptable temperatures: low 80s on the CPU and mid 70s on the GPU.
Or you can bump it on a stand and get slightly lower readings.
I’m quite intrigued by the gaming performance of this Silent profile on this Zephyrus G16, as I can’t explain the big differences in framerates compared to other Asus laptops. The GPU still runs at 55W TGP here, yet somehow it performs way better than on other ROG devices.
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers, and others The cooling on this 2025 Zephyrus G16 variant is a dual-fan module with two heatsinks on the back edge and a vapor chamber.
However, keep in mind that this cooling module is only offered with the 5070Ti, 5080 and 5090 configurations.
The 5060/5070 variants get a different cooling module with heatsinks, which allows for lower power settings and generally runs hotter in sustained load.
This higher-tier module with the vapor-chamber allows for higher GPU power settings and overall better thermals. Nonetheless, you’ll still want to place the laptop on a stand or at least raise it of the desk for sustained loads, in order to favor airflow into the fans and underneath the chassis.
As far as noise levels go, expect 52 dBA on Manual with max-fans, ~45 dBA on Turbo, ~42 dBA on Performance, and sub 35 dBA on the Silent profile. I haven’t noticed coil whining or electronic noises on this unit.
With daily use, we measured case-level temperatures of low to high 30s °C, with the warmest spot at the top part of the chassis. The fans keep idle with casual use on Silent mode.
*Daily Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for 30 minutes, Silent profile, fans at ~0 dBA
With sustained loads, I measured gaming on Turbo and Performance with the laptop raised off the desk.
On Turbo, the WASD and arrow keys regions keep cool in the 20s and mid 30s °C, due to the fans’ placement, while the hottest spot develops at the middle top of the chassis, close to 50 °C.
*Gaming – Turbo, raised off desk – playing Cyberpunk for 30 minutes, fans at ~48 dB
The readings are pretty much similar on Performance mode, with slightly quieter fans and lower performance capabilities.
*Gaming – Performance, raised off desk – playing Cyberpunk for 30 minutes, fans at ~42 dB
Using the laptop flat on a desk for long gaming sessions and sustained cross loads results in slightly warmer chassis temperatures, by 2-5 degrees.
For connectivity, there’s Wireless 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 on this unit. This unit performed well on wi-fi with my setup.
The audio quality here is spectacular, among the best offered by Windows laptop today. There are 6x speakers inside, with two dual-sided speakers and two extra tweeters that fire through the grills that flank the keyboard. There’s good volumes and good quality for a laptop.
Finally, there’s a camera at the top of the screen, flanked by microphones. It’s 2 MPx, so not much in quality, especially in dim light. It supports IR for Windows Hello.
Battery life There’s a 90Wh battery inside this laptop, fair sized for its format and weight.
Here’s what we got on our review unit in terms of battery life, with the laptop on Standard GPU mode in Armoury Crate, Best Battery Efficiency in Windows power settings, and the screen set at a brightness of around 120 nits (~50% brightness).
12 W (~7-8 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;12-15 W (~6-8 h of use) – 4K fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;12-15 W (~6-8 h of use) – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;20-25 W (~4-5 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Whisper Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON.
Good results, all things considered.
For comparison, here’s what I got on the 2024 Intel-based Zephyrus G16 configuration.
14 W (~6 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;13 W (~6 h of use) – 4K fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;11.5 W (~7-8 h of use) – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;16 W (~5-6 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;85 W (~1 h of use) – Gaming – Witcher 3, Performance Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON, no fps limit.
And here’s what we got on the 2025 Zephyrus G14 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 + RTX 5070Ti specs.
12 W (~5-6 h of use) – idle, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;15 W (~4-5 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;14 W (~5-6 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;17 W (~4-5 h of use) – Netflix 4K HDR fullscreen in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;18 W (~4-5 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Silent Mode, screen at 50%, WiFi ON;
This configuration ships with a 240W charger, a dual-piece design with long cables, mid-sized by today’s standards. It comes with Asus’s new square plug that sticks to the side and is difficult to hide.
USB-C charging is supported as well, up to 100W. PD is meant for everyday multitasking, but not for sustained loads. We discuss performance on PD more indepth in our review of the Zephyrus G14 2025 .
Price and availability- Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 The 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is widely available across the world at the time of this article.
You can find it in a multitude of variants:
Zephryus G16 GU605CX – Ryzen AI 9, RTX 5090 24GB – from $4399 or €4799;
Zephryus G16 GU605CW – Ryzen AI 9, RTX 5080 16GB – from $3399 or €3899;
Zephryus G16 GU605CR – Ryzen AI 9, RTX 5070Ti 12GB – from $2599 or €3399;
Zephryus G16 GU605CP – Ryzen AI 9, RTX 5070 8GB – from $2149 or €2899;
Zephryus G16 GU605CM – Ryzen AI 9, RTX 5060 8GB – ??.
The 5080/5090 versions with 64 GB of RAM are a few hundred more.
Expensive. Crazy prices this year. For comparison, the 2024 G16 starts at $1599 for a 4060 model with 16 GB of RAM, and goes up to $3299 for a Core i9 + RTX 4090 with 32 GB of RAM.
The 2025 models get more RAM by default and newer-gen GPUs, but the performance gap between similar tier chips is generally around 10-15% (not accounting for DLSS and the increased vRAM).
Now, if you do want a 2025 configuration with Blackwell graphics, I’d argue the 5070Ti model makes the most sense, since the jump to a 5080 is huge. The 5060/5070 versions are cheaper, but those are that different chassis with poorer cooling, and only get 8 GB of vRAM, which might not be enough for certain games and applications. On the other hand, if you’re fine with an RTX 4000 configuration, the 4080 model from last year is the bang-for-the-buck option today.
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Final thoughts- 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 series review The Zephyrus G16 is arguably one of the better laptops in its niche today. What’s that niche? Well, premium lightweight formats with a large 16-inch display and solid multi-purpose performance capabilities for work and gaming. Add in a good set of ports, excellent inputs and audio quality, and good battery life, and you’re in for quite a treat.
I do have my nits with some of the design decisions, such as that ugly, useless lightbar on the lid or the limited screen angle and oversized touchpad that can be quite annoying when using this device on the lap or on the go.
But for the most part, this is one hell of a laptop.
Sure, you might complain about Asus not offering an AMD variant with high-tier RTX 5000 graphics. They don’t for now, but I’d reckon they will over the next several months.
As far as the competition goes, the Razer Blade 16 offers those exact specs in a higher-powered implementation, but it is not as widely available, is even more expensive, and doesn’t match the typing experience of the Zephyrus. The ProArt P16 comes close as well, but only if you’re after a lower-end configuration, as that’s a cleaner, thinner, and lighter design that only goes up to a 5070 GPU for now. Oh, and it comes with a 4K 60 Hz display, which isn’t ideal for gaming. The ThinkPad P1 would be another interesting alternative, if/when updated to Blackwell, and I’d also expect a proper contender from Dell over the next months, with their new Premium lineups.
Finally, there’s the 16-inch MacBook Pro, another excellent premium device with power and efficiency on its side, but its own software and usability particularities.
All in all, though, you won’t go wrong with an Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, despite its quirks and ergonomic peculiarities. Just make sure you pick the right option for your needs and budget among the 2024/2025 multitude of available configurations.
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Review 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.
