The ROG Zephyrus M16 (2022) is a revamp of the previous year’s attempt currently at it. They have switched out the hardware tweaked the device to pump out more performance and priced it as such. It might be one of the best gaming laptops of the year though it does have its downsides.
ROG Zephyrus
The Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 is an alder lake CPU-based device running one of the best in RTX 30 series GPUs. It pumps out amazing performance and is worth its weight in gold. The laptop’s price varies according to its build and starts at $1649.99 with its entry build. Its higher tier is pricey but worth it.
Gaming laptops have become a name synonymous with high-performance devices. They have come a long way in terms of aesthetics with the first gaming laptops looking buff and flashy, their designs made them hard to use in home scenarios. Their flared-up design would grab everyone’s attention meaning you wouldn’t use them in public or at the office. As time has gone by they have dialed down the aesthetics to a barely noticeable level and now they can be used on both work and game devices.
ROG has put their best foot forward as they based it off alder lake CPUs giving them high outputs. Their entry-level has an intel core i7-12700, an RTX 3070 GPU, 512 gigs of SSD storage, and 16 gigs of ram. This build would sail most through their day-to-day activities and let you handle any AAA game at high graphics settings.
General specifications and design
Apart from the intel processor, RAM, ROM, and graphics card that might change to spec your device lower or higher performance-wise, they are cut-through features in all the Zephyrus M16 laptops. These are;
Design features
Their soft touch design on the aluminum lid sadly attracts fingerprints and more than you would prefer, mind you. The dot-matrix perforations help the laptop aesthetically stay true to its gaming roots as it subtly presents itself as a true gaming laptop.
Inside is the large 16” display fit into the slim chassis of the Zephyrus G15. The display has a 94% form factor with a distinct 16:10 aspect ratio as its screen runs at 165hz with a 3ms latency in peak conditions. The device’s QHD screen with a 2560×1600 resolution can show the entire DPI-P3 color space giving you more constraint with vibrant, richer colors. Along with its 180° ergo lift hinge that lets you flip the screen further back for better viewing angles.
Next is the keyboard which is pretty silent plus has single-zone RGB backlighting for the RGB fans. The RGB lights can be modified from the armory crate to flash in different patterns when gaming in the dark. The trackpad is also quite large with the click buttons built into it keeping it minimalistic. The soft-touch finish covers the metallic surface and makes it easy to use. The ergonomic fans also serve as a Gaming feature to catch people’s attention while cooling your heavy-duty machine.
The 720p webcam works fine for video meetings, opening your device through windows hello, and video calls to friends and relatives.
They also have a six-speaker setup by Dolby Atmos that gives it a loud sound though you would prefer to use your headphones when gaming. A 3d microphone setup where it captures better quality sound.
Specs
You can be sure of running an alder lake no matter the price range and an RTX 30 series. The only downside of the intel alder lake CPU is a significantly shorter battery life of around 6 hours. Offered by its 90Wh battery that’s sustained by a 240 W power adapter and 100W for the Type-C charging.
You get 16GB of RAM soldered to the motherboard leaving you one slot to increase your DDR5 RAM. As for storage, your options range from 512 GB to 2TB SSD storage extendable by using high-speed external storage.
It has Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6 giving your laptop stronger and faster connectivity. That also means lower latency when gaming through WiFi or using wireless devices in your day-to-day gaming.
The MUX switch accessed in the armory crate allows you to bypass the system graphics and get even higher gameplay but at the cost of your battery. Though it’s not much to worry about as you find that you’ll be gaming with it plugged in anyway.
Price
As Zephyrus is a premium gaming line in ROG you will have to part with at least $1649.99 for the entry build and over $3000 to get a high-spec build. The shift in price is greatly influenced by the CPU and GPU but you are assured of quality gameplay for years to come.
Things to look out for
The Zephyrus M16 has a higher affinity for your fingerprints so you might find yourself wiping it down now and then. The fan noise on the Zephyrus M16 is really loud and you will be playing with your headphones on if you want to be on the higher settings. Overall the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 is a great buy as it gives a great time in terms of performance. It’s really of great value for any user.
