Been looking for a thin and light gaming laptop as of late, and I’ve narrowed my choices down to the two of these. The Legion is so new I couldn’t find a single review on it which is why I’m making this post. (It’s the 12 gig 5070)
Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Budget: $2,700
Country: USA (getting it shipped from the US)
I had both machines here at the same time and tested them directly next to each other: Blade 16 (5090, 32 GB, 386H) vs. Zephyrus G16 (5090, 64 GB, 386H). I'll go through it category by category and give each one a rating from 1–10: performance/noise, display, keyboard/touchpad, chassis/everyday use, and speakers.
EDIT: Needed to post again, my thread image couldn't be displayed.
Short version: the Blade is the performance-per-dB king, the Zephyrus the better all-rounder. Full verdict at the bottom.
TL;DR ratings:
| Category | Blade 16 | Zephyrus G16 |
|---|---|---|
| Performance & noise | 10 | 8 |
| Display | 8,5 (9 with AR film) | 10 |
| Keyboard & touchpad | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Chassis & everyday use | 9 | 9.5 |
| Speakers | 8 | 10 |
Test setup first, so you can put the numbers into context:
| Mode | GPU score | CPU score | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | 21,012 | 14,606 | 49–50 dB |
| Performance | 23,663 | 15,373 | 55–56 dB |
| Max Fans + Custom¹ | 24,192 | 15,665 | 60–61 dB |
¹ GPU High, CPU Medium, fans maxed out
| Mode | GPU score | CPU score | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 19,175 | 14,612 | 50–51 dB |
| Turbo | 21,083 | 14,781 | 55–56 dB |
| Manual (tuned)² | 21,871 | 14,699 | 58–59 dB |
| Max Fans³ | 22,187 | 14,753 | 62 dB |
² My own tuning: 160 W TGP, GPU stays at max 83/84 °C while gaming, no OC, no max fans. The goal was to stay just under 60 dB.
³ Without the pre-applied GPU OC. A lot of people leave it on, I removed it for a fair comparison.
Since a higher score means nothing if the thing sounds like a hair dryer, I divided the combined Time Spy score (GPU + CPU) by the noise level (midpoint of the measured dB range) for every mode. Not a scientific metric, since dB is a logarithmic scale, but as a comparison number between two machines in an identical setup, it does the job. I'm aware you can do more objecive testing and add ore variables, but this is a simple user review tailored to my use case in the end.
| Mode | Machine | Combined points per dB |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced | Blade 16 | ~720 |
| Performance | Blade 16 | ~703 |
| Max Fans + Custom | Blade 16 | ~659 |
| Performance | Zephyrus | ~669 |
| Turbo | Zephyrus | ~646 |
| Manual | Zephyrus | ~625 |
| Max Fans | Zephyrus | ~596 |
The Blade delivers ~8–11% more combined points per dB across every single mode. It gets even clearer in a head-to-head at matched noise levels:
The raw dB numbers don't tell the whole story. The Blade's fan noise is noticeably more pleasant, more of a deep whoosh. The Zephyrus is higher pitched and therefore sounds louder than the numbers suggest. At identical dB on paper, the Zephyrus is the more annoying one. Most likely and based on my experience, this can vary per unit.
On temperatures: at the same performance level, the Blade consistently had about 4–5 °C more GPU headroom, even more once you normalize for noise. The CPU sometimes ran hotter, but it was also pulling more watts. The better cooling system is clearly in the Blade, the vapor chamber is bigger. The price for that: roughly 150–200 g of extra weight, and you notice it the moment you pick it up.
One more thing worth flagging: my ambient temps are quite high right now (hot European summer, ~26 °C, as mentioned in the setup). Since the Zephyrus GPU potentially runs pretty close to its thermal limit depending on the wattage and fan rpm, my suspicion is that it ends up louder in my testing than in reviews done at ~21 °C ambient. The Blade has more thermal headroom and is therefore less sensitive to ambient temperature. Keep that in mind when comparing my numbers to other tests.
Room temps dropped by about 3 °C here, so I retested. Result: the Zephyrus gains, the Blade doesn't move. The G16 now scores 22,495 GPU in Manual with max fans, its fans also spin up less while just browsing, and retesting the Blade didn't change anything. This basically confirms the ambient suspicion above: high room temps hit the G16 harder. (The points-per-dB table above stays based on the 26 °C runs for consistency.)
The retest also revealed WHY the Blade leads in GPU score. It's not just the wattage, which is only a few watts apart. It's also the clocks:
| Time Spy Graphics | Zephyrus G16 (Manual, max fans), no OC | Blade 16 (Max Fans, High GPU, no OC) |
|---|---|---|
| GPU score | 22,495 | 24,112 |
| Wattage | ~145–155 W | ~150–161 W |
| Max clock | 2167 MHz | 2190 MHz |
| Average clock | 1883 MHz | 2040 MHz |
| Average memory clock | 1296 MHz | 1456 MHz |
| Average GPU temp | 71 °C | 66 °C |
So the Blade pulls a few watts more, sustains higher core and memory clocks, and still runs 5 °C cooler on average. That's the GPU cooling advantage in one table.
On the flip side, CPU cooling MIGHT be more effective on the G16 (5 °C cooler on max fans in the same TS run, but a few watts less), there's just less performance to gain at that level: average CPU clocks are pretty much the same.
CPU score in this run: 15,330 for Blade 16 and 15,095 for Zephyrus.
There's just a small score gain in favor of the Blade 16 because of its slightly higher combined TDP, thus a few watts more again, resulting in around 200–500 points more, but the G16 is reaching 15k now as well.
My speculation (feel free to correct me): ASUS seems to tune the G16 more conservatively, with boost and memory clocks backing off earlier as temperatures rise, presumably as a safety margin for the thin chassis. The lower average memory clock points in the same direction. Razer lets the GPU boost harder because the cooling keeps temps in check anyway. That would explain both the clock gap and why ambient temperature affects the G16 more.
One more G16 finding, software this time: the preinstalled IntelliGo audio software (AI noise canceling; shows up as "Audio SW Server" / "API Library" in Task Manager) is always eating around 10% CPU, and RAM usage goes up all the time (I closed it at 10 GB just now, it started at 2 GB), which is a clear memory leak and can also affect heat output (and thus more fan activity during low loads). After killing everything related to it, my CPU scores went up a little. If you own a G16, check your Task Manager.
I'll keep this one short, because on paper they're basically identical: same Samsung OLED panel as far as I can tell, 16" 2560×1600, 240 Hz, up to 1,100 nits peak, both VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000 certified.
BUT: you can instantly see that ASUS spent extra money on the glass. The G16 uses Corning Gorilla Glass DXC, where the anti-reflective treatment is part of the glass itself instead of a film on top. Nice side effect: the panel is edge-to-edge glass, without that plastic bezel lip the Blade has. Looks better!
I personally hate it when a screen reflects heavily even indoors in daylight (especially in dark scenes in games or movies), and the Blade is a pure mirror in that regard.
There is one thing that gets you closer to the Zephyrus though: I bought the official Lenovo Legion AR 16" gaming screen protector. It's semi-glossy and comes really close, slightly more AR even, while still preserving contrast very well. The Zephyrus stays minimally sharper, simply because there's no film on it. (If you want to know how to apply it properly, ask me in the comments; it's not trivial the first time.). It still feels better though not being forced to put a film on it...
Both panels come factory calibrated (Razer's is Calman Verified), but I like that ASUS additionally ships a proper HDR calibration out of the box.
Keyboards: Both are good, and after an adjustment period I genuinely enjoy typing on both. The Zephyrus has more key travel, but also needs a bit more force to actuate. On the Blade I type a bit more relaxed and faster; on the Zephyrus I maybe have more fun? Hard to say. For me it's a tie. One thing I do appreciate: the Blade has an additional Ctrl key on the right side.
Two nice Blade extras: the function layer can be visually highlighted on the keyboard, and it has per-key RGB, so it looks a bit fancier overall. Personally irrelevant to me though, since I end up using a single color anyway.
But now to the actual problem: On the Blade, the special keys sit to the right of the keyboard, which shifts the main typing area to the left. The touchpad, however, is centered relative to the chassis. Unlike Just Josh, I don't have an issue with the typing itself, but palm rejection becomes more error-prone, because the right palm rests more on the touchpad. And that can be genuinely infuriating and leads to misclicks! It annoyed me a good few times while working.
I've attached photos of both machines: the red line marks the right edge of the touchpad, the dashed part projects it up into the keyboard. On the Zephyrus, the projected edge runs through the Ö key. On the Blade, it runs through Ä/Ü, about one full key further right relative to the letter field, right where your right palm sits while typing.
Touchpad feel: The Blade's touchpad feels more premium. The clicks are crispier without being louder (a very satisfying feel) and it stays clickable further up towards the top. The Zephyrus needs more force per click, which can get tiring over time. The Blade is also slightly more stable. But honestly: Both are fine and Zephyrus is quite good for a mechanical touchpad as well.
On the plus side for ASUS: my Zephyrus unit no longer has the rattly touchpad issue from earlier units. They seem to have fixed that, though possibly at the expense of click feel.
It's a tie for me. And honestly: both would have been better off with a haptic touchpad.
Both are top notch here. The Zephyrus has caught up with the 2026 version, and all factors considered, I'd now call it a tie in build quality! It's more rigid than before, and the bottom panel feels better. I also find the gray genuinely stylish. It attracts fewer fingerprints than the Blade, and unlike on the silver/white Zephyrus variant, the keyboard lighting looks better on it. The Slash on the lid is a cool signature element too, even when it's turned off. On the Blade, it annoys me that you can't optionally set the snake logo to a different color. And honestly, the design is starting to bore me, though to be fair, I've owned a few Blades at this point.
The Blade is also a bit heavier, which maybe makes it feel minimally sturdier, but the Zephyrus is the one I'd rather grab one-handed and walk around with. Its bottom panel feels nicer to me, and I like the more rounded corners. Overall the more modern design in my eyes.
Ports: Advantage Blade. It has Thunderbolt 5 and one more USB-A port. At least the Zephyrus now comes with a full-size SD card slot.
Surface temps and fans in daily use: During light tasks or on battery, the Zephyrus chassis warms up more. The Blade stays cooler. Out of the box, its fans also stay off more often at idle and during easy tasks than on the Zephyrus (keep in mind you can tweak and improve that easily via G-helper, for example). Else, Zephyrus temps in its standard "quiet" setting are slightly higher than the Blade's in the equivalent mode. Under load, the surfaces are close between the two; over longer sessions both develop some warm spots and hot hotspots above the keyboard, but it stays tolerable.
Software: Synapse has gotten better. There's some freedom in the fan settings now, and with the latest firmware/BIOS updates I've had no more issues on the Blade. That said, with G-Helper you can tune the Zephyrus more, and more easily. If that matters to you: advantage Zephyrus.
Battery: Runtimes are nearly identical between the two for me and my use cases at this point (after I've applied ALL updates, Bios etc. up until today; Blade had bigger battery drain with older versions). The Zephyrus is more performant on battery, though.
The Blade has caught up and is above average for gaming laptops now, but the Zephyrus still wins this one. The bass is simply better. Clarity is maybe a very slight edge for the Blade, but if you genuinely enjoy movies, games and music over the speakers and it matters to you, the Zephyrus is clearly the better and more enjoyable choice. The Blade is perfectly sufficient for videos, calls, and the occasional music or movie session.
Not an easy one, right? At the same price, it would genuinely come down to personal preferences... but since the Zephyrus is significantly more expensive here, it gets really tough. As a rule of thumb: if you want maximum performance, more gaming, and a somewhat quieter machine in a thin & light, you should probably grab the Blade, unless there's a dealbreaker for you like the reflections. The better all-round everyday laptop, I think, is the Zephyrus.
One more thing on the 5090 specifically: if noise and chassis temps matter to you and you live in a warmer climate, buying the Zephyrus in the 5090 config makes even less sense. The 5070 Ti is the real sweet spot in that chassis, and performance should be close anyway.
Happy to answer questions in the comments.
So, i bought a g16 two days ago, the 2025 version with intel core ultra 9 285h and rtx 5070, with this specs it should run games like valorant and fortnite fairly essy right? so, on fortnite in reload it runs on 160ish fps and valorant cant seem to hit 240 fps, which seems to be very low considering that valorant is a game that runs on a potato, i dont know what to do, can somebody tell me if its normal?
I was just listening to music on YouTube and this loud alien sound just appeared and stalled the computer
Hello,
here is a short summary of my case.
This week i will change the Liquid Metal (Conductonaut Extreme) on the CPU, Putty (Thermal Grizzly Putty Pro) and Thermal Paste of the GPU (Noctua NT-H2). Further i will clean the 3 fans.
Results:
My questions:
Thanks in advance for the support!
Hey everyone, I want to make sure I don't accidentally damage my new G16 (Core Ultra 9 / RTX 5070 Ti) while traveling to meetings, cafes, offices for work etc.
Right now, I use a standard hiking daypack that offers zero drop protection. I'm trying to decide the safest way to transport the laptop without bending the chassis or putting pressure on the device or OLED screen:
1. The Hard Sleeve Route: Keep my current bag and buy a rigid hard-shell sleeve (like the Thule Gauntlet 16") to stop the screen from getting crushed by gear.
2. The Tech Bag Route: Skip the sleeve entirely and invest in a dedicated tech backpack with a suspended laptop compartment (a false bottom).
For those who commute with your G16 daily: What exact setup do you use? If you have a specific sleeve or backpack you swear by that safely accommodates the G16's footprint, I would love your recommendations!
​
I love my Zephyrus, like John Wick loves his mustang. I treat it very carefully, and clean it often. I have had it for about a year now, and it looks basically brand new for the most part. I carry it in my bag which has a laptop compartment. I went to a café/bar today to do some work, came home and found this dent on the shell.. fuck.
TMI but I am suspicious that this server at the bar did this. He has been a somewhat of a d!ck lately. I just don't see how this could have happened accidentally. I did not drop the laptop, nor do I remember banging into anything with it.
Luckily the screen works fine, and the laptop still closes ok. I am wondering if it is possible to buy a new shell and get someone to repair it, or is that not recommended?
Anyone been had similar shi happen to their Zeph? Any thoughts would be appreciated 👍
TLDR: came home today to find this big as dent on the corner of my Zeph. My OCD wants me to find a way to repair it.
I would appreciate it if anyone can recommend a good protective case for my Zephyrus G16
Hi everyone,
I'm currently torn between the ROG Strix G16 and ROG Zephyrus G16, and I'd really appreciate some advice from people who have experience with these laptops.
Here’s my use case:
There are two things I'm particularly concerned about:
I really like the smaller and more compact design of the Zephyrus G16, but I'm concerned about its thermals and whether the heat could have a significant impact on the hardware over time.
For those of you who have owned or used either of these models, which one would you recommend for my use case, and why?
Budget: 3500
Country: Vietnam
Use Case: Working, little bit gaming
Preferred Specs: GPU 4060, CPU Ryzen, RAM 32, storage 1TB
Notes: but anything price not important, just suitable for me
Thanks a lot for your advice!
Already decided on Zephyrus because I travel constantly for my use case and will use it for work tasks as well. I do want to be able to run high spec games like crimson desert, RDR2, Hell Let Loose Vietnam, Overwatch. Is there a huge difference between 5070ti vs 5080 especially when it comes to cooling? I see many saying to get 5070ti because the laptop doesn't do well cooling 5080 or 5090 but I am also wondering if the 2026 model is better with cooling than the 2025 since most reviews seem to be based off the old model. Lastly, if I do get the 5070ti I am considering just getting the G14 due to its smaller size as long as it has the same performance as the 16 (i know he screen is slightly less nits but idc too much about that). Thank you all!
Does anyone have any solid information on when ASUS plans to release the ROG Zephyrus G16 GU606 with the RTX 5090 in the United States?
I’ve been waiting specifically for the 5090 version. I know the GU606/5090 configuration has shown up in some international markets, but here in the U.S. the configurations I keep finding top out at the RTX 5080.
Has anyone heard anything from ASUS, retailers, reps, or other reliable sources about:
● A U.S. release date or release window?
● Whether Best Buy or other U.S. retailers will carry the 5090 model?
● Expected U.S. pricing?
● Whether ASUS has actually confirmed that the GU606 RTX 5090 is coming to the U.S. at all?
I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth continuing to wait or if I should just buy the 5080 model.
Any insider info, retailer updates, or credible rumors would be appreciated.
I bought this laptop brand new and did the necessary performance tunings such as windows optimizations, debloating, and g-helper settings. I decided to run a times spy benchmark because I was experiencing stuttering while gaming, to see what was up.
My g-helper was on turbo and ultimate options. I have tried every combination and every possible tuning or solution that I could find on the internet and none of them seem to work. Everyone on reddit and other platforms seem to get around 19000 overall score on times spy maybe even 20000.
Im not sure whats wrong with mine and I need urgent help.
I also have my laptop propped for better airflow.
This image below was the best score I got. Like I said, all my nvidia contorl panel, g-helper and windows settings have been optimized and tuned. Im not sure if I did something wrong. Please help.
I have seen where people swap the vbios, but other than that, is there a way to up the power limit of the GPU?
Looking for a custom amount to bump it up by 20 watt, not an extra 50 watts.
I went to one shop in Turku in Finland ask to investigate why some my laptop keyboard is not working and get it fix. Investigation costs 30€, and they say to get it fix/replaced costs 500€ for keyboard part from tukku and 150€ for the job. That´s is so expensive...
Would anyone have any experience where I could fix or get my Asus Zephyrus G16 2024 (GU605MI) keyboard replacement cheap, thanks? Preferably with scandic keyboard but others is also fine if I keys works.
Specs
Rtx 5070ti
Intel core ultra 9 285h
32gb ram
G helper set to turbo and ultimate
Settings set to high
I’ve been playing for awhile and the game ran smooth. I had fps unlocker and was running at 100fps. Then one day the performance took a drop. I didn’t change any settings.
I thought the fps unlocker might’ve been the problem so I uninstalled and returned to the standard 60fps. I can’t keep a solid 60 fps in base game and dlc. FPS usually sits at around 55-58. Some parts with a lot of particle effects like the start of promised consort radahn 2nd phase my fps dips to 27-30 fps. My gpu usage sits at around 30-40%. And the gpu temps sit at around 75-80c.
In cyberpunk I also get pretty bad stuttering even when my fps says it’s staying in the 120 range. I get bad 1% lows of around 30-50.
I ran a benchmark on 3dmark time spy and got a score of around 15,000.
I have tried reinstalling my graphics driver, uninstalled nvidia app, mess around with the cpu and gpu settings in g helper, have vsync off, messed with the fan settings, lowered the effects quality to low.
Not really sure what to do now. Anyone have any fixes or suggestions?
Hi everyone,
Recently purchased a 2025 G16 with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285h and GeForce RTX 5080 and was very excited, however the frame rates I’m getting in games without enabling frame generation are abysmal.
With low settings I’m only getting 130 - 140ish fps in Black Ops 7 Multiplayer. Same for Modern Warfare 3. In a Deadzone Rogue I’m also not getting the fps I was expecting.
I’ve configured CPU and GPU settings to be aggressive in GHelper and have Turbo and Ultimate both enabled. Fan curves have also been adjusted to keep the system cool and i have the laptop on a laptop cooling pad set to Max speed. I’ve also adjusted many other system settings… it just seems like the CPU is being throttled.
I know there are some power limits based on the thin nature of the laptop but this seems excessive. With this cpu and gpu combo I expected to at least get 200-220 fps on low settings in a game like Black Ops 7 right out of the box.
Has anyone experienced this same thing with this hardware setup or similar on Black Ops 7 (or a similar first-person shooter) as well, and any success resolving?
In the BIOS settings I changed graphics mode from hybrid to "dgpu" only. I can't power it on even when I hold the power button for 60 seconds with nothing plugged in. I've also tried powering on while connected to my monitor via USB-C (thunderbolt port on the left), and HDMI. When I just leave the device it seems to boot loop: show the rog logo, black screen with fans on, and repeat ~1 min later. Holding ESC or F2 doesn't do anything.
Model: Rog Zephyrus G16 GU605MY (2024), intel core ultra 185h and 4090 mobile.
Hi all,
I'm seeing some threads on people panel modding their Zephyrus G14 and G16 laptops to use the 2026 bottom panel, believing it improves air flow and lowers temps. I'm here to dispute some facts regarding the design change.
To find out the air flow efficacy of each panel, we'll have to account for the different variables involved. Airflow is determined by both OAR (Open Area Ratio), Hydraulic Diameter, and Flow Resistance Coefficient.
OAR:
The slits on the 2025 panel actually have a significantly higher OAR of ~45% vs ~25% on the 2026 panel. This is a nearly 80% decrease of OAR on the 2026 panel.
This was calculated by the surface area of the vents of the given area, as well as estimating the diameter of each hole in proportion to the surrounding area of the panel.
Hydraulic Diameter:
By design, slits actually have a significantly larger Hydraulic Diameter than Micro-Holes. Micro-Holes create high wall friction which leads to flow contraction, reducing intake volume.
Flow Resistance Coefficient:
The combination of the higher OAR of the 2025 panel as well as the larger Hydraulic Diameter leads to a lower Flow Resistance Coefficient than the 2026 panel.
WHY THE DESIGN CHANGE?:
As many reviewers have pointed out, the bottom panel of the 2026 model feels significantly more rigid than the 2025 model. This is a biproduct of the micro-hole design which has higher torsional rigidity than a panel with slits.
Micro-holes also alter the sound profile by reducing the high pitch whistle that may be present from the intake of a slit panel. This may result in lower perceived noise (although not really reported).
WHAT ABOUT THE LOWER TEMPS?:
The 2026 models undeniably run cooler than the 2025 models. But this is not from improved airflow from the bottom panel but rather other design changes.
Both the G14 and G16 have larger exhaust openings, which contributes to the slight increase in thickness, but improves airflow and heat dissipation.
These new models also use Intel's new 386H chip. While performance is somewhat negligible against last year's model, the 386H is significantly more power efficient, being able to run 10-15w less than its predecessor while performing similarly under gaming loads. This allows for more thermal headroom for the GPU instead, allowing Asus to give it a higher TGP.
Reviewers have also noted that the 2026 models actually run noticeably louder (+5dB) under max loads. Ramping the fans faster and harder will obviously increase airflow and lower temps. Under these high noise levels, the GPUs actually already ran decently cool in the 2025 model, with some headroom to spare.
DISCLAIMER:
I am by no means a subject matter expert on fluid dynamics. I just happened to come across these mod threads, and have too much time on hand and decided to spend hours researching if there actually was any tangible benefit.
I am also aware that most of the vents are already taped over, exposing only a small area (furthermore reducing any real world difference).
And no, this post was not written with AI.
TL;DR:
2026 panel actually has less airflow, temp improvements were from other design changes. Don't waste your time and money.
​
Hallo zusammen,
ich habe vor Kurzem den ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (RTX 5060, 16 GB RAM) für 1.600 € gekauft. Ich nutze ihn hauptsächlich für die Arbeit mit Claude und ChatGPT und ab und zu zum Zocken, wenn ich unterwegs bin.
Gibt es für das gleiche Geld ein besseres Angebot – bei gleicher Qualität, aber mit besseren Specs
Hi everyone,
I recently got the 2026 ROG Zephyrus G16 (GU606) with:
I've already replaced Armoury Crate with G-Helper, and so far I've been really happy with it.
The default Balanced profile actually works extremely well for everyday use and even gaming, so I'm planning to keep using Balanced most of the time.
However, I'd also like to set up a separate Performance/Turbo profile specifically for gaming while plugged in, where the goal is to let this hardware perform as close to its full potential as reasonably possible.
I'm not particularly concerned about fan noise when using this profile. My priority is maximum sustained gaming performance, while still keeping temperatures within sensible limits and avoiding unnecessary thermal throttling.
For anyone with the 2026 G16, especially the RTX 5090 model, I'd love to know what G-Helper settings you've found work best.
I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have actually experimented with this machine — what settings you ended up using, what kind of temperatures you're seeing, and whether you've noticed any meaningful performance gains compared with the default Balanced profile.
Basically, Balanced is already great — I just want a second "unleash the G16" profile for when I actually want to use everything this machine has to offer.
Would really appreciate any settings, screenshots, benchmark results, or recommendations from other 2026 G16 owners.
P.S. English isn't my first language, so I used AI to help me write this post. Hopefully it makes sense 😅
Thanks!
