ASUS Zephyrus G16 (2026)

Configs to buy / avoid: The RTX 5070 Ti offers a great sweet spot in terms of cost and performance. Avoid 16GB RAM as memory is soldered and can never be upgraded, unless discounted heavily. Avoid the RTX 5080 config, as performance in many games isn't much higher than lower cost RTX 5070 Ti. Testing notes: The Zephyrus G16 delivered almost 14.5 hours of YouTube playback on battery power, a 500 nit OLED screen with fast response time, decent gaming performance for a thin chassis, Advanced Optimus, G-Sync, fast Wi-Fi 7, a fast SD card slot, excellent speakers, and two M.2 SSD slots. Trade-offs: The main compromises are the much higher cost compared to last gen, soldered RAM, the thinner chassis GPU limits, only one-zone keyboard lighting, no Thunderbolt 5, minimal BIOS customization, some issues staying asleep, and loud fans are possible if you max them out. Alternatives: If you want great 16" portability for much less money, consider last year’s Zephyrus G16 while stock is available. If you want more performance for less money and don't care as much about thin design, consider the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i instead.