That is the gaming laptop computer I simply purchased on sale for Black Friday

The primary time I left Vox Media, again in 2020, I made a decision to deal with myself to a gaming laptop computer — one thing compact I might deliver on travels however with sufficient energy to play video games as demanding as Cyberpunk 2077, which stays a fantastic efficiency benchmark. I settled on the 2020 Asus Zephyrus G14, and actually, it rapidly turned my favourite of all time. Now, on my new final day at Vox Media (editor’s be aware: what the hell, Ross?), I’m shopping for yet one more gaming laptop computer, and this time… yep, I’m going with the 2024 version of the Zephyrus G14. It’s not as a result of I refuse to discover the competitors, it’s simply that the competitors must strive more durable for my cash.

You may seize it on sale for $1,199.99 (was $1,599.99) from Greatest Purchase for Black Friday. I’m not saying that is the correct laptop computer for you — not essentially, at the least — however I’ll let you know why it’s precisely the laptop computer I’ve been in search of.

Each individual has a spec that issues above all else, and for me it’s measurement. I wish to be on the street as a lot as I will be, and to be blunt, I would like the smallest kind issue I can discover for touring. At this level, a 14-inch laptop computer strikes the candy spot between “suits in most backpacks comfortably” and “in all probability has a good graphics card.” This model of the Zephyrus G14 ought to have greater than sufficient efficiency to deal with PC video games which can be additionally designed for the PlayStation 5 / Xbox Sequence X era — it touts an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of quick DDR5 RAM, and 1 TB storage. If there was a 12-inch laptop computer with an RTX card, I could be writing a couple of completely different machine, however value-wise, the G14 strikes the correct steadiness.

Display screen-wise, the Zephyrus G14 has 2880 x 1800 decision, which is a lot sharp given the precise display screen actual property, and extra importantly, it’s OLED, and anybody who’s upgraded to an OLED Swap, Steam Deck OLED, or to an OLED TV or monitor can let you know, it’s fairly dang good.

Clearly I can’t definitively vouch for one thing that’s but to come back in — I solely simply ordered it this morning — so my enthusiasm is a mix of previous expertise and trusting different reviewers. To wit: PC Magazine, PC Gamer, and Wired all gave it very constructive opinions, with the massive throughline concern being battery life — mainly, it’s wonderful when not gaming and fast to empty when doing something demanding. It might cost by way of USB-C, however you’ll want to make use of the proprietary charger for substantial duties. The Verge notes that this yr’s G14 suffers from extra warmth, which was the case for the 2020 mannequin as nicely, however I’ll take it.

All that’s to say, no, I received’t be taking part in Shadow of the Erdtree from a laptop computer throughout any flights — at the least not for greater than an hour or so. However I can use it for YouTube, shopping, and work whereas I’m in transit, and after I get to the place I’m going, I do know that I’ll have greater than sufficient energy to play no matter I’d like. All these tradeoffs are legitimate issues, and for a lot of, they could be a dealbreaker. However for what I want, and for $1,200, the G14 appears just like the winner.