[CES 2022] Updated ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, Zephyrus G14 and Strix SCAR deliver full graphics performance with a MUX switch
ASUS announced a slew of premium gaming laptops at CES 2022, including the new ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, refreshed Zephyrus G14, G15 and M16 laptops, as well as the new Strix SCAR and Strix G series of laptops. While they differ in design, features and specifications, all of them now share one major innovation: a MUX switch.
Get the most out of your GPU with a MUX switch
When it comes to gaming laptops, the communication between every component is vital to extract the most performance and battery life out of the machine. In most designs, laptop vendors will use technologies like NVIDIA Optimus to route the frames rendered by your discrete graphics to the integrated graphics, before sending it to your display.
This is actually a very good design, as it allows the system to intelligently switch off the discrete graphics when it’s not needed. This is great for efficiency, but when you are gaming, you might be losing some of that sweet performance that your GPU is capable of. To overcome this, ASUS is now including a MUX switch in all ROG and ROG Strix laptops that allows the discrete graphics be connected to the display directly, giving you the full performance that the GPU can deliver. Now, let’s check out the laptops that feature this new feature.
ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) — enhanced AniMe Matrix, all-AMD under the hood
The ROG Zephyrus G14 is what defines the portable gaming laptop category for me. With a 14″ display for a compact footprint, and a weight of just 1.7kg, it’s hard to disagree. This year, ROG has updated the ROG Zephyrus G14 with the latest AMD Ryzen 6000 series mobile processors and also the AMD Radeon RX 6000S mobile graphics. The new processor also brings with it support for DDR5 memory and PCIe 4.0 storage, to really amp up the performance in this svelte machine.
To better handle the updated hardware, ASUS is also equipping the ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) with a custom vapor chamber, and a liquid metal application over its CPU. This vapor chamber appears to be more capable than the ROG Zephyrus G14 (2021)’s heatpipe-based cooling system, as the GPU is now rated for up to 105W, versus 80W in the last-gen model.
Another area which sees a rather major upgrade is the display. For this year’s refresh, we have the same diagonal dimensions, but we get slightly more viewing area, thanks to a new 16:10 aspect ratio. The ROG Zephyrus G14 can also be configured with the new ROG Nebula displays, delivering a QHD 120Hz experience with support for Dolby Vision and Adaptive Sync. Creators will also be pleased to know that it can display the full 100% DCI-P3 gamut, and it is Pantone Validated for precise color accuracy.
Behind the real display, we have the now-iconic AniMe Matrix display. While the 2020 and 2021 ROG Zephyrus G14s kept the same AniMe Matrix design, ASUS reworked the panel for 2022. This year, we have more than double the precision CNC-milled holes at 14 969 holes, up from 6536 in the older ROG Zephyrus G14. This means each hole is now finer, and with the increased number of mini LEDs under it, more personalization possibilities are available to you with the new ROG Zephyrus G14.
ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) Specs
Processor | Up to AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS |
RAM | Up to 32GB DDR5-4800 |
Graphics | Up to AMD Radeon RX 6800S 8GB GDDR6, 80W TGP (up to 105W with SmartShift) |
Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD |
Display | ROG Nebula Display: 14″ 16:10 QHD (2560 x 1600) 120Hz IPS-level display, Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated, Dolby Vision
or 14″ 16:10 FHD (1920 x 1200) 144Hz IPS-level display, Adaptive Sync, 100% sRGB, Pantone Validated, Dolby Vision 1 x HDMI 2.0b |
Connectivity | WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps, USB-PD, DisplayPort support 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps 1 x USB 3.0 1 x microSD card reader 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack |
Battery | 76WHr 240W power adapter / 100W USB-PD |
Dimensions | 312 x 227 x 19.5 mm |
Weight | 1.72kg |
ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 — Dual Spec display, six speakers and more screen
The ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 offered two displays in a single laptop, something which was pretty groundbreaking, and honestly quite useful. Now, how do you make that even more interesting? Well, you close the gap between the two displays. Firstly, you remove the large lower bezel and make it a part of the screen. The ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 touts a 16″ 16:10 display.
Aside from growing in size, the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is the first laptop to tout the new ROG Nebula HDR display, which features 512 mini LED dimming zones, a peak brightness of 1100 nits and VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. When it comes to gaming, you have a QHD resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate, a perfect balance of resolution and refresh rate.
But that’s not all. The ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 can alternatively be configured with a Dual Spec panel, yet another ROG-exclusive panel. This panel can switch between 4K 120Hz and FHD 240Hz, allowing gamers and content creators to switch between resolution or responsiveness. The best part of it all is that the improved experience didn’t require a larger footprint, with the 2022 ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 actually boasting of a smaller footprint than its predecessor.
Next up, the ScreenPad Plus. While the hinges under the ScreenPad Plus in the older ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 models tilted the secondary display for a more ergonomic view, the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 comes with a four-directional hinge that not only raises, but also slides the ScreenPad Plus back to meet the primary display, providing a near gapless experience.
This creates a large space under the ScreenPad Plus, which serves to improve the intake of fresh air by the cooling system, or what ASUS’ calls Active Aerodynamic System Plus 2.0. This is probably necessary to cool the new AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX and GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU, the latter which is allowed to draw up to 165W with Dynamic Boost. That’s a pretty huge increase from last year’s GeForce RTX 3080 model, which was limited to just 130W!
On the audio end, ASUS also upgraded the setup to a six-speaker setup, similar to the one featured in the ROG Zephyrus M16. With Dual Force-Cancelling Woofers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio and two-way AI Noise Cancellation, the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is ready to bring the party.
ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 Specs
Processor | Up to AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX |
RAM | Up to 64GB DDR5-4800 |
Graphics | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 16GB GDDR6, 140W TGP (165W with Dynamic Boost) |
Storage | Up to 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD with RAID 0 |
Display | ROG Nebula Display HDR: 16″ 16:10 QHD (2560 x 1600) 165Hz IPS-level display, Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated, Dolby Vision
or ROG Nebula Display: 16″ 16:10 4K 120Hz / FHD 240Hz IPS-level display, Adaptive Sync, 100% sRGB, Pantone Validated, Dolby Vision, Switchable 1 x HDMI 2.1 |
Connectivity | WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 2.5GbE LAN 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps, USB-PD, DisplayPort support 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A), 10Gbps 1 x microSD card reader 1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack |
Battery | 90WHr 280W power adapter / 100W USB-PD |
Dimensions | 355 x 265.9 x 20.5 mm |
Weight | 2.5kg |
ROG Strix SCAR and Strix G (2022) — new colors and updated hardware
Designed from the ground up for competitive gaming, the ROG Strix SCAR and Strix G series are ready to deliver the best possible performance for esports pro. The ROG Strix SCAR lineup packs an 12th Gen Intel Core, while the ROG Strix G series are powered by the AMD Ryzen 6000 series. Regardless of your allegiance, the ROG Strix family has something for you. Both the ROG Strix SCAR and Strix G series can be configured with up to the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPUs for some serious horsepower.
Both the ROG Strix SCAR 15 and Strix G15 feature up to 300Hz FHD displays, while the 17″ models get 360Hz FHD panel options. This allows for a seriously responsive gaming experience, taking full advantage of the hardware under the hood.
The ROG Strix SCAR differentiates itself with a larger trackpad as well as fancier per-key RGB lighting on the keyboard. The armor cap in the corner is also interchangeable, with three different colors offered in the box, and customizable 3D-printable models available online as well, giving you plenty of customization options. Meanwhile the ROG Strix G series now feature Volt Green and Electro Punk color choices for a unique look that will help you stand out.
ROG Strix SCAR and Strix G (2022) series Specs
ROG Strix G15 | ROG Strix G17 | ROG Strix SCAR 15 | ROG Strix SCAR 17 | |
Processor | Up to AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H | ||
RAM | Up to 32GB DDR5-4800 | Up to 64GB DDR5-4800 | ||
Graphics | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 16GB GDDR6, 125W TGP (150W with Dynamic Boost) | |||
Storage | Up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD | ||
Display | 15.6″ FHD 300Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% sRGB, Dolby Vision
or 15.6″ QHD 165Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision or 15.6″ FHD 144Hz, IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 62.5% sRGB 1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
17.3″ FHD 360Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% sRGB, Dolby Vision
or 15.6″ QHD 240Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision or 15.6″ FHD 144Hz, IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 62.5% sRGB 1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
15.6″ FHD 300Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% sRGB, Dolby Vision
or 15.6″ QHD 240Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision 2 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
17.3″ FHD 360Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% sRGB, Dolby Vision
or 17.3″ QHD 240Hz IPS-level panel, Adaptive Sync, 100% DCI-P3, Dolby Vision 2 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode |
Connectivity | WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 2.5GbE LAN 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps 2 x USB 3.0 1 x 3.5mm jack |
WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 2.5GbE LAN 1 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps 2 x USB 3.0 1 x 3.5mm jack |
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Battery | 90WHr 280WHr power adapter, 100W USB-PD |
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Dimensions | 354.9 x 259.9 x 27.2 mm | 395 x 282.1 x 28.3 mm | 354. 259.9 x 27.2 mm | 395 x 282.1 x 28.3 mm |
Weight | 2.3kg | 2.8kg | 2.3kg | 2.7kg |
Aside from these new models, ASUS also refreshed the ROG Zephyrus G15 and ROG Zephyrus M16 with the latest hardware from AMD and Intel announced during CES 2022, respectively. Both the ROG Zephyrus G15 and ROG Zephyrus M16 feature new upgrades, including DDR5, PCIe 4.0 storage and also can be configured with the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPUs.
Availability and pricing of these beasts have yet to be known. If you think that these monstrous machines aren’t really your cup of tea, have a look at the new ROG Flow Z13 and refreshed ROG Flow X13, two ultraportable machines.
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