New Delhi: The Asus Zephyrus G14 is a laptop that really appeals to me on a theoretical level itself. It is the smallest gaming laptop in the ROG lineup, and I have always enjoyed the 14” form factor for both its portability and battery life. Now these are sleek, innovative machines that pack in plenty of power, and we got to review the 2023 version, which sported an incredibly cool AniMe Matrix lid. Half the lid was covered with programmable LED lights, a feature that was sure to spark conversations. The 2025 version has a slash lighting array, which does not rapidly drain the battery, but still differentiates the design. This slash lighting array was introduced last year by Asus, but we only reviewed the G16.

This is a big box for a small laptop. (Image Credit: Aditya Madanapalle/News9).

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is aimed squarely at gamers. It is a great laptop for videogame streamers and game developers as well. This is an unmistakably droolworthy device, a computing platform that is a pleasure to use every second. The smart and practical design choices make the experience comfortable and fast, even dusty, humid or hot conditions. The laptop is also tough, so it checks a lot of boxes. If you are looking for a gaming laptop, and do not require a large screen or a NumPad for working with parametric software or playing RPG games, then the ROG Zephyrus 14 may just be the right laptop for you.

The lid has the slash LED lighting array across it, and is an eye-catching feature even when the laptop is turned off. At the back edge of the base is a ROG label. The chassis is made up of anodized aluminium that has been CNC milled to precision. In the box is a 200W adapter, with the brick on the larger side. The plug can easily fit through standard cable grommets, and the device can be juiced up in metros and cafes, not needing the larger plug points required by larger gaming laptops. The laptop is under 1.6 cm in thickness, and under 1.5 kg in weight, which makes the G14 an incredibly portable device. There should be no problems travelling around with this laptop, or with a daily commute.

The slash lighting array is distinctive and eye-catching even when turned off. (Image Credit: Aditya Madanapalle/News9).

We were happy to notice that the lid lifts up smoothly without any lift from the base. There are four hinges that are tucked away so cleverly that they are almost impossible to see, with the lid appearing to be almost magically attached to the base. The left side of the trackpad has some labels revealing the hot silicon inside. These labels are typically on the right side. It is hard to believe that this incredibly thin device packs in an Nvidia graphics card. The G14 boasts of an incredibly sophisticated cooling system, a dual exhaust heat sink, and a liquid metal thermal compound from Thermal Grizzly. The exhausts are located next to the rubber feet on the base and tucked away at the back of the device.

The hinges are tucked away so cleverly, they are nearly impossible to spot. (Image Credit: Aditya Madanapalle/News9).

The RGB backlit keys sit in a depressed island within the base, that reduces the ugly keycap marks on the beautiful OLED display. On the top right corner is a premium glass power key, that is well-differentiated from the rest of the keyboard. It is impossible to accidentally press this key while taking a screenshot or pressing backspace. There are also four multimedia control keys on the top right, which are useful for streaming and conference calls. On the right and left side of the keyboard are what appear to be speaker grilles, but these are actually design embellishment with no function. On the base of the keyboard is a generously large trackpad that is literally edge to edge.

The RGB-backlit keyboard with the generously large, edge-to-edge trackpad and the glass power button. (Image Credit: Aditya Madanapalle/News9).

Despite the size of the trackpad, there are comfortably large spaces on either side to rest the palms. Now Asus has........

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