ASUS ROG Strix 16" Strix G16 Eclipse Gray 2025 Review

The ASUS ROG Strix G16 delivers excellent 1440p gaming with the RTX 5060 and a stunning 240Hz display. It's heavy and not very portable, but at around $1,800 it's one of the best value gaming laptops you can buy. Just keep an eye on the power brick and expect some fan noise when you push it.

When you're hunting for a gaming laptop under $2,000 with a high-refresh display, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) lands on your radar fast. It pairs Nvidia's new RTX 5060 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, 32GB of DDR5, and a stunning 16-inch 2560x1600 240Hz panel. On paper, it's a spec monster. In practice, it's a powerhouse that chews through games and creative work alike, provided you have the desk space to handle its heft.

The Strix G16 doesn't try to be a sleek ultrabook, it's a desktop replacement that's proud of its bulk. And once you factor in that 500-nit, 100% DCI-P3 ROG Nebula display and a GPU that easily pushes triple-digit frame rates at QHD, it's hard to argue with the raw value. Our database shows this thing ranks exceptionally high in social proof and port selection, and the screen alone puts many pricier laptops to shame.

ASUS markets this as a pure gaming machine, but with a 24-core CPU and that color-accurate display, it pulls double duty as a competent creator laptop too. It's not the most reliable or compact option out there, but if you're after a no-compromises 16-inch gaming experience without spending Legion Pro prices, the Strix G16 deserves a spot on your shortlist.

In our gaming benchmarks, the Strix G16 sits in the top tier of our database. The RTX 5060 scored in the 84th percentile among all laptop GPUs we've tested, which means it comfortably outruns older RTX 4060 and 3070 Ti mobile chips. At 1440p, you'll see smooth frame rates in Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty, and even heavy ray-traced titles with DLSS on. The 24-core Core Ultra 9 275HX isn't quite as dominant (77th percentile), but it still chews through video renders and multitasking without flinching. The star of the show is the ROG Nebula display: 500 nits of brightness, full DCI-P3 coverage, and a buttery 240Hz refresh rate that makes every frame feel instant. That panel ranks in the 90th percentile, meaning it's about as good as it gets on a gaming laptop.

Storage speeds are middle of the pack (68th percentile), but the 1TB PCIe SSD is still snappy enough to keep load times short. The 32GB of DDR5 is generous and lands in the 87th percentile for capacity, so you won't be hunting for upgrades right away. The one sore spot is cooling: under prolonged loads, the fans get loud and the chassis runs warm. That's typical for a laptop with this much power, but it's something to be aware of if you're sensitive to noise.

Pricing for the Strix G16 is a bit of a circus. The listing we tested rings up at around $1,799 from some sellers, which is a killer deal for these specs. There are also, inexplicably, Store Name entries asking for over $388,000, but let's pretend those don't exist. At the sub-$2,000 mark, you're getting a ton of performance for the money. Against the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, which often costs a few hundred more with similar hardware, the ASUS holds its own and even pulls ahead in screen quality. If you can snag it for under $1,900, it's one of the best gaming laptop values right now.

Put the Strix G16 next to the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i and it's a tight race. Both pack potent Intel CPUs and RTX 4060-level or better graphics, but the ASUS counters with a brighter, faster 240Hz display and more RAM as standard. The Legion builds tend to feel a bit sturdier and offer per-key RGB, but you'll usually pay extra for that. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max is a different beast: it obliterates the Strix in CPU and GPU benchmarks, costs easily twice as much, and doesn't support the same gaming library on macOS. If you're a creator who prizes portability, the MSI Prestige is thinner and lighter but its RTX 4060 GPU lags behind in gaming. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro offers a gorgeous OLED screen and better battery life, but it's not a gaming machine by any stretch. For the pure performance-per-dollar in a Windows gaming rig, the ROG Strix G16 wins this round.

Skip the Strix G16 if you need a travel-friendly laptop. At 6 pounds and over an inch thick, it's a chunky desktop replacement that you won't want to haul around campus or on a plane. If you only play less demanding esports titles, a cheaper RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 laptop will save you money and weigh less. Creators who prioritize battery life and portability should steer toward the MSI Prestige or a MacBook Pro instead.

Should you buy the ASUS ROG Strix G16? If you want a high-performance gaming laptop that doesn't break the budget and you don't mind the added heft, the answer is a solid yes. It's a fantastic desktop replacement that'll tear through new titles at 1440p and handle your video edits with ease. The 240Hz display alone makes it a compelling pick even before you factor in the generous RAM and that snappy RTX 5060.

But this laptop isn't for everyone. The chunky design and short battery life make it a poor travel companion, and the screen blackout reports (while not widespread) are a concern. If you need a portable machine or plan to work mostly unplugged, look elsewhere. For everyone else, the Strix G16 is an easy recommendation that delivers where it counts.