ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) Review: The Ultimate Gaming Laptop Experience
In 2025, ASUS continues to dominate the high-end gaming laptop market with its ROG Strix series, known for combining powerful performance, aggressive designs, and advanced displays. The new ROG Strix G16 model G615LW-AS96 represents a major leap forward, featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, making it a desktop-class gaming powerhouse in a portable form.
This laptop targets professional gamers and creators who need top-tier performance for both gaming and demanding creative software. According to PCWorld, the 2025 G16 is “the perfect version of a high-end gaming laptop at a reasonable price without sacrificing performance,” which becomes evident in this detailed review.
Design and Build Quality
The ROG Strix G16 (2025) maintains ASUS’ signature design language, combining sharp edges, customizable Aura Sync RGB lighting, and a sturdy metal and reinforced plastic chassis. The top surface is metallic, giving a premium feel, while the bottom is lightweight plastic, helping reduce weight and improve airflow.
Although the device isn’t slim (weighing around 2.5 kg), it’s manageable for daily carry, especially considering the powerful internals. Tom’s Hardware noted in their testing that internal heat distribution is excellent thanks to the side and rear vents, and the cooling fans remain relatively quiet even under heavy gaming loads.
ROG Nebula Display
One of the standout features is the 16-inch ROG Nebula display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 2.5K resolution (2560×1600), 240 Hz refresh rate, and 3 ms response time. According to Digital Trends, this display offers an excellent balance between sharp detail and fast response, making it ideal for fast-paced games like Valorant and Apex Legends, as well as cinematic titles like Cyberpunk 2077.
Colors are vibrant and deep, covering over 100% of the sRGB spectrum, with brightness exceeding 400 nits for clear visibility in bright environments. While not perfect for professional color critical work (NotebookCheck), it surpasses most competitors in its price range for display quality and responsiveness.
Gaming Performance Without Compromise
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU delivers exceptional performance with its Meteor Lake architecture, balancing energy efficiency and multi-core power (up to 24 cores), allowing for multitasking and running heavy games without bottlenecking.
The RTX 5080 GPU is among the strongest mobile graphics cards available today, delivering near-desktop performance thanks to DLSS 3.5 and advanced ray tracing support. In testing by PCWorld, the laptop achieved 145 FPS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1440p and 120 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 with DLSS 3 enabled.
For competitive titles like CS2, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, frame rates easily exceed 200 FPS thanks to the high-refresh panel. Overall gaming feels incredibly smooth and stable, as confirmed by GamesRadar, which also highlighted the laptop’s stable performance during long gaming sessions thanks to its dual tri-fan cooling system.
Gaming Performance Benchmarks (FPS)
| Game | Settings | Resolution | FPS | Notes | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Ultra + RT + DLSS 3.5 | 2.5K | 120 | Smooth, near-desktop performance – PCWorld | 
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | Highest | 1440p | 145 | Stable temperatures – Tom’s Hardware | 
| Forza Horizon 5 | Extreme | 2.5K | 165 | Vibrant visuals on high refresh – GamesRadar | 
| COD MW3 | Ultra | 1080p | 230 | Competitive gameplay advantage – NotebookCheck | 
| Apex Legends | Max | 1440p | 205 | Fully stable in fast battles – TechRadar | 
| Valorant | Competitive | 1080p | 340 | Extremely responsive for esports – GamesRadar | 
| Hogwarts Legacy | Ultra | 2.5K | 95 | Cinematic smooth experience – Tom’s Hardware | 
| Starfield | Ultra | 2.5K | 88 | Excellent performance for heavy AAA – PCWorld | 
| Resident Evil 4 Remake | Ultra | 2.5K | 140 | DLSS maintains high FPS – NotebookCheck | 
Audio and Cooling
The dual speakers with Dolby Atmos provide immersive sound during gaming or media playback, with clear audio and deep bass even at high volumes. The cooling system is a highlight of the ROG line, featuring a Tri-Fan setup with Liquid Metal thermal compound on the CPU. During heavy gaming, Tom’s Hardware reported temperatures staying below 85°C, which is impressive for an RTX 5080-powered laptop.
Memory, Storage, and Connectivity
The 32 GB DDR5 RAM ensures smooth multitasking, streaming, and professional applications like Blender or Premiere Pro. The 1 TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD provides blazing-fast read/write speeds exceeding 7000 MB/s (TechRadar), allowing games to load within seconds.
The laptop also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and includes versatile ports: USB-C (with Power Delivery), HDMI 2.1, 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, and multiple USB-A ports, ensuring full compatibility with modern peripherals.
Battery Life and Daily Usage
Given the high-end hardware, battery life is naturally limited. For light tasks (web browsing, video streaming, document editing), the device achieves 5–6 hours, dropping below 2 hours during intensive gaming, as reported by NotebookCheck. ASUS’ fast-charging technology restores 50% battery in just 30 minutes.
The RGB backlit keyboard is comfortable for late-night gaming, and the large precision trackpad performs smoothly, which PCWorld praised as enhancing overall usability.
Final Review
The ROG Strix G16 (2025) delivers desktop-level gaming performance, stable thermals, and excellent high-FPS experiences across all genres. The 240 Hz Nebula display ensures every frame feels smooth and immediate, giving competitive players a real edge.
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) is a true performance beast. It combines Intel’s latest processors, the powerful RTX 5080 GPU, and the gorgeous Nebula display for a complete gaming experience. While battery life and weight may limit portability, in terms of raw performance and gaming experience, it stands among the top laptops in 2025, as confirmed by PCWorld.
You can check the latest price and availability on Amazon to get this powerful gaming laptop today.