ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 Gaming Laptop Review

Model after another, ASUS has continued to improve its ROG gaming laptop lineup. The company has managed to strike a good balance between price and performance, providing gamers with exciting options to choose from.

The recent addition to ASUS ROG lineup is Zephyrus G15 – a slim 15.6-inch laptop powered by AMD Ryzen processor. Like other successful laptops in its ROG range, ASUS has brought us a gaming laptop that’s good-looking, inexpensive and well-performing.

ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 At A Glance

ASUS has released both Intel and AMD variants of Zephyrus G15. The Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 is powered by a 3.0 GHz AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS 8-core processor with Turbo up to 4.3 GHz. In the Intel world, that would be comparable to Core i9-9980HK processor. The 45W AMD processor with 8MB level 3 cache performs exceptionally well in demanding conditions without running into slowdowns.

Coupled with the AMD processor is 16GB DDR4 RAM that makes sure multiple apps run smooth as butter. The 3200MHz RAM really helps achieve smooth multitasking and gaming.

To provide gamers with rich graphics experience, ASUS has provided 6GB GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q dedicated graphics. With bandwidth of 264.0 GB/s, the GDDR6 graphics offer crisp gaming performance. It’s the power saving variant of the GeForce RTX 2060 based on the same chip as the latter. With reduced clock speeds but also lower power consumption and price, GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q is a perfect fit for thin gaming laptops like the Zephyrus lineup.

With a combination of super fast processor, loads of RAM and 6GB dedicated graphics, this ASUS ROG laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display. With a screen-to-body ratio of 81% and just 6.2mm thin bezels, ASUS has managed to fit a 15.6-inch screen into a 14-inch chassis. Don’t let the 1920 x 1280 pixels resolution disappoint you. The 240Hz anti-glare display has IPS-level panel and it’s Pantone Validated offering accurate color correction. It outputs 100% RGB colors and has exceptional response time of just 3ms. You will love how rich gaming graphics look on this display and you will probably forget you are looking at a Full HD display.

How much SSD storage do you usually get in a mid-range laptop? 256GB? 512GB? As a big surprise, ASUS has provided huge 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD storage. With 1TB of space, you won’t need to connect your external hard drive often and your games can live right on your laptop. The SSD performs extremely fast as expected and elevates the overall responsiveness of the laptop. The laptop boots up in seconds, apps and games launch quickly and big data transfers complete in a flash.

Now, you might already have a gaming headset to enjoy audio but ASUS has also packed twin front-firing speakers with this ROG Zephyrus model. These speakers are powered by Smart Amp technology and they stay within thermal and excursion limits even when you set the volume to its max. This helps eliminate distortion and keeps the speakers from damage. Thanks to certified Hi-Res Audio, this Zephyrus laptop offers headset users detailed, high-quality audio with rich immersion.

To make their gaming experience more comfortable, gamers usually opt for an external keyboard with their gaming laptops. With ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, that might not be necessary. ASUS has designed a backlit keyboard that’s nearly as comfortable as a desktop keyboard. The chiclet keyboard has dedicated gaming hotkeys, function keys are divided into groups of four, and an overall comfortable gaming and typing experience.

With all that power, this gaming laptop is of course going to generate plenty of heat. But to keep things cool, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 features self-cleaning thermal module that ejects dust and improve long-term stability. Its dual ‘n-Blade’ fans spin 83 blades each, generating impressive airflow within the slim frame. Like any other gaming laptop, this ROG laptop does get hot but the underlying mechanism works well to ensure optimal performance during endless gaming sessions.

Packed with exciting features, this ASUS laptop also carries plenty of ports. It includes 3 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with DisplayPort/power delivery support, an HDMI 2.0b port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack and an RJ45 LAN port. For wireless connectivity, it features the latest 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

A 76WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion battery powers the laptop and provides around 7 hours of backup on full charge which is decent for a gaming laptop.

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 Review Summary

With a combination of 8-core AMD processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, 6GB GDDR6 dedicated graphics, Full HD IPS-level display and under-the-hood features, it does not come as a surprise that this ASUS ROG laptop provides excellent gaming performance. A slim build with sleek look and feel is a pleasant bonus.

Taking its look and feel, tech specs, features and overall performance in consideration, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 offers superb value for money at the price tag of $1299. It has everything, in fact more than you desire in a gaming laptop in this price range.

While some might consider a Full HD screen a drawback, ASUS deserves praise for packing plenty of power where it’s needed the most while still keeping its display at enjoyable level. The compromise you make in the resolution of the display is compensated by its splendid performance and many other features.

Overall, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502IV-PH96 is a pleasure to game on. It’s full of power, looks cool, performs great and carries great value of money. It easily overcomes nearly all expectations in this price range.

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