Key Takeaways
1. The ROG Strix G18 is an 18-inch gaming laptop from Asus, offering a more budget-friendly alternative to the premium Strix SCAR series.
2. It features a powerful AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX processor, 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and a 240 Hz IPS display, but lacks the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard.
3. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU provides decent performance, but only slightly surpasses the older RTX 4070 Laptop, with 8 GB of VRAM, which may lead to gaming issues at WQHD resolution.
4. The laptop’s configuration is unbalanced, ideally needing a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti with 12 GB of VRAM paired with a less powerful CPU for better performance.
5. While quieter than many competitors at 50 dB(A) under load, the cooling system runs constantly, even during light tasks.
The ROG Strix G18 is a sizable gaming laptop from Asus, measuring 18 inches, and it offers a more budget-friendly option in comparison to the premium Strix SCAR series. We recently reviewed a setup priced at 2299 Euros, featuring a top-notch AMD processor (Ryzen 9 9955HX), paired with 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD, and a quick 240 Hz IPS display. Additional features include USB 4.0, a fast PCIe 5.0 interface for speedy SSDs, Advanced Optimus GPU switching, and G-Sync; however, it does not come with the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard.
Graphics Performance
Despite its strengths, this laptop is equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU. This version boasts a TGP of 115 Watts, making it the most powerful in its class, but its performance is only marginally better than the older RTX 4070 Laptop, and the VRAM is again limited to 8 GB. When you consider the WQHD resolution of the display, this can lead to problems during gaming (like in Indiana Jones or Call of Duty Black Ops 6), which is particularly noticeable with frame drops. We have previously mentioned this concern in our review of the new RTX 5070 Laptop GPU.
Configuration Concerns
In our full review, we highlighted the unbalanced setup, noting the extremely powerful AMD processor. Ideally, we would have preferred the faster GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (with 12 GB of VRAM) paired with a slightly less powerful CPU option. Additionally, we have some concerns about the cooling system. At approximately 50 dB(A) under load, the Strix G18 is quieter than many competitors, but the fans tend to run constantly, even during light tasks.