Photo: Cheryl Kahla
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) on Thursday announced the launch of the game-changing (pun intended) Zephyrus M16, a powerful gaming laptop perfect for both gamers and content creators.
I was lucky enough to be one of the first reviewers in South Africa to play with this powerhouse of a device, and as expected, ROG once again does not disappoint.
The ROG Zephyrus M16 packs a whole lot of power in a lightweight, compact chassis, similar to the Zephyrus G15. The chassis is made of sturdy alloy and clocking in at 1.9 kilograms and 19.9 mm thin, it’s 5% smaller than last year’s M15.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fingerprint-resistant finish on the magnesium-aluminum chassis which gives the laptop a premium, ultra-sleek look.
Other than looking good, the laptop also feels great, thanks to the soft-touch paint which keeps the palm rest cool and comfortable.
The M16 has a streamlined design which fits into a 16-inch display. The ultra-thin bezels measure only 4.6mm. “How is that even possible?” I hear you ask. ASUS explains:
“[The M16 has] bezels measure only 4.6mm on all four sides, thanks to a redesigned display cable that allows the bottom bezel to be as slim as the others.
In essence, the M16’s innovative design delivers an immersive 94% screen-to-body ratio.
The ROG Zephyrus M16 is equipped with an 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11900H processor (it clocks up to 4.9GHz), coupled with a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card.
Need I say more?
“With eight cores and sixteen threads, it’s fully equipped for game streaming, video rendering, and creative projects”.
Despite the high CPU and GPU performance, the laptop also didn’t overheat, thanks to the liquid metal compound, also known as ROG’s Intelligent Cooling.
RAM? Yes, 48GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and up to 2TB of ultrafast PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) Gen 4 storage.
Trust me when I say the M16 will outperform your wildest expectations.
Performance is important but the quality of laptop keyboards is often a letdown.
And as someone who makes a living pressing keys on a keyboard, I can confirm ASUS put together a package – it feels as good as it performs.
Thanks to the 180° ErgoLift hinge, the Stealth Type keyboard is placed at a comfortable typing angle, but you can rotate the hinge back so the device sits flat.
Keycap noise is capped at 30dB, which came in handy for my late-night gaming sessions.
“Navigation is also smoother and easier with a touchpad 20% larger and more accurate to put precision navigation at your fingertips”, ROG said.
The ultra-versatile Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort1.4 and Power Delivery 3.0 is joined by three USB 3.2 Type-A ports for a gaming mouse, gamepad, and other accessories.
The separate Type-C port and a pair of Type-A USB ports provide ample room for gaming peripherals and more. In addition, a MicroSD slot makes it easy for creators to edit and process images and videos on the go.
The ROG Zephyrus M16 will be available from today, 19 August in South Africa from Evetech starting at R33,999 for the RTX 3050ti model, and R47,999 for the RTX 3070 model.
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