ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 – Unboxing & First Impressions

Sometimes I still cannot believe my luck that ASUS Republic of Gamers reached out to me to unbox and talk about their fully revamped ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15. I am completely in awe of this machine, and you probably would be, too, if you knew just what it was packing in its compact 15-inch frame, haha! 🙂

So, for the mighty curious, here’s the OMGluie Unboxing and First Impressions post!

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Specs & Pricing

The ASUS Zephyrus G15 is not a new laptop. But ASUS has totally reskinned and upgraded the model to fit the needs of the gamer generation of 2021. I’m talking about it being fitted with the top-of-the-line, latest hardware that I can only dream of experiencing, HAHAHA.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Specs & Pricing

Here’s the spec breakdown of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 (GA503QS-HQ017TS) that was lent to me:

  • CPU: AMD Cezanne R9 5900HS
  • GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080, 8GB GDDR6
  • OS: Windows Home & Student 2019
  • Memory: 16GB x 2 DDR4 3200MHz
  • Storage: 1TB PCIE G3 SSD
  • Battery: 90Wh Battery
  • Display: 15″ QHD (2560×1440) IPS 165Hz
  • Dimensions: 355 x 243.5 x 19.9mm / 1.9 kg
  • Input / Output (I/O) Ports:
    • 2 x Type-C support USB3.2 Gen 2 / DisplayPort™ 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0
    • 2 x USB3.2 Gen2 Type A
    • 1 x MicroSD ( 312MB/s )
    • 1 x HDMI 2.0b
    • 1 x 3.5mm combo Audio jack
    • 1 x Kensington Lock
    • 1 x RJ45
  • Color: Moonlight White

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Specs & Pricing

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 package is priced at Php 179,995. Just like the G14, the laptop does not come with a built-in webcam, but will be bundled with several items such as an ROG backpack, an external ROG webcam, an ROG Delta gaming headset, and an ROG gaming mouse.

I think if the bundled extras matched more with the laptop’s white color scheme, I would have liked the package better, haha!

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging, Features, & Gaming Experience

Sleek Packaging To Match Chassis Aesthetics

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

The packaging of the G15 is pretty simple and sleek. The box it comes with matches the iridescent design on the laptop lid, giving it an eye-catching radiance. The model of the laptop I was able to try out was in the Moonlight White variant, and really, the sheer whiteness of the thing terrified me. I was constantly worried I would leave dirty fingerprints all over the product with just how white it was, LOL!

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

Though the G15 does not come with the popular AniMe Matrix that the G14 has, it does have a very beautiful lid design. ROG has dubbed it an asymmetrical Matrix design with a prismatic gleam, which explains the rainbow reflection you get when you tilt the lid a certain way.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

2021’s ROG Zephyrus G15 also has an upgraded glass touchpad, which is bigger and better than the 2020 model. Though my photo does not do it justice, I was quite surprised by the size of the touchpad on the laptop. This provides convenience in productivity, especially for those who have forgotten to bring their mouse along or prefer to use the touchpad instead. 🙂

Designed For Better Cooling

The biggest problem with lightweight laptops nowadays is how hot they can get at the height of gaming. Given that the 2021 G15 has the latest hardware installed, ROG probably gave the cooling system much more thought than usual.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

I like that the 180° ErgoLift was also implemented in the ASUS Zephyrus G15. Not having the laptop flat on any surface definitely helps with the air flow. This makes sure that a lot of the hot air is kept away from the system, preserving the really important (and expensive!!) hardware inside, HAHA.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

To supplement the built-in cooling system, the ASUS Zephyrus G15’s chassis also has air vents on the back, bottom, and sides of the laptop.

Though, again, given how slim and compact this laptop was made to be, you should still expect the unit to radiate a significant amount of heat.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900 CPU, RTX 3080 GPU

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging, Features, & Gaming Experience

It really is hard to ignore what the G15 is packing inside its frame. The model I had was equipped with the best-of-the-best and I had a difficult time finding fault in the laptop’s performance.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

Playing Final Fantasy XIV and Monster Hunter World was a total breeze. No lag, no frame skips, nothing. In Monster Hunter World, the temps went up to 70 degrees at the height of the hunt, and frame rates were constant at 56-60 fps. CPU usage was also at around 20-30%.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15  – Packaging & Features

On Final Fantasy XIV, even at maximum settings, the laptop’s temperature stayed roughly the same. I was experiencing 160+ fps, plus only used 6-10% of the CPU. Even though FFXIV is an older game that looks like it doesn’t require that much power, it’s still a good game for testing how visuals render with the laptop’s built-in hardware.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 Vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Comparison

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 – Gaming Experience & G14 Comparison

As someone who personally owns a 2020 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, I found it a bit more difficult to make the comparison between the two. If I had been gaming on a less powerful unit (like my old-ass PC which I don’t use for gaming anymore, RIP), I think the differences would be much more noticeable.

But since I’ve been using my G14 almost every day for the past few months, for games, work, and everything in between, I feel that it really just comes down to a matter of preference.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 Vs. ASUS Zephyrus G14 Comparison

The G15 definitely packs a stronger punch because its specs are more powerful than that of my G14. It’s equipped with the latest Ryzen 9 5000 series and a highly-coveted RTX 30-series GPU. My G14 also has the Ryzen 9, but in the 4000 series, and has the RTX 2060 GPU. No doubt, both of these units already have really, really high-end hardware, but the G15 obviously wins here in terms of muscle power.

The G15 is also cooler, and does not generate as much heat. The one-inch size difference in surface area allows for implementation of a better cooling system in the G15. From my experience, the G14 is tried and tested to heat up like a MO-FO (LOL), simply because it was built to be smaller, more compact, and more portable than most gaming laptops in the market. XD

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 Vs. ASUS Zephyrus G14 Comparison

In the end, it’s all about what you like aesthetically and what you can afford. Do you want a laptop that’s whiter than white? Do you want your laptop to have the latest hardware? Do you mind carrying around a 15-inch laptop? And most importantly, do you have almost Php 180k to spare?

If so, then the 2021 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 will probably tick all of your boxes, and make you look extremely cool, all at the same time. I don’t see how it could be anything less than what it promises, save for that hefty price tag. 🙂

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 will be available this February 2021. To know more, check out ROG’s 2021 line-up here!

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