ROG Zephyrus G14 (2023) vs. Alienware x14 R2: which wins?

The 14-inch gaming laptop computer is an fascinating proposition, providing extra portability, however on the potential price of gaming efficiency. Some machines handle that compromise higher than others, and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 has been one of many higher choices.

Asus up to date the machine at CES 2023, including a mini-LED show to what was already an awesome gaming laptop computer — but it surely wasn’t alone. Dell additionally up to date considered one of its glorious machines, the Alienware x14 R2, and it’s a formidable competitor. Which is the higher transportable gaming system?

Specs

Design

The ROG Zephyrus G14 2023 appears just about similar to the 2022 mannequin, all the way down to the white chassis and accessible AniMe Matrix lid. It’s sufficiently small in width and depth and is available in at 0.72 inches thick. It’s even fairly light-weight at 3.88 kilos, because of the magnesium alloy chassis.

The Alienware x14 R2 is a very totally different animal by way of its design. It’s smooth and svelte and beautiful. It enjoys curved edges and a simplified chassis that comes throughout as classier and extra elegant. As our reviewer put it, it’s as near an XPS laptop computer as you’ll discover in a gaming machine. It’s, although, barely bigger than the Asus in width and depth whereas being incongruously each a lot thinner at 0.57 inches and heavier at 4.6 kilos. Dell’s reply to the AniMe Matrix show lid on the Asus are 100 micro-LEDs that loop across the ports and add a sci-fi vibe.

The Alienware x14 R2 can be all-aluminum, which provides it a extra inflexible and total denser really feel than the ROG Zephyrus G14 2023. It’s not that the latter doesn’t really feel well-built; it’s simply that the Alienware is in a barely totally different class.

The ROG Zephyrus G14 keyboard gives extra journey than the Alienware x14 R2’s, at 1.7mm versus 1.2mm, which could make it higher for key mashing throughout intense gaming. However the Dell gives per-key RGB backlighting versus the one zone RGB lighting on the Asus. Each laptops have serviceable touchpads, however you’ll seemingly wish to join an excellent gaming mouse to each of them.

Connectivity favors Alienware primarily due to its Thunderbolt 4 assist. As a result of AMD chipset, you gained’t discover that on the Asus. In any other case, they’re each well-stocked with ports.

Efficiency

We will’t actually say a lot about CPU efficiency, given the dearth of benchmark knowledge on AMD’s newest Ryzen 7000 chips and Intel’s Thirteenth-gen CPUs. The Alienware isn’t working Intel’s quickest, and is proscribed to the Core i7-13620H with 10 cores (six Efficiency and 4 Environment friendly) and 16 threads working at 45 watts. That must be a quick CPU, however not in the identical class as bigger, bulkier gaming machines.

The ROG Zephyrus G14 will max out at an undisclosed AMD Ryzen 7000-series R9. Since we don’t know the particular sequence, the laptop computer may equip both eight cores and 16 threads or 16 cores and 32 threads. Given the skinny and light-weight nature of the laptop computer, we’re prone to see both the Ryzen 7040 or 7035 sequence, each of that are 8-core/16-thread variants. Energy consumption and max speeds are nonetheless to be decided, so all we will say is that the ROG Zephyrus G14 is prone to be aggressive with Intel in CPU efficiency, however might or will not be sooner.

When it comes to the GPU, we all know that Asus shall be packing in as much as the RTX 4090, which is able to make it considerably sooner than the Alienware with it’s most of a RTX 4060. So, avid gamers and creators, the ROG Zephyrus G14 goes to be the sooner selection.

Show

The Alienware x14 R2 has a pleasant show, a 14.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ IPS panel working at 165Hz. It must be wonderful for each productiveness work and gaming, particularly given the GPU topping out on the RTX 4060.

However the ROG Zephyrus G14 is in a unique league altogether. Asus gives a Full HD+ panel at 144Hz for individuals who don’t care about something however superfast 1080p/1200p gaming, and it additionally supplies the choice of a QHD+ panel that’s the equal of the Dell’s show.

However Asus additionally gives a QHD+ mini-LED show working at 165Hz that shall be extremely vibrant at 600 nits (not as spectacular as another new mini-LED panels hitting 1,000 nits or extra). That brightness issues most for HDR, making the ROG Zephyrus G14 higher for each HDR gaming and media consumption. It should seemingly be costly, but it surely must be effectively value it.

Too many unknowns to name a winner

The ROG Zephyrus G14 2023 retains all the pieces we love about its predecessor and tosses in a stunning mini-LED show choice. It should seemingly stay on our checklist of greatest gaming laptops, and can seemingly be the rather more highly effective choice now that it may be configured with as much as an RTX 4090.

The Alienware x14 R2 focuses most on its attractive design whereas opting to supply lesser efficiency in a thinner chassis.

Which would be the proper gaming laptop computer for you? That call must look ahead to our official critiques as soon as testing is full, however each gaming laptops look spectacular of their respective classes.

At this time’s tech information, curated and condensed in your inbox

Examine your inbox!

Please present a legitimate e-mail tackle to proceed.

This e-mail tackle is presently on file. In case you are not receiving newsletters, please examine your spam folder.

Sorry, an error occurred throughout subscription. Please attempt once more later.