ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 High-End Gaming Laptop Listed on Amazon

The ROG Zephyrus M16 from ASUS is looking mighty attractive! And, frankly, it might just be the laptop to go for if you’re looking to game on-the-go! We still don’t know for how much it’ll retail upon release, but it’s definitely worth our undivided time and attention for a slew of interesting reasons!

First of all, there’s no scarcity of gaming laptops in today’s market — there’s a host of different options, sizes, and manufacturers for you to choose from. Still, they’re not all created equal. And, even more importantly, most of them follow a tried-and-true formula almost by default. This, frankly, means they’re either boring to use, visually unappealing, or straight up not worth the asking price.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, however, will undeniably buck that trend.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 — A Different Kind of Beast

Thanks to an accidental listing on Amazon, we have the full spec sheet of this oh-so-powerful gaming beast. Before we delve any deeper, keep in mind that the M16 is geared towards big spenders, so if you’re looking to game on a budget you’d be wise to look elsewhere.

The first big change you’ll immediately notice is a 16″ panel that’s actually 16:10 (1920×1200). It’ll also come with a 165 Hz refresh rate and offer a 94% screen-to-body ratio. Those are some mighty impressive numbers, all things considered. And, for those seeking even more pixels, they’ll be able to purchase a 2560×1600 (144 Hz) variant instead.

Its screen is Pantone Validated (for those looking to do color accurate work like photo or video editing), with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. As for specs, this is where things get even more interesting.

GPU Options

You’ll be able to purchase the ASUS ROG M16 in three different configurations (or six if you count the QHD+ display option). The base model will pack NVIDIA’s RTX 3050 Ti, but more potent RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 options will be available as well, for those seeking additional graphics horsepower. The base 3050 Ti will probably come with a 60W TDP so don’t expect any wonders. The 3060 and 3070, on the other hand, will have a lot more thermal headroom (60W-125W) but that doesn’t mean ASUS won’t limit their potential in order to acquire lower temperatures and more acceptable fan noise. We’ll have to wait and see.

Is the Lack of Ryzen a Dealbreaker?

As the headline above suggests, the ROG M16 only comes with Intel processors. That, in short, is quite a letdown. Still, if you’re only looking to game, Intel can still pack a punch. You’ll be paying a premium, but they’ll definitely deliver those smooth frame rates when it matters most.

You’ll be able to choose between two options CPU-wise: the i7-11800H (eight physical cores) and the i9-11900H (also eight cores). With a 45W TDP, they’ll easily chew through any production workload (or triple A title) you might throw their way, so don’t fret.

Granted, if you’re looking for the best all-around machine — one that’ll excel at both gaming and other tasks — then it might be best to go with a Ryzen-based model like the ROG Zephyrus G15 which also happens to be made by ASUS.

Then again, the G15 isn’t nearly as slick as the M16 even though they both share the same design language. Furthermore, the M16 comes with a display that is not only great for gaming but also general day-to-day tasks because of its taller aspect ratio — a huge benefit you should not underestimate. A lot has been written and said about the Intel vs. AMD battle and, well, with good reason. And while Ryzen processors generally get the better of “team blue,” it’s not like Intel’s latest H-series processors are all of a sudden outdated or insufficient. Far from it, in fact.

Intel’s mobile processors still pack one heck of a punch and, thanks to their incredible single-core performance, often beat mobile Ryzen CPUs when it comes to gaming. If you’re on the fence, make sure to check out the following video, courtesy of Jarrod’s Tech.

So if you’re only looking to game, then Intel is still well worth your attention (and money). With that in mind, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has all the hallmarks of an incredible gaming machine. We just hope ASUS will manage to find the right balance price-wise!