Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) Review: A Powerhouse Gaming Laptop for 2024

Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) Review: A Powerhouse Gaming Laptop for 2024

The gaming laptop market has been bustling with new and refreshed models in recent months, as Intel, AMD, and Nvidia have all released their latest high-end hardware. Asus, a prominent player in the gaming laptop space, has introduced its 2022 ROG Strix G15 series, which aims to deliver a balance of performance, features, and value.

In this comprehensive review, we'll take a closer look at the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW), equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, and a stunning 1440p 240Hz display. We'll explore the laptop's design, performance, gaming capabilities, and more to help you determine if it's the right choice for your gaming and productivity needs.

Design and Build Quality

The Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) follows a similar design language as the top-tier ROG Strix Scar series, but with a slightly more simplified and subtle aesthetic. The laptop features a sleek, dark-gray color scheme that does a better job of hiding fingerprints and smudges compared to the more vibrant options available in the Scar lineup.

Specification	Details
Dimensions	354 mm (W) x 259 mm (D) x 27.2 mm (H)
Weight	2.32 kg (5.11 lbs)
Material	Aluminum lid, plastic body
Hinge Design	Raised hinge with angular half-cutout
Webcam	No built-in webcam, but includes a USB webcam in the box
Keyboard	Per-key RGB backlit, island-style layout
Trackpad	Large, smooth glass trackpad with no physical buttons
Ports	2x USB-A 3.2 Gen1, 1x USB-C with data/video/charging, 1x USB-C Gen2, HDMI 2.1, LAN, 3.5mm audio jack

The ROG Strix G15 is relatively compact for a 15.6-inch gaming laptop, measuring just 27.2mm thick at its thickest point and weighing 2.32kg. The raised hinge design with an angular half-cutout below the screen is a signature ROG Strix feature, giving the laptop a distinctive look.

One notable change from the Scar series is the removal of the Keystone feature, which allowed users to store and share personalized settings. In its place, Asus has opted for a more simplified and uniform interior design, with a subtle pattern of black dots on the right side of the deck.

The lid features a rough aluminum finish, while the main body is made of smooth plastic. The overall build quality is solid, though not quite at the level of the more premium Scar models. The laptop's hinges feel sturdy and allow for single-handed opening of the display.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard on the ROG Strix G15 is identical to the one found on the Scar series, featuring island-style keys with per-key RGB backlighting. The layout includes a full set of main keys, smaller and spaced-out arrow keys, and a dedicated column of media controls on the right side.

While the lack of a dedicated number pad may be a disappointment for some, the centered keyboard layout without a numpad is a personal preference for many users. The typing experience is generally good, with smooth, responsive keys and decent feedback, though the rubber-dome switches do feel a bit mushy compared to mechanical-style keyboards.

The trackpad is a large, glass-coated surface that provides a smooth and reliable tracking experience. It supports Windows Precision drivers and offers a comfortable clicking mechanism, despite some minor rattling when pressed firmly.

Display

Asus offers two display options for the ROG Strix G15 series: a Full HD 300Hz panel or the QHD 240Hz panel featured on our review unit. Both panels are 15.6-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio, non-touch, and matte finish.

Specification	Details
Panel Type	Chi Mei CMN1540 (NE156QHM-NZ2)
Resolution	2560 x 1440 (QHD)
Refresh Rate	240Hz
Response Time	3ms
Brightness	315.57 nits (measured)
Contrast Ratio	1074:1 (measured)
Color Gamut	99.7% sRGB, 81.4% AdobeRGB, 97.1% DCI-P3 (measured)
Panel Technology	IPS

The QHD 240Hz panel on our review unit is an excellent display for both gaming and content creation. It boasts wide color coverage, good contrast, and decent brightness, making it suitable for a variety of tasks. However, some color accuracy and uniformity issues were observed, which may require professional calibration for color-critical work.

The high refresh rate and fast response times ensure a smooth and responsive gaming experience, with minimal motion blur. The matte finish helps to reduce glare and reflections, which is a plus for productivity and gaming in well-lit environments.

Overall, the display on the ROG Strix G15 is a significant upgrade over more budget-oriented gaming laptops and should provide a great visual experience for most users.

Hardware and Performance

The Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) review unit we received is equipped with top-of-the-line hardware, including an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, and 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory.

Component	Details
Processor	AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (8 cores, 16 threads)
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (125-150W)
Memory	16GB DDR5-4800 (dual-channel)
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD (Micron 2450)
Cooling	Liquid metal interface, improved fan design

The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX is a powerful 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3+ architecture. It has a base clock of 3.3GHz and a boost clock of up to 4.9GHz, with a 45W base TDP that can be tuned by OEMs. Asus has leveraged a liquid metal interface between the CPU and cooler to improve heat transfer and thermal efficiency.

For graphics, the laptop features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti with a TDP of up to 150W, thanks to Asus' proprietary Dynamic Boost technology. This allows the GPU to take advantage of additional power headroom when the CPU is not under full load.

The combination of the Ryzen 9 CPU and RTX 3070 Ti GPU provides excellent performance for both productivity tasks and demanding games. The laptop also includes a fast 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD for quick boot and load times.

Thermal Performance and Power Profiles

Asus provides four different power profiles in the Armoury Crate software: Silent, Performance, Turbo, and Manual. These profiles allow users to balance performance, noise, and power consumption based on their needs.

Profile	CPU Power	CPU Temps	GPU Power	Noise Level
Silent	45W	Mid-70s °C	Limited	< 32 dB
Performance	70W	Mid-90s °C	Balanced	35-40 dB
Turbo	90-100W	~95 °C	Up to 150W	45-49 dB
Manual	Up to 100W	92-93 °C	Up to 150W	Up to 50 dB

On the Turbo profile, the Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU can sustain around 90-100W of power, leading to excellent multi-threaded performance with temperatures in the mid-90s Celsius. However, this does result in elevated fan noise levels of 45-49 dB.

The Performance profile strikes a better balance, limiting the CPU to around 70W and keeping fan noise between 35-40 dB. While this results in a slight performance decrease, the temperatures remain in the mid-90s Celsius, which is still within safe operating limits.

For the quietest experience, the Silent profile restricts the CPU to 45W and the fans to below 32 dB, though this does come at the cost of some performance, particularly for the GPU.

Users who want to fine-tune the system can use the Manual profile, which allows for custom adjustments to the CPU power limits and fan speeds. This can help optimize the balance between performance, temperatures, and noise levels.

Benchmark Performance

To assess the overall performance of the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW), we ran a comprehensive suite of benchmarks, covering both synthetic tests and real-world applications.

Benchmark	Score
3DMark Time Spy	11,039
3DMark Port Royal	6,898
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)	14,187
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)	1,553
GeekBench 5 (Single-Core)	1,546
GeekBench 5 (Multi-Core)	9,566
PCMark 10	7,602
Blender Classroom	6m 12s
Handbrake 1.3.3 (4K to 1080p)	51.89 fps

In the CPU-focused benchmarks, the Ryzen 9 6900HX showcases its impressive multi-threaded performance, scoring well against Intel's latest 12th-gen offerings. However, in single-core tests, the Intel chips maintain a slight advantage.

The GPU performance, as demonstrated by the 3DMark scores, is on par with the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti implementation in the ROG Scar 15, which is equipped with the same GPU. The laptop also handles creative workloads, such as Blender and Handbrake encoding, quite well.

Overall, the ROG Strix G15 delivers excellent performance across a wide range of tasks, making it a capable and versatile machine for both gaming and productivity.

Gaming Performance

As a gaming-focused laptop, the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) was put through its paces in a variety of modern game titles, both with and without ray tracing effects.

Gaming Performance (QHD, Turbo Profile)

Game	Average FPS	1% Low
Battlefield V (DX12, Ultra, RTX Off)	118 fps	64 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (DX12, Ultra, RTX Off)	45 fps	35 fps
Doom Eternal (Vulkan, Ultra)	186 fps	141 fps
Far Cry 6 (DX12, Ultra)	79 fps	43 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DX12, Highest, TAA)	96 fps	68 fps
The Witcher 3 (DX11, Ultra, Hairworks On)	106 fps	85 fps

The combination of the Ryzen 9 6900HX and RTX 3070 Ti GPU provides excellent gaming performance at the native QHD resolution, with most games averaging well over 60 fps on the Turbo profile. Titles like Doom Eternal and Far Cry 5 were able to take full advantage of the high-refresh-rate display.

However, when enabling ray tracing effects, the performance took a noticeable hit, with games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield V struggling to maintain playable framerates at QHD resolution. In these cases, users may need to rely on Nvidia's DLSS upscaling technology or lower the resolution to maintain a smooth experience.

Gaming Performance (FHD, Turbo Profile)

Game	Average FPS	1% Low
Battlefield V (DX12, Ultra, RTX Off)	152 fps	51 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (DX12, Ultra, RTX Off)	66 fps	54 fps
Doom Eternal (Vulkan, Ultra)	241 fps	168 fps
Far Cry 6 (DX12, Ultra)	85 fps	55 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (DX12, Highest, TAA)	119 fps	76 fps
The Witcher 3 (DX11, Ultra, Hairworks On)	136 fps	76 fps

At the lower 1080p resolution, the ROG Strix G15 is able to push even higher framerates, making the most of the high-refresh-rate display. This could be a viable option for users who prioritize smoothness and responsiveness over pure visual fidelity.

It's worth noting that the performance difference between the ROG Strix G15 and the more expensive ROG Scar 15 (with the same GPU) can be attributed to the way Asus has implemented Dynamic Boost on the AMD platform. The Scar 15 is able to allocate more power to the GPU, resulting in slightly better gaming performance in some titles.

Overall, the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) delivers excellent gaming performance, offering a great balance of visual quality and framerates, especially at the native QHD resolution.

Battery Life and Portability

Gaming laptops are often not known for their impressive battery life, but the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) manages to surprise in this regard.

Test	Battery Life
PCMark 10 Battery Test	438 minutes (7.3 hours)
Video Playback (Balanced Profile)	270 minutes (4.5 hours)
Battery Eater Pro	153 minutes (2.55 hours)

In our PCMark 10 battery test, which simulates a mix of productivity and web browsing tasks, the ROG Strix G15 lasted for an impressive 7.3 hours. This is quite good for a gaming laptop and should be enough to get through a full workday without needing to be plugged in.

Even during video playback on the Balanced power profile, the laptop managed 4.5 hours of runtime, which is respectable. The more intensive Battery Eater Pro test drained the battery in around 2.5 hours, as expected for a system under heavy load.

While the ROG Strix G15 is not the most portable gaming laptop due to its 2.32kg weight and large 280W power adapter, the decent battery life does make it suitable for occasional travel and on-the-go use, especially for productivity tasks.

Conclusion

The Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) is a well-rounded gaming laptop that strikes a balance between performance, features, and value. Its powerful AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics provide excellent performance for both gaming and productivity tasks, while the high-quality QHD 240Hz display offers a smooth and immersive visual experience.

The laptop's design is sleek and understated, with a focus on functionality over flashy aesthetics. The keyboard and trackpad are comfortable to use, and the selection of ports is generally good, though the lack of Thunderbolt/USB4 and an integrated webcam may be drawbacks for some users.

While the Intel-based ROG Scar 15 may have a slight edge in gaming performance due to Asus' implementation of Dynamic Boost, the ROG Strix G15 still delivers excellent framerates and can handle the latest games with ease.

FAQs

What are the display options for the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW)?

The Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) series offers two display options: a Full HD 300Hz panel or a QHD 240Hz panel, which was featured in the review unit.

How does the performance of the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) compare to the more expensive ROG Scar 15?

The review mentions that the Intel-based ROG Scar 15 may have a slight edge in gaming performance due to Asus' implementation of Dynamic Boost, which allows the Scar 15 to allocate more power to the GPU. However, the ROG Strix G15 still delivers excellent framerates and can handle the latest games with ease.

Does the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) have a built-in webcam?

No, the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) does not have a built-in webcam. However, the review mentions that the laptop includes a USB webcam in the box.

What is the battery life performance of the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW)?

The review states that the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) delivers impressive battery life, lasting up to 7.3 hours in the PCMark 10 battery test, 4.5 hours for video playback, and 2.55 hours in the more intensive Battery Eater Pro test.

Does the Asus ROG Strix G15 (G513RW) have Thunderbolt/USB4 support?

No, the review mentions that the lack of Thunderbolt/USB4 support may be a drawback for some users, as the laptop only features a standard USB-C port.