\n\nNvidia\u2019s energy-efficient Max-Q technology helps gaming laptops slim down, and at CES 2020 today, they\u2019ve reached a new milestone. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the first 14-inch laptop ever equipped with GeForce RTX 20-series graphics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Due partly to thermal concerns, most gaming laptops span 15.6 or even 17 inches, with tiny 14-inch form factors reserved for the likes of netbooks and thin-and-lights. No more, though\u2014the ROG Zephyrus G14 is impressively svelte for a game-ready notebook, measuring just 0.7-inches thick and 3.5 lbs. That\u2019s only a smidge more than the MacBook Air in all dimensions, but Apple\u2019s laptop doesn\u2019t do ray-tracing or 1440p gaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be fair, however, this laptop might not handle ray-traced games especially well, as the beefier RTX 2080 Max-Q for notebooks barely pulled ahead of the desktop GeForce RTX 2060 in synthetic ray-tracing benchmarks. Max-Q mobile versions of Nvidia\u2019s GPUs run at lower clock rates to increase their energy efficiency, which obviously affects performance. Nevertheless, this is a very impressive engineering feat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how did Asus manage to stuff a GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q into such a tiny package? Nvidia wouldn\u2019t divulge details, only saying it remains committed to advancing the Max-Q cause to help its partners push the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we spoke to Asus about the laptop as well, and it said that the ROG Zephyrus G14 also features AMD\u2019s just-announced Ryzen 4000 \u201cRenoir\u201d mobile processor\u2014and not just any Ryzen 4000 processor, but a \u201cspecial CPU that generates less heat, enabling an unprecedented level of performance for such a compact chassis.\u201d Asus says it partnered with AMD for exclusive access to the 35W chip, which features 8 cores and 16 threads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nvidia\u2019s Max-Q GPUs and AMD\u2019s Ryzen 4000-series mobile chips sound like a potent one-two punch when it comes to efficiency. It\u2019s exciting to see such powerful graphics work its way into such a sleek, small form factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Asus ROG Zephryus G14 comes loaded with other delicious features as well, including Wi-Fi 6, a USB Type-C connection with Power Delivery for external monitors, a magnesium alloy deck, and self-cleaning cooling. But the highlight has to be the \u201cAniMe Matrix\u201d available on select models, which crams 1,215 mini-LEDs with 256 levels of brightness into the lid. \u201cUsers can import animated GIFs and other graphics, build custom animations frame by frame, and type text messages with different fonts,\u201d the press release reads. \u201cVisualizations react to music and other audio, creating a unique platform for DJs and other artists.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n