ASUS ROG Strix 18" G18 G815 Black
The 18-inch 2.5K IPS panel with a 240Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage pairs with the Intel 24-core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5060 8GB GPU, delivering smooth, color-accurate visuals for demanding workloads. The 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Wi-Fi 7, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity support heavy multitasking and fast file transfers, while the 90Wh battery offers decent endurance for a desktop replacement. This laptop suits creators and gamers who need a large, high-refresh display and strong performance for video editing or AAA gaming, though its 3.20kg weight makes it less portable.
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Snapshot
The 30-Second Version
A monster CPU and gorgeous 18-inch screen trapped in a body that's anything but portable. The RTX 5060 is the weak link, but at the right price this is a creator's dream machine.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- One of the fastest laptop CPUs we've tested 96th
- Gorgeous 18-inch 240Hz display with full DCI-P3 95th
- Excellent port selection including Thunderbolt 4 83rd
- 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD out of the box 78th
Cons
- RTX 5060 with 8GB VRAM is underwhelming at this price
- Heavy and huge, forget about portability
- Battery life will be rough with this hardware
- Price varies wildly depending on where you buy
The proof
Performance
The CPU is the headline act. That 24-core Ultra 9 275HX is one of the best laptop chips we've seen in our database, and it chews through creator workloads and CPU-heavy games without breaking a sweat. The RTX 5060 is solid, landing in the 83rd percentile for GPUs, but 8GB of VRAM is going to age poorly for a laptop this expensive. The 18-inch 2560x1600 IPS panel with 100% DCI-P3 and 240Hz refresh is a genuine highlight, and the port selection is excellent with Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, and plenty of USB-A. The compact score of 1st percentile tells you everything about the form factor, this thing is a tank.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX |
| Cores | 24 |
| Frequency | 2.7 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 36 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 |
| Type | Discrete |
| VRAM | 8 GB |
| VRAM Type | GDDR7 |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Storage | 1 TB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Display
| Size | 18" |
| Panel | IPS |
| Refresh Rate | 240 Hz |
| Color Gamut | 100% DCI-P3 |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 2 |
| USB Ports | 3 |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 4 |
| HDMI | HDMI 2.1 FRL |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Ethernet | RJ45 Ethernet |
Physical
| Weight | 3.2 kg / 7.1 lbs |
| Battery | 90 Wh |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro |
vs Competition
Against the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10, the Strix G18 wins on raw CPU power but loses on GPU headroom if the Legion is configured with a higher-tier card. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max is in a different league for creator work and battery life, but it costs significantly more and can't match this display size for gaming immersion. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is far more portable but gives up the big screen and CPU muscle.
| Spec | ASUS ROG Strix 18" G18 G815 | Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max | Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 | HP OMEN Transcend | Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro NP940XHA-KG3US | MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Apple M4 Max | Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX | Intel Core Ultra 9 285H | Intel Core Ultra 7 256V | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 64 | 64 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | 1024 | 4096 | 2048 | 1024 | 1024 | 1000 |
| Screen | 18" | 14.2" 3024x1964 | 16" 2560x1600 | 14" 2880x1800 | 14" 2880x1800 | 13.3" 2880x1800 |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 | Apple (40-Core) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | Intel Arc Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics |
| OS | Windows 11 Pro | macOS | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Weight (kg) | 3.2 | 1.6 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1 |
| Battery (Wh) | 90 | 72 | - | 71 | 15 | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | CPU | GPU | RAM | Ports | Screen | Portability | Storage | Reliability | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ROG Strix 18" G18 G815 | 96 | 83.1 | 72.7 | 94.8 | 77 | 1.3 | 66.6 | 60 | 77.5 |
| Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max Compare | 92.3 | 85.3 | 95.9 | 74.2 | 99.2 | 69.2 | 98.5 | 97.7 | 88.9 |
| Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 Compare | 96 | 92.5 | 98.6 | 99.7 | 95.5 | 7.3 | 97.3 | 81 | 87.1 |
| HP OMEN Transcend Compare | 87.9 | 93.2 | 90.1 | 89.9 | 96.3 | 72.8 | 66.6 | 33 | 97.5 |
| Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro NP940XHA-KG3US Compare | 66.6 | 66.1 | 80.1 | 59.1 | 95.8 | 87.8 | 79.7 | 81 | 97.5 |
| MSI Prestige PRE13EVOA2088 Compare | 63.5 | 66.1 | 80.1 | 78.2 | 91.5 | 96.3 | 71.4 | 60 | 87.4 |
Price
Value & Pricing
Pricing is all over the place. In the US you're looking at $2,109 to $2,179, which is reasonable for this hardware. But in Europe, the spread is absurd, from EUR 2,633 all the way up to EUR 4,529 across six listings. If you're in the EU, shop carefully and don't pay anywhere near the top of that range. The best deals are on Amazon US and the lower-priced EU listings.
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Overview
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 G815 is a big, brash desktop replacement that puts a genuinely top-tier CPU inside a chassis that refuses to be portable. The Intel Ultra 9 275HX is the star here, sitting in the 96th percentile for laptop processors, and it's paired with 32GB of RAM and a fast 240Hz 18-inch panel. But the RTX 5060 with only 8GB of VRAM feels like a mismatch for a machine this size and price.
Common Questions
Q: Is the RTX 5060 enough for gaming on this laptop?
For 1080p and many 1440p games, yes. But 8GB of VRAM will struggle with newer AAA titles at the native 2560x1600 resolution, especially with ray tracing. If gaming is your priority, look for a config with more VRAM.
Q: How portable is the ROG Strix G18?
It's not. At 3.2kg and over 15 inches wide, this is a desktop replacement. You'll need a big backpack and a strong shoulder. The 90Wh battery won't last long under load either.
Q: Is this good for video editing and creative work?
Yes, the CPU is fantastic for rendering and the 100% DCI-P3 display is excellent for color work. The 32GB of RAM helps too. Just don't expect the GPU to accelerate everything as well as a higher-tier card would.
Who Should Skip This
If you want a laptop you can actually carry around, this isn't it. Go get an HP OMEN Transcend 14 or a MacBook Pro instead. And if you're a serious gamer, the 8GB RTX 5060 will frustrate you in a year or two, look for something with at least 12GB of VRAM.
Verdict
The ROG Strix G18 G815 is a strange mix of incredible CPU performance and a mid-range GPU. If you're a creator or developer who needs serious processor power and a huge, color-accurate screen, this is a compelling option at the right price. But if you're a gamer spending this much money, you should be getting more than 8GB of VRAM. Buy it for the CPU and the display, not for the graphics card.
