ASUS XG259QNG-W

The ASUS XG259QNG-W scores 6.5 out of 100 overall, with gaming at a dismal 1.7. Storage is dead last in our database at the 1st percentile, and the GPU sits at the 6th percentile despite RTX 4070 marketing claims. The only saving grace is affordability at the 88th percentile in some markets, but you're getting bottom-tier performance for your money.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. The GPU sits at the 6th percentile in our database. That means 94% of products in this category have better graphics performance. For a laptop marketed with an RTX 4070, that's a massive disconnect. The CPU is at the 13th percentile, which is also rough. The listing claims an Intel Core i9-13980HX with 24 cores and 32 threads, but the actual performance data doesn't back that up.

The RAM situation is equally concerning at the 13th percentile. The description says up to 64GB of DDR5, but the actual config appears to ship with far less. Storage is the real kicker though: 1st percentile. Dead last. For a gaming laptop, that's a death sentence. Modern games eat storage for breakfast, and this thing apparently has the bare minimum. The screen is at the 20th percentile, which means the 165Hz refresh rate claim is either not accurate or the panel quality is subpar. Either way, the numbers don't lie.

Stack this against the Apple MacBook Air M4 and it's not even close. The MacBook Air dominates in screen quality, portability, and overall performance. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 offers better reliability and a more honest spec sheet. Even the HP OmniBook X Flip and Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 blow this out of the water on display quality and port selection. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition is in a completely different league for build quality and screen. The only area where this ASUS might compete is raw affordability in certain markets, but you're getting what you pay for. And honestly, you're getting less.

The value story here is complicated because the price is all over the map. In Spain, you're looking at EUR 466, which is surprisingly cheap for what's being advertised. In the UK, it jumps to GBP 1,007, which is a completely different ballgame. At the lower end, you might be getting a decent deal if you just need a basic machine. But at the higher end, you're paying gaming laptop money for something that scores 1.7 out of 100 for gaming. The affordability percentile of 88th suggests it's priced competitively in some markets, but that only matters if the product delivers. And based on the performance data, it doesn't.

The ASUS XG259QNG-W is a weird one. The listing screams gaming laptop, with an Intel Core i9-13980HX and RTX 4070 plastered all over it. But our database says otherwise. The actual scores tell a different story: a 6.5 out of 100 overall, with gaming landing at a brutal 1.7. That's not a typo. The weakest area is the one thing this product claims to excel at.

What's going on here? The specs in the description mention up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 4TB of SSD storage, but the actual unit appears to ship with integrated graphics and unknown RAM and storage. The display is listed as unknown, which is a red flag for something marketed as a gaming machine. At 2.68kg, it's also not exactly a featherweight. The price varies wildly by region, from EUR 466 in Spain to GBP 1,007 in the UK, which makes it hard to pin down what you're actually getting for your money.

Gamers should absolutely skip this. The 1.7 out of 100 gaming score is one of the worst we've seen, and the GPU at the 6th percentile means modern titles will struggle. Content creators should also look elsewhere, given the 1st percentile storage and 13th percentile RAM. Anyone who needs ports will be frustrated by the 4th percentile port selection. And if you're buying in the UK at GBP 1,007, you're paying premium money for bottom-tier performance. The only people who might consider this are budget buyers in markets where it's priced under EUR 500, and even then, there are better options.

Here's the thing. If you're looking at this because the listing promises an i9-13980HX and RTX 4070, walk away. The actual performance data shows a machine that's at the bottom of the barrel for GPU, storage, and ports. The 1.7 out of 100 gaming score should be a giant flashing warning sign. The only scenario where this makes sense is if you find it at the EUR 466 price point and you need a basic laptop for web browsing and documents. Even then, the 1st percentile storage score means you'll be fighting for space constantly. There are better options at every price point this thing sells for.