ASUS ROG Strix 18" G815LP-XS97 Eclipse Gray 2025

The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is a massive, stupidly powerful desktop replacement with a gorgeous 18-inch 240Hz display and a full-power RTX 5070. It's one of the fastest gaming laptops we've tested, but it's also one of the heaviest and least portable. At around $2,349 from major retailers, it's a solid value for the specs. Buy it if you want a desktop that can occasionally move, skip it if you need a real laptop.

Let's talk numbers. The Core Ultra 9 275HX is an absolute monster, sitting in the 97th percentile for CPU performance in our database. With 24 cores and the ability to draw up to 80W on its own, it chews through multi-threaded workloads like video exports and 3D renders without breaking a sweat. In gaming, it keeps frame times buttery smooth, and we saw no signs of CPU bottlenecking even with the RTX 5070 running flat out.

The RTX 5070 here is no slouch either, landing in the 88th percentile for laptop GPUs. With a 175W max TGP, it's essentially a full-power desktop-class chip crammed into a laptop chassis. In our testing, it pushed well past 100 fps in demanding titles at the native 1600p resolution, and you can easily hit that 240Hz refresh rate in esports games with settings dialed back a touch. The cooling system deserves credit here. ASUS engineered this thing to handle 255W of total system power in manual mode, and while the fans get loud, we didn't see any meaningful throttling during extended gaming sessions.

The most direct competitor is the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10. It offers similar specs in a slightly more restrained chassis, and Lenovo's build quality and reliability tend to score higher in our database. You'll trade a bit of that raw, unlocked power for better portability and a more professional look. If you need to occasionally bring your gaming laptop to a meeting, the Legion is the smarter pick.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Apple MacBook Pro M4 Max is a completely different beast. It's not a gaming machine in the traditional sense, but for creative work, it's the absolute best right now. Battery life on the MacBook will embarrass the Strix G18, and it's far more portable. But you lose Windows, you lose the huge game library, and you'll pay significantly more for comparable RAM and storage. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is worth a mention too. It's much smaller and lighter, but you're giving up a ton of GPU power and that gorgeous 18-inch screen. It's a trade-off between portability and raw performance.

Pricing on this model is all over the map, with a spread of over $61,000 between the lowest and highest listings we found. That's not a typo. The realistic price sits around $2,349, which is where you'll find it at retailers like Best Buy and Newegg. At that price, the Strix G18 is a genuinely good deal for what you're getting. You'd be hard pressed to find another laptop with this CPU, a full-power RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD for less.

Ignore the $63,990 listings. Those are either placeholder prices or third-party sellers hoping someone clicks "buy" without looking. Stick to the major retailers and you're getting a machine that competes with desktops costing nearly as much, but in a (barely) portable form factor. For the specs, the sub-$2,500 price point makes this one of the better values in the high-end gaming laptop space right now.

The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is a big, brash, unapologetic desktop replacement that knows exactly what it is. This thing weighs over seven pounds and has an 18-inch screen, so let's not pretend it's going to commute with you every day. But if you want a machine that can crush modern games at high settings and double as a serious creative workstation, this is one of the most compelling options we've seen in the current generation. The spec sheet reads like a wishlist: an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, RTX 5070 with a full 175W TGP, 32GB of DDR5, and a massive 2TB SSD.

Who's it for? Gamers who want a huge, gorgeous screen and don't mind sacrificing portability for raw power. The 18-inch 2560x1600 IPS panel runs at a blistering 240Hz with 500 nits of brightness and full DCI-P3 coverage. That puts it in the top tier of laptop displays in our database, a real standout for both fast-paced esports and immersive single-player titles. Creators will also appreciate the color accuracy and the sheer horsepower for rendering or video editing.

But there's a trade-off, and it's a big one. This laptop is dead last in our database for compactness, landing in the 1st percentile. It's a chunky boy, and the 90Wh battery isn't going to set any endurance records when you're pushing that 255W total system power in manual mode. If you can live with a machine that's basically a portable all-in-one, the Strix G18 delivers an experience that's hard to beat for the price.

Anyone who values portability should look elsewhere. At 3.2kg and with an 18-inch footprint, this is a laptop in name only. It's a desktop replacement, and trying to lug it to class or on a daily commute will get old fast. The battery life under load is also pretty rough, so don't expect to game unplugged for more than an hour or two. If you need something that can actually travel, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 offers similar power in a more manageable package, and the HP OMEN Transcend 14 is a much lighter option if you're willing to sacrifice screen size and some GPU grunt. Creators who don't game should also consider the MacBook Pro M4 Max. It's far more portable, has incredible battery life, and outperforms the Strix in most creative workflows, though you'll pay a premium for it.

If you're a gamer who wants the biggest, fastest screen in a laptop that can double as a desktop, the Strix G18 is an easy recommendation. It's a beast that chews through games at high refresh rates and handles creative work without complaint. The cooling system keeps up with the insane power draw, and the port selection means you can hook up all your peripherals without a dongle in sight. Just accept that it's going to live on your desk most of the time.

For anyone who needs to actually move their laptop regularly, look elsewhere. The weight and size make this a chore to carry, and the battery won't last through a long flight. Students, frequent travelers, or anyone who works in coffee shops should check out the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i or even the HP OMEN Transcend 14. They sacrifice some raw power for a form factor that won't break your back. But if you want a desktop replacement that can occasionally move from room to room, the Strix G18 is one of the best on the market right now.