ASUS ROG Strix G18 G814PM 2025, Ryzen 9 8940HX, 32GB, 1TB SSD, RTX 5060, Eclipse Gray

The ASUS ROG Strix G18 is a beastly desktop replacement with a top-tier Ryzen 9 CPU and a beautiful 18-inch 240Hz screen. It's heavy, expensive, and user feedback is thin, but the specs are hard to argue with. If you want max power and don't need to carry it around, this is a strong pick.

The CPU is a monster. That Ryzen 9 8940HX sits in the 95th percentile for laptops, so it'll chew through rendering, compiling, and multitasking without breaking a sweat. The RTX 5060 is no slouch either, landing in the 88th percentile, and with 8GB of GDDR7 it should handle 1440p gaming well. The 32GB of DDR5 is above average and upgradable to 128GB, which is overkill for most people but nice to have. Storage is a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive, solid but not class-leading. The 240Hz IPS panel is a standout, bright and smooth enough for fast-paced shooters. Just don't expect to feel the speed while carrying it anywhere.

Against the Lenovo Legion 5i, the Strix G18 wins on raw CPU power and screen size, but the Legion tends to feel more balanced for the price. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is way more portable, though it gives up a lot of performance. The MSI Raider and Alienware Aurora are closer competitors, but the Strix G18's 18-inch panel and Ryzen 9 give it an edge for creators who also game. The MacBook Pro M4 Max is in a different universe for battery life and build quality, but it can't touch this thing's upgradeability or Windows gaming flexibility.

At $2,049 USD, this is a lot of laptop for the money on paper. The CPU and GPU combo alone puts it near the top of the charts. But the affordability percentile is 15th, meaning most people will feel the sting. You're paying for the big screen, the high-end processor, and the HIDevolution tweaks. If you can actually use all that power, it's fair. If you just want to play esports titles, you could spend less and get most of the way there.

The ASUS ROG Strix G18 G814PM is a big, fast desktop replacement that doesn't pretend to be portable. You get a 16-core Ryzen 9 8940HX, an RTX 5060 with 8GB of GDDR7, 32GB of DDR5, and a gorgeous 18-inch 240Hz QHD panel. HIDevolution even pre-applies liquid metal on the CPU and upgraded paste on the GPU, which is a nice touch if you'd rather not crack open a brand new laptop.

But this thing is heavy at 3kg and the compact score is basically rock bottom. It's a stay-on-your-desk machine. The specs are strong, but user sentiment is weirdly low, mostly because there's barely any real-world feedback out there yet.

Skip this if you need something you can actually carry around. At 3kg and with a 2nd percentile compact score, it's a desk-bound machine. Also skip it if you're on a tighter budget, since the affordability percentile is rough. And if you want a proven track record from tons of user reviews, this isn't it yet.

Buy this if you want a big, powerful desktop replacement and you don't plan to move it much. The Ryzen 9 and RTX 5060 combo will handle serious work and play, and the 240Hz screen is a joy. Just know that you're trading portability for power, and the lack of real user feedback means you're taking a bit of a leap of faith.