ASUS Zephyrus G15 vs M16: Which is Better?

Estimated read time 5 min read

Although the Zephyrus G15 and M16 are similar, the G15 has an AMD processor while the M16 has an Intel processor. It’s important to choose the right CPU for your needs because it’s a key part of how a computer works.

ASUS G15 vs M16: Specs

Zephyrus G15Zephyrus M16
CPU (Cores/Threads)Ryzen 9 6900HS (8C / 16T)Intel i9-12900H (14C / 20T)
GPUNvidia RTX 3070 Ti Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti
DISPLAY15.6″ 2560×1440 240Hz16″ 2560×1600 165Hz
RAM32GB DDR5-480032GB DDR5-4800

So, the G15 and M16, both of my laptops, have the awesome RTX 3070 Ti graphics card. However, the M16 has a processor with an Intel Core i9-12900H that has more cores and threads than the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS found in the G15.

ASUS G15 vs M16: Design

The designs of the G15 and M16 are quite similar. The interior of the M16 feels extremely soft, almost rubberized, whereas the G15 has a hard plastic finish.

Both laptops are exactly the same size in terms of width, depth, and height despite the M16 having a taller 16:10 screen. I was expecting the M16 to be a little deeper to cater for the taller screen, but that wasn’t the case. The only distinction is that the M16 weighs a little bit more than the G15—about 100g or 0.2lb more.

Both laptops have exactly the same port configuration, but because the M16 is Intel-based, one of the Type-C ports also supports Thunderbolt 4. It appears that a future update to the G15 will include similar USB 4 features. Both laptops have HDMI 2.0b ports that can directly connect to Nvidia graphics cards and support a 4K screen at 60Hz 8-bit with G-Sync.

On either side of the keyboard are front-facing speakers for each of them. When I compared the two side by side, I was unable to determine a winner because they both seemed similar to me.

This year, both laptops have a MUX switch, making it possible to turn off optimus for higher frame rates in games after a restart. Both laptops can use the integrated graphics to enable adaptive sync even though neither has G-Sync, which prevents screen tearing in games.

ASUS G15 vs M16: Display & Camera

In comparison to the G15’s 2560 by 1440 resolution, the M16’s 16:10 2560 by 1600 resolution has a few more vertical pixels. Although the colour gamuts of the two panels were nearly identical, and the M16’s screen is also brighter.

However, the backlight bleed on both of my laptops was incredibly minimal and didn’t interfere with normal use, but this will differ between laptops and panels.

I thought the screen on the M16 looked better overall. It has got more usable screen space to look at and it’s brighter too.

Both laptops have a 720p camera in the centre of the screen with IR for Windows Hello face unlock, but the G15 is more visually and acoustically appealing.

ASUS G15 vs M16: Keyboard & Touchpad

The keyboards seem to be about the same, and they are good, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they used the same keyboard. In spite of that, I preferred typing on the M16 a little more, it just felt a little less mushy. Both have a single RGB backlighting zone, so the effects are minimal.

There was no difference in size between the two touchpads and they were both great to use. In terms of using and clicking, they’re basically the same, but my G15 feels slightly smoother. There is only a very slight difference.

ASUS G15 vs M16: Games Benchmark

Let’s now compare the gaming performance of the two laptops. Both laptops have been compared at the same 1440p resolution even though the M16 has a slightly higher screen resolution in order to maintain fairness.

Cyberpunk 2077 was tested in the same area of the game. The G15 was superior in terms of average FPS and 1% low, but these are only minor differences that, in all honesty, few players are likely to notice while playing.

The G15 was ahead in Control, but the advantage was only about 3 FPS, a negligible improvement that you won’t really notice.

With the game’s benchmark, Red Dead Redemption 2 was tested. The G15 was in the lead once more, but only by 3 FPS.

ASUS G15 vs M16: Battery

Both laptops have the same sized 4-Cell 90Wh battery. In general, laptops with AMD Ryzen processors have longer battery lives.

  • YouTube Playback Test: The ASUS G15 lasted for about 7.5 hours, while the M16 lasted for about 6 hours.
  • Gaming Test: The ASUS G15 lasted for about 1.9 hours, while the M16 lasted for about 1.6 hours.

Pricing & Final Thoughts

At the time of writing, the Zephyrus G15 mentioned in this article is priced at $2000 USD. Meanwhile, the Zephyrus M16 is slightly more expensive at $2150 USD, a $150 increase compared to the G15.

Okay, let’s list the key distinctions between the G15 and M16 so you can determine which is best for you.

The G15 could handle higher power limits in GPU-intensive workloads like gaming, which led to a slightly higher frame rate.

While also providing significantly better single and multi-core CPU performance, the M16 wasn’t far behind. And that’s just because Intel’s mobile 12th generation processors are demonstrably superior to AMD’s.

If you want the best gaming performance or you are concerned about battery life, just choose the G15. Alternatively, if you’re like me, I’d recommend the M16 since it has a bigger and better screen.

The M16 does cost $150 more, but I believe it’s worth saving the extra money for a machine that you’ll likely use frequently and keep around for years to come. In the end, these are both excellent laptops, and I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy using either of them.

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