After reviewing laptops over the years, one of my favorite perks is reviewing the best (and not-quite-best) gaming laptops. From budget rigs with RTX 3050 GPUs to high-end powerhouses equipped with RTX 4090, there's a laptop for all types of gamers. But two that I've always wanted for myself? A Razer Blade 14 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.
While the holiday season is filled with gifts, the only one I've set my eyes on is the Razer Blade 14. A gift from me, that is, as I don't expect anyone in my life to pay the outrageous price it's set at (from $2,199/£2,149). From its sleek, minimalist design to its raw power, I've always thought of Razer's fleet of laptops as the "MacBooks" of gaming laptops.
It goes without saying, but MacBooks are pretty popular notebooks, and Razer's gaming laptops give me the same vibes. The latest Blade 14 with an RTX 4070, in particular, is powerful yet compact enough to work as my main gaming PC and laptop for work. But here's the thing: so is the ROG Zephyrus G14.
Both come with the same 14-inch design and similar specs including an AMD Ryzen 9 and up to RTX 4070. Plus, they're both highly esteemed gaming laptops. So, what's the problem? Choosing one or the other comes to the same result, right? Well, not quite.
I've been keeping tabs on these laptops year after year to see how they've evolved with each near-annual release. Now, as much as I would adore a Razer Blade 14 sitting on my desk, it's become clear to me that the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 has earned that spot instead — and there are a few major reasons why that is.
Price says it all
Gaming laptops aren't an easy purchase. Even if you're after a budget notebook with gaming chops, like the Acer Nitro V 15, you'll often be forking over close to $1,000 — if not more. That's a lot of money, which is why finding a laptop with higher specs and a premium build that fits your budget can be even more vexing.
All is to say that yes, Razer's laptops are set at a premium, and the Razer Blade 14 is no different. It's over $2,000, and it doesn't even come with the highest specs a gaming laptop has to offer. So, what makes it so worthwhile? Its superb gaming performance, vibrant 14-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) display with a 240Hz refresh rate and great-feeling tactile keyboard with a light RGB glow, for starters.
Mainly, though, look at that all-black metal chassis. I'm very much like the easily distracted Dory in "Finding Nemo" when Marlin shouts "Look! Something shiny!" I'll admit that I'm a simple human; I like shiny, compact, all-black laptops with power under the hood.
Once you have your eyes set on a particular product you're looking to pick up, it's hard to look anywhere else. That said, saving up for a Blade 14 can take time, especially at this price. If only there was a similar gaming laptop that I didn't have to save up so much for...
Lo and behold, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is here to give my wallet a slight break for the holidays. No black metal chassis here, but that can be excused since its Platinum White all-aluminum chassis with a subtle but charming light strip on its lid looks so good. It's thin, flat and reminiscent of a MacBook's design; that's just enough style for a gaming laptop to also work great for work.
Throw in its powerful gaming performance, stunning 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and excellent keyboard for typing, and this has those "shiny" vibes I'm after.
All this for $1,999. Still a hefty price, but I've easily found the latest ROG Zephyrus G14 for well under this. As of writing, the Zephyrus G14 is down to $1,649 at Best Buy, which is quite the discount compared to the Razer Blade 14.
Mighty specs for less
While there's the price to consider, there's also the general performance of a gaming laptop that can make or break a purchase. As you would imagine, the Razer Blade 14 should have excellent specs that justify its price. Indeed, it does, but this only makes the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 a far more valuable buy.
At its starting price of $2,199, the Blade 14 comes with an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a 240Hz QHD+ (2560 x 1600) LCD panel. That's without the RTX 4070 GPU.
For $1,999, the ROG Zephyrus G14 boasts an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU, an RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a 120Hz 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED display. I don't know about you, but I'd take an RTX 4070 for less over an RTX 4060 any day — along with more RAM and an OLED display.
A further look under the hood and you'll find that the Blade 14 offers Wi-Fi 7, while the Zephyrus G14 comes with Wi-Fi 6E. Otherwise, on paper, there are some striking differences here. However, it needs to be said that Razer does everything to the highest degree.
For example, while an OLED display sounds neat, the Blade 14's display offers amazing color accuracy and brightness, even more so than the latest Zephyrus G14. And that's comparing it to the 2023 Blade 14.
Along with its premium all-metal design and excellent cooling, there are good reasons why Razer Blade laptops cost a pretty penny. That being said, it's still hard to beat what the Zephyrus G14 has to offer, especially if you're looking to future-proof your gaming setup for a good number of years.
Where are you, Razer Blade 14?
As a quick aside: perhaps Razer is waiting for Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs to drop to upgrade the Razer Blade 14, or it prefers to give the impressive Razer Blade 16 the spotlight, but the Blade 14 isn't an easy laptop to track down.
Even on Razer's website in the U.S. and U.K., you'll only find its RTX 4060 model on show, and there aren't any in stock. Plus, this model is priced at $2,199/£2,149, with the RTX 4070 model costing even more.
While doing some digging, I did find a Blade 14 for £1,799 at Currys, which is a welcome price cut. Still, with this coming equipped with an RTX 4060, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is a tad more enticing.
Final thoughts
It may sound like I'm knocking the Razer Blade 14 down a peg or two, but the truth is I'd still be pretty excited to see one in my stockings (I can dream). But when it comes to 14-inch gaming laptops, it's hard to ignore the sleek and powerful elephant in the room with an ROG logo slapped on it.
To me, the rivalry between the Razer Blade 14 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a tale as old as time, and it will continue to rage on as each manufacturer continues to upgrade its laptops with each annual iteration of these fantastic laptops. Just for this holiday season, though, the ROG Zephyrus G14 makes more sense.
Wouldn't you know it? The Zephyrus G14 is also our top choice as the best gaming laptop you can get. Regardless, if neither of these notebooks is on your wishlist, there are plenty more amazing gaming laptops out there worth umming and ahing over.
