I test gaming laptops for a living, and this is the best deal I’ve seen all year

(Image credit: Future)

I keep coming back to the same gaming laptop every year, and that’s the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. 2024’s installment was particularly impressive, though. Where other brands have struggled to make this year’s entries stand out, what with minor iterative upgrades under the hood, Asus took the G14 and transformed it into an incredibly versatile rig that doesn’t break the bank. It’s my favorite gaming laptop of the year, and it’s just dropped to a brand new record-low price at Best Buy.

You’ll find the RTX 4060 configuration available for just $1,299.99 (was $1,599.99) right now. What’s more, this is only the second time I’ve seen this particular model on sale. The OLED rig took its first price cut back in May, but only dipped down to $1,349.99. Now we’ve got a further $50 off that final price, making for a full $300 discount on one of the best gaming laptops on the market.

Of course, there are plenty of gaming laptop deals cheaper than this. So why is this the best of the year so far? It’s the combination of the machine itself and the price point that works so well here. Sure, the RTX 4060 GPU in this slimline chassis isn’t going to top the performance charts, but it will still put up a hell of a fight to get there, and it’ll do so at a price point that’s worth saving for but not prohibitively expensive while also offering a fantastic everyday experience to boot.

Based on my testing of the RTX 4070 model this configuration will be comfortably in three-figure framerate territory with the right settings applied. But, crucially, it’s doing all that in a particularly portable, stylish, ultrabook-like chassis. Considering an M3 MacBook Pro will still set you back $1,399 even on sale, the value is here from both a gaming and productivity standpoint. That’s not something many machines can achieve at this lower mid-range price.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) RTX 4060 gaming laptop | $1,599.99 $1,299.99 at Best Buy
Save $300 - Best Buy has a massive $300 discount on the latest Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop. That brings the ultrabook/gaming rig hybrid down to a MacBook-beating price while still offering all the RTX 4060 goodness your Steam library could ask for. It’s only the second time I’ve seen this model on sale and a brand new record-low price for good measure.

Specs: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS | Nvidia RTX 4060 | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD | 2880 x 1800 120Hz OLED display

Buy it if:

✅ You regularly travel with your laptop
✅ You want a high-end display
✅ You only play relatively demanding games

Don't buy it if:

❌ You want the best performance possible

Should you buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14?

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 running Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark on a wooden desk — (Image credit: Future)

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 has always been my go-to hybrid machine. Anyone looking for a capable work device that can still throw itself into PC games should have been watching this 2024 release from the start. Today’s $1,299.99 sale price only cements this position. It’s currently $100 cheaper than a 14-inch M3 MacBook Air, and $1,100 cheaper than the equivalent Razer Blade 14. That’s all while offering a best-in-class OLED screen, new luxury chassis design, and compact form factor.

This isn’t a machine for those after the highest framerates possible (I’d recommend a 16-inch or 18-inch alternative in that situation), but it’s still a fantastic little Steam machine. I tested the RTX 4070 model, posting framerates ranging from 71fps in High QHD+ settings all the way up to 180fps in High FHD+ settings. That means you’re going to be comfortably over 60fps even in QHD+ High presets on an RTX 4060 model.

Where you’re dropping those higher performance numbers, though, you’re gaining an infinitely more functional machine. I hate loading up a backpack with an 18-inch behemoth just because it cost $3K and I need to get my money’s worth by taking it to a coffee shop. If you’re regularly traveling with your machine and you need your own laptop for work, I wouldn’t be looking anywhere else.

We’re rounding up plenty more of the best Asus gaming laptops as well as the best Razer laptops and best Alienware laptops if you’re after a different brand as well.

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