The 2026 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 makes some spicy choices around its AMD configurations

Asus has unveiled its roster of Zephyrus G14 gaming laptops at CES this week, and this year's spec looks a little different. Previously firmly in the AMD camp, the brand is shifting in the Intel direction with its best gaming laptops this year, with only one AMD option and a weaker one at that.

Both AMD and Intel have their banners around the G14 this year, whereas previous generations have stuck close to Team Red. Interestingly, though, it looks like the Panther's clinched this one. On show for the first time at CES 2026, the new Intel Panther Lake Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 offers far greater power than its AMD sibling.

That's because it's configurable with either an RTX 5080 or RTX 5070 Ti, running the brand's latest CPU up to an Ultra 9 model with 64GB of RAM behind it. By contrast, the AMD configuration does away with the Strix Point Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 option from 2025, instead subbing in a cheaper Gorgon Point AI 400 model. That's paired with an RTX 5060 GPU and up to 32GB RAM, a considerable step down from Intel's army.

While AMD held the crowning glory of one of the best Asus gaming laptops over the last few years, it's now been relegated to the affordable option. It's an odd choice.

After all, there are no major changes to the design of this year's device, aside from a boosted OLED display (running a little brighter with that Nebula HDR system at play), a new hinge, and finer control over its Slash Lighting zones. Things look similar to the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

That's a machine that happily played nicely with Strix Point and an RTX 5080 last year, but seems to have been kneecapped in 2026.

Of course, that's excellent news for Intel fans. It's the first time we've seen the Blues take the reins in one of Asus' more compact form factors, and I'm excited to see where Panther Lake takes us. It's even good news for AMD folk as well. With minor upgrades to the brand's mobile chips, last year's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 models could well offer the best value on Asus's shelves as age pushes those price tags down even further.

Asus hasn't announced a pricing structure or release date for any of its 2026 configurations just yet.

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