ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2023) Gaming Laptop Intel Core i9

Product ID: G614JI-AS94.Price: $1649.Pros:- Value. The I9-13980HX + GeForce RTX 4070 are a step above mid-tier hardware and are offered here at a reasonable price compared to other "gaming laptops."- Performance. I've been able to play the newest and biggest games all on high / very high settings. I've had no issues, and I feel as if the games look and play great.- Upgradability. I've NOT upgraded my machine as I don't wish to void the warranty. However, and as there was confusion in other reviews, I have personally spoken directly with ASUS support ,as well as Crucial support, and I've confirmed that YES this machine can be upgraded to 64GB of Ram (2x 32GB sticks) and YES there is an available open SSD slot. As such, and considering current prices of Ram and SSDs, you can scale this up to 64GB Ram and add second SSD for a D-drive for a minimal additional investment to really finish out this machine.- Wifi. I get SIGNIFICANTLY better wireless Internet speeds on this device than the older gaming laptop I replaced. Did not expect that, but was pleasantly surprised.- Sounds. Speakers sound good enough. Music through Spotify is crisp and bass gets picked up okay too.Cons:- Battery life. When playing a video game on battery power, I get about only 45-minutes of game time, which is disappointing. However, performance seems to remain higher than expected. When general web browsing or doing home office tasks, I get about 3 hours. When streaming content, such as Netflix, I about about 2 hours, which is frustrating as you can't really watch a movie on a single charge.- Number pad. I was expecting a digital number pad or display as part of the track pad per the advertisement. This model number, G614JI-AS94, does not have that feature and that was very disappointing and seemed misleading.- Touchpad. Doesn't feel as responsive as the touchpad on the older gaming laptop I replaced. Additionally, oftentimes after exiting a video game the touchpad will outright not work and require a device restart.- Lights. As an adult, the multicolored lights are annoying and not something I'm interested in. It was not immediately intuitive on how to turn them off, but I found out that you can do so through the included software.- Startup sound. It's awful and ear piercing! I can't figure out how to turn it off.- Camera. Would have liked a better resolution here as it's not great.Indifferent:- Screen. I'm not a "gamer" so I don't really care or know anything about refresh rate. For me, it seems bright, clear, and things look good! However, I personally wish it was a 15.6 inch machine and not the 16 inch, as I'd prefer a slightly smaller and wider screen than this square.- Ports. Good enough for me and has everything I needed. However, some people might wish for more options.Conclusion:If you're not a real gamer, but want to play games, this is a great option that offers value and performance along with upgradability.