Gaming laptops have had quite the year in 2025. With Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series mobile GPUs paving the way for substantial gains in gaming performance, Intel and AMD delivering the latest in CPU power and the improvements in OLED display tech reaching sky-high frame rates, the best gaming laptops got a whole lot more enticing.
Two fine examples of how far gaming laptops have come? The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) and Razer Blade 14 (2025). Every time I look for a sleek, ultraportable machine made for gaming that also powers through workloads, these are the laptops that come to mind.
Gorgeous, svelte designs packing astounding OLED displays that will make the likes of the MacBook Pro jealous, with the kind of performance that gamers need to play the latest AAA games with cranked up settings — all in portable, 14-inch packages. They're at the peak of their standards, but only one can belong on your desk (unless you've got the money, but I wouldn't say that's a wise investment).
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) | Razer Blade 14 (2025) |
Price | From $1,799 | From $2,299 |
Display | 14-inch QHD+ (2880 x 1800) OLED | 120Hz | 0.2ms | 14-inch QHD+ (2880 x 1800) OLED | 120Hz | 0.2ms |
CPU | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 365 |
GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 |
Memory | Up to 64GB DDR5 | Up to 64GB DDR5 |
Storage | Up to 2TB | Up to 2TB |
Ports | 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 4, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm audio jack | 1x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB4 Type-C, 1x microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm audio jack |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
Dimensions | 12.2 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches | 12.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches |
Weight | 3.5 pounds | 3.5 pounds |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Price
Being premium, lightweight machines boasting mighty internals for their size, it hardly comes as a surprise that these laptops are priced highly.
At their base price, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 with an RTX 5060 will set you back $1,799 at Best Buy, coming with an AMD Ryzen 9 270, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 14 with an RTX 5060 starts at $2,299 at Razer, sporting an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
That's a $500 difference between laptops that essentially share similar specs, including the 14-inch QHD+ (2880 x 1800) OLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate that both notebooks come equipped with. Even though the Blade 14 comes with a higher performing processor over the Zephyrus G14, it's clear Asus offers the more affordable option.
But when there's a deal, the Razer Blade 14 finally drops to a price that catches the eye. The otherwise pricey gaming laptop has been seen at $1,449, well below what you can get the G14 for. Plus, Razer usually has a discount of some kind on its lineup of gaming laptops, so not exactly one for the
Similarly, though, I've seen the ROG Zephyrus G14 crash to around $1,299, and using some of my quick maths (which I've been told not to use at school, seeing as my answers, erm, weren't the numbers I wanted), even I can tell this is a hugely more favorable price.
It's the same case for the higher-spec models, although you'll find the Razer Blade 14 with an RTX 5070 has hit a low of $1,699 during the sales season, and that's a hefty $1,000 off. That's a great deal for this mighty beast, but at the same time, the Zephyrus G14 with an RTX 5070 Ti (the Blade 14 doesn't reach those heights) for $2,399 is actually more affordable when both are at full retail price, dropping to $1,999 at its lowest.
Razer offers decent discounts for its Blade 14, and when it drops, that's the time when you should buy. However, no matter what way you look at it, the Asus Zephyrus G14 has the value that's hard to ignore.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Design
Time and time again, Razer has nailed the design of its sleek, ultraportable Blade 14. I've always thought of Razer's fleet of laptops as the "MacBooks" of gaming laptops. To this day, this rings true. But over the years, Asus has refined the design of its Zephyrus G14 lineage, turning it into one of the best-looking laptops, period.
Both make for amazing portable machines for gaming and productivity, with MacBook Pro-esque flair that will be just as happy sitting on a desk in an office as they would be in a fine-tuned gaming setup at home. Plus, both are compact and light enough to slip into a laptop bag.
There's barely any difference between the two when it comes to size and weight, with the Zephyrus G14 coming in at 12.2 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches and weighing 3.5 pounds, while the Blade 14 comes in at 12.2 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches and weighs exactly the same. For the Blade 14 2025, in particular, Razer made it lighter and thinner to match its competition, and even revamped its internals to deliver a cooler laptop under pressure.
Each is super slick, but I'd prefer the Razer Blade 14 in its signature Black colorway over its Mercury. On the other hand, the ROG Zephyrus G14 shines in Moonlight White, more so than in Eclipse Gray. But hey, that's just my personal opinion.
No matter the laptop you choose, expect one of the swankiest laptops around; ones that are easy to carry around for travel and clean up quite nicely on any desk you put them on.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Display
One of the finest ways to cruise through Night City in Cyberpunk 2077, spot the jaw-dropping artistry of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and tear through demons in Doom: The Dark Ages is in glorious OLED. Fortunately, both the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14 offer up OLED at its finest.
These offer (strangely) similar displays: 14-inch QHD+ (2880 x 1800) OLED panels with up to a 120Hz refresh rate and 0.2ms response time. And both knock it out of the park when it comes to color accuracy and smoothness, whether it be for single-player hits or fast-paced multiplayer games.
While both aren't the most ideal for esports levels of refresh rates (anything beyond 120Hz, really), it's still enough to gain smooth visuals across the board. What's more, the 0.2ms response times mean wicked-fast reaction to gain the upperhand (with headshots galore).
It isn't just for gaming, though, as these screens are well-sized and finely tuned for productivity and creative work, too. That includes photo and video editing, as the color reproduction these screens offer makes images pop.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Performance
The benchmarks say it all, sort of.
Our computing team has done the tests on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 sporting an RTX 5080 and the Razer Blade 14 equipped with an RTX 5070. Immediately, there will be a clear winner here, considering the jump between the two GPUs.
However, it's important to note that these are the two most powerful configurations of each gaming laptop. Yes, the Razer Blade 14 can only go as high as an RTX 5070 with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 365 CPU, while the Zephyrus G14 steps it up to an RTX 5080 with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU.
Also take note: Razer's laptops are higher in price. So, think of the RTX 5070 Razer Blade 14 being closer in price to the RTX 5080 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (as of writing, it's down to $2,549 at Best Buy, making it slightly more affordable than the Blade 14 at its full $2,699 price).
Regardless, each machine offers mighty performance with the internals they pack, and can handle AAA gaming and demanding creative apps without breaking much of a sweat. When it does come to gaming, though, the Zephyrus G14 pulls ahead.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (RTX 5080) | Razer Blade 14 (RTX 5070) |
Assassin's Creed: Shadows (Ultra High) | 45 | 34 |
Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic) | 47 | 37 |
Cyberpunk 2077 | 49.6 | 42 |
As mentioned, these results are hardly shocking. The Blade 14 still offers strong performance, even when graphics are maxed out. And this only continues to soar to around 130 frames per second (FPS) thanks to Nvidia's DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation.
It's hard to deny the sheer might of the Zephyrus G14, though. With Cyberpunk 2077 with Ray Tracing at Ultra settings and seeing frame rates at nearly 50 FPS? That's a strong achievement, and it's only made better with DLSS 4 switched on, boosting to an eye-watering 150 FPS.
Then there's the AMD offerings, taking the place of the CPU in both gaming laptops — and doing a fine job at that. While Intel's Core Ultra 9 chips swoop in with higher results, as in the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, these compact machines still stand testament as being the strongest 14-inch notebooks out there.
Benchmark | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 + RTX 5080) | Razer Blade 14 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 365 + RTX 5070) |
|---|---|---|
Geekbench 6 single-core | 2929 | 2888 |
Geekbench 6 multicore | 15280 | 14923 |
Geekbench AI (ONNX GPU Quantized score) | 18920 | 15798 |
Handbrake (transcoding 4k to 1080p video mm:ss) | 02:32 | 03:38 |
Of course, seeing as the Zephyrus G14 comes equipped with the slightly higher-powered AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, it beats out the Razer Blade 14's HX 365 chip. Not by much, mind you, but enough to handle multitasking easier. The handbrake test also shows how much faster the Zephyrus G14 is over the Blade 14, though, being nearly a full minute. And both these models came with the same SSD.
Both are mighty compact machines, but when it comes to price to performance, the Zephyrus G14 takes the crown here.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Battery life
As with all gaming laptops, the Asus Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14 were never meant to make it onto our list of the best laptops for battery life. That's to be expected, though, as you'll still get a few hours out of these machines for work and play.
Not quite a full workday, but enough to have them untethered to a cable for a few hours. In fact, in real-world testing, the Blade 14 could last nearly eight hours before shutting off, while the Zephyrus G14 could last between five and six hours.
However, when it comes to our Tom's Guide battery test, the Zephyrus G14 and Blade 14 offer similar results. When it comes to gaming, though, the Blade 14 takes a 30-minute advantage.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) | Razer Blade 14 (2025) |
Battery life | 05:00 | 05:01 |
Gaming battery life | 01:45 | 02:14 |
In the grand scheme of gaming on a laptop, battery life isn't exactly a priority. It goes without saying that plugging them in will deliver greater performance when playing highly graphically demanding games, so I wouldn't rely on these to get you through a long-haul flight while gaming.
But for work, these laptops will just about get you through the day. That said, not nearly as far as a MacBook or Dell XPS 13.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) vs Razer Blade 14 (2025): Verdict
The rivalry between the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade 14 continues, and much like last year when I pitted the two together, the Zephyrus G14 comes out on top. Purely from the price and power you get out of the laptop, no matter the configuration, Asus offers the better deal.
But it's hard to deny the strengths of the Razer Blade 14, too. Look, it's a fine-looking machine with powerful specs in a compact chassis, and if that appeals to you more, then it won't disappoint.
When it comes to value for the power you get, especially in a time when prices are skyrocketing, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the more affordable shout.
There's always next year for Razer to take its laptop up a notch, and, unless another strong contender enters the ring, the battle between these 14-inch powerhouses will rage on as each manufacturer continues to upgrade its laptops. For now, though, there's good reason the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 has made its mark as one of the best laptops of the year.
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