Instead of launching a slew of new gaming laptops at this year's CES, Asus has decided to "max out" its current lineup as Nvidia's latest graphics cards hit the mobile market.

Not only do these portable powerhouses run a more diverse combination of next-generation core specifications, but they also offer a number of gaming-specific upgrades. Panel technology, thermal, and software have been improved, with the latter expected to improve battery life as much as possible, given the more power-hungry components.

On the compact end of the spectrum, even the 2023 Zephyrus G14 features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 and AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS combo; the next evolution of the Zephyrus G15 is as the new G16, up to RTX 4070 It will be equipped with a configurable Intel Core i9 13900H. Also, the new G16 is Intel, whereas the current G15 features only AMD technology. However, both use essentially the same chassis.

The new Zephyrus M16, on the other hand, has been redesigned with impressive sound, including the chassis. It features a high-power i9 13900H processor and a 120W (145W turbo) RTX 4090, which may reach a limit of 20W higher than the previous year's model. Thermal throttling is always a concern, and to offset this, a larger full-width heatsink and tri-fan technology will be included. However, how this will translate to real-world temperatures will remain to be seen until we get our hands on it and test it.

As with the new Strix and Flow gaming laptops announced by Asus (opens in new tab), we will also see MUX switches throughout the lineup. These should help with regard to battery life by dynamically switching profiles when transitioning from gaming to standard use.

The Zephyrus lineup also has the option to configure the Zephyrus G16 with the new Nebula panel, which has a brightness of 500 nits and 100% DCI-P3 coverage; the Zephyrus G16's Nebula option has a 16:10 aspect ratio, slightly larger than the previous model.

This year, more than just the current ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 and Flow X16 will feature Nebula HDR displays; the Zephyrus M16 and G14 also have the option to add this Mini-LED panel, with up to 1,024 dimming zones, peak The G14's Nebula HDR display will only extend to 600 nits, 165 Hz, and 504 dimming zones, but hopefully this will be the year someone convinces us that HDR is worth it for PC gaming. I'm hopeful.

In any case, from what little I've seen, these panels look great in person.

As for the 2023 Zephyrus Duo 16 - a laptop with an additional panel (Screen Pad Plus) between the main screen and keyboard - the 2023 model's small hacker panel has been upgraded to use etched Gorilla Glass DXC. Upgraded: The 2023 model's small Hacker panel uses etched Gorilla Glass DXC.

But seriously, though, how do we expect these machines to be treated?

The full Zephyrus lineup is expected to appear in late Q1 or early Q2 2023, with a low-spec RTX 4050/Ryzen 7 7735HS model for £1,900 and an RTX 4080 model Duo 16 with a Ryzen 9 5950X for £3,. 900.

The M16 model of the RTX 4090 model will come in at £4,100. We are still awaiting word on US pricing, but will update here as soon as it is announced.