Apple MacBook Air (2025) 13.6" Apple M4 (10-core CPU / 8-core GPU) / 16GB RAM / 256GB SSD VS Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) GU605 16"

The Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) are designed for different use cases, and their designs reflect that. The MacBook Air is a compact, lightweight laptop with a focus on portability, weighing just 1240 g and featuring a fanless design. In contrast, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a larger, heavier gaming laptop, tipping the scales at 1950 g and using an active cooling system with a fan, which may add to its bulk.

In terms of size, the MacBook Air is more compact with a width of 304 mm, a height of 215 mm, and a thickness of only 11 mm. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is noticeably larger, measuring 354 mm in width, 246 mm in height, and 14 mm in thickness. Both laptops feature a backlit keyboard for better visibility in low-light conditions, but only the MacBook Air is fanless, making it quieter during operation.

Both laptops have a similar lack of ruggedness and weather-sealing, as neither is splashproof or built to withstand extreme conditions. The MacBook Air's smaller volume of 718.96 cm³ contrasts with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16’s larger volume of 1219.176 cm³, reflecting the difference in size and design between the two models.

The Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) both feature high-quality displays, but they differ significantly in size, technology, and refresh rate. The MacBook Air has a 13.6″ LCD screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1664 px, offering a pixel density of 224 ppi. It uses an IPS LED-backlit display and includes an anti-reflection coating for better visibility under bright lighting. On the other hand, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 features a larger 16″ OLED/AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 px and a pixel density of 188 ppi. The OLED display offers richer colors and deeper blacks, though the pixel density is slightly lower compared to the MacBook Air.

In terms of refresh rate, the MacBook Air is limited to 60Hz, which is typical for productivity-focused laptops, while the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 offers a much higher 240Hz refresh rate, designed to provide a smoother experience, especially for gaming and fast-motion tasks.

Both laptops have no touch screen functionality. The MacBook Air supports up to 2 external displays, while the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 can support up to 4, offering more flexibility for multi-monitor setups.

When it comes to performance, the Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) offer different strengths. The MacBook Air is equipped with 32GB of RAM, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 features a larger 64GB of RAM. Both devices use flash storage and feature NVMe SSDs, with identical internal storage capacities of 2048GB, which is fast and efficient for data transfer. The MacBook Air has a CPU with 10 threads, running at speeds of 4 x 4.05 GHz and 6 x 2.75 GHz. In comparison, the ROG Zephyrus G16’s processor has 16 threads, with 6 cores running at 2.9 GHz and 8 cores running at 2.7 GHz.

Both laptops support multithreading, with the MacBook Air’s 10-core CPU utilizing multithreading for enhanced performance. The ROG Zephyrus G16’s 16-thread configuration allows for more simultaneous tasks to be handled, potentially offering greater multitasking capability. Both devices feature the latest DDR5 memory, with the MacBook Air using a 3nm semiconductor, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 uses a slightly larger 4nm semiconductor.

Additionally, the maximum memory capacity for the MacBook Air is limited to 24GB, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 can handle up to 64GB of memory, making it more suitable for demanding tasks that require larger memory capacities. Both laptops support 64-bit systems, ensuring compatibility with modern software and operating systems.

The Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) offer different connectivity options, catering to distinct user needs. The MacBook Air is equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which can support high-speed data transfer and external displays. It also supports USB Type-C but lacks any traditional USB-A or HDMI ports. In contrast, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 offers a wider range of connectivity with one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (USB-C), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A), and one USB 4 40Gbps port, alongside a Thunderbolt 4 port. The ROG Zephyrus G16 also includes an HDMI output, allowing users to easily connect to external monitors or TVs.

Both laptops support Wi-Fi, with the MacBook Air offering Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 4, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 supports Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 5, and Wi-Fi 4. The MacBook Air supports Bluetooth 5.3, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 supports Bluetooth 5.4, which may offer slight improvements in connectivity range and speed.

Both laptops are equipped with AirPlay for wireless screen mirroring, but the MacBook Air does not have an HDMI port, whereas the ROG Zephyrus G16 includes one HDMI port. The MacBook Air also lacks an external memory slot, a feature available on the ROG Zephyrus G16, which allows for more flexible storage options.

The Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) differ in battery capacity and charging features. The MacBook Air is equipped with a 53.8 Wh battery, which is designed to offer efficient power for its compact form. It also supports sleep-and-charge USB ports, allowing for charging devices even when the laptop is in sleep mode. Additionally, the MacBook Air includes a MagSafe power adapter, which provides a secure and easy-to-connect charging solution.

On the other hand, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 features a larger 90 Wh battery, providing more capacity for extended use, particularly for gaming or demanding tasks. Like the MacBook Air, it also has sleep-and-charge USB ports, but it does not include a MagSafe power adapter. Instead, the charging is handled through traditional ports.

In summary, the ROG Zephyrus G16 offers a significantly larger battery, while the MacBook Air stands out with its inclusion of a MagSafe power adapter, providing a more secure charging method for users.

The Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) offer several similar and differing features. Both laptops are equipped with stereo speakers and a 3.5 mm audio jack for standard audio connections. Both also support Dolby Atmos for an enhanced sound experience. However, the MacBook Air does not support ray tracing or DLSS, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 does, making it more suitable for gaming and tasks requiring advanced graphics processing.

The MacBook Air includes a fingerprint scanner for security, but it does not feature 3D facial recognition or support voice commands, unlike the ROG Zephyrus G16, which has 3D facial recognition but lacks voice command functionality. Both laptops have a front camera and three microphones, enabling clear video and audio capture. The MacBook Air also supports voice commands, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 does not.

Neither device includes a stylus, optical disc drive, S/PDIF Out port, gyroscope, GPS, accelerometer, nor compass. Both laptops are similarly equipped in terms of basic sensors, but the MacBook Air offers a fingerprint scanner for additional security, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 focuses on advanced facial recognition.

The Apple MacBook Air (2025) and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025) are both laptops, but they have some differences in their technical specifications. The MacBook Air does not support ECC memory, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 does. This means the ROG Zephyrus G16 may be better suited for workloads that require error-correcting code memory for enhanced stability. The MacBook Air has a maximum memory bandwidth of 120 GB/s, which is lower than the ROG Zephyrus G16’s 811.5 GB/s, indicating the latter can potentially handle more intensive memory operations.

Both laptops feature an NX bit for security, integrated graphics, and utilize big.LITTLE technology for efficient power and performance management. However, the MacBook Air has 28,000 million transistors, whereas the ROG Zephyrus G16 has 17,800 million transistors. This indicates that the MacBook Air has a higher transistor count, which can be an advantage for certain tasks. The maximum RAM speed for the MacBook Air is 6400 MHz, while the ROG Zephyrus G16 offers a higher RAM speed of 8400 MHz, which could lead to faster data transfer rates in the latter.

In summary, the MacBook Air and the ROG Zephyrus G16 share some similarities in terms of architecture but differ in memory capabilities, transistor count, and RAM speed, with the ROG Zephyrus G16 featuring higher memory bandwidth and faster RAM speed, while the MacBook Air has a higher transistor count.