Head to head

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) vs Dell XPS 16 (2024)

Dell XPS 16 (2024) leads 4 to 3 on the 7 rankable specs and costs $100 less, which makes it the straightforward pick.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Panel: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 lists ROG Nebula OLED (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 16 lists OLED touch (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Claimed battery life: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 lists ~8–10 hours productivity (other published figure, not on maker sheet); Dell XPS 16 lists ~8–12 hours mixed use (other published figure, not on maker sheet).
Size: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 lists 16.0 inches (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 16 lists 16.3 inches (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Resolution: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 lists 2560 × 1600 (2.5K) (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 16 lists 3840 × 2400 (3.2K) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).
Refresh rate: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 lists 240 Hz (ASUS sheet, 2026-09-02); Dell XPS 16 lists 60 Hz (OLED config) (Dell sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)

$2,2993 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different laptop

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition$999 MacBook Air 13" (M3)$1,099 MacBook Air 15" (M3)$1,299 Dell XPS 13 (2024)$1,299 Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (15")$1,499 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)$1,599 MacBook Pro 14" (M4)$1,599 HP Spectre x360 16 (2024)$1,699 Dell XPS 14 (2024)$1,699 Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16$1,799 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12$1,849 Framework Laptop 16$1,999 MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro)$1,999 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition$1,999 MacBook Pro 16" (2024)$2,499 Razer Blade 16 (2024)$2,999 MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max)$3,499

Dell XPS 16 (2024)

$2,1994 spec wins

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Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your laptop.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 3 to 4

Buy the Dell XPS 16.

Leads 4 of 7 rankable overall specs; ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 takes 3.
Claimed battery life: ~8–12 hours mixed use vs ~8–10 hours productivity
Size: 16.3 inches vs 16.0 inches
It is also $100 cheaper.

Check first: the Dell XPS 16 has no HDMI port. the Dell XPS 16 has a 60 Hz display. Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

3 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G167 rankable of 29 specsDell XPS 16 4

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No touchscreenrow
No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.
Trips:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · NoClear:Dell XPS 16 · Yes
RAM cannot be upgradedrow
The memory you buy today is the memory you keep.
Trips:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · No (soldered)Trips:Dell XPS 16 · No (soldered)
No HDMI portrow
Projectors and meeting-room TVs need a dongle.
Clear:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · HDMI 2.1 FRLTrips:Dell XPS 16 · No native HDMI
Over 4 lb (1.8 kg)row
Heavy in a backpack on a daily commute.
Trips:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · 4.30 lbTrips:Dell XPS 16 · 4.5 lb
60 Hz displayrow
Scrolling and games look less smooth than on a 120 Hz panel.
Clear:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 · 240 HzTrips:Dell XPS 16 · 60 Hz (OLED config)

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

2 of 4 differ

Panel≠

ASUS

ROG Nebula OLED

Dell

OLED touch

Processorsame

ASUS

Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Dell

Intel Core Ultra 9 185H

Memorysame

ASUS

32GB LPDDR5x

Dell

32GB LPDDR5x

Claimed battery life

ASUS

~8–10 hours productivity

Dell

~8–12 hours mixed use

Commuter Portability & Lap Comfort Check

Real-world travel weight including chargers, bag fit, and lap thermals.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Backpack Sleeve Compatibility

ASUS

Standard laptop bag sleeve

Dell

Requires dedicated 16" laptop bag compartment

Lap Ergonomics & Vent Placement

Bottom intake vents can choke and heat up your lap when used on beds or couches.

ASUS

Standard hinge exhaust

Dell

Vapor chamber exhausts rear; heavy GPU workload warms lap

Total Travel Weight (Chassis + Charger)

Always factor in the power adapter when calculating commuter bag weight.

ASUS

Standard carry weight

Dell

4.70 lb laptop + 130W brick = ~5.8 lb total carry

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

ASUS: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Dell: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16$2,2993 wins

Dell XPS 16$2,1994 wins

Display Performance Build & input Ports Battery Software

26 of 29 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Display

leads 3-1

Display specifications. Middle column is ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 16 (2024).
Size	16.0 inches	16.3 inches (wins this row: higher)
Panel	ROG Nebula OLED	OLED touch
Resolution	2560 × 1600 (2.5K)	3840 × 2400 (3.2K) (wins this row: higher)
Refresh rate	240 Hz (wins this row: higher)	60 Hz (OLED config)
BrightnessNot on the official sheet	500 nits peak HDR	~400–500 nits typical OLED
Color	100% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated	DCI-P3, touch + pen support
Touchscreen	No	Yes (wins this row: has it)

Performance

3 differences

Performance specifications. Middle column is ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 16 (2024).
Processor	Intel Core Ultra 9 185H	Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (12GB GDDR6)	Intel Arc + optional NVIDIA RTX
Memory	32GB LPDDR5x	32GB LPDDR5x
RAM upgradable	No (soldered)	No (soldered)
Storage	1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD	1TB SSD
Storage upgradable	Yes (2× M.2 slots)	Yes (replaceable SSD)

Build & input

leads 2-0

Build & input specifications. Middle column is ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 16 (2024).
Weight	4.30 lb (1.95 kg) (wins this row: lower)	4.5 lb (2.04 kg)
Thickness	16.4 mm (wins this row: lower)	18.5 mm
Materials	CNC Aluminum unibody	Aluminum + carbon fiber
Keyboard	RGB backlit stealth keyboard with 1.7mm travel	Backlit chiclet
Trackpad	Extra-large glass touchpad	Large haptic/precision glass
Webcam	1080p FHD IR with Windows Hello	FHD IR (Windows Hello)
Speakers	6-speaker system with dual force-canceling woofers	Quad speakers, Dolby Atmos

Ports

6 differences

Ports specifications. Middle column is ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 16 (2024).
Thunderbolt / USB-C	1× Thunderbolt 4 + 1× USB-C 3.2 Gen 2	2× Thunderbolt 4 + USB-C
HDMI	HDMI 2.1 FRL	No native HDMI (dongle)
SD card	SD Express 7.0	microSD
MagSafe	No (Slim Power Jack)	No
Headphone jack	Yes (3.5 mm combo)	Yes (3.5 mm)
Charger	240W AC + 100W USB-C PD support	100W USB-C

Battery

leads 1-0

Battery specifications. Middle column is ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 16 (2024).
Claimed battery lifeNot on the official sheet	~8–10 hours productivity	~8–12 hours mixed use (wins this row: higher)

Software

2 differences

Software specifications. Middle column is ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024), right column is Dell XPS 16 (2024).
Operating system	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11
Repairability	Medium (swappable SSDs and Wi-Fi card)	Medium (SSD swappable; RAM not)

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) source Dell XPS 16 (2024) source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024)

Sleek aluminum gaming laptop with 2.5K 240Hz OLED ROG Nebula display and RTX 4080 GPU.

Gorgeous 2.5K 240Hz OLED G-Sync screen
Thin and rigid CNC aluminum chassis
Exceptional gaming and creator GPU horsepower

What you give up

Soldered memory cannot be upgraded
High fan noise under maximum synthetic loads

Full ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) specs →

Pick this one if

Dell XPS 16 (2024)

Premium 16-inch Windows laptop with OLED touchscreen and Intel Core Ultra 9.

3.2K OLED touchscreen
Windows software and game compatibility
Carbon-fiber / aluminum build

What you give up

Battery life trails the MacBook
Can get warm under load
No MagSafe-style magnetic charge by default

Full Dell XPS 16 (2024) specs →

Best for each use

Travel

In a bag every day: weight, battery, a screen you can read on a train

For travel, buy the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16.

Leads 2 of 3 rankable travel specs; Dell XPS 16 takes 1.
Weight: 4.30 lb vs 4.5 lb
Thickness: 16.4 mm vs 18.5 mm
Dell XPS 16 is $100 cheaper. Pay the difference only if weight matters to you.

Heavy work

Video, 3D, compiles or games: CPU, GPU, memory and panel quality

Too close to call on heavy work from the spec sheets. Only refresh rate is rankable here.

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 vs Intel Arc + optional NVIDIA RTX
Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD vs 1TB SSD

Longevity

Keep it five years: upgradable parts, repairability, ports without dongles

Too close to call on longevity from the spec sheets.

Storage upgradable: Yes vs Yes
Repairability: Medium vs Medium

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) spec sheet Dell XPS 16 (2024) spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) ↗ · Dell XPS 16 (2024) ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 or the Dell XPS 16?

Dell XPS 16 costs $100 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 or Dell XPS 16?

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 has this deal-breaker: no touchscreen. No pen or touch input for marking up PDFs or sketching.

Which is better for travel, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 or the Dell XPS 16?

For travel, buy the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16. Leads 2 of 3 rankable travel specs; Dell XPS 16 takes 1. Weight: 4.30 lb vs 4.5 lb

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 29 specs tracked here, 22 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

Other matchups

MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

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MacBook Air 13" (M3) vs Dell XPS 14 (2024)