Asus Prices Intel Zephyrus G14 at $3,600 as AI-Driven Memory Costs Erode Value

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · May 22

$3,599.99 buys Asus’ 2026 Intel-based Zephyrus G14 with 32GB RAM and 1TB storage, roughly $1,000 more than a similar last-gen AMD model.
AI data-center demand and a global memory shortage—dubbed “RAMageddon” in the review—are cited as key drivers, pushing new Intel G14 models to start at $3,450.
Performance remains strong: the 14-inch laptop pairs a Core Ultra 9 386H with an RTX 5070 Ti, delivers about 10 hours of mixed-use battery life, and exceeded 17 hours in a rundown test.
The review says the machine is still one of the best all-around Windows gaming laptops, with a brighter OLED screen, Thunderbolt 4 and a full-size SD slot, but slower SSD speeds and a grainy low-light webcam.
The bigger issue is value: cheaper alternatives include last year’s G14, still available under $2,000 on sale, while similarly priced MacBook Pro models outperform it in many CPU-heavy tasks.

As AI makes PC parts costly, is the new Zephyrus G14's price a market reality or a luxury cash grab?

With component shortages predicted until 2030, are high-performance laptops becoming a product exclusively for the wealthy?