Explore the raw performance and emotional highs of the ASUS ROG Strix G Core i5 9th Gen gaming laptop, available under ₹70,000. Discover its hidden strengths and overlooked flaws in this deeply personal review.
Introduction: A Gaming Machine That Feels Personal
There’s something uniquely thrilling about unboxing a gaming laptop. It’s not just a device; it’s a promise. And when it’s the ASUS ROG Strix G Core i5 9th Gen, that promise is seductive. With its edgy design, daring specs, and aura of performance, this laptop invites gamers into a world of raw power and immersive visuals—all under a surprisingly reachable ₹70,000 price point.
But not everything about this machine screams perfection. In fact, some of its trade-offs are glaring once you get past the honeymoon phase. So, is this the right machine for your desk—and your dreams?
Let’s walk through everything this model offers, from its electrifying strengths to the subtle flaws that many buyers overlook.
Performance Where It Matters
Powered by the 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H, the Strix G doesn’t pretend to be the best—it simply delivers where it counts. This processor, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, balances smooth gameplay and productive multitasking without drama. It’s not just about raw clock speed; it’s about fluid responsiveness that you can feel while switching tabs, editing footage, or diving into intense gaming sessions.
Whether you’re firing up Valorant, running Adobe Premiere Pro, or compiling code, the experience feels responsive, never sluggish. It meets that emotional sweet spot where everything feels just fast enough.
Graphics That Draw You In
Let’s talk about the NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card that breathes life into this machine. It might not be the most cutting-edge GPU in 2025, but it holds its ground like a seasoned gladiator. Most AAA games run at 1080p high settings without hiccups, and esports titles like CS:GO, Dota 2, or Fortnite can be maxed out while maintaining buttery frame rates.
What’s surprising is how stable it feels under load. The thermal management isn’t perfect (more on that soon), but the gaming visuals—especially on that 15.6-inch Full HD panel—are punchy and crisp. Shadows stretch dramatically, explosions light up with ferocity, and characters feel alive.
That Design You Can’t Ignore
The ROG Strix G isn’t subtle. It doesn’t want to be. With its aggressive angles, stealthy black chassis, and glowing RGB keyboard, it’s a machine built to turn heads. It screams gaming without shame, but not in a cheap, plastic way.
The build quality is sturdy, the keyboard feedback is tactile, and the trackpad doesn’t feel like an afterthought. This is a laptop that wants to be touched, tapped, used hard, and admired.
Yet, some may find the design a bit too bold, especially if you’re someone looking to blend in at a quiet café or in a corporate environment. It’s unapologetically youthful, rebellious even.
Cooling: Hot and Bothered
Here’s where the romantic narrative gets complicated. While ASUS equips the Strix G with dual-fan Intelligent Cooling, it’s not perfect. During long gaming sessions or video rendering, the fans get loud—and the underside of the chassis can get noticeably hot.
It’s not a deal-breaker for most users, especially if you’re using it on a table with decent ventilation. But if you’re hoping to game on your lap or in bed, expect discomfort. Thermal throttling doesn’t occur easily, but you’ll feel the heat—physically and emotionally.
Memory and Storage: Room to Breathe
The base configuration comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM, upgradeable to 32GB. For most users, 8GB is workable for gaming and multitasking, but if you’re into streaming, editing, or running virtual machines, an upgrade becomes almost necessary.
The 512GB SSD is the real star here. It makes boot-ups feel instantaneous and ensures programs load without delay. There’s also space for an additional HDD or SSD, making future expansion relatively painless.
Storage performance is often overlooked in gaming laptops, but here, it quietly elevates your everyday use in ways you won’t fully appreciate until you go back to a traditional hard drive.
Display: Smooth, Sharp, Satisfying
This laptop’s 15.6-inch Full HD display with 60Hz refresh rate isn’t going to win awards for brightness or color accuracy, but it’s more than capable of delivering vibrant visuals. The anti-glare coating helps in lit environments, and the narrow bezels add a modern, immersive touch.
For competitive gamers, the 60Hz limitation may feel like a cap, but for casual and even semi-serious gamers, it delivers smooth gameplay with clarity. It’s one of those screens that surprises you—not immediately, but gradually as you begin to notice how easy it is to get lost in your content.
Audio: Loud but Not Lush
The dual bottom-firing speakers pack decent volume, enough to fill a small room. Explosion effects pop, dialogues are crisp, and ambient background scores sound immersive. But don’t expect studio-quality sound. The bass lacks punch, and at higher volumes, distortion creeps in.
Most users will eventually reach for headphones or external speakers for a fuller experience. Still, for casual streaming, YouTube, or in-game audio cues, it does the job with confidence.
Battery Life: The Bitter Pill
This is one of the few areas where the ASUS ROG Strix G falters noticeably. With moderate use, you can expect 3 to 4 hours of battery life. During gaming, that drops to just over 1.5 to 2 hours, which is fairly standard for this class—but still disappointing for mobile warriors.
It’s a laptop that demands to be near a power source. This is not your ultra-portable, take-it-to-class kind of machine. It’s a performance beast that wants to stay plugged in and pampered.
Connectivity: All Bases Covered
The laptop offers a satisfying selection of ports: 3 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 HDMI 2.0b, RJ45 Ethernet, audio combo jack, and a charging port. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0, which feel reliable in real-world conditions.
There’s no USB Type-C with DisplayPort, and no SD card slot—which might be a downer for creators or photographers. But gamers? You’ll likely find everything you need.
Gaming Performance: Real-World Results
When put through its paces, the ASUS ROG Strix G Core i5 9th Gen delivers impressive results:
- GTA V: High settings, ~75 FPS
- PUBG PC: Medium-high, ~70 FPS
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Medium settings, ~55 FPS
- Valorant: Max settings, ~110 FPS
It handles modern titles well, as long as you’re not expecting ultra settings with ray tracing. For a laptop under ₹70,000, this is more than most casual to mid-core gamers would expect.
Software: Bloat and Brilliance
ASUS includes its Armoury Crate utility, which allows you to monitor thermals, switch performance modes, and customize the RGB lighting. It’s intuitive and practical. But be warned—there’s bloatware that you’ll likely want to uninstall right away.
Things like preinstalled antivirus trials, third-party tools, and redundant media players make their unwelcome entrance early on. But once cleaned, the system feels sleek and unburdened.
Build Quality: Durable, Not Premium
The chassis is made of high-quality plastic with a brushed-metal finish that feels strong but not luxurious. There’s some flex in the lid, but nothing alarming. The hinge feels firm, and the keyboard deck doesn’t creak under pressure.
It’s a laptop meant to survive real-world knocks, not to dazzle with craftsmanship. And in that, it succeeds.
Everyday Usability: Comfort Meets Utility
Using the Strix G for non-gaming tasks like writing, browsing, or watching content feels natural. The RGB keyboard (with highlighted WASD keys) is surprisingly good for typing, and the trackpad is accurate, though not MacBook-smooth.
You won’t dread using this laptop for work—but you’ll be tempted to take a gaming break far too often.
Who Is This For?
This machine is made for the budget-conscious gamer who still demands taste, power, and performance. If you’re a college student, content creator on a budget, or even an occasional editor, the ASUS ROG Strix G Core i5 9th Gen checks many boxes.
But if you need great battery life, extreme portability, or workstation-grade performance, this may not be your best bet.
The Emotional Hook: A First Love Kind of Laptop
There’s something raw, untamed, and delicious about this laptop. It’s like your first car—not perfect, not the fastest, but utterly unforgettable. It invites you to fall in love with gaming all over again. You start to care less about the spec sheet and more about the memories you’re making with it.
That emotional pull is what separates a good laptop from a great one.
Final Verdict: A Mixed, But Worthy Proposition
The ASUS ROG Strix G Core i5 9th Gen is not flawless. But for under ₹70,000, it delivers an emotionally satisfying, sensorially rich experience that many more expensive laptops fail to match. Its performance is solid, its aesthetics are bold, and its price makes it accessible to aspiring gamers who want substance without splurging.
Yes, it gets hot. Yes, battery life is underwhelming. But those are flaws you learn to forgive when everything else comes together so seamlessly.