High-end Laptop Prices Soar with Three-Fold Increase

The prices of high-end laptops have skyrocketed in recent years, but one particular model stands out for its dramatic increase in cost. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, a gaming laptop released in 2020, was initially priced at $1,050, making it an attractive option for those seeking a powerful and portable device.

However, fast-forward to the present day, and buyers can expect to pay significantly more for this same model. Directly purchasing from ASUS will cost around $3,600, while Best Buy is currently offering it for $3,200. These prices represent a staggering three-fold increase over the original launch price, leaving many wondering what factors contributed to such a significant jump.

A closer examination of the numbers reveals that inflation accounts for only about $320 of this increase. The remaining bulk of the price hike can be attributed to ASUS's upgrades to the G14's screen, chassis, and graphics between 2020 and 2025, which added around $750 to the sticker price. Furthermore, a more recent jump in memory prices has pushed the cost up by another $1,400.

As consumers are now faced with these exorbitant prices, it's worth looking back at what made the original G14 so appealing in 2020. The base model paired an 8GB Ryzen 7 4800HS processor with a GTX 1650 and a 60Hz 1080p display, while the review configuration boasted a more powerful Ryzen 9 4900HS, an RTX 2060 Max-Q, 16GB of RAM, and a 120Hz screen.

The G14's specs and price made it an attractive option for those seeking a lightweight gaming laptop. Weighing in at roughly 3.5 pounds and measuring just 0.7 inches thick, the Zephyrus line had already established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the gaming laptop market by 2020.

The G14's price increase is particularly notable given its history within the Zephyrus lineup. The first 15-inch model in this series was released in 2017 and priced at $2,699. This new iteration brought the price down significantly, making it an attractive option for those seeking a high-performance gaming laptop without breaking the bank.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has undergone significant changes in its pricing over the years. In 2022, the laptop was revamped to feature AMD Radeon graphics, which led to a substantial price increase to around $1,650 for the RX 6700S model.

A year later, NVIDIA GPUs returned to the fold, and an RTX 4060 configuration retailed at approximately $1,600. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line model with an RTX 4090 and a mini-LED screen boasted a hefty price tag of over $3,299.

The laptop's design was revamped again in 2024, introducing a 3K 120Hz OLED panel and reducing its weight to 3.31 pounds. This redesign saw the starting price drop back down to $1,600 for a configuration featuring a Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, 16GB of RAM, and an RTX 4060.

In 2025, ASUS launched a new model with an RTX 5070 Ti GPU and twice the usual amount of RAM at 32GB. This top-end configuration retailed for $3,200, while the starting price was listed as $2,499. However, it's worth noting that no configuration priced at $2,199, which was mentioned during CES 2025, went on sale at launch.

A cheaper RTX 5060 version was eventually announced in May 2025 for $1,800, bringing the cost of the cheapest G14 model down to a more affordable level. Despite this, the price still lagged behind that of the original model by $750, although it came with an OLED screen and 16GB of RAM.

The latest iteration of the G14, launched in 2026, pairs Intel's Core Ultra 9 386H processor with an RTX 5070 Ti GPU. The top-end configuration features 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 2880 x 1800 OLED panel, all for $3,200 directly from ASUS.

The price increase of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is largely attributed to the AI-fueled memory crisis. This has led to a significant surge in costs for DRAM and flash memory, which are essential components in gaming laptops like the G14.

To mitigate these rising costs, ASUS had informed its partners that it would increase prices on some of its products in January 2025. Unfortunately, this means that even the base model of the G14 is affected by the price hike. The top-end configuration now features a more powerful GPU and higher-end memory, but at a significantly higher cost.

In comparison to the original launch price of $1,050 in 2020, the current prices are staggering. When adjusted for inflation, the 2020 price would be equivalent to around $1,370 today. However, no model in the G14 lineup comes close to this price point, making the current prices seem even more excessive.

The base model of the G14 with an RTX 5060 GPU and AMD Ryzen AI 9 465 processor is available at Best Buy, but it's still a far cry from the original launch price. For those looking for the cheapest option, this might be the best choice, as prices are unlikely to drop anytime soon.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 has become one of the most expensive gaming laptops on the market, with even the base model now priced at an eye-watering level.