31 Jan
Blog

Asus ROG Strix Flare II Animate review: My keyboard endgame

asus rog strix flare 2 animate review ii antimate 11

ROG Strix Flare II animation

RRP $220.00

"ROG Strix Flare II Animate is the gaming keyboard of choice for 2022."

benefits

  • Hot swappable keys

  • 8,000 Hz polling rate

  • USB passthrough

  • Comfortable leatherette palm rest

  • Beautiful anime matrix

disadvantage

  • Software could be more focused

  • Expensive for a wired keyboard

Year after year we see a ton of great gaming keyboards that are more or less identical to the competition. None of them are bad, but they are nothing to get excited about. The ROG Strix Flare II Animate is.

It's not just the anime matrix that makes the keyboard stand out. It's not even the 8,000Hz polling rate, the supremely comfortable palm rest, or the hot-swappable keybed. It's the combination of features that sets the ROG Strix Flare II Animate apart.

When Asus announced the keyboard earlier this month, I hoped it would be my gaming keyboard endgame. And after using it for a few weeks, I now know that it is.

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ROG logo on the anime matrix.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

ROG Strix Flare II Animate wastes no time impressing you. From the moment I opened the box it was clear where the $220 was going. This is a premium keyboard from top to bottom, and Asus is quick to make you feel like it's money well spent.

As with the budget-oriented Akko 3068B, it's the details that make the difference with the Strix Flare II Animate. The thick braided cable comes with a ROG-branded cable tie already attached, and the keycap pullers are custom-designed to match the look of the keyboard. They even snap together so you don't have to store them separately.

You'll soon forget all these details once the star of the show lights up: The 320 LED AniMe Matrix. By default, it shows a ROG logo that slowly pulsates, and no matter how you configure it, the matrix lights up when you use function and media keys on the keyboard.

I'll cover configuring the matrix below, but I had a custom animation up and running in a few minutes. The Matrix is ​​just a small bundle of gamer influence, but a company could still screw that up. Asus not. The AniMe Matrix is ​​useful when you need it, downright cool when you want it, and it finishes off the look of the keyboard.

Lauter logo on ROG Strix Flare II Animate.

ROG Strix Flare II Animate lock icon.

Opposite the matrix you will find some function and media keys. There's a metal volume wheel, a forward/back toggle, a play/pause button hidden on the side, and dedicated buttons for Windows lock and LED brightness.

On the front you'll find the RGB light diffuser, which is similar to the RGB strips on the sides of the Corsair K100 RGB. Without the palm rest, it offers an even glow that integrates the lighting of your keys. A rain effect, for example, is carried beyond the bottom row of keys into the diffuser.

Asus wanted to include all the features a gaming keyboard could have and they succeeded.

It looks fantastic. Even better, you can snap off the diffuser to attach the faux leather palm rest and let the lighting shine through. It seems that in 2022 Asus wanted to integrate all the functional and visual features of gaming keyboards and they succeeded across the board.

The palm rest plays a major role in this. It's plump and comfortable, and goes a long way in elevating the Strix Flare II Animate against rivals like the Razer Huntsman V2. It locks into place perfectly and refuses to budge, but it does require a bit of adjustment. When the back is raised, the palm rest is almost as high as the bottom row of keys.

Light diffuser of the ROG Strix Flare II Animate.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Luckily, it doesn't affect the typing experience. I ended up closing the rear kickstands with the palm rest attached and it typed Nirvana. In this configuration, the height peaks at the intersection of the keyboard and palm rest, with a subtle downward slope away from the keyboard. No customization here; I loved using the Strix Flare II Animate like this from the very first button press.

My only complaint about the Strix Flare II Animate's design is that there are no tenkeyless or 65% versions. That's just my preference, and if Asus ever decides to branch out, I'll be first in line.

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Keyswitch on ROG Strix Flare II Animate.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The Strix Flare II Animate model I tested came with Asus NX Red switches, which aren't my favorite. Asus offers one of three of its NX switches: either red, brown, or blue, which closely match the feel of their Cherry MX counterparts. I don't like linear switches, but that's the beauty of the Strix Flare II Animate's hot-swappable switches.

The only other mainstream keyboard with this feature is the Logitech G Pro X, which didn't start a trend toward hot-swappable switches. More than two years later, I hope the ROG Strix Flare II Animate is the catalyst.

You can plug any 3-pin switch into ROG Strix Flare II Animate, including switches from Cherry, Gateron, and Kailh. I'm more excited about the smaller switch options – switches from Akko, Glorious PC, and TTC. There has been a boom in third-party switches in recent years, and the ROG Strix Flare II Animate is primed to take advantage of these benefits.

Empty key slot on ROG Strix Flare II Animate.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

All my complaints with the switches don't matter because you can just swap them out. I don't like red switches for typing, so I immediately replaced most of them with my set of Akko Jelly Blues. But I like linear switches for my spacebar where I need to jump fast in games like Destiny 2. The ROG Strix Flare II Animate didn't make me decide.

Given how cheap many third-party switches are, the ROG Strix Flare II Animate encourages experimentation and bridges the gap between mainstream gaming keyboards and boutique options like the Cyberboard R3. Hot-swappable switches are a great way to bring customizations found in gaming PCs to peripherals, and I'm glad Asus is taking the lead with them.

gaming performance

Finger on WASD on a gaming keyboard.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Given how much else the ROG Strix Flare II Animate has to offer, I assumed it would have the same cookie-cutter gaming capabilities as any branded board you could buy at Best Buy or Micro Center. You know what they say about assumptions.

The keyboard has a polling rate of 8,000 Hz, which is only available on a small number of keyboards (including the Corsair K70 RGB TKL). Most keyboards only have a 1,000 Hz polling rate. What's the difference? The higher the polling rate, the faster your keyboard can report keystrokes to your PC.

With mice like the Corsair Saber Pro RGB, however, it's more important than with keyboards. 1,000 Hz already reports keystrokes every millisecond, so increasing it only further divides that millisecond. At 8,000 Hz, for example, it is 0.125 ms. That's not particularly important for a keyboard where you probably won't feel the split-millisecond difference between keystrokes.

I used the 8,000 Hz polling rate for about a week, occasionally switching back to 1,000 Hz for reference. I couldn't tell the difference. It didn't matter if it was Destiny 2, Halo Infinite, or even Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy – the ROG Strix Flare II Animate felt the same regardless of the polling rate.

The gaming experience on the ROG Strix Flare II Animate is great.

It's technically better, but the 8,000Hz polling rate isn't this keyboard's selling point. It's just an advantage. Unfortunately, it is only an advantage for some players. You'll have to be a highly competitive gamer to notice a difference, and you'll need at least a 9th Gen Intel i7 or a 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen 7 to even take advantage of the higher polling rate.

Polling rate aside, the gaming experience on ROG Strix Flare II Animate is great. It's not the switches or keycaps that you can get on any gaming keyboard, it's the palm rest and construction. Angled with attached wrist rest is my new favorite way to play games. It's comfortable and moving between rows immediately felt natural.

software

Asus Armory Crate dashboard.

You can configure the ROG Strix Flare II Animate via Asus Armory Crate. The app comes with all the settings you want, including macro recording, custom RGB effects, and per-key remapping. But it doesn't reach the same heights as Corsair iCue or Logitech G Hub.

Part of the problem is focus. Armory Crate is a hub that includes additional features such as machine-wide profiles, game offerings, and system updates. The extras are great, but they drown out the settings for the ROG Strix Flare II. Razer has this problem with Synapse. There's too much going on, and making fundamental changes harder than it needs to be.

That doesn't mean it's difficult overall. Armory Crate doesn't look as good as iCue or G Hub, but it's just as fast. I managed to update my firmware, adjust my polling rate, choose one of the 10 pre-made lighting effects, and create a custom anime animation in about five minutes after finding the right location.

Keyboard settings in Asus Armory Crate.

Outside of lighting, Armory Crate lets you remap any key with an application shortcut, text input, macro, or anything in between. This also spreads to the media keys. And if you don't want to mess around with the software, you can record your macros on the fly. I was hoping for a more robust macro recorder – Armory Crate sits at 100 commands – but it's still more than enough for most people.

Once you've set everything up, you can save your macros, button assignments, and lighting to one of five built-in profiles.

After learning Armory Crate's quirks, you'll be able to get around without too many problems.

Again, Armory Crate doesn't reach the heights of iCue or G Hub, especially when it comes to custom lighting effects (which are delivered via a separate app, Aura Creator). But it doesn't do anything too outrageous, and after you learn its quirks you'll be able to get around without too many problems.

The anime settings are a bit more complicated. Use one of the presets or a simple image and you'll be fine. Everything else falls apart. The animation timeline is imprecise and lacks settings, and adding your own images or GIFs is an exercise in patience.

Anime settings in Asus Armory Crate.

The problem is that the anime matrix only has 320 LEDs. It becomes harder to tell what you're seeing as the image gets smaller, limiting you to basic shapes and patterns. The built-in clock doesn't show itself well either. You can view your system clock, including a notification for alarms, but numbers don't always play well with the matrix.

It's just an expectation versus reality situation. The anime matrix is ​​limited. Within those limits, however, it's great. It's a fantastic way to get quick status updates about your PC or to check the time, and if you can find an image that goes well with this format, the Matrix will add a lot of personality to a setup.

Our opinion

ROG Strix Flare II Animate is a keyboard that refuses to say no. Plump and comfortable wrist rest? Check. Excellent lighting and customization options? You are here. hot-swappable switch? Asus has them. It's the ultimate gaming keyboard for early 2022, combining distinct elements from both mainstream and boutique gaming keyboards to create something that feels truly special.

It's still a $220 wired gaming keyboard that's hard to swallow. However, if you're like me and are willing to pay a premium price for premium products, it's money well spent.

Are there better alternatives?

Nothing combines all the features of the ROG Strix Flare II Animate, but a few keyboards come close:

  • $200 Razer Huntsman V2 — The closest competitor to the ROG Strix Flare II Animate, with a leatherette palm rest and 8,000 Hz polling rate, but no hot-swappable key switches.
  • $150 Logitech G Pro X keyboard — Comes with hot-swappable keyswitches but is limited to a tenkeyless design and no media or function keys.
  • $230 Corsair K100RGB — Packed with extra macro keys and better software, and designed to match the ROG Strix Flare II Animate with leatherette wrist rest. However, it still lacks hot-swappable key switches.

How long it will take?

Until the LEDs fail. With hot-swappable switches, you can breathe new life into ROG Strix Flare II Animate as long as you can buy button switches.

should you buy it

Yes. ROG Strix Flare II is the gaming keyboard endgame. In early 2022 there is no other keyboard that can do everything this one does. It's expensive, but even similarly priced competitors can't top what Asus offers.

Editor's Recommendations



21 Dec
Blog

Asus ROG GA35 Review: A Great Gaming PC, But Not The Best

asus rog ga35 test g35dx 07

Asus ROG GA35

RRP $ 4,999.00

"A top-of-the-line gaming PC held back by some frustrating design decisions."

benefits

  • Stay cool under loud

  • Vertical GPU looks great

  • Two USB-C ports on the front

  • Hot-swappable SSD drives

  • Standard size components

disadvantage

  • No horizontal GPU option

  • A little loud

  • Upgrades are more frustrating than they should be

If you want one of the best gaming PCs available in 2021, building your own isn't an option. Pre-built versions used to be overpriced, underperforming options compared to building your own PC, but thanks to the lack of a GPU, they're downright a bargain. And that's the Asus ROG GA35 G35DX – a great offer for 2021.

I have some issues with this compared to boutique options from Origin and Maingear, but the ROG GA35 still has plenty of power to impress. It's not too expensive either, at least in the price crisis that is plaguing PC components at the moment. If I didn't already have a graphics card from queuing at Best Buy, the ROG GA35 would be at the top of my option list.

It probably wouldn't make the cut, however. Small issues like poor cable management and the lack of thumbscrews keep the GA35 from reaching the top tier of pre-built gaming PCs. That doesn't mean it's a bad choice, especially with high-end Asus hardware under the hood.

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Earlier Asus G-series desktops used a taller, more traditional mid-tower case design, but the GA35 did not. It has a squat case design that is 16.5 inches long and just under 11 inches wide to accommodate a two-chamber design. I'm a fan of dual chamber cases, but it doesn't feel like the GA35 is making effective use of space.

Asus G35DX sits on a table.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

I'll talk more about the internal build later. For now, all you know is that both chambers are the same size. The rear contains the power supply and the tangled cables, and the front contains all of the beautiful RGB components required for any modern gaming rig. Hiding ugly things, showing glitter – that's what double-chambered covers offer.

There are some strange design choices, however. The all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler is installed in the rear chamber and sucks air that has no inlet. It also causes the braided fluid hoses to be clumsily laid across the motherboard, which I noticed with the GA35's internal layout.

Air circulation wasn't a problem, but it could have been better. The only fan included is a 92mm vent on the back of the case, and there is no space to mount other fans. The device was a bit noisy during my test, but it wasn't like the Lenovo Thinkstation P620. It didn't get too hot either, because the CPU climbed to 48 degrees Celsius after a 30-minute AIDA64 stress test.

The GA35 is a cohesive, RGB-controlled PC that looks wonderful.

This is mainly due to the back of the open case design. On the angular edges of the GA35 there are filters that are cleverly hidden in the corners and edges of the housing. None of them have dust filters, so you need to be careful to keep the inside clean.

The temperature surprised me as the GA35 uses a vertical mount for the power-hungry RTX 3090. The vertical bracket also works wonders visually. The GA35 is adorned with as many ROG Strix products as possible, including the RTX 3090. The result is a cohesive, RGB-controlled PC that looks wonderful when lit.

Connectivity

Connections on the front of the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

Asus makes some of the best gaming motherboards you can buy, so I wasn't surprised that the GA35 comes with great connectivity. You get a pair of USB-C and USB 3.0 ports on the front of the case, as well as separate headphone and microphone inputs that put even expensive devices like the Origin Neuron in the shade.

On the back you have access to a further seven USB 3.2 ports, another USB-C port, Gigabit Ethernet and the usual audio connections. All of these ports are great, but the two front USB-C ports make all the difference to me. My personal rig, which I built with a Lian Li PC-011 Dynamic, only has a single USB-C port on the front. I'm jealous that I don't have a second now because I was able to plug both my Samsung T5 and Steelseries Prime Wireless into the GA35 without reaching around the back.

The memory expansion is also excellent. The case offers two hot-swappable SSD slots on the front as well as an additional slot for a 3.5-inch hard drive in the HDD cage. The motherboard has two M.2 expansion slots – one of which is filled from the factory – though you'll have to struggle to get the GPU out to access it.

Expansion ports on the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The port selection is great and can rival boutique designs like the Falcon Northwest Talon. I also like the additional storage space, but I would have liked Asus to focus this effort on swapping out other components rather than adding more storage space.

Specifications and internals

Asus had four models of the GA35 that offer different GPU and CPU configurations. Each model has the same specifications otherwise – 16 GB DDR4-3200 memory, a custom Asus X570 motherboard, an 80 Plus Gold power supply and 3 TB total storage (1 TB NVMe SSD and 2 TB HDD).

Central processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
GPU Asus ROG Strix RTX 3090
Motherboard Customized Asus ROG Strix X570-F motherboard
case Customized Asus ROG case
reminder 16 GB DDR4-3200. unbranded
warehouse 1 TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, 2 TB HDD
Power supply Delta 850W 80+ gold
USB ports Nine USB-A, three USB-C
Networking 1Gbit Ethernet

I tested the GA35DX-XB999 which comes with a Ryzen 9 5900X and an RTX 3090. This machine costs around $ 5,000, which is a better deal than you might think. I configured a machine that is identical to the GA35 and it was actually $ 100 more expensive (thanks, GPU shortage). A similarly configured Origin Neuron was $ 500 more expensive, but with better cable management and more RGB.

The GA35 is good business on the component front. My only complaint is the PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD. Ryzen 5000 chips support PCIe 4.0 so it's just a matter of Asus where it is possible.

I like the dual chamber design of the GA35, but I don't like how closed it is for upgrades.

The GA35 has some internal problems outside of the components. Cable management is sloppy, component swaps are annoying at best and impossible at worst, and the case actively fights you when you try to get inside. I like the dual chamber design of the GA35, but I don't like how closed it is for upgrades.

It's not like the Alienware Aurora R10. You can still swap out components as everything inside complies with ATX standards. It's just a hassle to get there. There are extra screws on every corner, and they're buried. There aren't even thumbscrews to unlock the side panels, let alone a tool-less design like the HP Omen 30L.

A plastic cover covers the outside of the chassis, which is cheap and frustrating. I immediately broke one of the plastic tabs holding the front cover and didn't apply enough pressure to get off. There are long plastic tubes in the center of each part of the bowl to keep you out and that's all they're good for.

Cable management is sloppy, but you don't see it right away. It's like shining a flashlight on a dusty desk in a dark room, revealing all the messy things you didn't know about. When I opened the case, I quickly noticed that ketchup and mustard cables led to the graphics card, an additional CPU power connector hung just on the side, and several small wires for RGB and fan connections that were pressed into crevices around the motherboard. All of the chunky cables are also routed through a single channel, exposing a small bird's nest of cables in the front that only grows in the rear chamber.

Cable in the back of the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The vertical GPU bracket is a welcome addition, but it's your only option. The RTX 3090 fits straight flat and the GA35 does not have a bracket for this type of configuration. It only has two vertical brackets that will keep you from upgrading to a triple-slot GPU in the future.

In terms of specs, the GA35 is as high-end as PCs have come. Asus has made some clear design choices to deter users from upgrading, even though the form factor allows for those upgrades.

Productivity performance

CPU pump on the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The Asus GA35 is a powerful machine, but the Ryzen 9 5900X is slowly showing its age compared to the best and brightest from Intel. It's still way ahead of Intel's 10th and 11th generation chips, and the single-core performance is great for gaming. However, the higher number of cores of the Ryzen 9 5950X and the hybrid architecture of the Core i9-12900K give them an advantage over the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Asus ROG GA35 Custom PC (Core i9-12900K, RTX 3090) Origin Neuron (Ryzen 9 5950X, RTX 3080 Ti)
Cinebench R23 multicore 21,907 27,344 25.166
Cinebench R23 single core 1,501 1,989 1,587
Geekbench 5 multicore 12,695 18,282 15,872
Geekbench 5 single core 1,692 1,962 1,682
PugetBench for Premiere Pro 1,115 1,283 1,088
Mixer (average in seconds, lower is better) 53 N / A 53
Handbrake (seconds, lower is better) 58 47 50

You can see that clearly in my results. In terms of single-core performance, the machine corresponds to the Ryzen 9 5950X in the Origin Neuron in Cinebench and Geekbench. Unsurprisingly, the Ryzen 9 5950X scores well above the 5900X in the multi-core tests, with the four additional cores providing an increase of up to 15%.

Outside of pure processor benchmarks, the GA35 shows more performance. It was able to score higher than the Origin Neuron in PugetBench for Premiere Pro, which shows the RTX 3090's slow acceleration, and it matched the Neuron in Blender. I tested Blender with CUDA rendering, so this is my most interesting result. The RTX 3090 showed no advantages over the RTX 3080 Ti.

Intel's Core i9-12900K raises this tricky comparison between the Ryzen 9 5950X and 5900X. It's faster across the board, sometimes by up to 25%. However, this does not apply to older Intel chips. Go back to the Core i9-11900K, and the GA35 can mop the floor.

The GA35 does about what I expected. It's great, but I wouldn't recommend configuring it with the RTX 3090. In some cases it gives a small boost, in others it is of no use at all. That's even more true when it comes to gaming performance, which is probably why you're interested in the GA35.

Gaming performance

Components inside the Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The GA35 is built for 4K – and better with an RTX 3090 under the hood. I ran a number of benchmarks across resolutions, but I only recorded my results in 4K with the highest graphics preset possible. This should tie performance to the GPU and remove the CPU from the equation. But my results show some big differences.

Asus ROG GA35 Custom PC (Core i9-12900K, RTX 3090) Origin Neuron (Ryzen 9 5950X, RTX 3080 Ti)
Forza Horizon 4 147 fps 160 fps N / A
Red Dead Redemption 2 73 fps 79 fps 72 fps
Assassin & # 39; s Creed Valhalla 69 fps 66 fps 55 fps
3DMark time spy 17,356 19,511 17,937
Fourteen days 78 fps N / A 89 fps

In Forza Horizon 4 and Red Dead Redemption 2, the GA35 underperformed my custom built rig with an RTX 3090. The processors are different, but they shouldn't affect performance much. Even the aging Core i9-10900K performed better in these two games when paired with the RTX 3090.

RAM is the problem. The GA35 only comes with 16 GB of RAM, which is an odd configuration for such a high-end system. Asus does not use any branded RAM modules beyond the capacity. I was told by a company representative that the modules use Samsung, Micron, and Hynix memory. And if you know anything about Ryzen processors, you know how much of a difference these these can make.

I couldn't verify the chips used for the modules in my tester. However, I used Corsair memory in the other two machines that use Samsung B-Die modules (which are known to work best with Ryzen chips). With 16 GB DDR4-3200, Asus chose the lowest reasonable option – and it shows in my results. DDR4-3600 modules would solve the problem, but otherwise leave slightly lower performance on the table.

In fact, the RTX 3090 shows a great advantage in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

3DMark Time Spy shows how well the device compares to the Origin Neuron. My custom rig was able to get a higher score, but that's on the back of the Core i9-12900K.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is also interesting. This game is still having issues with Intel's 12th gen platform which explains the lower scores I've seen with my custom PC. The RTX 3090 actually shows a big advantage here by sliding the GA35 over the Origin Neuron. In most other cases, the added power of the RTX 3090 was of no use.

The GA35 is a super fast gaming PC. There is no doubt about that. However, there are a couple of small issues that are mostly related to system memory. In most cases the differences are no more than a few frames. But they are there and you should keep them in mind if you are planning on losing $ 5,000.

Guarantee and support

Asus offers a one-year warranty for the GA35 as standard. Finding that out, however, was tedious. The warranty information is not printed on the warranty card and you cannot find it on the Asus website. Instead, it's listed on a sticker on the back of the device, just labeled "12M" with no context. It is frustrating that Asus encloses a copy of this sticker with the warranty card – just without the warranty information.

Warranty sticker on Asus G35DX.Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

You can purchase insurance cover plus accident protection for up to three years. The standard warranty only covers defects and workmanship. One year is common for desktops. However, Asus could make it easier to access the warranty instead of splitting the information across three locations.

A product support card is included with the warranty information. Asus offers 24/7 phone support as well as live chat and email. For the second two, the support brochure points you to a website that is not working. I had to navigate through the Asus support site to find the right post.

Like the device itself, Asus doesn't go wrong with its warranty or support. There are just additional unnecessary steps that can make the process frustrating.

Our opinion

The Asus GA35 is a damn good gaming PC. It's packed with top-notch hardware that provides gaming and productivity without getting too hot (even though the fan is noisy). It also uses a standard form factor so upgrades are possible even though they may not always be practical.

It's just not all it could be. Thumbscrews, black power cords, and paying more attention to upgrades would put it at the top of our list of best desktop computers. I recommend the GA35, but you should know its quirks before you lose $ 5,000.

Are there alternatives?

Yes. The Origin Neuron and Maingear Vybe are the most direct competition, and the Vybe costs about $ 1,000 less. The HP Omen 30L is also a solid alternative thanks to its high-end hardware and tool-free housing design.

The Alienware Aurora R14 and Falcon Northwest Talon are also high-end gaming options, although they are both slightly different from the GA35. The Aurora R14 is more restrictive when it comes to upgrades, while the Northwest Talon uses all off-the-shelf parts and costs a little more.

How long it will take?

The GA35 is packed with powerful hardware, so what's in it should last for years. You can upgrade at any time, but the case doesn't make upgrades as easy as they could be.

Should you buy it?

Yes, as long as you considered the other options. The Maingear Vybe and Origin Neuron are both top-of-the-range gaming PCs, and the GA35 is just a small step below. It still works fine, but the options from Maingear and Origin are a bit easier when it comes to upgrading.

Editor's recommendations



06 Dec
Blog

Asus ZenBook 14X OLED Review: A Showstopping Display

Asus ZenBook 14X OLED sits on a tabletop.

Asus ZenBook 14X OLED

RRP $ 1,400.00

"The Asus ZenBook 14X OLED is a fantastic laptop with a spectacular display."

advantages

  • Spectacular OLED display

  • Solid build quality

  • Excellent keyboard

  • ScreenPad 2 adds some features

  • Competent productivity performance

disadvantage

  • Battery life is mediocre

  • A bit expensive

Asus relies on all-in for OLED laptops. The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED, which we named the best laptop under $ 1,000, unveiled the cheapest laptop with an OLED display that you could buy. There are two OLED displays in the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED. And it even introduced the first detachable Windows tablet with an OLED display in the Vivobook 13 Slate OLED.

The company is even including OLED in the name of a laptop, underscoring what it thinks is essential. Such is the case with the ZenBook 14X OLED, a laptop that will launch in early 2022 with – you guessed it – a high-resolution OLED panel.

I tested the high-end version of the ZenBook 14X OLED for $ 1,400 with a Core i7-1165G7, 14-inch 16:10 OLED display, and Nvidia MX450 graphics. It's a superior addition to the ever-growing stall of premium 14-inch laptops, and its OLED display is undoubtedly a nice one. The smaller ZenBook 13 OLED still offers better value, but the higher resolution and improved performance of the 14-inch model make it a standout option beyond the screen too.

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Asus ZenBook 14X OLED sits on a tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZenBook 14X OLED has aesthetics that aren't as minimalistic as some other laptops I recently reviewed. First there is the usual Asus concentric circular vortex on the lid, which revolves around the silver Asus symbol that is typical of the ZenBook line.

Second, the angles on the ZenBook 14X OLED are more aggressive, especially along the bottom edge of the lid and the side and back edges of the case. Various other edges are chamfered for additional flair. The laptop comes in two colors, Lilac Mist (lavender) and Pine Gray (anthracite), and mine was the latter.

It's a sleek laptop that's more attractive than the Samsung Galaxy Book and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, for example, which both have the minimalist aesthetic I just mentioned. The ZenBook 14X OLED leans more towards the exotic design of the HP Specter x360 14 than the simpler sophistication of the Dell XPS 13, and it works well.

Asus is known for making solid laptops, and the ZenBook 14X OLED is no different. It is made of machined aluminum and shows no bends or bends in the lid, keyboard deck, or case base. It's built so solidly that the military certification tests Asus conducted seem redundant – the ZenBook 14X OLED is easily as rugged as the best out there, including the XPS 13 and Specter x360 14.

The ZenBook 14X OLED has small bezels around the display to create a portable laptop.

It's far stiffer than the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, which showed some flexion in the lid and a flexion in the keyboard deck. The hinge of the ZenBook 14X OLED allows the lid to be opened with one hand and still holds the display in place with a tiny shake while working. It also supports the lower chassis at an angle, which allows for more comfortable typing and increased airflow. The ZenBook 14X OLED is a solid laptop that feels good in the hand.

Speaking of which, the ZenBook 14X OLED uses small bezels around its 16:10 14-inch display to create a comfortably sized laptop. It's almost exactly the same width and height as the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro and the same thickness of 0.67 inches. The ZenBook is only slightly heavier than the IdeaPad at 3.09 pounds versus 3.04 pounds.

Given the Lenovo's equally small bezels, this seems like about the size you're going to get if you build a laptop with a 16:10 14-inch display. You can get thinner laptops, like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, which is 0.59 inches thick, but the ZenBook 14X OLED is thin and light enough to make it a 14-inch laptop that is easy to carry around leaves.

A single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port on the left next to a row of air vents and then a full size HDMI 2.0 port, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is used for power), a 3.5 mm audio jack and a microSD card reader on the right.

A single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port on the left next to a row of air vents and then a full size HDMI 2.0 port, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is used for power), a 3.5 mm audio jack and a microSD card reader on the right.

Connectivity is solid. You get a single USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port on the left next to a row of air vents and then a full size HDMI 2.0 port, two USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is for power), one 3.5 mm audio jack and a microSD card reader on the right. It's a good mix of legacy and future-proof connections. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 perform wireless tasks.

power

My test device is equipped with the 11th generation quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7, a productive workhorse CPU popular with thin and light laptops. There was also 16 GB of RAM, a fast PCIe 1 TB solid-state drive (SSD) and Nvidia's GeForce MX450. As with all such laptops today, the ZenBook 14X OLED was a quick performer while I was testing the laptop and writing that review.

Our benchmark suite confirmed my subjective impressions. The ZenBook 14X OLED was the third fastest in Geekbench 5 with an excellent score for the processor, behind only the slightly faster Core i7-11370H in the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U in the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in 1. Also In our Handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video as H.265, the ZenBook does well, beats the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro and loses the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 against the fast Ryzen CPU.

It's not that you can't edit videos or large pictures on the ZenBook, but you may have to wait for demanding tasks to complete.

Put the ZenBook 14X OLED in its "Performance" mode and you can get a little more speed and finish the test in 156 seconds. The same was true for Cinebench R23, where the ZenBook 14X OLED took second place behind the Dell, while it received a small boost with a score of 6,252 in performance mode. The ZenBook only lost to the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 in PCMark 10 Complete in standard mode, but it was faster in performance mode. However, the values ​​for essentials, productivity and content creation were average.

Overall, the ZenBook 14X OLED is a fast laptop for demanding productivity workflows, but it doesn't quite reach the workstation level of a creator. It's not that you can't edit videos or large pictures on the ZenBook, it's just that you have to wait a while for demanding tasks to be completed. But for everyone else, the ZenBook 14X OLED will be a satisfactory experience.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake
(Seconds)		 Cinebench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10 3DMark time spy
Asus ZenBook 14X OLED (Core i7-1165G7) 1536/5780 173 1479/5717 5366 1756
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro (Core i7-11370H) 1578/5957 202 1514/5544 5149 1888
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (Ryzen7 5700U) 1184/6281 120 1287/8013 5411 1247
Samsung Galaxy Book (Core i5-1135G7) 1401/5221 180 1361/5391 4735 1584
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 (Core i7-1165G7) 1327/5201 N / A 1469/4945 5147 1776

Although my test device is equipped with the discrete GeForce MX450 GPU, it was no faster than the Intel Iris Xe in our comparison group. His 3DMark Time Spy Score was in the same range and only managed 18 frames per second (fps) in Fortnite at 1200p and epic graphics. That's not far from what faster Iris Xe laptops can achieve.

I was surprised with these results, but ran them several times to make sure there were no glitches that I could identify. I also tried the performance mode and that made no difference in the laptop's graphics performance. The discrete GPU didn't turn this thin and light device into a gaming laptop, so buyers should lower their expectations when they see they have a discrete GPU.

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Image of the display of the Asus ZenBook 14X OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZenBook 14X OLED has a 14-inch OLED display and is available in a number of configurations, all of which are in the productivity-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. You can choose between a 4K + (3840 x 2400) panel, a WQXGA + (2880 x 1800) touchscreen display and a non-touch WQXGA + screen. My test device featured the latter, and it was spectacular from the moment I turned it on. Blacks were ink colors and colors were dynamic without being oversaturated. While working on the review, I liked the use of the display, especially the sharp black text that jumped off the page.

This display will please everyone from productivity users to creatives to media consumers.

According to my colorimeter, this is an objectively as good a display as it is subjectively. It was bright at 389 nits, above our 300 nit threshold for displays that can handle anything but bright sunlight. It had wide colors at 97% of AdobeRGB and 100% of sRGB, and those colors were accurate with a DeltaE of 1.2 (less than 1.0 is considered excellent). As always, the contrast was unearthly and was 27,010: 1. Compare that to the Dell XPS 13's 4K IPS display, which achieved 420 cd / m², 79% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB with a color accuracy of 1.21 and a contrast of 1,360: 1. Few IPS panels can work as well as the display on the ZenBook 14X OLED, and you won't find one that delivers the same true black tones.

This display will please everyone from productivity users to creatives to media consumers. With DisplayHDR 500 support, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video high dynamic range (HDR) content looked great on the display. OLED displays continue to impress, and while other technologies are catching up, such as the mini-LED displays on Apple's MacBooks, you can't go wrong with your choice of technology.

For those concerned about OLED burn-in, Asus offers a few utilities and technologies to instill confidence. First, it comes with a 7,000 hour warranty at 200 nits, and the display detects aging pixels and improves the current flowing through them for better performance.

Second, two utilities are provided to avoid burn-in. There is a screen saver that can be set to start automatically after 30 minutes of inactivity, and a pixel shift function that shifts a static image just enough on the screen to avoid a constant glow of individual pixels. These can be turned on as well as off, although leaving them on is probably a good idea.

The sound is delivered to the front by two downward-facing speakers on the underside of the case. I found that it delivers clear mids and highs and a surprising amount of bass. The only problem: the speakers are not very loud, even if they are turned up all the way. There's no distortion, which is fine, but you'll need a pair of headphones to really enjoy movies and music.

Keyboard and touchpad

Keyboard and trackpad of the Asus ZenBook 14X OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Asus has been channeling HP lately when it comes to keyboards, using a layout and keycaps eerily similar to HP's Specter range. The right side of the keyboard has the same key spacing and row of movement keys. That's not bad because the Specter keyboards are excellent. At the same time, the Asus switches have a lot of spring travel and comfortable floor movement, but they are not as snappy and do not feel quite as precise. They're a step behind the best, which include Dell's XPS keyboards, but the ZenBook 14X OLED's keyboard does a very good job nonetheless.

The touchpad is a wide format that does not use the available space on the palm rest. Some laptops, like the Dell XPS 13 and the HP Specter x360 14, make very good use of the extra space offered by today's higher displays, but that's not the case with the ZenBook 14X OLED. It's not a small touchpad, but it could be bigger. Fortunately, it has a comfortable surface that allows for precise swipes, and it's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, so multitouch gestures work well. The buttons are clicky and respond without being loud.

Of course, you can't judge the touchpad by just how easily it allows you to manipulate your cursor. It also includes Asus' ScreenPad 2, which features an LED display embedded in the touchpad that enables a host of additional functions.

ScreenXpert 2 is a multiscreen organizer that manages the interaction between the ScreenPad and the primary and any additional displays. Users can launch applications from the ScreenPad and use the touchpad as a secondary display. You can turn off the ScreenPad at will and the touchpad will function normally. Overall, I found the ScreenPad to be a useful addition, but not one that I couldn't do without.

Keyboard and display of the Asus ZenBook 14X OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Touch displays are available for the ZenBook 14X OLED, but unfortunately mine wasn't included. I missed it, as always.

Passwordless login under Windows 10 Hello is provided by a fingerprint reader integrated into a power button on the keyboard. It worked well, I was able to turn on and log in quickly and reliably in one fell swoop.

Battery life

Asus ZenBook 14X OLED sits on a tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZenBook 14X OLED offers 63 watt-hours of battery life, a reasonable amount for a 14-inch laptop. However, the OLED display is high resolution and power hungry, and the CPU isn't a low-power version, so I expected average battery life at best.

What I got was a little less. In our web browsing test, which ran through a number of popular websites, the ZenBook 14X OLED lasted 7.5 hours, less than average and well below the 10 hours we like to see on thin and light laptops. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro lasted 10 minutes longer with its more powerful CPU and high-resolution display, while the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 was significantly stronger in this test with almost 13 hours.

In our video test replaying a local 1080p movie trailer, the ZenBook 14X OLED achieved 10.75 hours, again less than average and a little less than we'd like to see. The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro lasted two more hours, while the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 lasted a significantly longer 16 hours.

I ran the PCMark 10 Applications battery test, which is the best indicator of productivity longevity, and the ZenBook 14X OLED got eight hours, which is again a little below average. Many thin and light laptops can last up to 10 hours. The IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro lasted nine hours and the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 wouldn't finish the test. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which shows how hard a laptop works without a plug, the ZenBook 14X OLED only lasted 81 minutes, the lowest rate we've ever seen, but close to the 90 minutes the IdeaPad achieved.

Overall, the ZenBook 14X OLED is unlikely to make it through a full eight-hour work day without a little charge. You should have the 100 watt USB-C charger close at hand.

Our opinion

Reduced to the essentials, the ZenBook 14X OLED is a well-built 14-inch laptop with robust performance and a spectacular OLED display. It's easy to recommend on that alone, but it has some nice touches like the ScreenPad 2 touchpad that comes in handy when you want to take some time learning its various uses.

It's not perfect. The battery life is mediocre, may not exceed our all-day threshold, and is a bit expensive. But overall, it's a solid addition to the growing herd of 14-inch laptops, and well worth a place on your list.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 is probably the best 14-inch clamshell alternative simply because it's also very well built, performs well, and has better battery life. You don't get an OLED display, but that's not so common with 14-inch devices and you spend a little more money depending on the configuration.

If a convertible 2-in-1 is of interest, consider the HP Specter x360 14. It also has an excellent OLED display, a great and well-made case and of course the flexibility of a 360-degree convertible. It's roughly the same price, but you don't get built-in graphics.

Finally, you can always consider the Dell XPS 13 if you're ready to go for a slightly smaller OLED display. The XPS 13 is more expensive, but it's worth it as it's the best laptop you can buy.

How long it will take?

The ZenBook 14X OLED is solid as a rock and feels like it has lasted for eons. The components are up-to-date and should run Windows 11 with no problem should you decide to upgrade (and you probably will, sooner or later). As always, the industry standard one-year warranty is disappointing, but Asus does offer one-year accident protection.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. The ZenBook 14X OLED is a great 14-inch laptop that can hold its own against its competition.

Editor's recommendations



02 Nov
Blog

Asus ROG Gladius III Review: Hot, Underappreciated Gem

Asus ROG Gladius III with chili peppers

Asus ROG Gladius III Wireless

RRP $ 119.00

"The Gladius III from Asus is a breathtaking, underrated mouse that is particularly suitable for casual games thanks to its comfortable, tactile design."

advantages

  • Great ergonomics for a gaming mouse

  • Hot-swappable switches

  • Satisfactory Omron optical switches included

  • Excellent connectivity options

disadvantage

  • Not quite as good for competitive gaming

Even the best gaming mice aren't usually known for their comfort. That's a shame because not all of us play Twitchy shooter games all of the time.

Today we're taking a look at the Asus Gladius III wireless mouse, which promises both great performance and a more ergonomic design.

While it's not the highest quality option in the line – that's the ROG Chakram – the Gladius III isn't cheap. It costs $ 119 for the wireless version. Fortunately, the Gladius III justifies its price with user-replaceable switches, a great sensor, and a comfortable grip.

Design & comfort

Top view of the Asus ROG Gladius III.

The design of the Gladius III is clearly optimized for comfort, with a large, bulbous body that presses nicely into the palm of your hand. That larger size, coupled with the right-handed design, makes it one of the more comfortable mice I've tested. It's not meant to be clawed or fingertip gripped as much, but this could be a healthier option than something like Razer's Orochi V2 and Logitech's G Pro X Superlight.

In terms of convenience, the Razer Pro Click is the best match I've had with Asus' Pointer, and while this isn't a pure gaming mouse – as evident from the lack of RGB – it's kind of a wolf in sheep's clothing. as it contains solid switches and a great sensor.

However, the Razer mouse has a better overall shape. The pear shape with the larger underside of the gladius requires you to fully grip the mouse; If you grab it a little deeper, it will point slightly to the left on a fingertip.

Angled view of the Asus ROG Gladius III.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

Apart from the comfort, the Gladius III does not present itself with many high-quality materials. The plastic is soft and the embossed artwork on the left and right serves as a handle enough to pick up the mouse.

At only 89 grams, it's also light. That's not super easy terrain, but – at less than 100 grams for a large, comfort-oriented pointer like this one – it's respectable.

The RGB lighting is also present in three zones: the main logo, the scroll wheel and the artwork of the thumb rest. A supplied 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth and USB-C ensure connectivity.

Under the hood

Bottom of the Asus ROG Gladius III.

Under the hood of the mouse – this time not metaphorically – we find a handful of interesting functions. For starters, the mouse's main sensor is one that tracks at up to 19,000 DPI, even though it has a tune on 26,000 – designed for accurate tracking up to 400 inches per second with a maximum acceleration of up to 50g. I don't have the test equipment to verify these numbers, but I can confirm an accurate follow-up in more intense gaming sessions.

There is a more compelling reason to buy the Gladius III, however: you can literally remove the top shell – the hood – and replace bits internally.

The Asus ROG Gladius III was opened to provide hot-swappable switches.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

To remove the top, simply remove two rubber seals from the bottom, loosen two screws and pull off the hood. From here, the inside of the mouse is completely exposed, although the only thing you are supposed to do here is replace the primary switches.

The Gladius III comes with Asus' own ROG 3-pin microswitches pre-installed from the factory, but it also comes with a set of 5-pin Omron D2FP-FN switches. The former are mechanical, the latter optical – hence the additional pins – eliminating the need to consider debouncing and theoretically leading to faster performance.

The switches contained in the Asus ROG Gladius III.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

In practice, I find that the difference is mainly due to the click action. The standard ROG switches aren't bad, but the Omron optical switches feel and sound absolutely better. The click is a bit easier, certainly clearer, and sounds less muffled.

The catch is that they are finicky about their sound, which can get annoying.

When I returned to the ROG switches I found that they felt a bit soft and mushy, so I leave the Omrons on to enjoy their spiciness. The scroll wheel is also pleasantly choppy, so they go well together.

What is significant, however, is the fact that the mouse supports hot-swappable switches in the first place. For the most part, Asus is the only company that does this. Most mice won't open at first, and when you do, the switches must be desoldered to replace them.

Asus also includes a set of four replacement mouse pads that will extend the life of the mouse. So easy to open, I can also imagine that the battery can also be exchanged, provided that a compatible replacement can be found if necessary.

Gaming performance

Jump into a game and the Gladius III shines immediately. I've played a fair amount of Insurgency Sandstorm on this mouse, as well as a couple of hours of Mass Effect Legendary Edition, and the Gladius III Wireless has been a comfy companion all along.

Hover over the view of the Asus ROG Gladius III.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

That being said, there's a reason most gaming mice aren't built for comfort: competitive gaming performance. While I was still good at Insurgency Sandstorm with the Gladius III, I wasn't as good as my previous all-time favorite, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight, and I think that's because of the shape and weight. The Logitech has a shape that requires a more aggressive grip and is much lighter at 63 grams instead of 89 grams.

It's not a big change, but in competitive games it makes a noticeable difference: I didn't feel quite so in control.

However, when I switched to the Mass Effect Legendary Edition, that difference in performance between the two mice immediately disappeared. In this story-oriented game, I preferred the Asus mouse by far – my sensitive hands thanked me for taking a break from the G Pro X. I didn't feel hindered by the mouse, like in a competitive game.

Our opinion

The Asus ROG Gladius III Wireless is an excellent gaming mouse that is clearly designed for use with more casual games and for gamers who spend long hours in virtual worlds with a mouse that doesn't punish them for it. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that it's 80% as comfortable as a truly ergonomic mouse like the MX Master 3, while it's 90% as effective in-game as the G Pro X Superlight. If you play mostly single player titles, the Gladius III is certainly a mouse in question.

Hang that on the fact that it's a serviceable and adjustable mouse with user-replaceable switches and I'm wondering "why isn't this clicker more popular?" The Gladius III is an underrated gem in my book.

Are there alternatives?

If you're looking for a mouse with a neat and bulbous ergonomic shape, the only real alternative that comes to mind is the Razer Pro Click. It's $ 20 cheaper but doesn't have RGB or hot-swappable switches and is only available in white. Other ergonomic mice like the G502 Lightspeed from Logitech or the Basilisk from Razer are too narrow and aggressively shaped to match the comfort of the Asus.

How long it will take?

Normally I wouldn't say a mouse would last three to five years, but with interchangeable parts, I could imagine the Gladius III would last well into a decade. Whether you still use it is another question.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. If your main focus is on story-based gaming and you spend hours on your PC, your right hand will thank you for using one of the most comfortable palm-grip gaming mice available.

Editor's recommendations



02 Sep
Blog

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED Review: The Performance You Need

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sits on a tabletop.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X

RRP $ 1,099.00

“The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X offers everything a content creator needs in a laptop. And the price is right. "

advantages

  • Incredible battery life

  • Gorgeous OLED screen

  • Powerhouse performance

  • Great value

  • A decent slot machine

disadvantage

  • Boring design

  • DialPad feels tricky

Asus has set itself the task of making OLED laptops accessible to the masses. The ZenBook 13 was the cheapest 1080p OLED panel we'd seen earlier this year, and now the Vivobook Pro 16X does the same for 4K OLED.

The high-resolution screen is available in a basic configuration starting at $ 1,100. In a world where OLED is typically reserved for laptops over $ 2,000, the Vivobook Pro 16X is a big step in the right direction.

Paired with a Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, the ingredients for an excellent content creation machine are available at an affordable price. As it turns out, it is just that – and so much more.

draft

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop bezels.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

The design of the VivoBook Pro 16X is not its strong point. This shows the laptop's low price. It's not an unattractive laptop in and of itself, just a very simple one. The dark gray case is not noticeable and the rather large plastic bezels ensure that it does not feel up-to-date. The few design flourishes that it has, such as the orange Esc key and the name tag on the front with the words "#BeExplorers", seem a little weird.

The design just doesn't have the premium look of some of its competitors, like the Dell XPS 15, MacBook Pro 16-inch, or even the HP Envy 15. But this, too, is significantly cheaper than many of these other options. Ultimately, the Vivobook Pro 16X is intended for those who prefer a cheaper laptop without sacrificing performance. Design is not in the foreground.

Fortunately, that doesn't mean the Vivobook Pro 16X is a poorly built device. It's a lot durable. The only weak point is in the middle of the lid along the hinge, but that's typical. It's an otherwise sturdy laptop that can be used and moved around.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sits on a tabletop.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Asus has also made no compromises in terms of portability. Despite being a very large laptop, the chassis is 0.74 inches thick and 4.3 pounds – slightly thicker than the XPS 15 but half a pound lighter than the HP Envy 15. The Razer Blade remains one of the thinnest Options for laptops of this size and performance level.

A similarity between the Vivobook Pro 16X and the Razer Blade is that both are absolute fingerprint magnets. The lid, in particular, was quickly covered with hard-to-remove fingerprints.

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The Vivobook Pro 16X has a super-glossy OLED display, which is still relatively rare on laptops. You can find it as an option on the most expensive Creator-based laptops, such as the Dell XPS 15. This laptop lets you configure an OLED screen at the cheapest cost for $ 2,300. HP can get you one for its Specter x360 15 for $ 1,580. But $ 1,100? It's unheard of, and yet that's exactly what the Vivobook Pro 16X does.

If you've seen one of the OLED screens on these laptops, you know what you're getting with the Vivobook Pro 16X: jet black, insane contrasts and a warm hue. Reds and oranges are turned up, but not unrealistic. With the “Vivid” color mode in the MyAsus application, you can make the colors stand out even more. You can also adjust the color temperature, either cooler or warmer. I always found these Samsung OLED panels a little too warm for my taste, so being able to cool them down a bit is perfect. This software also comes with some OLED care tips, including pixel shifting, pixel updating, and the ability to automatically hide the taskbar. In theory, these should prevent any possible burn-in that you might experience.

I used a Spyder colorimeter to measure color saturation, brightness, gamma, and color accuracy – and I was impressed across the board. Again, this is almost identical to what you'll find in other OLED laptops like the HP Specter x360 15 or Dell XPS 15, and that's a good thing. In the P3, AdobeRGB, and sRGB color spaces, it is near perfect, and the color error is small enough for more precise color correction. It may be the best laptop screen I've ever tested – especially at this price point.

In addition, the Vivobook Pro 16X is the first laptop with a larger 16:10, 16-inch screen with OLED functionality.

Ports

Connectivity on the right side of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop. Headphone connection, micro SD slot, micro USB connection, HDMI connection, USB

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Connectivity on the right side of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop. Headphone connection, micro SD slot, micro USB connection, HDMI connection, USB

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Connectivity on the left side of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop: Two USB ports.

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Asus keeps the port selection pretty simple, although it's decidedly old school. That means you get three USB-A ports, HDMI, a barrel connector and only one USB-C port. Although the USB-C port can supply power, Asus unfortunately decided to place it on the same side as the standard power connector.

The Vivobook Pro 16X also has a microSD card slot instead of a full-size slot. This is a little less convenient when uploading content directly from a camera, which seems to be one of the main uses for a laptop like this one. That's too bad.

The take-up of the barrel plug is also not optimal. Laptops like the XPS 15 rely solely on USB-C power, and that seems to give the entire laptop enough juice overall without sacrificing performance. Not only is USB-C more convenient, it also allows full charging on both sides of the laptop.

Keyboard and touchpad

Asus did a good job with the palm deflector, but accidental clicks do occur every now and then.

Asus has adopted the same keyboard from its higher-end ZenBook range. The keystrokes feel snappy and the keycaps don't wobble too much. There isn't a lot of travel here but I found it to be a pretty enjoyable typing experience.

Close up on the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED keyboard

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Orange keycap on the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED keyboard.

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

In addition to the orange keycap, the keyboard also has a racing stripe on the Enter key and some color differences in between. The keyboard includes a number pad, which makes sense for a laptop of this size. Laptops with a number pad often off-center the touchpad as you type to match the position of your wrists as you type, but the Vivobook Pro keeps it centered. It's visually nice, but it means that your right hand rests on the touchpad while typing. Asus did a good job with the palm deflector, but accidental clicks do occur every now and then.

Asus has experimented with new touchpad functions in recent years – be it with the integration of a calculator or with the installation of a second screen. There's something new on the Vivobook Pro called the DialPad. When you swipe over the small icon in the upper right corner of the touchpad, a small digital clock face will appear on the left side of the touchpad. As soon as you slide your finger over the watch face, a screen dial is triggered, with which you can control various system-wide and app-specific settings. The default controls are just volume and screen brightness, but there are a few more options in the ProArt software that can be added. None of these were particularly useful, and certainly no more convenient than just using the keyboard.

However, its actual use is to set certain controls in applications such as the Adobe Creative Suite. It's all based on the same dialing system developed for the Surface Dial that Microsoft introduced for the Surface Studio All-in-One. The new premium creative laptops from Asus in the StudioBook range make much more use of the dial with physical controls and accessories. I could see someone using the DialPad for the occasional control change, but the combination of the swipe to trigger and the digital watch face makes for a clunky experience that would require considerable habit formation to use effectively.

I didn't find the DialPad particularly useful, but it never got in the way either. Since it requires a swipe, I've never had accidental starts.

Close-up on the dialpad of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

power

The Vivobook Pro 16X deserves its "Pro" designation with two components. First the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX. This is a 45 watt 8 core processor with lots of power, especially for multithreaded tasks. It's the same CPU we've seen in a number of excellent gaming laptops in 2021 and been a winner across the board. Cinebench R23 multi-core results are impressive, stomping on Intel's 11th generation H-series laptops like the Dell XPS 15. Single-core performance is still a bit higher in Dell's XPS laptop, but the Vivobook Pro is not far behind there either.

The Vivobook Pro also beats the XPS 15 in all PCMark 10 benchmarks, which include testing basic tasks like web browsing and video conferencing, as well as more difficult workflows like multitasking and photo editing. It's only 4% ahead overall – but keep in mind that this is a much cheaper laptop we're talking about. The Vivobook Pro is fast and nimble whether you're doing basic administrative tasks, playing games, or rendering a video timeline.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Cinebench R23 Underdog bench 5 PCMark 10 Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Asus Vivobook Pro 16X (RTX 3050 Ti) 4601 1486/11478 1544/8299 6287 57 fps 68 fps
Acer Swift X (RTX 3050 Ti) 4073 1437/10135 1287/6663 6247 43 fps 66 fps
Dell XPS 15 (RTX 3050 Ti) 4540 1513/9979 1556/7692 6024 50 fps 73 fps
Dell XPS 17 (RTX 3060) 7039 1525/10145 1568/8801 6209 78 fps 104 fps

Even ultra-thin 16-inch laptops like the LG Gram 16 don't do well because they use a weaker 25-watt processor and integrated graphics. Gaming laptops like the Ryzen-powered Razer Blade 14 or Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, although often far more expensive, have a similar performance range. The significantly larger XPS 17 is also a better one-to-one comparison in PCMark 10 with its RTX 3060 graphics.

For a similarly expensive competitor, the Acer Swift X achieves the performance of the Vivobook Pro in these benchmarks with a smaller 14-inch size. The Acer Swift X also has a Ryzen 5000 processor and the RTX 3050 Ti for graphics.

Seeing all of this in real applications is of course the most important thing. And the Vivobook Pro didn't disappoint. The great multi-core performance of AMD's Ryzen 5000 chips enables really fast video rendering, which makes the Vivobook Pro super fast in applications like Handbrake and Adobe Premiere Pro. How fast? Well, according to its own tests, the Vivobook Pro 16X has set a new record for laptops when rendering in Handbrake.

These tests were all run with the system's default "Standard" fan profile, which means you can likely see improvements with the built-in "Performance" mode in the Asus software.

The only exception I saw was timeline playback in Adobe Premiere Pro. This is one area where Intel’s optimization has an advantage over AMD. That means a laptop like the XPS 17 will do better overall in Premiere Pro. You'll also see a slightly better overall Premiere Pro experience with a gaming laptop like the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, which has more powerful GPU performance with its RTX 3070.

But these are not fair comparisons either. When was the last time you heard of a $ 1,100 laptop that can handle 4K video edits like a breeze? This is the Vivobook Pro for you.

Gaming performance

Of course, you can't try out some games with an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti. And the Vivobook Pro 16X does better than you might think. The Vivobook Pro 16X does much more with the RTX 3050 Ti than some other laptops with this graphics card. In games, it achieves significantly better frame rates than smaller laptops with the same GPU as the Acer Swift X and the Asus ROG Flow X13.

You shouldn't buy this laptop just for gaming, but it's certainly powerful enough to handle modern games on the side.

In Fortnite, for example, the Vivobook Pro 16X is 25% faster than the Acer Swift X, averaging 57 frames per second (fps) in 1080p at epic settings. This even exceeds the 50 fps that the Dell XPS 15 gets, even with the RTX 3050 Ti. This is not bad, especially since the screen only has a refresh rate of 60 Hz.

The XPS 15 got the upper hand in Civilization VI, the other game I tested on the Vivobook Pro. While the Dell system can play the game in 4K Ultra with a smooth 55 fps, the Vivobook Pro 16X got stuck with a choppy 39 fps. This advantage is less obvious in 1080p, where both systems easily landed at over 60 fps.

That makes the Vivobook Pro 16X a decent gaming machine, but of course not as good as an RTX 3060 laptop like the Dell XPS 17. You shouldn't buy this laptop just for gaming, but it's certainly powerful enough to run on the side cope with modern games.

Loudspeaker and webcam

Close-up of the bezels and webcam on the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

There are two main locations for speakers in laptops – either towards the top right of the keyboard deck or along the edges facing the surface below. However, Asus chose a unique position for the Vivobook Pro 16X – right on the front. If you sit back while watching a movie or video, you will get decent quality sound from these speakers. It's not the richest, most full-bodied audio I've ever heard, but it's not bad.

Oddly enough, if you hear something while typing or using the laptop, your arms are undoubtedly blocking the sound. An odd choice no doubt, but they'll get the job done during a video conference. Asus even offers some "AI-supported" noise-canceling for the microphones.

Speaking of video conferencing, the webcam here is only 720p, so don't expect the crisper image quality of any of the rare 1080p laptop webcams out there. I have to say, however, that the Vivobook Pro's imaging isn't as bad as many of the other 720p webcams I've tested. This is an example where the larger top bezel can accommodate a higher quality sensor than laptops with a thin bezel like the Dell XPS 15.

Battery life

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how long it was taking.

A 16-inch laptop with an RTX graphics card and a 4K screen with amazing battery life? Yes that's it. The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X achieves an incredible battery life, although all of these factors work against it.

Asus didn't go into the details, but this new OLED panel in the Vivobook Pro uses different materials when it comes to power consumption. The battery life improvements from using AMD's Ryzen 5000 platform probably won't hurt either. Whatever the secret sauce is – it works.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sits on a tabletop.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

In our light web browsing test, the Vivobook Pro 16X lasted over 16 hours on a single charge. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how long it was taking. It revolves around laptops like the Dell XPS 15, which was dead after just five hours in the same test. It even beats the lightweight LG Gram 16, which was previously a battery life champion in this test.

In our lightest test, which repeats a local video file, the Vivobook Pro 16X even earned 30 minutes more.

Don't necessarily expect two full days of work with the Vivobook Pro, especially if your typical workload is using the discrete GPU. But you will have a hard time finding many laptops, especially none with that much power, that can outlast the Vivobook Pro 16X on a single charge.

Our opinion

The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED occupies a wonderful niche in the laptop market. It's boldly said that powerhouses and high-end displays don't have to be reserved for people with deep pockets. There are still elements that set this "midrange" laptop apart from the more expensive options, but none that will slow your workflow or make you regret your purchase.

Are there alternatives?

There are a variety of larger laptops sold to a "content creation" audience. The HP Envy 15 is most similar in price and performance, although it is not as powerful and a bit more expensive.

The 14-inch Acer Swift X is a good alternative. Although smaller, it offers similar performance for almost the same price. Of course, the huge OLED screen is missing.

After all, if you have the money, the XPS 15 or XPS 17 won't let you down – they only cost you an arm and a leg.

How long it will take?

The Vivobook Pro 16X OLED should be a solid laptop for five or six years, although you can't get a warranty for that long. However, the components inside are high-end and should be able to adequately supply workloads, games and applications for many years to come.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. It's a laptop with high-end components at an amazingly affordable price.

Editor's recommendations



25 Aug
Blog

Asus ROG Flow X13 Review: 13-Inch Gaming Laptop, Done Right

The ROG Flow X13 on a table overlooking a city.

Asus ROG Flow X13 Review: The King of Small Gaming Laptops?

RRP $ 1,500.00

"The ROG Flow X13 is an ultra-compact and surprisingly powerful gaming laptop."

advantages

  • Amazing portability

  • Good performance for its size

  • Comfortable keyboard and touchpad

  • XG Mobile is a great option

  • 120 Hz refresh rate

disadvantage

  • Mediocre battery life

  • Screen could be brighter

  • Cumbersome port configuration

The Razer Blade Stealth 13 has long been the smallest gaming laptop you could buy. The Asus ROG Flow X13 has a lot to say about this.

It's the second 13-inch gaming laptop you can buy right now, but in some ways it goes further. With up to an RTX 3050 Ti GPU and Ryzen 9 5900HS processor, you can be sure that these are the most powerful components you can cram into a laptop this size.

Most configurations come with the interesting XG Mobile external graphics case. But my review unit is a standalone model that sells for $ 1,500 exclusively at Best Buy. That's not a bad price for a premium gaming laptop. Despite a few minor issues I've had, the ROG Flow X13 keeps the promise of playing in the smallest possible package on the go.

draft

The structured lid of the ROG Flow X13.

Judging by its size, the ROG Flow X13 is what was formerly known as an “ultrabook”. Thanks to the 360 ​​hinge and touchscreen, it is also a convertible 2-in-1.

But with its design and performance, it's unabashedly a gaming laptop. A small gaming laptop. The sleek, all-black exterior is similar to the rest of the ROG line of gaming laptops, including the Zephyrus G15 or some of the older M-series laptops. The lid features structured diagonal lines on the front and a small name tag in the lower corner for the logo. A more subtle version of this texture can be found on the palm rests. It's a pretty minimal design as long as you can overlook the typical gamer font used on the keycaps.

Asus claims that the textured lines add extra strength to the structure as well. Whether it's true or not, the Flow X13 feels very sturdy. The lid doesn't bend too much, especially at the top. The weakest point of the laptop is on the lid along the hinge. This is a common weak point, especially on laptops with a 360-degree hinge – another unique aspect of this laptop. The keyboard gives very slightly, but overall it's a laptop with a rigid feel.

Of course, the size of the Flow X13 is its calling card. I cannot stress enough how impressively small this thing is. A laptop this size just shouldn't be able to handle an 8-core CPU and discrete RTX graphics card – and yet it is here.

Play Fortnite on the ROG Flow X13.

The ROG Flow X13 is not alone, however. The dimensions of the Razer Blade Stealth 13 are almost identical. Razer's 13-inch gaming laptop is 0.2 inches thinner than the Flow X13 and has a different shape due to the screen view. The higher 16:10 shape of the Flow X13 makes it a bit longer on the table, while the 16: 9 Razer Blade Stealth 13 is wider. The ROG Flow X13 is lighter at just 2.87 pounds. In terms of portability, I can happily call it a tie, which makes the Flow X13 one of the smallest gaming laptops you can buy.

There are also some 14-inch gaming laptops that are only marginally larger than the ROG Flow X13. It certainly has a smaller overall pressure than laptops like the Razer Blade 14, ROG Zephyrus G14, or Predator Triton 300 SE – but not as much as you might suspect. Each is about an inch taller in either direction, depending on the laptop, and most are heavier. Still, they are a solid alternative to the ROG Flow X13.

Ports

The connections of the ROG Flow X13.

In terms of connections, the ROG Flow X13 offers the essentials for a gaming laptop. On the right side there is a USB-C port for charging and USB-A. On the left is a headphone jack and HDMI. That's pretty limited, especially on the USB side.

Then there is the most original thing about the ROG Flow X13: its proprietary PCIe interface is located on the left side of the laptop under a flap.

Laying the USB-C cable is particularly annoying for right-handed people. Due to the need for ventilation openings, the ports are located further down the side. This is common with gaming laptops, but since the system is powered by USB-C (and because there is only one USB-C port) there is only one place to plug it in – and right-handed people will be with the cord have to fight space with your mouse. Annoying that a second USB-C port on the left could have solved. Unfortunately, this space is reserved for Asus' proprietary port for connection to the external XG Mobile graphics card housing. However, if you don't want to use it, it's just a waste of space.

Another little annoyance? The position of the power switch. Like many convertible 2-in-1s, it is on the side of the device, right next to a USB port. However, this button is extremely sensitive, resulting in a lot of accidental presses while looking for a port or even just readjusting the laptop on my desk.

Keyboard and touchpad

I may not like the aesthetics of the ROG keyboard used here, but I can't deny its typing enjoyment. It's a big, luxurious layout – the same size you'd find on a 15-inch laptop. In addition, the keys have a chunky 1.7mm travel, which is practically unknown these days. The long stroke ensures fast, precise typing, which I immediately enjoyed. No learning curve.

Interestingly, the ROG Flow X13 doesn't include an RGB backlight. There isn't a rainbow of colors anywhere on this laptop. Some may find the refreshing, albeit individually illuminated, keypad to be a cost-saving measure. There are three levels of backlight control which is the minimum I would expect from a laptop.

The illuminated keyboard of the ROG Flow X13.

The touchpad is also good. I wouldn't have minded if it was a bit wider, but it has a smooth finish and the tracking feels accurate.

The ROG Flow X13 does not contain a Windows Hello IR camera for facial recognition, but the fingerprint reader is integrated into the power button.

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The ROG Flow X13 uses a 13.4-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. That strange resolution comes from the 16:10 aspect ratio, which is increasingly becoming the new standard and is what you see on the MacBook Pro, Find the Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. Taller screens aren't great for watching movies, but for everyday work and general use, the 16:10 aspect ratio gives a bigger screen for almost anything you do.

The ROG Flow X13 has a glossy, touch-enabled display that is unique compared to the Razer Blade Stealth 13. It makes for a brighter and clearer screen, although reflections can be an issue. The screen achieves a maximum output of around 300 nits, which is good enough for everyday use as long as you're not sitting in a bright room or next to a window. In the dark lighting of a horror movie or game with lots of shadows, you might find yourself staring at yourself. That is not optimal.

The corner of the display of the ROG Flow X13.

However, the screen has other strengths. First, it has a refresh rate of 120 Hz. That's perfect for this performance. Most games won't hit this threshold, which means there's plenty of bandwidth to tweak settings in games and maximize frame rates.

The color saturation is good with 98% in sRGB and 76% in AdobeRGB color spaces. More expensive laptops like the Razer Blade 14 are better in this regard as well as color accuracy. Asus did a good job of keeping the colors natural and not too warm. They are "Pantone-validated", which means that they correspond exactly to the common colors within the Pantone matching system.

All in all, this is a solid screen for both work and play.

Asus has paired it with a decent set of speakers too. They're on the bottom of the laptop, which is fine if you have the laptop on a desk.

The good news, however, is that they sound great. Although facing down, they provide clearer and fuller sound than many laptops, whether it's audio for a video or sound effects in a game. Thanks to the solid separation, it's not bad to listen to some music either. There's not a lot of bass here – and they still don't hit the speakers in MacBooks.

power

You are right if you are skeptical about the performance of the ROG Flow X13. I was also special because of its size. My configuration includes an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS, RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB of dual-channel RAM, and a 1TB SSD for $ 1,500. The RTX 3050 Ti is a newer graphics card that we haven't seen in many laptops, but it is a replacement for both the older GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1650 Ti. These were common in budget-range gaming laptops, and the GTX 1650 Ti is currently included in the Razer Blade Stealth 13. Razer's 13-inch laptop hasn't been upgraded to the RTX 30 series yet, which means the ROG Flow X13 is really the only option in that regard.

So while the ROG Flow X13 is one of the first to hit the market, you can expect the RTX 3050 to show up in a number of budget gaming laptops under $ 1,000. That means the ROG Flow X13 will likely be one of the more expensive laptops with this GPU. Of course, you can also buy a version with an RTX 3050 bundled with an XG Mobile that includes an RTX 3080. That gets you much better frame rates, but it also costs you $ 2,800.

The ROG Flow X13 alone was able to hold its own in terms of performance.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Cinebench R23 Underdog bench 5 PCMark 10 Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Asus ROG Flow X13 (RTX 3050 Ti) 4503 1420/9701 1415/7592 6429 47 fps 65 fps
Acer Swift X (RTX 3050 Ti) 4073 1437/10135 1287/6663 6247 43 fps 66 fps
Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (RTX 3060) 6038 1412/5855 1503/4606 5776 78 fps 84 fps
HP Envy 14 (GTX 1650 Ti) 3147 1343/5028 1398/4741 5178 39 fps n / A

There's only one other laptop we've tested with the RTX 3050 Ti and that is the Acer Swift X. The ROG Flow X13 does well with this, with a slight head start in graphics performance. That's what you would expect from a gaming laptop.

The RTX 3050 Ti is a significant improvement over the GTX 1650 Ti, with an increase in 3DMark Time Spy scores of up to 30%. We don't have any GTX 1660 Ti laptop scores to compare, but that's a promising generational leap.

In games, however, you might get a little disappointed. Civilization VI was the only game I could play with maximum settings that stayed above 60 frames per second (fps). Fortnite and Battlefield V had to reduce the settings to get over 60 fps. The difference between the ROG Flow X13 and 14-inch gaming laptops with the RTX 3060 is clear.

The amount of VRAM makes a huge difference. The 4 GB in the RTX 3050 Ti (compared to the 6 GB in the RTX 3060) represent a hurdle for games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The game is almost unplayable on the ROG Flow X13 with an average of only 20 fps in 1080p at high settings.

Ryzen and Nvidia RTX stickers on the palm rests of the ROG Flow X13.

So if you are interested in the ROG Flow X13 it is important that you know what you are buying. Don't expect to play modern games at maximum settings, at least not without putting up with some choppy frame rates.

However, the processor performance is quite impressive. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS is a 35-watt processor with eight cores and 16 threads. Intel's Core i7-11370H is the direct competitor of this chip and comes in the Predator Triton 300 SE. But like many of the Intel vs AMD matches, AMD's additional cores offer improved multithreaded performance. The ROG Flow X13 achieved a whopping 40% better results than the Triton 300 SE in the multi-core test of the Cinebench R23 and was even able to beat it easily in the single core. I've never seen the Flow X13 go up to the promised 4.6GHz, but it did step up to 4.5GHz on occasion. That's not bad.

All of this plays out well in day-to-day tasks and productivity. The ROG Flow X13 scores great across the entire PCMark 10 suite, which ensures that it is a system that works just as well for web surfing, video conferencing, and word processing as it does in games.

Battery life

The Windows lock screen on the ROG Flow X13.

The battery life of the ROG Flow X13 is a disappointment. Given the 120 Hz screen and RTX graphics card, I'm not particularly surprised.

A 62 watt hour battery is big for a 13 inch laptop, but it turned out to be not quite enough to make the Flow X13 the battery life champion.

The system lasted just five hours and 25 minutes in our web browsing test, which ran through a series of difficult websites until the battery was drained. That's not great even when compared to other larger gaming laptops. The ROG Flow X13 did better in our lightest video playback test, which repeated a local 1080p video until the battery was drained. It took over nine hours in this test.

The Razer Blade 14 is still the most durable gaming laptop, even with the RTX 3070 that I tested in my test device. Despite a larger, higher resolution screen, it lasted a few hours longer than the ROG Flow X13.

Our opinion

The ROG Flow X13 is a one-of-a-kind gaming laptop thanks to its unique eGPU and incredible portability. Despite some strange design choices and mediocre battery life, it's hard not to be impressed with how much power Asus has put into this compact laptop.

Are there alternatives?

The Razer Blade Stealth 13 is the primary alternative. It's more expensive, however, and is currently still related to older graphics card and processor options.

The various 14-inch options are all good options, although they are a bit larger. The Razer Blade 14, Acer Predator Triton 300, and ROG Zephyrus G14 are all great 14-inch laptops that are more powerful than the ROG Flow X13 for a similar price.

How long it will take?

The ROG Flow X13 should last four or five years, assuming you don't want to keep abreast of the latest games and technology. Even if you do, the ability to add the XG Mobile is a nice addition that could extend the life of this laptop.

Should you buy it?

Yes, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. This is nowhere near the most powerful gaming laptop in the world, but if portability is an attractive proposition, you've found an incredibly unique laptop that will fit your life.

Editor's recommendations



05 Aug
Blog

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 Review: Slow But Really Cheap

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 sits on the tabletop.

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 Review: The Ultimate Chromebook for Students?

RRP $ 330.00

"The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is not the fastest Chromebook in the world, but the price is unbeatable."

advantages

  • Inexpensive

  • Solid build quality for the price

  • Surprisingly nice display

  • Very good battery life

  • Excellent touchpad and active pen

disadvantage

  • Performance is below average

  • Keyboard is tight

  • Touch display is fussy

Sometimes a product comes along that is defined by a certain characteristic. That's the price for the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 Convertible 2-in-1. The starting price of $ 330 will be extremely attractive to those looking for cheap access to the Internet. Budget laptops have their place, especially for students.

I tested the $ 330 Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 configuration with a MediaTek MT8183 CPU, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and a 12-inch IPS (1366×912) 3: 2 display . There are certainly some tradeoffs to achieve this rock bottom price. But most of the time, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 makes the right compromises for a cheap student laptop.

design

Angled view of the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is a mixture of a silver lid made of an aluminum alloy and a matching plastic housing. It uses the same electroplating as the more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip C536, which creates a ceramic-like texture on the lid. There's also the same in-mold roller process used on the C536 that gives the Chromebook Flip CM3's all-black keyboard deck a velvety feel that makes the palm rests surprisingly comfortable. This kind of technology is not expected in such an inexpensive laptop, and it gives it an attractive, if simple aesthetic that looks like it should cost quite a bit more.

The quality of workmanship is just as impressive: the lid only bends slightly under pressure, and the keyboard bends a little under strong pressure. Here, too, the Chromebook Flip CM3 surpasses its weight class and offers a surprisingly robust workmanship. It might not be built quite as well as the Chromebook Flip C536 (which itself was a step behind the Asus standard) or the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, but both of these laptops cost around $ 600. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is another 2-in-1 that is roughly the same price as the Chromebook Flip CM3 and is made entirely of plastic but still feels solid.

This is a small laptop, although not as small as it could be. It's built around a 12-inch 3: 2 display, which should result in a tiny chassis, but the bezels are large and add to the width and depth. Even so, it's smaller than 13-inch laptops and is 0.64 inches thick and 2.51 pounds. Overall, it feels like a thin and light laptop that is easy to take with you.

Connectivity is limited to a single USB-C port, a USB-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD card reader. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2, both of which are a generation behind.

Left side view of the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3. Features: micro USB port, micro SD slot, USB port and headphone jack.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

perfomance

Do you remember when I asked what corners were cut? Well, the simplest answer here is: performance. The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 uses a MediaTek MT8183 ARM CPU with 2 GHz. Although this processor has been optimized for Chrome OS, there is only one way to characterize it. It's slow.

Look at the 2-in-1's Geekbench 5 scores, a low of 299 in single-core mode and 1,407 in multi-core mode. The closest comparison I could find in our database is the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 with a Core i3-1011U CPU that scored 938 and 1,653 points. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5, on which the Core i3-1011U also runs, scored 975 and 1,649 points, respectively. It's clear that the MediaTek processor makes multi-threaded apps run better than single-threaded apps.

I would stick with simpler, less graphics-intensive games on the Chromebook Flip CM3.

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 also scores very poorly in the Speedometer 2.0 web browser test and only achieves 24.4. That's at the bottom of our database and less than half what you can expect from other Chromebooks. Of course, most of these cost hundreds of dollars more than the Chromebook Flip CM3. It is noteworthy that the Chromebook Flip C536 scored 158 points in this test with a Core i3-1115G4.

Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 folded back, sitting on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

In real use, I found the machine not as slow as these benchmarks suggest. It got choppy when I opened too many browser tabs and some Android apps were running in the background, but with a more reasonable workload, the Chromebook Flip CM3 was perfectly usable. Given the price, it's a decent second machine that is easy to move around, and for users who just need to browse the web and check email, the performance is acceptable.

However, the game did not go well. I tried Asphalt 9, my favorite Chromebook testing game, and it wasn't fun. I would stick with simpler, less graphics-intensive games on the Chromebook Flip CM3.

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Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 sits on the tabletop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 has a 12-inch IPS display with a productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1366 x 912. The larger aspect ratio is another surprise with such a cheap laptop – it's a real boon for you anyone who appreciates more vertical space and less scrolling. The resolution is lower at 1366 x 912, but still sharp given the small screen size.

I liked this display at least as much as the more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip C536 and Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The difference is barely noticeable to the naked eye, but a 13.3-inch 1080p screen technically comes in at 165 pixels per inch compared to the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3's 137 ppi.

I cannot test Chromebooks with my colorimeter and can therefore only give my subjective opinion. And in my opinion, this is – surprisingly again – a vivid display for such an inexpensive device. It's not particularly bright, but it was able to overcome all of the indoor ambient lighting that I threw on it. I couldn't use it outside in direct sunlight, but that's not uncommon. The colors were pleasant and seemed accurate when I used the Chromebook Flip CM3 side by side with other more expensive laptops. Photos and videos looked great without being too light or too dark. The contrast wasn't as high as I'd like it to be, but black text on a white background wasn't grayish like it is on many budget laptops.

I liked this display at least as much as that of the more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip C536 and Acer Chromebook Spin 713. It doesn't rank at the top like the premium display of the Google Pixelbook Go. But even here you pay twice as much money to get this higher quality. Asus has excellently equipped the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 with a display that will delight all but the most discerning creative professionals – who won't buy this laptop anyway.

Keyboard and touchpad

The pen sits on the keyboard of the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3.

The small chassis has an unfortunate byproduct and that is a very cramped keyboard. The keycaps are tiny and there isn't much space between them. If you have larger hands, you will likely have trouble typing on this keyboard. The switching mechanism offers a lot of spring travel, but is a bit boring without the click that contributes to precise typing. The floor movement is a bit abrupt, and I would definitely rate this keyboard as one of the less comfortable ones I've used. As already mentioned, the palm rest is amazingly comfortable thanks to the special coating, but the keyboard does not drag. Note that the keyboard is not backlit, which is disappointing.

The touchpad is better as it's bigger than expected thanks to the extra palm rest offered by the taller display. It's fluid and responsive, provides precise cursor control, and supports all of the usual Chrome OS multitouch gestures.

As usual with 2-in-1s, the screen is touch-enabled, and I found it finicky. Sometimes I had to tap two or three times to respond, especially when trying to activate smaller on-screen buttons. It's not outrageous, but it has detracted from the touch panel's usefulness. The Chromebook Flip CM3 supports an optional active pen with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity that was included with my test device. I found it to be as good as any other Chromebook pen I've used and it supports the suite of Chrome OS pen tools with great precision.

Battery life

Close up of one of the hinges on the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3.

The MediaTek processor, while slow, is also efficient. The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 has a 32-watt-hour battery, which is not particularly large, even considering the low-resolution 12-inch display.

Even so, the 2-in-1 lasted almost 12.5 hours in our web browser test, which is a strong score. The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 only managed 6.75 hours in this test, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 8.45 hours. I went back a couple of years and couldn't find a Chromebook that would last longer.

In our video test, which ran through a local Full HD movie trailer, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 lasted just over 12 hours. It's not uncommon for Chrome OS computers, unlike Windows 10 laptops, to last longer in the web browser test than they did in the video test. Here, too, the Chromebook Flip CM3 outlasted the comparison laptops by a few hours.

Overall, the Chromebook Flip CM3 offers impressive battery life for such a small device. If you use it as the primary system you get a full day of work from it, and if it's a secondary laptop you get days of use.

Our opinion

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is an affordable Chrome OS 2-in-1 that exceeds expectations based on its low price. It's slower than I'd like, but it has great battery life and a solid, comfortable chassis. The keyboard could be bigger and the touchscreen a little more responsive, but the touchpad and active pen are excellent.

I wouldn't recommend buying the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 as your primary work device unless your requirements are minimal. But as a second laptop to take with you and for surfing the web and checking emails, or as an entry-level laptop for students, it's a great option.

Are there alternatives?

The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is another Chrome OS 2-in-1 with a similar price and performance. The build quality is a bit better, but the battery life can't keep up.

You can jump up a bit in price and consider the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, which costs around $ 600 but is much faster and has a sharper 3: 2 display.

Finally, as we usually recommend, Google's Pixelbook Go should be on your list if you don't need the flexibility of a 2-in-1. It's more expensive, but it also has a long battery life and a stunning display that can't be beat.

How long it will take?

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 feels solid enough to withstand years of typical use. The biggest question is how Chrome OS is performing – if at some point it needs more CPU power, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 can't keep up. The one-year warranty is fine for this price.

Should you buy it?

Yes. As a second laptop, the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 is a great bargain that is worth the small investment.

Editor's recommendations



03 Aug
Blog

Asus Chromebook Flip C536 Review: Flawed But Inexpensive

Two Asus Chromebook Flip C536 sit on a desk and show different folding options.

Asus Chromebook Flip C536 in the test: flawed, but the price wins

RRP $ 580.00

"The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 strikes a solid balance between premium design and affordability."

advantages

  • Attractive price

  • Nice aesthetics

  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad

  • Pen support

  • Solid productivity performance

disadvantage

  • Build quality is a little below average

  • Bad battery life

  • Housing is bigger than it should be

The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 was one of the best Chromebooks you could buy. It was stylish, high quality, and extremely powerful – especially for a Chromebook.

Now the Chromebook Flip C536 has superseded that machine, and there have been some significant changes.

I have an entry-level Chromebook Flip C536 configuration with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), and a 14-inch Full HD IPS -Display (1920 x 1080) tested aspect ratio 16: 9. It's available for a more attractive price of $ 580, which makes it a bargain given the components.

design

Person using a pen on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.Asus

The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 is a handsome white laptop with a black interior, a contrast that makes for a bold look that you normally don't get at this price point. The laptop's lines are simple and streamlined and have very typical angles, but the color scheme makes all the difference and there's just enough chrome to add accents without being intrusive.

Asus has provided the device with a series of special coatings that use a galvanic coating process on the lid and base, which creates a ceramic-like look and feel, and an in-roller process for the keyboard deck, which creates a wonderfully soft and warm surface for yours Palms. In this regard, it is similar to the Dell XPS 13, which uses a carbon fiber material to achieve the same effect. The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 isn't the most flashy laptop, but you will feel like you are carrying around a much more expensive product.

The build quality is not quite as top notch, which is not typical for Asus. The company typically makes solid laptops as boulders and subjects them all to military standards, which are tested for ruggedness, but the Chromebook Flip C536 falls a little short. The main problem lies in the lid, which bends too much and distorts the display. There is a little bit of keyboard flex and the bottom chassis only gives way a little.

Overall, it's not bad for the price, but the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a Chromebook in the same price range that is more solid. The previous model of the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 was also more robust (and a bit more expensive), which makes this version a little step backwards. I'd like to point out that the Chromebook Flip C436's hinge allowed the lid to be opened with one hand, while the Chromebook Flip C536 version is much stiffer and requires two hands. However, it moves smoothly through clamshell, tent, media, and tablet modes and has the Asus ErgoLift feature that supports the back for a better typing angle and improved airflow.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 has thin bezels on the sides, but the top bezel is thicker and the lower chin is huge. That makes for a case that's not as small as many other 14-inch laptops, including the Chromebook Flip C436, which is quite a bit smaller. When I first took the Chromebook Flip C536 out of the box, I thought it was a 15-inch device. It's 0.72 inches thick and weighs 4.17 pounds compared to the C436, which is 0.54 inches thick and weighs 2.42 pounds.

Close-up of the HDMI and USB ports on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.

Close-up of the headphone jack and USB and micro-USB ports on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is even smaller with its 13.5-inch 3: 2 display. Among other things, the C536 is heavier than the C436 because it is made of an aluminum alloy compared to the lighter magnesium alloy of the previous model. It also has a 57 watt hour battery versus the 42 watt hour battery on the older model. In all fairness, it's a bit of a surprise that the Chromebook Flip C536 has gained so much weight and girth from one generation to the next.

Asus built solid connectivity into the Chromebook Flip C536. There is a USB-C 3.2 port, a USB-A 3.2 port and a 3.5mm audio jack on the left and another USB-C and USB-A port on the right for a micro -SD card reader. This is an improvement over the previous model. Wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

perfomance

Two Asus Chromebook Flip C536 on a desk with video games.Asus

My test device was equipped with a Core i3-1115G4 (a Core i5-1135G7 is available), which should offer plenty of performance for Chrome OS. We can't run all of the benchmarks on Chromebooks, but the Chromebook Spin C536 only managed 1,209 single-core and 2,849 multi-core in the Android Geekbench 5 app. That's not particularly strong even for Chromebooks, which usually don't do well here. However, it is quite a bit faster than the Asus Chromebook Flip 436 with its Core i3-10110U, which scored a meager 938 and 1,653 points, respectively.

Even with this mediocre Geekbench 5 score, I found the Chromebook Flip C536 very quickly. I've been running a variety of Android apps and opening numerous Chrome tabs and never noticed any slowdown. The 8GB of RAM likely helped keep things going, and the PCIe SSD likely helped too. You can configure the Chromebook Flip C536 with up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, but our test configuration will likely be enough for most Chrome OS users.

Playing on the laptop was fine. The Core i3-1115G4 is limited to Intel UHD graphics and not to the newer Intel Iris Xe, but still plays Android games like Asphalt 9 without stuttering or frame loss. It's a great laptop for tablet mode, the most convenient way to play Android games, but it performed well.

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4 variations / ways to use the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.Asus

The Chromebook Flip C536 uses a 14-inch Full HD IPS display in the increasingly old-fashioned 16: 9 aspect ratio. Asus doesn't provide any information about the display, and I can't use my colorimeter with Chrome OS laptops. That limits the objective data that I can provide.

Subjectively, however, I found the display bright enough for typical indoor lighting conditions. The contrast seemed good but not great, with a touch of gray that kept black text from really showing up on a white background. The colors were bright and natural, and showed photos and videos with obvious accuracy when I compared them side by side with other laptops. Compared to some other Chromebooks, I would rate the Chromebook Flip C536 as good, but not great, with the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and Google Pixelbook Go offering more vibrant and enjoyable displays.

Even so, I enjoyed using the Asus display during my test. It won't please creatives who crave wide and accurate colors, but for productivity, web browsing, and Netflix with the display rotated in media mode, it's a display that beats its price.

The sound wasn't quite as good. The volume was sufficient for system sounds and watching YouTube videos that clearly show the mids and highs. Bass was missing as usual and there was some distortion at maximum volume. You should pull out a pair of headphones to listen to music and catch Netflix.

Keyboard and touchpad

Asus Chromebook Flip C536 backlit keyboard.Asus

One of the things that companies sometimes skimp on when making a cheap laptop is the keyboard. I've seen some great budget machines torpedoed by a bad one, and suffice it to say, Asus avoided this trap here. The Chromebook Flip C536's keyboard has a good clearance, comfortable keycaps, and a crisp mechanism that offers plenty of wiggle room and a clicking floor movement.

I found the keyboard to be precise, comfortable, and quiet during my tests, and there is even a tiny number pad if you are entering a lot of data. You can find the usual wide range of Chrome OS keyboard backlights that are effective and consistent. I liked this keyboard better than any I've used on a Chromebook lately, including the Chromebook Flip C436 and Chromebook Spin 713, and just like most Windows 10 laptops.

The touchpad has a wide format, which is a shame because Asus could have accommodated a larger, square touchpad given the available palm rests. It's a decent size, but it could have been bigger. Fortunately, it makes up for it with responsiveness and perfect control over the entire suite of Chrome OS multitouch gestures. The display is touchable, of course there is an optional active pen that you can purchase for coloring. It supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and is designed to provide a great handwriting and drawing experience on the display.

Asus has in no way designed to allow you to log in without a password, which is not to be expected at this price point. A fingerprint reader would have been nice though.

Battery life

Music video is played on the close-up image of the headphone jack and the USB and micro-USB ports of the Asus Chromebook Flip C536.Asus

The Chromebook Flip C536 has a larger battery than its predecessor, 57 watt hours versus 42 watt hours, as described above. That should have led to a significant increase in battery life.

Unfortunately, things didn't turn out that way. Again, we're limited in the tests we can run based on Chrome OS, but we have two tests we can run. The first is our web browser test, which goes through a number of popular websites. The Chromebook Flip C536 only managed 6.75 hours, well below the 10.5 hours the C436 achieved. The Chromebook Spin 713 lasted for 11 hours. In our video test, which ran through a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the Chromebook Flip C536 achieved a few minutes under 10 hours, compared with the C436 with almost 13 hours and the Chromebook Spin 713 with almost exactly 10 hours.

These are disappointing results and I ran each test twice to make sure I wasn't missing a thing. Most Chromebooks will get you through a full day of work thanks to the lightweight Chrome OS, and given the Chromebook Flip C536's Full HD display, that's at least what I expected, if not more. Unfortunately, you are unlikely to make it through an 8-hour day without turning on at some point.

Our opinion

The Asus Chromebook Flip C536 is a nice looking Chromebook that offers good performance and great input options. It lags a bit behind typical Asus build quality, but it's by no means a fragile machine. However, the battery life is a real buzzkill that sets this laptop back a lot.

Compared to its predecessor, the Chromebook Flip C536 is larger (with the same display) and cheaper. It would be hard to recommend for the same price, but it's a few hundred dollars cheaper. That is liberating and makes the Chromebook Flip C536 much more attractive.

Are there alternatives?

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a tough competitor that is roughly the same price but has a faster CPU and a sharper, more productive 13.5-inch 3: 2 display. It's also a bit smaller, which makes it more functional in tablet mode.

As far as it can still be purchased, the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 is itself a competitor of the successor. It's better built, has better battery life, and is a lot smaller. It is proof that new does not always mean better.

Finally, if you don't need a 2-in-1, keep Google's Pixelbook Go on your list. The battery life is better, the audio quality is superior, and it comes in a smaller package. It's a little more expensive, but not by much, and the vastly superior display will blow your mind.

How long it will take?

The Chromebook Flip C536 isn't fragile, but it's not as sturdy as some of its competitors – including most other Asus machines. It will hold you, but you will feel like you should be more careful with it. The typical one-year warranty is there, but acceptable at the price.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Chromebook Flip C536 has its weaknesses, but the price tag makes it an attractive option nonetheless.

Editor's recommendations



30 Jul
Blog

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 Review: Dual Screens, If You Need It

Illustration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with a second display.

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED review: Two screens when you need them

RRP $ 3,000.00

"The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED is a fantastic laptop for the creative when you can use its second screen."

advantages

  • Useful dual screen design

  • Excellent workmanship

  • Nice OLED displays

  • Strong performance in creative apps

  • Keyboard action is comfortable

  • Active pen is precise and responsive

disadvantage

  • Clumsy keyboard and touchpad

  • Battery life is awful

  • Expensive

Asus doesn't do without dual screens. The company has some laptops with second screens embedded in the touchpad, but last year it released the more extravagant ZenBook Pro Duo UX581, which positioned a second large display under the primary panel. For such a futuristic idea, the laptop was remarkably well made.

But Asus hasn't rested on its laurels and recently launched the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 and made several significant changes to this experimental design.

I have a well-stocked configuration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with an Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU of the 10 x 2160) OLED panel and a second OLED screen at 3840 x 1100.

However, this is an expensive $ 3,000 machine. Is the dual display functionality enough to compete with the best laptops for video and photo editing?

design

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo sits on the table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Close the lid of the ZenBook Pro Duo and it looks like a chunky 15-inch laptop with a light industrial design in a Celestial Blue color scheme and the usual Asus concentric swirl on the lid. The edges are angled for aesthetic and functional reasons, especially the rear edge that houses the new ErgoLift AAS (Active Aerodynamic System) hinge that supports the lower chassis for better airflow and more comfortable typing upwards.

It bears a vague resemblance to gaming laptops due to the aggressive ventilation on each side, but overall the design is more function than form. A look at the ZenBook Pro Duo gives a clear impression that it is a working device. Compare that to the Dell XPS 15, which is far slimmer and adds a touch of elegance, making it a more attractive laptop. Another laptop with a different design, which also presents a pure work aesthetic, is the Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel with its foldable display design – not surprising that this device is also aimed at creative people.

There is nothing slim and light in the ZenBook Pro Duo.

Open the lid of the ZenBook Pro Duo and the second display rises at an angle – the previous version remained flat and less comfortable to use. Since both displays are OLED, there are tons of bright colors and deep blacks to stare at, and at least it looks cool. This angle is not only helpful for use in the east; it also provides additional airflow over the lower chassis for theoretically improved thermal performance.

The main display hinge is pretty tight and it takes some pressure to lift the second display. Despite the heavy weight of the underside, you need two hands to open the laptop, but everything feels sturdy and gives you the certainty that after a lot of opening and closing you won't have any problems with the second display in the long run.

Asus constructed the ZenBook Pro Duo from a mix of aluminum and magnesium-aluminum alloys, so the feeling of durability is carried over to the rest of the laptop. I would rate it with the best laptops for its rigidity without bending, bending, or twisting on the machine. It corresponds to the Dell XPS and Latitude and Lenovo ThinkPad lines, which are some of the toughest laptops built today. This quality is a common characteristic of Asus laptops – we rarely come across one that is not rock solid.

While the ZenBook Pro Duo isn't thin and light, it's not as big as you'd expect given the second screen. It's 0.83 inches thick and weighs 5.16 pounds, compared to the XPS 15 at 0.71 inches and 4.5 pounds. The ZenBook's bezels are larger at the top and bottom, making the case larger overall – not to mention the impact of the second display, but it's by no means a huge laptop. The Acer Concept D 7 Ezel is thicker and heavier at 1.13 inches at its thickest point and 5.6 pounds, and this device feels bigger than the ZenBook Pro Duo.

Right side view of the closed Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 with connectors.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZenBook Pro Duo comes with a palm rest extension that slides up on the bottom of the case. That makes up for the fact that there is no palm rest built into the device and typing without the extension is uncomfortable (more on the keyboard later). Adding the extension pushes the laptop back onto your desk, which means it takes up quite a bit of space when fully configured. The extension has a pass-through for the LED on the bottom that shows the battery status, which is a nice touch.

There is no doubt, however, that you will be reconfiguring your desk to make everything fit, and the expansion is another thing to take with you if you want the convenience of using the ZenBook Pro Duo on the go. I would have recommended adding a magnetic link to keep the extension in place; As it is, it slides around while you work and that can be distracting.

Finally, Asus also offers an ErgoLift stand that further supports the back of the ZenBook Duo Pro. You can achieve a 12 degree angle by using the stand that attaches to the bottom of the chassis so you can always have it with you. I found it a bit clunky to use, but then I didn't attach the stand to the test device.

Certainly, it offers a more comfortable angle for both viewing the second screen and typing, with your palms resting more naturally on the desktop in the latter case. In theory, you could also use the palm rest extension, but it doesn't fit properly with the stand attached, and so it seems like one thing or the other. It's also another complication in setting up the laptop as you move from place to place.

ZenBook Pro Duo ErgoLift Stand.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is decent for a laptop as thick as the ZenBook Pro Duo. On the left is a proprietary connector for the 240 watt power adapter, a full-size HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the right side there are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support and one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port. It is noticeable that there is no SD card slot, which would have made sense for the ZenBook Pro Duo in the creative market. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 offer wireless connectivity.

perfomance

My test device was 10th with an Intel Core i9-10980HK eight-core / 16-thread CPU. Asus paid a lot of attention to thermal performance, with lots of airflow, as mentioned above, two 97-blade fans and a whopping six heat pipes, including one for the power supply module. There's also a G-sensor that detects when the display is closed at an angle of less than 80 degrees. At this point the power will be reduced to limit consumption and extend battery life.

Illustration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with a second display.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Asus offers a performance optimization utility that switches between standard and performance modes. I found the utility inconsistent – it raised the Cinebench R23 multi-core score to 9968, making it one of the fastest laptops we tested, but it didn't affect our Handbrake test of a 420MB video in H. converted .265.

It also raised Geekbench 5's multi-core score to 7542, placing it higher in our peer group. In our gaming benchmarks, the utility either had a minimal positive impact or reduced performance; I will discuss this below. The utility had no influence on the PCMark 10 score, which was particularly strong in the area of ​​content creation and is one of the fastest devices.

Overall, the ZenBook Pro Duo was a fast laptop, but maybe not quite as fast as you'd expect given the Core i9 CPU. I can imagine that despite all the efforts Asus put into heat treatment, the CPU still struggled to maintain full speed. The fans would certainly spin up, especially in performance mode, and a lot of heat was blown out of the side ventilation slots. In general, it can do CPU-intensive tasks and has managed to keep up with or outperform the latest Ryzen 7 CPUs – something we haven't seen on a lot of Intel-based laptops.

Given the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070, the ZenBook Pro Duo does well with apps that can use the GPU. It scored 647 in the PugetBench Adobe Premiere Pro benchmark, which is the fastest score we've seen on a laptop. The closest thing is the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro gaming laptop with a Ryzen 7 5800H and an RTX 3070 that managed 622. Anyone using Adobe's suite will be delighted with the performance of the ZenBook Pro.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake (seconds) Cinbench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED (Core i9-10980HK) 1266/6918 106 1236/8326 5769
Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel
(10875H)		 1301/7949 114 N / A N / A
HP Envy x360 15
(Ryzen7 5700U)		 1198/6790 116 1258/8131 5419
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(Ryzen 7 5800U		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034
Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-10875H) 1314/7549 122 N / A N / A
HP Envy 15 (Core i7-10750H) 1274/5542 139 N / A N / A
MacBook Pro 13 (M1) 1707/7337 N / A 1487/7547 N / A

Gaming was a mixed bag, perhaps due to the Nvidia Studio drivers installed on the ZenBook Pro Duo. These are designed to ensure consistent and reliable performance in creative apps rather than hardcore gaming, which appears to have impacted gaming performance. Either that or the GPU had thermal issues at times, as I suspect that happened to the CPU.

Additionally, as I mentioned above, the Asus Performance Utility only increased frame rates by a few or decreased performance. Civilization VI, for example, saw significant frame rate drops in performance mode. 3DMark scores rose, with the ZenBook Pro Duo hitting 8,763 in Time Spy and 17864 in Fire Strike in performance mode, but that increase didn't result in gaming.

The ZenBook Duo Pro did well in Fortnite on Epic graphics at 1080p, Civilization VI on Ultra graphics, and Assassin's Creed Vahalla on Ultra High graphics, but fell behind in Battlefield V on Ultra. The performance decreased disproportionately at 4K, whereby the ZenBook Pro Duo lagged far behind the crowd at this resolution. I haven't been able to test at 1440p, but it's possible you can run games there if you dive into Nvidia settings and enable that resolution.

The bottom line is that while the ZenBook Pro Duo doesn't always live up to its components as a gaming laptop, it is still quite usable for modern 1080p and maybe 1440p titles. You may get better performance if you remove the Studio drivers and install the regular Nvidia drivers, but then you lose the benefit of better creative application performance and reliability. This is likely not something that the laptop target market will go for.

Laptop 3DMark time spy 3DMark fire strike Assassin's Creed Valhalla (1080p Ultra High) Battlefield V (1080p Ultra) Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED (RTX 3070) 7998 16932 74 fps 78 fps 102 fps 111 fps
Razer Blade 14 (RTX 3070) 8605 19673 60 fps 96 fps 96 fps 84 fps
Asus ROG Strix G15 (Radeon RX 6800M) 10504 26800 77 fps 109 fps 108 fps 91 fps
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (RTX 3070) 9175 21033 61 fps 73 fps 101 fps 101 fps
MSI GS66 Stealth (RTX 3080) 9097 19175 70 fps 97 fps 140 fps 140 fps

Primary display

Close-up of the image of the ZenBook Pro Duo display.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The primary display of the ZenBook Pro Duo is a 4K OLED panel with DisplayHDR 500 support that looks just brilliant. OLED excels in that it usually highlights colors without becoming oversaturated and creates blacks that look incredibly deep, and the panel Asus selected for the ZenBook Pro Duo does both.

My colorimeter agreed with my subjective impression. First, the display was quite bright at 369 cd / m², well above our 300 nit threshold. That's less than the OLED display on the HP Specter x360 15, which registered 426 nits, and the Dell XPS 14 4K IPS display, which reached 442 nits, but is still bright enough for most indoor environments. The contrast was typical for OLED displays at 368,610: 1, compared to the Specter x360 15 OLED at 426,180: 1 and the XPS 15 4K at 1480: 1 (good for an IPS display).

The colors were wide at 100% of sRGB and 99% of AdobeRGB, with the Specter x360 15 OLED hitting 100% and 98%, respectively, and the XPS 15 4K hitting 100% of both color gamuts. Accuracy was good with a DeltaE of 1.25 (less than 1.0 is considered excellent) and was close to the 1.21 of the Specter x360 15 OLED, but not as good as the spectacular 0.65 of the XPS 15 4K.

Simply put, the display on the ZenBook Pro Duo was a joy to use. Black text appeared on a white background, the colors were vibrant and beautiful, and Netflix was a dream thanks to the 4K resolution and HDR support. This is a display that everyone will love including the creative professionals who demand wide and accurate colors.

The sound is driven by two downward-facing speakers, which ensure a clear sound and hardly sufficient volume. I want things to get a little louder, but it's good enough for the occasional YouTube video. The mids and highs are fine, but there is no bass. You will need a pair of headphones for Netflix bingeing and music sessions.

Secondary display

Second display of the ZenBook Pro Duo, ScreenPad +.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The second display of the ZenBook Pro Duo, called ScreenPad +, is also OLED and runs at 3840 x 1100. Like the primary display, it is bright and colorful with deep black tones. I couldn't position my colorimeter properly to get a formal reading of its quality, but it seems to be on par with its bigger brother. Speaking of size, the second display is big enough to be useful, though the extreme widescreen format means any maximized apps can look a little funky on it.

This laptop is designed with the creative in mind, and it is these users who will get the most out of the second display.

Asus has packed a lot of functionality into the second display, all of which are accessible via a ScreenXpert Control Center menu that can be pinned or left floating on the left, right, or bottom of the display. The menu provides access to Brightness, an App Navigator utility that makes it easy to move windows from one screen to another, a button to lock or unlock the keyboard, a button to view the ScreenPad + desktop, a button to open the MyAsus App, a button to open the Launcher app that provides access to ScreenPad + apps and setup.

Useful ScreenPad + apps include a Quick Key utility that provides quick access to features like copy and paste, a handwriting app that converts ink to text, a virtual numeric keypad, a Spotify control center, and a Corel Multicam utility. There are also buttons to open an AppDeals app and the MyASUS app, and a button to open the Asus Control Panel app (see below).

There are several ways to use the ScreenPad +. You can turn it into a massive touchpad, which is less useful than it seems as it is positioned above the keyboard and therefore not very comfortable to use. It can host app windows, so it can act as a typical external display. Asus has developed a new Control Panel app that supports Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, and has several commonly used functions for each app.

The app is fully customizable and is designed to optimize the use of the supported applications. One final way to use the secondary display is to move control windows out of the way in apps like Premiere and Photoshop to make more room to view and edit a video or photo. Note that the Control Panel app can start automatically and take away this functionality.

Close-up of the second display of the ZenBook Pro Duo, ScreenPad +.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Overall, I found the ScreenPad + to be a useful addition, but mainly for certain users who can use the app-specific functions. That's fine, because this laptop was designed for creative people, and it is these users who will get the most out of the second display. Personally, I probably wouldn't use it for much more than dragging down windows that don't clutter my main display or that I want to see separately, like the Netflix app or a YouTube window. That might make the ScreenPad + a niche component, but a useful one nonetheless.

Touchpad and keyboard

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 keyboard with stylus on top.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Close-up of the vertical touchpad on the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Close-up of the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 keyboard.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

On its own, the ZenBook Pro Duo’s 3-tier, backlit keyboard is a good one. It has a lot of travel and comfortable key spacing, and the switches provide precise action with a nice click. My only complaint is that the ground movement is a little abrupt and therefore has a harrowing effect that can be tiring during long tip sessions. I would rate it a step or two behind the great keyboards of the HP Specter x360 15 and Dell XPS 15. The biggest problem with the keyboard is that there is no palm rest.

When using the laptop alone, your wrists rest on the desktop and your fingers are at an awkward typing angle. As mentioned earlier, Asus offers a palm rest extension that solves this problem, but the ZenBook Pro Duo extends further back on a desktop and it's another piece to take with you. Also, as mentioned above, you can attach the ErgoLift stand and that helps too, but again, it's another piece to play around with.

The touchpad, on the other hand, is just terrible. I hate being this negative, but it's tiny, vertically oriented (which is weird to use), and placed to the right of the keyboard where it's annoying. It includes Asus' virtual LED numeric keypad which is great for those who would use something like this, but that doesn't make up for its size and placement. It's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, so it works well enough. It's just terribly uncomfortable.

Both displays are of course touch-enabled and support the supplied Asus active pen, which can be magnetically attached to the lid. The pen works well and ensures fluid and precise coloring and control on both displays.

Close-up of the webcam of the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Finally, the passwordless login of Windows 10 Hello is supported by an infrared camera and facial recognition. It's quick and accurate, and I had no problems signing in. The webcam is a disappointing 720p as some vendors start configuring 1080p webcams in response to the pandemic-inspired surge in video conferencing.

Battery life

Asus has increased the battery of the ZenBook Pro Duo compared to the previous generation by 29.5% to a capacity of up to 92 Wh. That's a lot of battery, but that's a lot of machine, so I didn't have extremely high expectations.

I was on the right track. The ZenBook Pro Duo doesn't do well in any of our battery benchmarks. In our web browser test, for example, it didn't quite make four hours, a meager score that even gaming laptops tend to outperform. The previous version lasted about 5.5 hours, but that was with the second screen turned off. I ran my tests with the second screen on, assuming that most users would want this feature in battery life as much as when plugged in. According to Asus, the second screen should reduce battery life by about 1.5 hours, which I've seen and which suggests that the updated version doesn't show better longevity, at least in this test, despite the larger battery.

In short, the ZenBook Pro Duo has terrible battery life.

Note that the Dell XPS 15 4K ran for seven hours and the HP Specter x360 15 ran a little over six hours. I realize I've picked a few comparison devices that aren't much better than the ZenBook Pro Duo. The latest laptops last around 10 hours in this test, but of course most of them don't have OLED displays and such powerful components.

In our video looping test, which repeats a Full HD Avengers trailer, the ZenBook Pro Duo reached six hours, compared to the XPS 15 with 20 minutes more and the Specter x360 15 with 6.5 hours. Again, other modern machines last much longer, usually over 13 hours or so. I also ran the PCMark 10 gaming test, where the Asus lasted less than two hours; This isn't all that bad, and the test itself is likely more of a measure of how aggressively a laptop is running on battery life than how long its battery lasts.

In the PCMark 10 application test, which is the best indicator of battery life, the ZenBook Pro Duo achieved 5.5 hours, which is about half of what most other laptops can do. We didn't test the XPS 15 with these benchmarks either, but the Specter x360 15 lasted three minutes less in the gaming test and two minutes less in the applications test.

In short, the ZenBook Pro Duo has terrible battery life. Of course, this is not unexpected in the design of the machine. This means that if you are on the road for a full day at work, you have to carry the powerful 240-watt power brick with you. Add that to the palm rest extension and ErgoLift stand, and your backpack will feel pretty full.

Our opinion

The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 (www!) Is a great laptop for anyone who really benefits from adding a second display to the device, not to mention a powerful CPU and GPU that can handle demanding tasks. This includes creatives who use their laptops with apps like Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, which makes sense because that's exactly what Asus is aiming for. In this regard, the company has succeeded in producing a laptop that meets special requirements.

For most other users, however, the ZenBook Pro Duo is too heavy, too complicated and suffers from a short battery life. It's also expensive at $ 3,000 when you can get equally powerful and much more portable laptops for the same or less money.

Are there alternatives?

The Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel is another differently designed laptop tailored for creative types. It's also very fast, very heavy, and has a very short battery life. It's even more expensive, too, but if you're a creator and need its flexibility, the Acer is a great alternative.

The Dell XPS 15 is a cheaper device for developers because it's fast (though not as fast as the ZenBook Pro Duo), has its own great display, and is far more portable. If you don't need the second display, it's a viable option.

Otherwise, the ZenBook Pro Duo is in a class of its own. You won't find any other device with the same type of second screen, and if that matters to you, the Asus is your only option.

How long it will take?

The ZenBook Pro Duo is extremely well built and feels tough enough to withstand years of use. Its components also keep up, so that your investment pays for itself. You will be disappointed with the one year warranty, which is industry standard but not long enough for such an expensive product.

Should you buy it?

Yes. When you need a second display, the ZenBook Pro Duo isn't just your only choice. It's a great choice, period. If you don't, your $ 3,000 will likely be better spent elsewhere.

Editor's recommendations



14 Jul
Blog

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX Review: A $2,999 HDR Dream Monitor?

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX

RRP $ 2,999.00

"The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX is a brilliant PC gaming device, but its shortcomings are hard to swallow."

advantages

  • Mind-blowing HDR performance

  • Extremely high peak brightness

  • Excellent colors

  • Built-in thread for camera mounting

  • Fast, fluid play

disadvantage

  • No HDMI 2.1

  • Has audible fan

  • Still not a perfect HDR experience

  • Expensive

The ROG Swift PG32UQX was first teased about two years ago, and unlike any gaming monitor in recent history, it has hyped the PC gaming community. You will find forum threads full of excitement. And for a good reason.

According to Asus, the ROG Swift PG32UQX offers overwhelming HDR performance unlike any other monitor currently on the market. In addition, it was the first 32-inch 4K gaming monitor based on mini-LED technology with full-array local dimming (FALD) for HDR lighting with 1,152 individual zones and a peak brightness of up to 1,400 nits.

The catch, of course, was the price. $ 2,999 is more than most complete PC gaming setups, including the PC, monitor, and peripherals. Therefore, it is only realistic to expect absolute and absolute perfection. The ROG Swift PG32UQX does a lot of things amazingly well, but it's not perfect.

design

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQXNiels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

The ROG Swift PG32UQX is quite a large monitor. That's what is expected from a 32-inch display, but the PG32UQX is slightly larger than most 32-inch panels because of its FALD lighting panel, which gives the display a noticeable thickness.

The design style is also quite aggressive, whereby Asus does not shy away from any chance that the PG32UQX is recognized as a Republic of Gamers product. The stand of the monitor has the new but classic tripod design with a downward-facing lighting stamp, the back of the display has strong shapes and a huge, RGB-illuminated Asus ROG logo, and the display's large chin has a small OLED panel in it to display entertaining graphics or system information, such as B. CPU temperature.

Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

Indeed, there is a lot to discover here. However, if styling isn't your thing, it's easy to slide the back of the monitor toward a wall, replace the stand with a VESA mount, and then that's all that's left of the display's chin, which may look a bit aggressive .

The tiny OLED display is pretty nifty though – I doubt anyone will mind, especially because it's customizable.

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX

The display's power brick is external, which I think is a good thing because otherwise the PG32UQX would have been even bigger, and there is a thread on top of the monitor for inserting a camera mount – I've tried and this monitor will happily hold mine mirrorless camera with a large lens. Streamer, do you get this?

At the top right there is even a USB port to which you can connect your webcam or camera without having to fumble around behind the monitor.

Connections and controls

Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

The ROG Swift PG32UQX offers a variety of connectivity options, but it is not complete. There are three HDMI 2.0 ports, a single DisplayPort 1.4a port, a three-port USB hub, and a headphone jack.

But HDMI 2.1 is actually missing, and that's a big one. HDMI 2.1 is now the standard for multimedia connectivity, with all 2020 and 2021 GPUs and consoles having the interface. Without them, your Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 can't run at 4K 120Hz with full color support, and that's unacceptable for a high-end 4K monitor in 2021 – especially one that costs $ 3,000. Most new gaming laptops even ship with support for HDMI 2.1.

HDMI 2.1 is missing, and that's unacceptable for a high-end 4K monitor in 2021.

There is an opposite side to this argument, namely that there are hardly any PC monitors with HDMI 2.1 at all. That, and the official Nvidia G-Sync module has not yet been developed to support HDMI 2.1. Still, I find it inexcusable on a monitor of this price and caliber. If you want to use the PG32UQX with a modern console, keep in mind that you are limited to 60Hz or have to sacrifice color: you will never have the best experience.

The display's OSD has somewhat weird controls with a spinning wheel in the center and a button on each side, but it's easy to navigate and most of the settings you need are there.

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQXNiels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

However, there is no brightness control in HDR mode, which is a problem. One can argue whether this matters as the brightness in HDR is supposed to be controlled by the PC and not the monitor, but I still prefer to see some kind of brightness control at all so that the basic brightness for the room is set to a comfortable level can be level.

There is a fan

Before packing up, there is one more drawback worth mentioning: the display has a fan. It turns on the moment the display does, and even though it's not loud, it's audible. This isn't a problem if you're using headphones or playing soft music, but it can be annoying if you enjoy a quiet room and have an otherwise quiet computer.

Mini LED and HDR

If there's a reason to buy the PG32UQX, it's mini LED and its HDR performance. I'll start with the good things: when using the right HDR content, the visual results the PG32UQX can produce are simply amazing. As if the monitor wasn't worth the price all the time, suddenly it was, almost.

LCD panels cannot block all of the light even when they are black, so the ability to dim selected areas (HDR on PC monitors, explained) is necessary to achieve full black levels. By dimming selected areas, the display can also increase the peak brightness in a small area without overly illuminating the entire display. Most PC monitors are edge-lit, with a lamp illuminating the entire display. On "better" HDR monitors, this edge lighting is divided into at least eight zones that illuminate selected columns of the display as required.

As you can imagine, this illuminated pillar effect is undesirable, which is why manufacturers are experimenting with mini-LEDs: a lighting technology that does not illuminate the edge of the display, but rather an array with a large number of individually controllable LEDs placed directly behind the board. This lighting technology is called Full-Array Local Dimming (FALD), and in the case of the PG32UQX these are 1152 zones, which offers complex local dimming control.

In a certain way, FALD actually eliminates the major disadvantages of IPS panels: Backlight bleeding and IPS glow are no longer a problem, since the affected area is simply not illuminated when the display is black. The static contrast ratio is also no longer so relevant, since the area would simply not be illuminated if a black image was displayed.

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQXNiels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

Individual zones can reach a brightness of up to 1,400 nits when displaying highlights, and although I couldn't test that number due to the limitations of my tester, I'll use Asus & # 39; Word on it: Bright lights, sun, fire and others The lights really shot from the screen in almost breathtaking brightness, which was really a sight when an area to the left of this object was completely dark and showed an inky black night sky.

This kind of realistic brightness control is exactly what HDR is all about, and the PG32UQX does more than just deliver. The PG32UQX is a pleasure especially in games with higher frame rates and activated G-Sync. It's not the fastest panel, but it's a lot fast for non-competitive gameplay.

Launch a game that does HDR right and you will be in for a spectacle.

But the technology is not perfect. The IPS panel is only capable of blocking that much light, and although 1,152 zones are orders of magnitude superior to an 8-zone edge-lit display (which barely feels like HDR after the PG32UQX), they're still visible zones, in particular on darker scenes. Simple desktop use is the worst culprit for this – take a black or dark background and hover your mouse over it: you'll see a circular halo of blue light nervously walking around the mouse as it jumps between zones. Or take a white dialog box on a dark background, the edges of which have a strange yellow sheen. This effect can get used to, but it is difficult to ignore and is always reminded of how imperfect the technique is.

However, desktop use is not a really fair test, as individual elements are often much too small for the zones. It doesn't take into account the higher peak brightness levels, and Microsoft's HDR implementation has yet to be refined. However, the halo effect is far less pronounced in dynamic content such as games, movies, or TV shows. This is because individual bright elements are often larger, but also because there is simply a lot more movement going on on the screen.

Launch a game that does HDR right, go into the settings and properly calibrate the maximum darkness and maximum brightness so that the game engine properly addresses the monitor's HDR brightness sensitivity and you will be in for a spectacle. Trust me, you will forget about the halo effect in games and videos.

picture quality

Thanks to its IPS panel, the PG32UQX has great color performance, which, coupled with the 4K resolution at the 32-inch size, make it a dream as an editing display, especially if you are producing HDR content.

We tested the monitor in SDR mode because our tester does not support HDR and the color performance of the panel is impressive. At the beginning of the test, I came across sRGB color clamping, which set color coverage at a perfect 100% of sRGB, which is a much appreciated feature: unclamped sRGB colors can often look oversaturated on monitors with wide color gamut, so it's nice to be around to see the inclusion of this limiter.

When the terminal is switched off, the panel covered a decent 100% of the AdobeRGB and 97% of the DCI-P3 color space, with a Delta-E (difference to the real value) of 1.77 for the color accuracy. Any Delta E below 2 is considered good enough for professional work. The calibration of the display did not bring any notable improvements, but the performance out of the box is quite good.

Gamma performance was perfect too, although I wasn't impressed with the panel's native static contrast ratio. While IPS panels, especially flat samples, generally achieve a result of around 1000: 1, the best recorded contrast ratio I got when testing this sample was 810: 1, which is what I would expect from a curved IPS panel, that occurs due to a bit more bleeding to the print. But that's a flat screen.

Asus ROG Swift PG32UQXNiels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

However, this was tested without HDR and switched off the variable backlighting of the panel. We test in this way to properly assess the panel's native contrast ratio without automatic backlight changes affecting the result. With the variable backlight on, the contrast ratio was much better, producing really deep blacks even in SDR mode – and I think most users of this monitor will want to keep the variable backlight on. The only exception would be for color-critical work, as dimmed backlighting causes color shifts in the adjacent areas.

This begs the question of how important it really is that the panel's contrast performance isn't great, which is a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, it shouldn't matter with this type of backlighting, but a panel with a better static contrast performance would block the light better and thus counteract the haloing of the PG32UQX better.

Keep in mind that contrast performance varies widely from sample to sample, and since I have a feeling that this sample performs at the lower end of the spectrum while other reports indicate much higher contrast ratios, you are likely to be luckier.

How about OLED as an alternative?

If you're looking for the perfect HDR experience that doesn't halo under any circumstances, you're probably thinking of something like, "How about just getting an OLED panel instead?" And I wouldn't blame you for this. In fact, that's a good idea, but OLED panels have their own dangers.

The attraction would be that each pixel is its own light source. One pixel could be illuminated with peak brightness and the ones directly next to it pitch black. No halo, just pure and perfect brightness control over the entire panel. HDR would look great on the Windows desktop and in all movies and games without sacrificing visual quality.

But there are a few catches. First and foremost, there are no OLED PC gaming monitors, and the smallest OLED TVs are around 48 inches diagonal right now. This is a little too big to be used on a desk as a PC monitor, especially without a bulge. They're all shiny too, burn-in is a potential risk, especially with the amount of static content that affects PC desktop usage, and to reduce burn-in, peak brightness is also limited so you never quite get the "I have to" get look the other way because it's so bright "dive in."

Ultimately, the choice between mini-LED and OLED is a concession: which one you will tolerate and which one you will not. However, if you're wondering whether to get the PG32UQX or a content-consuming OLED TV, then the PG32UQX is probably not for you – an OLED TV might not last as long, but it costs less than half – and so do I. I'll bet the PG32UQX depreciates in value faster than an OLED reaches $ 0 in value.

Our opinion

The Asus ROG Swift PG32UQX is an amazing device. With an array of 1,152 mini-LED lighting zones, it creates an HDR experience that cannot be compared with any other PC monitor currently available on the market. There aren't many 32-inch 4K gaming monitors on the market anyway, so sitting in front of one that is not only this size but also has FALD lighting is like sitting in front of a unicorn. At least at this point, the PG32UQX offers the most breathtaking HDR performance available on a PC without relying on an OLED TV.

The PG32UQX is at the forefront of what PC monitor technology can do these days, and if you're looking for an HDR spectacle for your desk, it's the tool for the job. But like any cutting edge technology, it's far from perfect and in that regard the PG32UQX feels a bit like a prototype: there's no HDMI 2.1 so it's not exactly future proof and I feel the mini LED tech as it looks well now, will soon be out of date due to new developments. Add to that the usual panel performance lottery, no basic HDR brightness controls, and an annoying fan, and it quickly becomes a very difficult proposition to spend $ 2,999 on a monitor.

Are there alternatives?

No. There are currently no other PC monitors that offer fast 4K gaming performance paired with FALD and this color performance. Your other best choice is an OLED TV like LG's 48-inch C1 model, but it comes with its own tradeoffs, assuming you have enough desk space at all.

How long it will take?

From a functional point of view, I don't see any reason why the ROG Swift PG32UQX couldn't last for at least five years. But between the lack of HDMI 2.1 and the rapidly evolving alternative display technologies, you'll likely itch to replace it long before it breaks, especially if you're someone who loves to be at the forefront of technology.

Should I buy it?

For most players, no. It has a few weaknesses that are guaranteed to be a deal breaker for large groups of buyers, especially at this price point.

If you have deep pockets and just want the best HDR gaming monitor you can buy right now, then the ROG Swift PG32UQX is as good as it gets. But for most of us it's like an exotic sports car: I want to rent it just to experience it, but I don't want to own it.

Editor's recommendations



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