Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 Laptop computer Overview

Flagship laptops are like supercars: enjoyable, quick and crowd pleasing, however with pricing that places them out of attain of most individuals and options that many people will not ever want. The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo is a primary instance of that. It is a beautiful machine with some improbable engineering, and it is undoubtedly going to draw admiring glances – however it’s dear, and most of the people simply will not want all the additional options.

Because the identify suggests, this can be a dual-screen laptop computer, with a secondary touchscreen crammed between the keyboard and major panel. On the within, the Duo has flagship parts to energy the pair of panels.

And whereas this can be a laptop computer from the Asus gaming vary, it isn’t nearly taking part in the most recent titles – Asus reckons it is also best for streamers who desire a second display screen to host comms and administration apps and creatives who want house for timelines and further apps.

If you happen to do want the laptop computer world’s newest supercar-style design, be ready to spend loads. The mannequin we have reviewed, the Zephyrus Duo 16 GX650PY-XS97, prices a cool $4,000 – and if you would like the extra inexpensive model with out flagship Nvidia graphics, the GX650PZ-XS96 nonetheless prices $3,500.

It isn’t low-cost, and it isn’t the one contender on the high of the market. Asus’ personal ROG Zephyrus M16 stays the slimmest, lightest RTX 4090 pocket book round, and forthcoming units just like the Razer Blade 16 and Alienware m16 stake their claims for gaming and inventive dominance. We additionally examined the MSI Titan GT77 in our evaluation of the laptop computer RTX 4090.

Options and Design

The 2 screens affect most areas of the Duo’s design. The secondary panel’s inclusion forces the keyboard ahead to the laptop computer’s entrance edge, and the trackpad should discover room to the suitable – and it is a lot narrower than the standard cursor floor.

Open the laptop computer and an intricate mechanism lifts that second display screen as much as an angle of 13 levels – a transfer that improves airflow and makes it simpler for customers to see the ScreenPad. And, new for this 12 months, a small strip of glass beneath the second display screen permits customers to see the motherboard alongside RGB LEDs. It’s kind of pointless, and that house would have arguably been higher used to make the keyboard a bit much less cramped.

There’s loads of innovation on present, and the Zephyrus does look futuristic. Along with the window and the RGB LEDs between the ScreenPad and keyboard, extra lighting is put in within the keyboard and the lid has an iridescent slash. It isn’t a shy pocket book – Razer rigs particularly look extra reserved.

It isn’t weak, both. The Duo’s construct high quality is constantly glorious and all of its mechanisms transfer easily and reliably.

The highly effective internals and modern design do imply that the Duo is not the slimmest or lightest pocket book. This specific Asus weighs 5.9 kilos and it is 30mm thick – and 266mm from entrance to again. The facility brick weighs an extra 2.5 kilos, which is customary at this stage.

If you’d like one thing slimmer and lighter, the Razer Blade 16 weighs 5.4 kilos and it is simply 22mm skinny. Asus’ personal ROG Zephyrus M16 is slimmer and lighter than the Duo, too.

Unsurprisingly, the MSI Titan GT77 is much heavier and thicker than the Duo. The Alienware m16 is a hefty unit, too, with a 7.1-pound physique that stretches 290mm from entrance to again.

The Shows

Each screens have spectacular specs. The primary panel is a 16″ Mini LED show with 1,024 dimming zones and a 2560 x 1600 decision. If you’d like impeccable distinction and crisp visuals, you are in luck.

It is an enchancment over older variations of this laptop computer, which retained most of the similar options however with IPS underpinnings.

It is a 16:10 display screen, so there is a bit extra vertical house for working and shopping. All however the keenest esports gamers shall be sated by the 240Hz refresh price and 3ms response time. It additionally has AMD FreeSync Premium Professional.

The ScreenPad Plus is a 14″ panel with a 4K-equivalent decision of 3840 x 1100 – a decision chosen to make sure there is not any distinction in measurement or constancy when flipping apps between the shows (kudos for that call).

The ScreenPad is not Mini LED, however it’s IPS. It is also a Gorilla Glass touchscreen that helps a stylus, though you aren’t getting one within the field.

Asus reckons that individuals will discover loads of makes use of for the ScreenPad Plus. You’ll be able to dock any app on the ScreenPad, so it is a super house for media or comms instruments whilst you’re gaming or working. You can use Asus Armory Crate to tweak the laptop computer whilst you’re taking part in. Streamers – who have to handle a number of apps whereas taking part in – will discover the ScreenPad extra helpful than typical players.

Creatives can put timelines or controls on the ScreenPad alongside different secondary instruments, and the Asus Management Middle has devoted dials, sliders, buttons and controls for Adobe apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Professional and After Impacts.

The Asus Display Xpert app manages the show, and it really works effectively – customers can save customized layouts, configure apps to open on the ScreenPad by default and create teams to open a great deal of apps on-command on totally different screens. It is fairly intuitive and simple to handle.

There is no scarcity of high quality on supply from both show. In HDR mode the principle panel hits a monster brightness of 1,047cd/m2 and in SDR mode the revised brightness stage of 752cd/m2 is large.

Mix that with black ranges that hover at round 0.05cd/m2 and you are going to get distinction ranges that hit 15,000:1. Meaning unbelievable punch in any gaming or media scenario. It is a much better panel than any IPS show and you may solely get a minor enchancment with OLED. The Asus M16 provided higher distinction, however at this stage variations are minimal and in most conditions not noticeable.

The Delta E of 1.52 is great, and the colour temperature of 6,613K is one other very good outcome. The Gamma common of two.19 barely deviates from the best 2.2 determine. These three outcomes all make sure that colours are so correct that human eyes will not detect any points.

The Duo’s major show will render nearly any shade wanted by video games. It produced 99.9% of the sRGB gamut at 144.8% quantity and dealt with 98.5% and 102.6% of the DCI-P3 house. They’re nice outcomes – excellent for SDR gaming and well-suited to HDR. Mix these latter outcomes with the large brightness and ample dimming zones and you may see real distinction, brightness and depth features in HDR titles.

That is simply among the best screens in any gaming laptop computer. The distinction, brightness and colours mix to ship unmatched vibrancy in video games – to say the whole lot pops is an understatement. Films and TV reveals look improbable, too, with a great deal of depth and nuance.

The one slight challenge is an Adobe RGB protection stage of 89.2%, which is on the low facet – probably the most demanding designers ought to store elsewhere.

Not one of the Duo’s rivals transcend this machine when it comes to high quality and there is little important distinction between the Duo and the M16, however it’s price purchasing elsewhere if you would like one thing totally different out of your show. The Razer Blade 16 has a 3840 x 2400 panel at 120Hz that may swap to a 1920 x 1200 @ 240Hz mode and the Alienware m16 is on the market with a 480Hz improve for esports.

The ScreenPad is a succesful secondary panel however it would not have the standard for artistic duties. Its peak brightness stage of 393cd/m2 is ok for any indoor scenario, and it produced 96.2% of the sRGB shade gamut with a fantastic Delta E of 1.8 – however delivered sub-70% figures within the DCI-P3 and Adobe areas.

Enter and Connectivity

Some facets of the Duo’s design might have been compromised because of the secondary show, and you will have to just accept some limitations relating to connectivity.

The left-hand edge has two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and a sole USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-C connector that handles DisplayPort and 100W of energy supply. One other a type of USB-C connectors occupies the right-hand edge. You may discover a microSD card slot, audio jack, HDMI 2.1 output, and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet connection on the again.

That is not a foul array of ports, however the AMD processor and chipset imply no help for Thunderbolt 4. A full-size SD card slot would have been welcome.

Internally, the Duo pairs that 2.5Gbps Ethernet with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, so we have got no complaints. The 1080p webcam presents good high quality and helps Home windows Howdy, however there is not any privateness shutter and the Duo would not have a fingerprint reader.

The ultimate notable function on the within is the sextet of audio system, which give clear, crisp and loud noise that could possibly be made even higher with slightly extra bass. Nonetheless, they’re adequate for on a regular basis gaming and media and do not hinder the Duo.

We do have a criticism in regards to the inner entry – the bottom panel is held in place with Torx screws and a hidden screw beneath a rubber pad, and it shouldn’t be that tough to get inside. While you do, no less than, there are pairs of SO-DIMM and M.2 slots for upgrades.

The ports could also be a bit compromised, however that is nothing in comparison with the ergonomics. The keyboard could be very cramped: you may should endure a single-height Return key and small cursor buttons. There is no quantity pad, simply a clumsy overlay on the trackpad. And since the keyboard pushes proper up towards the laptop computer’s entrance edge, you aren’t getting a wrist relaxation.

As with earlier fashions of the Zephyrus Duo, Asus features a rubberized wrist relaxation as an alternative. It helps slightly however would not connect to the laptop computer, so motion shoves it out of sync. At the very least make it magnetic.

It is a disgrace, as a result of the keys themselves are fairly good. They’re quick, snappy and satisfying, so you may simply hammer by means of paperwork and video games. The keyboard has per-key RGB LED lighting and it is fairly quiet, and on really feel alone it simply competes with the package you may discover on Razer and Alienware machines – except you pay for the mechanical improve on the latter.

The trackpad presents fantastic accuracy and a easy floor, however its slender design means you may’t even transfer the cursor throughout the display screen with a single swipe. For on a regular basis computing it is satisfactory, however it’s not efficient sufficient for any exact artistic work or gaming. Connect a USB mouse as an alternative.

You will not discover a quantity pad on rivals from Razer and Alienware, however each rival is extra ergonomic because of spacious keyboards and bigger trackpads. The Alienware has Cherry MX mechanical upgrades, too, and the MSI Titan GT77 comes with mechanical {hardware} by default.

Efficiency

Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090 deploys its 9,728 shader items and the GPU can use its full TDP of 150W with 25W of dynamic enhance on this rig, though the Duo’s Turbo profile limits that determine to an general 155W – you may should tweak manually if you would like correct 175W energy.

Unusually, Nvidia’s graphics silicon is paired with an AMD processor. The Ryzen 9 7945HX deploys 16 Zen 4 cores that help 32 threads, and its base pace of two.5GHz rises to a lift of 5.4GHz.

Elsewhere, the Duo has 32GB of dual-channel DDR5 reminiscence operating at 4800 MHz. We have no points with the SSD: the 2TB SK Hynix Platinum P41 drive returned learn and write speeds of seven,114 MB/sec and 5,917 MB/sec.

There is no scarcity of energy from the GPU. In Murderer’s Creed Valhalla at 2560 x 1600 and Extremely settings the Duo hit 106 fps, and in Horizon it averaged 131 fps. In Guardians of the Galaxy its common of 137 fps impressed, in Forza Horizon 5 it rattled by means of at 115 fps, and in Rainbow Six Siege the RTX 4090 demonstrated its esports credentials with a mean of 297 fps.

That is nice tempo. These outcomes are constantly faster than the Asus ROG Zephyrus M16, which makes use of the RTX 4090 with a mid-range energy restrict. We recorded these utilizing the Duo’s default Efficiency mode.

They evaluate effectively to the RTX 4090 contained in the MSI Titan GT77, too. The Duo’s 1080p Horizon common of 146 fps is barely quicker than the MSI by three frames, and the Asus was one body faster in Guardians of the Galaxy. It held a wider lead in Forza. The Duo’s Crimson Useless Redemption 2 common of 119 fps fell behind the Titan’s 132 fps rating.

It needs to be famous that the Duo’s minimal body charges had been virtually at all times slower than the figures recorded from the MSI, however this Asus laptop computer is on the high fringe of RTX 4090 efficiency proper now.

It is a fantastic proposition for nearly any gaming scenario. The Duo will play any high single-player recreation with out compromises, and ray tracing will run easily. Outputting to 360Hz panels and even 480Hz shows is viable. You can play on 4K screens, widescreen shows, and VR headsets with out a lot challenge.

The Duo’s Turbo mode delivered some respectable boosts, too. The Duo’s authentic Forza results of 115 fps revised to 124 fps, and the Asus gained 11 fps and 12 fps in Valhalla and Horizon Zero Daybreak. It is a welcome solution to get further grunt.

In 3DMark Time Spy, the Duo initially recorded a rating of 16,745 and that determine elevated to 18,647 in Turbo mode, so there’s clearly a big leap on supply. We’d say that the GT77 nonetheless has the sting for general gaming energy. It may not manifest in lots of exams proper now, however that rig scored 20,810 in Time Spy.

Home windows Mode is an efficient possibility if you would like to go the opposite approach and retain respectable gaming means with out a lot noise. The rig’s 1600p common remained at 106 fps in Murderer’s Creed. In Far Cry New Daybreak, the rig’s authentic 1600p common of 110 fps solely dropped by one body in Home windows mode.

The Duo’s Quiet mode is extra drastic, however it nonetheless delivered an Murderer’s Creed common of 81 fps and nonetheless ran Rainbow Six Siege at 189 fps at 1080p – so there’s nonetheless good gaming potential.

If the GeForce RTX 4090 inside this laptop computer is nice, then the CPU is spectacular. AMD’s 16-core monster completely trounces Intel’s choices in virtually each check we ran.

In Cinebench R23’s single- and multi-core benchmarks, as an example, the AMD CPU scored 1,945 and 32,226, with the latter outcome bettering to 34,134 in Turbo mode. The only-threaded result’s on-par with Intel’s finest, however even the i9-13950HX may solely rating 20,561 within the multi-threaded benchmark. The acquainted i9-13900H is even additional behind.

That is not an remoted development. In our Excel number-crunching check the i9-13950HX took 5.1 seconds – however the Ryzen 9 7945HX was 1.5 seconds quicker. The AMD chip maintained a 1-second lead over the Intel chip even with the Duo working in Quiet mode. The Duo’s MATLAB short-burst benchmark results of 0.303 was considerably higher than something Intel may muster.

In our ultimate CPU check, 7-Zip, the AMD chip produced compression and decompression speeds of 102.8 MB/s and 1507.7 MB/s. Neither rating can fairly overhaul the Core i9-13950HX, however these scores are far past each different Intel chip. It is secure to say that there is not any scarcity of energy on supply right here, and the Ryzen 9 chip contained in the Asus will deal with virtually any content material creation process or multi-threaded workload – and it will be far faster and extra highly effective than any Intel equal.

You may solely get extra energy from the beefiest and most costly desktop workstations and, even then, there will not be a lot distinction. On the different finish of the size, it is price contemplating in case you want this a lot pace. The Ryzen 9 7945HX presents fearsome pace, however solely probably the most demanding customers will want it. For many of us, it is overkill.

Thermals and Battery Life

The gaming and processing efficiency above is extra spectacular when you think about the Duo’s respectable thermal skills. Asus clearly means it when it says that the second display screen pitches as much as enhance airflow.

Within the rig’s default Efficiency mode, its noise output is restricted to 50db, which is affordable for any gaming laptop computer. You may hit these noise ranges in most demanding gaming and workload conditions, and you may discover fan noise from this rig – however loads of different gaming laptops supply comparable quantity, and rigs just like the MSI are considerably louder.

Forthcoming machines from Razer and Alienware could also be slightly quieter, however there in all probability will not be a lot distinction between all three and the Duo definitely is not loud sufficient to show extra invasive or irritating than different gaming laptops.

If you happen to’re operating less-demanding video games or workloads then think about the Quiet mode. It isn’t silent, however it retains the followers at 40db or much less – very manageable in a day-to-day atmosphere.

Until you are chasing each body or pace improve, we would warn anybody away from Turbo mode. With that mode activated the noise ranges head past 55db, and the Duo produces the form of racket that’ll drown out the audio system and switch heads. It isn’t fairly the MSI, however it’s very loud.

Noise ranges might range, however temperatures stay affordable. The one space of the chassis to get notably sizzling is the underside, and the Duo’s weight and ungainly design means we would not advocate utilizing this pocket book in your lap anyway.

Positively, we by no means had any points with thermals and we noticed no critical throttling points past the totally different speeds provided by Asus’ varied efficiency modes.

Negatively, do not anticipate a lot battery life from the Duo. We ran a film with the principle display screen at decreased brightness and the ScreenPad deactivated and the Asus lasted for simply over 4 hours, and in case you ramp up the brightness you may barely get by means of the movie.

Use on a regular basis productiveness apps and you will get about three hours from the Asus, and when gaming or dealing with robust artistic duties anticipate an hour or much less. That is the form of pocket book that’ll kind the idea of a desktop workstation or gaming setup – not the form of machine you let stray from the wall.

Wrap Up

The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo is a really well-built luxurious machine with a divisive design and fearsome energy ranges. The design and efficiency ranges definitely signify this rig’s strengths. When it comes to pace, there’s nothing like this laptop computer – the RTX 4090 is a beast, and the CPU goes even additional with record-breaking energy.

There’s mainly nothing this machine will not do except you are speaking about top-level desktop workstation duties or absurd gaming workloads. It isn’t too loud or sizzling contemplating the internals, both.

The primary show presents unbelievable high quality for nearly all artistic workloads and mainstream gaming conditions, and you may solely wish to look elsewhere if you would like a 4K decision, the next refresh price or 100% Adobe protection. The second show is a succesful accomplice for creatives and streamers, too.

Elsewhere, the Duo presents respectable connectivity, particularly internally, and it is a handsome and strong laptop computer – even when different notebooks are slimmer and lighter. Different laptops haven’t got second screens, however might have higher ergonomics.

The Zephyrus Duo’s battery life is certainly one of its weaknesses. Equally, the ScreenPad is a welcome addition for many individuals, however a lot of individuals would favor a extra typical design. If that is you, then there are different choices accessible. The Alienware m16 and Asus M16 are cheaper than the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo of their RTX 4090 and RTX 4080 configurations. On the different finish of the size, the Razer Blade 16 is pricier and the MSI Titan is much costlier.

Finally, this laptop computer presents a compromise. If you’d like unbridled energy, an excellent Mini LED show and the second display screen, you may have to just accept the Duo’s ergonomic flaws. If you happen to will not use the internals or the ScreenPad, you’d in all probability be higher served by a extra inexpensive pocket book with a extra typical design.

Buying Shortcuts

• Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (RTX 4090) at Asus, Amazon
• Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 (RTX 4080) at Asus, Amazon