While the PC market was struggling, the Covid crisis and the development of teleworking gave it a new lease of life. And if Apple with its new Silicone chips attracts all eyes, the market is still dominated by Lenovo, HP and Acer. Then come Apple and then the others.
Among them, Asus spares no effort to distinguish itself from the competition. The manufacturer does not hesitate to innovate and offer differentiating technologies such as the dual screen of the Zenbook Duo for example.
In 2022, Asus has decided to step up a gear. This week, it presented a slew of new products, four of which seem to have a bright future. The Zenbook Pro Duo 14 and Zenbook Pro 16X OLED are aimed at people looking for productivity and/or creativity. ROG Strix Scar 17 SE and ROG Flow X16 are aimed at potential gamers. We take stock.
Zenbook Pro 16X OLED and Zenbook Pro Duo 14: productivity, creativity, elegance
Let’s start with the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED, the “Most Powerful Zenbook Ever” according to Asus. The strength of this notebook lies in the integration of maximum power in a contained format. The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED features a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 or i9 paired with Nvidia’s RTX 3060 graphics card, 6GB GDDR6 (up to 32GB DDR5), all in a 2cm high chassis. thickness for a weight of 2.4 kg.
To avoid the temperature rise, Asus has developed a brand new three-layer cooling system.
Destined “for creative people who want to have fun”, the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED is positioned opposite Apple’s Macbook Pro 16. And if its configuration will certainly not allow it to compete with Apple Silicone chips, it has other tricks up its sleeve.
His Pantone-certified 4K OLED display and touch (compatible stylus supplied) will delight image professionals but also multimedia fans and occasional gamers. The inclined keyboard provides more comfort and its RGB backlighting system allows advanced customization.
At last, the physical dial (Asus Dial) inherited from previous models has been improved (75% more compact) and the trackpad enlarged (it also reveals a numeric keypad). The wheel allows you to perform Adobe Creative Cloud actions in particular.
The Zenbook Pro 16X OLED is reserved for an audience of demanding creatives and is therefore positioned in the same price bracket as the Macbook Pro 16. It will be available from 2999 euros.
Not one of the creatives? Asus also has a machine for you. The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED stands out, as its name suggests, for its dual-screen design. After a warm welcome from the first models, Asus is now offering its laptop in a 14.5” version. The second screen takes up 10% more space, displays a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a maximum brightness. of 500 nits. Above all, it is oriented at 11.5° against 7° for the previous generation).
Focused on productivity, this laptop is therefore not distinguished by its double screen but also its compact and light format (1.7 kg). It is in fact a boosted version of its predecessor thanks in particular to the integration of a RTX 3050Ti graphics card and a performance improvement of around 35%.
The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED therefore meets a more demanding target wanting a versatile and durable laptop PC (up to 14 hours of use according to Asus).
The Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED will be available in the third quarter of 2022 from 2099 euros. A seemingly high price but which remains acceptable in view of the on-board technologies.
ROG Flow 16 and ROG Strix Scar 17 SE: pure gaming
Asus and gaming is a great love story. With its ROG range, the Taiwanese has made a name for itself in the hearts of gamers, and the new portable models are not likely to change that.
Asus first launches the ROG Strix Scar 17 SE, a product that players know well but which comes in a special edition. The particularity of the Strix is their power. This range is the most premium of the family, so a Strix laptop can easily replace a good old tower.
The Scar 17 SE is therefore “the most powerful gaming laptop in the world” claims Asus. We do want to believe it. With its 12th generation Intel Core i9 capable of going up to 5.2 GHz, up to 64 GB of DDR5 RAM, up to 4 PCIe 4.0 SSDs and its Nvidia RTX 3080Ti graphics card, the Scar 17 SE is a monster of power.
To avoid overheating, a cooling system with a massive vapor chamber avoids turning the PC into an oven. Thermal paste has given way to a new liquid metal providing better performance.
Finally, the game is also and above all a screen. The Strix Scar 17 SE has either a Full HD panel at 360 Hz or a QHD panel at 240 Hz. A monster, we tell you.
This superlative machine has an equally monstrous price. It will be marketed from 3399 euros in the third quarter of the year.
In the ROG family, the Flow range has found an audience of mobile gamers. The principle of this range is based on modularity. This gaming PC can be transformed into a tablet for more mobility or positioned in tent format to play with a controller. It can also be associated with an external GPU for better graphics performance with the most demanding games.
If it was confined until now to the 13 ” format, Asus is therefore launching the ROG Flow X16, a 16 ” and boosted version of its modular gaming PC. This model is therefore distinguished first by its impressive 16 ” screen: QHD definition, it has a refresh rate of 165 Hz and is based on miniLED technology. With a brightness of 1100 nits, you will be amazed.
The ROG Flow X16 is also a very capable machine. AMD Rembrandt chip can be paired with Nvidia’s RTX 3070Ti graphics card8GB GDDR6, up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB PCIe SSD 4.
Add to that a rich connection (a USB-C 3.2 port, two USB-A 3.2, an HDMI 2.0, a 3.5 mm jack and even a microSD card reader. And of course, we can therefore associate a graphics card with it. External ROG XG Mobile for frenzied gaming sessions.
Asus is once again paying a high price for its technological advances. The ROG Flow X16 will also be available in the third quarter of 2022. Its call price: 3199 euros.
Source: Presse-Citron
I am a technology author with 8 years of experience in journalism. My writing covers the latest technology advancements and trends, drawing on my expertise in news journalism and social media platforms. I have contributed to major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.
