When it comes to laptops geared toward gaming, Asus has always dominated. The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, which just came out, is evidence of this. Along with high-quality speakers and a slew of other features, the laptop delivers unparalleled performance.
I received the laptop with the intention of thoroughly reviewing and testing it. I have to start by saying that Asus has put a lot of effort into improving things like the screen size, the audio quality, the internal components, and other things.
Due to the hinge on the secondary screen, the dual-screen laptop has a premium feel. The laptop tilts upwards as soon as you open it. Without further ado, we will discuss all aspects of this Asus laptop and attempt to determine whether it is worthy at this time.
Cost and accessibility:
The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 has a starting price of Rs 2,49,990 on the Indian market. The GX650RXZ-LO227WS model that we looked at is available for Rs 3,91,990. The laptop is only available in black when it is shipped. It is available for purchase at all Asus retail locations, the official Asus E-shop, and Amazon India.
Unboxing:
The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 comes in a brown case, and the accessories make the box quite heavy. The laptop only weighs about 2 kilograms, and the charger is also not light.
Design:
With its amazing design, Asus has gone above and beyond to justify the laptop’s price point. We can also make out the ROG logo on the laptop’s sleek, pitch-black rear panel, which has a dot matrix pattern. When the laptop’s primary display is bent to its maximum, the secondary display rests at a 13-degree angle.
The device’s airflow vents are positioned just below the display to improve the cooling system’s efficiency. In addition, the manner in which it has been applied to improve the laptop’s aesthetic appearance serves as a reminder of Asus’ capabilities.
Two substantial bezels cover the laptop’s secondary screen. Overall, the dual screens aren’t just a marketing ploy; we’ll talk more about how they helped the laptop work better. In addition, the smartphone has a 720p infrared camera that can also be used for facial recognition.
Despite this, we are able to state that the device’s 2+ kg weight makes it a little more difficult to transport. The weight was a problem for me as well, but considering how much power it produces, you won’t mind carrying it around.
The ports and connectivity:
Because you are not supposed to connect everything to a single side, the laptop’s distribution of ports alleviates the pain. Nevertheless, I believe that the device’s charging point could have been better placed. The charging port is on the side of the left edge of the 2022 Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16.
The laptop has a 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port that can connect an external monitor and also supports DisplayPort. A microSD card reader, USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and other features can be found on the left side of the device.
In addition, the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 has a standard USB port at the back, just behind the main display, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 2.5G ethernet port, and so on.
Display:
One of the most captivating aspects of the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is undoubtedly its display. The device has two screens, and the second screen can run anything and everything. The laptop’s mini LED display has a whopping peak brightness of 1100 nits.
We were able to enjoy the same vibrant experience on the laptop’s primary display while playing multiple games and watching a few movies. The fact that the pitch-black color was beautifully displayed on the screen was one of the main highlights of the same. However, after spending approximately Rs 2 and a half lakhs on a laptop, that is the minimum that an audience member can hope for.
Touch-sensitive, the secondary screen, known as the ScreenPad Plus, can be extremely useful for content creators or designers. It has a size of 14 inches and a resolution of 1950 x 550 pixels. Asus has included multiple functions and independent display settings in the ScreenPad Plus to make it worth the space.
Applications for social media, browsers, YouTube, and many other applications can all be run on the secondary screen of the same device. Windows basically sets it up as an external display. This pretty much explains how to use the screen while using the laptop every day.
Performance:
First, we’ll talk about the GX650RXZ-LO227WS components of the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16. The laptop is powered by an NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti graphics processor and an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor. Additionally, the device has 2TB SSD storage and 32GB of RAM. The device has unquestionably emerged as one of the fastest gaming machines of the year.
It also shows up in the benchmark scores you get from tests like Cinemark, Geekbench, and 3D Mark. The laptop performed fairly well on the majority of the synthetic tests, demonstrating its status. We installed some of the most demanding games, including God of War, Valorant, Tekken 7, GTA V, and others, to evaluate performance.
Take my word for it when I say that the gaming experience was beyond fantastic. Even though I started God of War 2018 Edition incorrectly by starting it in performance mode, the frame rates increased to approximately 118 fps when we switched to turbo mode, which increased frame rates to approximately 90 fps. While playing a game, make sure the laptop is in Turbo mode.
Even at extremely high settings, all of the games worked flawlessly once the laptop was switched to Turbo mode. The fan noise in turbo mode is one thing that can be a little bit annoying. Asus has made every effort to keep the noise to a minimum. Still, the fans can be a little noisy in Turbo modes.
The laptop’s dual screens make it pretty easy to multitask. In addition, it contributes to the improvement of editing software like YouTube and Adobe Photoshop.
For instance, when we used the system to run Adobe Photoshop, the editing screen was accessible on the main screen. The thing to note here is that the ScnreenPad Plus had all of the adjustment settings, and the touch experience only made it better. The laptop can be described as a haven for creators and video editors, particularly those in the art field.
I used the secondary screen to run the Asus Armoury crate and monitor the machine’s temperature, CPU and GPU usage, and other metrics while gaming. The laptop’s secondary screen can even be used to run applications while gaming. For instance, you can run YouTube on the touchscreen and the game on the primary display to simultaneously play the game and watch a video of the gameplay.
Trackpad, numpad, and keyboard:
When it comes to the trackpad, numpad, and keyboard, the laptop is truly stunning. The device has an integrated trackpad and numpad. To turn the trackpad into the numpad, tap the mini icon in the upper left corner. However, the trackpad’s placement is a little hazy due to the fact that using it without a mouse is like operating a nightmare.
The keys on the laptop’s keyboard are excellent and can be used without exerting any pressure. Even so, if you’re just starting out with Asus, like I was, a few keys might be hard to remember. Nevertheless, you will soon master the operations, and it will be a breeze. It’s pretty amazing, for instance, that you can use the keyboard’s buttons to directly call the armory crate and change the fan speed.
Battery:
The most significant aspect of the scenario is now here. Even if you’re spending a lot of money on a gaming laptop, you should never overlook how long the battery can last. The same is true for this Asus masterpiece, which can stream movies for three to four hours on a single charge.
Being an anime fan, I started watching Koruko No Basket on Netflix, according to my experience. The laptop began begging for power after approximately seven to eight episodes lasting thirty minutes on average. Given that it is intended primarily for use with connected power, that was pretty justifiable.
This makes it easier to remember to bring the device’s charger with you wherever you go. Additionally, the charger has a brick that weighs approximately 1 kilogram and is quite heavy. As a matter of fact, it is a universal fact that none of these heavy machines operate effectively without the adapter; consequently, the adapters are so heavy that they could sink ships, joking aside.
Verdict:
First of all, I want to make it clear that this laptop will appear to be too expensive to you if you are not a gamer. However, if you enjoy gaming and appreciate the machine’s futuristic design, purchase it right away.
Nonetheless, anyone, gaming enthusiast or not, can get a great deal by investing around Rs 2,50,000. The investment is supposed to be made when a console like the PlayStation 5 is relatively less expensive. Not to mention that the laptop is one of the best tools for creators who want to edit videos, photos, and software that requires a lot of processing power. It has a unique approach and a few features that enhance the gaming experience, making it one of the best in its category.
