Price When Reviewed

1749.99

Best Prices Today: Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED

$1,699.99

$1699.99

$1789.99

While the 2022 Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED confirmed off a stunning OLED show, however simply dipped a toe within the water for efficiency, the 2023 Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED, by comparability, takes the total plunge, acing each the show and efficiency in equal measure.

Of course, whereas that makes it eminently extra highly effective – in reality, it’s so highly effective it’s corresponding to a few of the best gaming laptops of 2023 – there may be one tradeoff: a middling battery life. That’s to not say it isn’t a superb laptop computer for creators. In truth, its beneficiant connectivity, and programmable DialPad trackpad, are simply two options that make it among the best choices for inventive professionals in 2023. Read on to search out out extra…

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops obtainable proper now.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Specifications

The most lately launched Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED fashions include an Intel thirteenth gen i9-13980HX CPU or i9-13900H CPU. Configurations sport numerous cell GeForce RTX GPUs as much as an RTX 4070. A 3.2K decision NanoEdge OLED show with a 120Hz refresh charge offers the visuals.

Looking at costs, and a starter mannequin with an Intel Core i9-13900H and RTX 4050 GPU ships for $1499.99 on Amazon. From there costs rise to $1942.99 for a mannequin with a Core i9-13980HX CPU and GeForce RTX 4070 GPU.

My evaluate unit boasts an RTX 4060 GPU and Core i9-13980HX CPU. This rig prices $1748.99 at Amazon with a regular 16GB RAM put in, nevertheless my unit had an additional 16GB RAM added after it left the store. Its precise specs are as follows:

• CPU: Intel i9-13980HX
• RAM: 32GB DDR5 / 4800MHz
• GPU: Intel UHD + Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
• Display: 16-inch 3.2K (3200 x 2000) OLED, 120Hz refresh charge, 0.2 millisecond response, non-touch, 16:10 inch side ratio
• Storage: 1TB
• Ports: 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 2 x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, RJ-45 Ethernet port, 3.5 mm audio combo jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3,
• Weight: 4.19lbs (2.02kg)
• Dimensions: 13.98 x 9.80 x 0.90 inches
• Battery: 90Whr
• Price: $1,748.99 with 16GB RAM

Looking at how rivals form up for worth, and laptops just like the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, Dell XPS 15, Acer Swift 16X and Apple MacBook Pro 16, are only a few alternate options with quick graphics efficiency and shows correct sufficient for the demanding shade work many creators do.

The Swift 16X and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i are probably the most inexpensive of those choices, with starter fashions transport for beneath $2000 – the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16, by comparability, value upwards of $2,000. From these choices solely the MacBook Pro 16 and the Acer Swift 16X have 16-inch shows giant sufficient to compete with the 16X OLED’s show – the Swift 16X additionally has an OLED show, just like the Asus.

If you wish to exhaust all the choices obtainable before you purchase, related {hardware} might be present in some premium gaming laptops as effectively. For instance, the 2023 Razer Blade 16 might be configured with an RTX 4060 and i9-13950HX CPU on Razer’s web site, but it surely’ll set you again a cool $2,699.99.

If you go down this path, you’ll be paying for a few of the greatest gaming options on supply like a sooner 240Hz refresh charge and better 175W Total Graphics Power… then once more, should you’re an animator or videographer, these extras might be simply what you want.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Design and construct

The 2023 Vivobook Pro 16X OLED’s design is a revamp of the 2022 mannequin’s design which oozed practicality reasonably than class or model. That meant my black evaluate unit sported a well-known industrial-looking chassis and gray coloured keys. But if that’s not your model, there’s a silver mannequin obtainable.

Just like its predecessor, although, I used to be instantly drawn to the laptop computer’s piece de resistance – the beautiful 16-inch OLED show. This 12 months, the show is once more delivered in a delightfully tall 16:10 side ratio. A barely bigger 88 % screen-to-body ratio nudges out the 86 % ratio we noticed final 12 months – so that you get marginally larger visuals.

Not that the 2022 mannequin was heavy at 4.30 kilos, however Asus has managed to drop the load down even additional to 4.19 kilos. This makes the 2023 Vivobook barely simpler to hold in a satchel or bag. This was achieved by including extra recycled plastic to the chassis; it now makes up 30 % of the plastic used, which is a pleasant nod to sustainability.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The 16X OLED’s dimensions have additionally been diminished. From 14.8 x 10.20 inches (W x D) in 2022 they’ve shrunk all the way down to 13.98 x 9.80 (W x D), which is a decent drop in my e book. However, the laptop computer is barely thicker 12 months on 12 months – it’s now 0.71 of an inch thick in comparison with 0.78 of an inch thick, however that change is so minimal you’ll barely discover.

Despite sporting extra recycled plastic, Asus claims the 16X OLED has as soon as once more handed the US Military-grade STD-810H normal for toughness. The variety of exams has been expanded to incorporate 26 exams all up. To make sure, the laptop computer feels very powerful nearly all over the place – from its immovable base to its strong hinges.

For cooling, the 16X OLED makes use of Asus’s IceCool Pro thermal expertise. The system encompasses twin followers that feed 4 huge air vents – two on the flanks and two on the again. The followers have been rigged to be thinner than within the 2022 mannequin they usually now sport shark-inspired fins which Asus says permits the laptop computer to achieve a better 150-watt Total Graphics Power (TGP).

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Keyboard and trackpad

Grey tones and orange highlights dominate the look of the 16X OLED’s ErgoSense keyboard, with some keys clearly painted for simpler orientation. While I didn’t essentially want color-coding for my work, I did admire the look.

For ease of use, Asus has made the keyboard much more like a full-sized desktop keyboard than you’ll discover in different laptops; It features a full-sized numpad on the far proper, Fn keys with shortcuts, in addition to left and proper Shift keys. Overall, it’s an honest choice that ensured I had loads of fodder for instructions in packages like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro.

The laptop computer’s predominant letter keys are very giant. There’s additionally a beneficiant 0.75 of an inch pitch between them. The keys additionally sport a 0.2 mm dip of their heart. The lengthy pitch meant I not often ever miss-hit, and the dips allowed me to sort for lengthy stints with out getting sore, tingling fingertips.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The energy button and the trackpad are two different options worthy of reward. The former doubles as a fingerprint reader, but it surely’s a single signal on one, so that you solely have to the touch it as soon as to login. It allowed me to get my concepts down shortly after breaks reasonably than having to flap round attempting to re-login every time I needed to get again into Windows.

The 16X OLED’s trackpad incorporates a digital dial. In Windows it’s a useful characteristic for controlling settings like the amount or the brightness degree of the show with out having to maneuver your palms. It’s additionally appropriate with Adobe apps, and third-party apps like Davinci Resolve. I used it primarily for browser instructions; it’s additionally programmable in Asus’s proprietary ProArtwork Creator Hub app.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Connectivity and audio

The 16X OLED was effectively ready to be my go-to workstation, with a minimum of two Thunderbolt 4 ports in addition to two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port accommodating my predominant peripherals. This setup allowed me to plug in a wi-fi mouse, two exterior shows, and my headset’s USB dongle and nonetheless have one Thunderbolt 4 port freed up for fast file transfers at a knowledge switch velocity of as much as 40GB/s.

The microSD card reader in final 12 months’s mannequin has been thoughtfully changed by a full-sized SD card UHS-II reader with as much as 312MB/s supply velocity. This makes much more sense to me, since many of the units I wish to switch information from – like my DLSR digicam and video digicam – use this format reminiscence card. Suffice to say, this one characteristic saved me numerous time.

The 16X OLED’s Harman Kardon audio system produce a pleasant balanced audio that has a particular cinematic high quality, almost definitely because of help for Dolby Atmos. I have, nevertheless, heard clearer, deeper bass on laptops of this measurement, however they’ve primarily had larger and chunkier chassis, so for its thickness, the 16X OLED does an admirable job for sound.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Display and webcam

My first inspection of the 16X OLED’s show was whereas the laptop computer was switched off – it had that shiny sheen that many OLED panels are inclined to have. Switched on, nevertheless, the visuals have been nothing wanting spectacular; the pictures and movies confirmed up crisp and detailed, with richly saturated shade and really deep blacks.

How does it obtain this? The 3.2K OLED show covers 100% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut and it has a excessive distinction ratio of 1,0000,000:1, so there’s a depth to darks that you just simply don’t see in IPS-level shows.

The panel can be fairly vibrant: It has a peak most brightness of 600 nits, which isn’t anyplace close to as vibrant because the Acer Predator Triton 17X’s mini-LED show, but it surely was nonetheless vibrant sufficient to see element after I used the laptop computer within the vibrant and sunny components of my residence.

Color accuracy is one thing that almost all creators want in spades, so the show’s certification for Pantone shade accuracy means it must be effectively fitted to any work involving shade copy. I used to be additionally effectively happy to listen to the show reduces the emission of dangerous blue mild by an estimated 70 %, which if nothing else, means you may relaxation straightforward understanding there’s some safety on your eyes throughout lengthy work stints.

For webcam, the 16X OLED has a 1080p digicam with a handy privateness shutter. The digicam depends closely on AI algorithms for lowering picture noise and ambient sound. In my testing I discovered these labored effectively to make sure pictures have been comparatively clear and that there wasn’t any noticeable sound distortion of voices in conferences.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: CPU efficiency

The Vivobook Pro 16X OLED’s i9-13980HX is a formidable chip, that includes a complete of 24 cores, consisting of 8 P-Cores and 16 E-Cores with a complete of 32 threads. Intel’s efficiency charts present a most turbo frequency of 5.60 GHz.

My colleagues Gordon Ung and Alaina Yee did thorough testing of this CPU again in February this 12 months they usually made just a few pointers about it, like that its able to unbelievable efficiency but it surely’s additionally overkill should you simply wish to browse the net or run Microsoft Office duties. To see the way it carried out within the context of this laptop computer I made it soar by means of a bunch of benchmark hoops. Afterwards, I sized up the outcomes towards PCWorld comparisons.

Workhorse and gaming laptops with discrete GPUs made up nearly all of my comparisons. These included stable performers just like the Razer Blade 16, MSI Prestige 16X and the Lenovo Slim Pro, all three of which additionally characteristic thirteenth era Intel CPUs. A 2022 Vivobook Pro 16X OLED that includes a Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU is extra of a mid-range predecessor to my laptop computer, but it surely supplied some context to see how efficiency has improved 12 months on 12 months.

The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED impressed me instantly in my testing schedule. On PCMark 10, the laptop computer scored within the low 7000s, buying and selling shut blows with three different 16-inch laptops.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The outcomes of the Cinebench Multi-Threaded benchmark are equally spectacular. The 16X OLED stood out from the pack with a rating of 10,524 on this check that flexes all of the cores of a laptop computer’s CPU. Ergo, performing advanced duties like encoding, modifying video or operating AAA video games might be a chunk of cake for this laptop computer. These outcomes affirm its CPU is type of overkill for fundamental workplace apps or looking.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Next up is the HandBrake check the place I set the laptop computer to encode a 30GB MKV file to an MP4 utilizing the utility’s Android pill preset. What we’re on the lookout for on this check is a fast ending time, which means the laptop computer can keep away from throttling and might energy on by means of crushing CPU duties. The X16 OLED did simply that, ending the encode shortly in simply 735 seconds.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Graphics efficiency

Although my evaluate unit’s RTX 4060 GPU is simply a mid-range GPU in Nvidia’s RTX 40 Series lineup, you can say its fuel pedal was pressed to the metallic, because it was tuned to a most 150-watt TGP. Let’s see how that spectacular energy performed out within the graphics benchmarks…

In UL’s 3DMark benchmark, which offers us a glimpse of a laptop computer’s general graphics efficiency functionality, the 16X OLED completed behind the Razer Blade 16 however forward of the opposite comparisons. Notice that it considerably outperformed the MSI Prestige 16 Studio which sports activities the identical RTX 4060 GPU.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED

Moving to the real-world gaming exams, and the 16X OLED posted very spectacular body per second scores in each Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the Metro Exodus benchmarks. This was an enormous shock; final 12 months’s Vivobook produced playable body charges, however this 12 months’s mannequin can actually shred.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

These outcomes present the X16 OLED is definitely as much as the duty it’s designed for; it’s greater than able to tackling advanced graphics-based duties like 3D rendering, or modelling. In truth, it’s going to outperform most of its close to rivals in these duties. It’s additionally going to be numerous enjoyable when you kick off your footwear and unwind for some gaming time, based mostly on its fps scores which sit on par with a few of the strongest gaming rigs of 2023.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Battery life

To check the battery, I set a 4K video to repeat within the Windows TV and Movie app. I additionally switched the Wi-Fi to Airplane Mode and plugged in an inexpensive pair of headphones to regulate noise. Then I sat again and timed how lengthy it took for the battery to expire of juice. The 16X OLED lasted simply shy of six hours earlier than it switched to standby mode.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

What’s happening right here? A big 90WHr battery is seemingly simply what a creator laptop computer like this would wish, and the 16X OLED has simply that! But there’s some critical energy draw from the {hardware} that’s clearly taking an enormous toll on the battery.

Six hours just isn’t an important consequence for a creator laptop computer, which you’d count on to at the very least make it by means of an eight-hour working day. It suggests you’d be fortunate to get simply three hours from this laptop computer doing any type of critical work if it’s unplugged from an outlet – which is considerably disappointing.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Should you purchase it?

The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED is a superb choice for creators wanting a strong laptop computer with a stunning, shade correct 16-inch OLED show that’s additionally framed up in a tall 16:10 side ratio. Its connectivity makes it a flexible rig for work or play. My efficiency outcomes exhibits that it trumps its predecessor and close to rivals within the energy stakes, providing up dollops for operating advanced packages, graphics-based duties and for gaming. The tradeoff is a brief battery life, which simply means it’s greatest used plugged into an outlet.