Asus Vivobook Professional 16 (2023) evaluation: Energy packs a punch

Packing an RTX 4060 and an i9-13900H, the brand new Asus Vivobook Professional 16X is kind of the powerhouse. Nonetheless, it comes at a price – and it’s not simply the value.

The brand new Asus Vivobook Professional 16 shouldn’t be a gaming laptop computer. It’s not even a devoted content material creator’s laptop computer both. What Asus has made is an all-around little powerhouse that may sort out absolutely anything thrown at it.

Nonetheless, for a tool that may run you almost $2000, it seems like a sidenote in Asus’ latest slew of releases within the laptop computer house. The unit we obtained confronted a number of bizarre points, and regardless of fidgeting round with the MyAsus settings, may by no means get it to a spot we felt pleased with it.

Key Specs

• CPU: Intel Core i9-13900H
• RAM: 16GB DDR5
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (8GB GDDR6)
• Show: 16-inch 16:10 IPS (120Hz show)
• Storage: 1x 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
• Working System: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• IO: 1x Thunderbolt 4 port, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Sort-A ports, 1x HDMI 2.1 port, WiFi 6, 3.5mm combo jack
• Options: Triple fan vents, twin M.2 slots, 180-degree lie-flat hinge.
• Value: $2000

Design

With its all-silver shell (or a metallic blue), the precise look of the Vivobook could be a bit of generic, nevertheless it’s appreciated. An understated gadget that slips into the background whilst you work on it’s precisely what you want, particularly in content material creation. With too many gimmicks, it may change into a small hindrance when attempting to work and even sport.

It isn’t the lightest, weighing round 2KG, and carrying it round to completely different locations to work off of slowly revealed an enormous worry we have now. After a close to fall from a desk, we had been constructive that if it had made contact with the tiles, it’d be over. As a substitute of housing it in a singular physique of aluminum or one other metallic, it’s all plastic.

For cheaper gadgets and plenty of laptops, that is completely advantageous. Plastic is part of our day-to-day. Nonetheless, most gadgets don’t value practically $2000. Asus’ largest competitor within the house, the Apple MacBook Air or the lower-end of the Professional vary nonetheless feels prefer it may tackle not less than a few falls earlier than breaking.

Cooling

Regardless of this, the warmth was by no means actually a problem on many of the high layers of the laptop computer, with the three-vent fan design truly functioning as meant. There’s a specific nook, usually the place your hand would relaxation when gaming that will get hotter than the remainder of the laptop computer, however temperature-wise, it managed simply advantageous.

Show

We’re additionally an enormous fan of the 16:10 side ratio of the display at a decision of 1920×1200. Whereas not the best 3:2 for a laptop computer, it supplies you with that further verticality that helps with creativity packages. Adjusting your self for gaming on it isn’t a hardship both, because the black bars whereas taking part in sure video games simply soften away into the background after some time.

Whereas not precisely as safe as you’d hope, the webcam does have a change you’ll be able to change to the aspect to cover it from view. It’s handily vibrant orange too, so you already know for certain when it’s off or on.

Keyboard & trackpad

It comes with a chiclet keyboard, and whereas mushy, is completely advantageous for on-the-go typing periods or futzing round in Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve. We’re not too massive on the squashed format, with the far left Shift, Caps Lock, and Tab keys being shrunken right down to account for the numpad. We continually felt like we had been leaning to the left whereas typing, leaving us in uncomfortable positions over time.

We’re, nevertheless, glad that Asus included a big trackpad. Having that available, with its clean end made utilizing the Vivobook a deal with. Although, we want it had been centered. For no matter motive it sits extra to the left to really feel prefer it’s centered with the non-numpad aspect of the keyboard, leaving wrists in these uncomfortable positions once more.

Efficiency

We’re not dissatisfied within the efficiency of the laptop computer, however really feel as if the leap between generations is extra reliant on the software program that Nvidia is creating than the {hardware} itself. Video games, content material apps, and the like all run spectacularly effectively, nevertheless it’s all with caveats.

The very first thing is that we’re constructive that in our content material creation testing, the GPU MUX change, which permits the laptop computer to regulate when the built-in GPU from the CPU comes into play will get caught. Nearly as if it doesn’t acknowledge when sure apps require it.

After we modified it over to make use of the graphics card full time, it pressured a full lockdown from BitLocker. It’s fortunate we’d logged in as Home windows 11 meant as a result of in any other case, we wouldn’t have the ability to full the evaluation.

When in full efficiency mode, the followers make this horrible whining noise as if one thing is improper, and when going into sleep mode with the lid simply shut, it by no means appeared to show off. The followers saved spinning till we let it die.

The largest challenge right here is that the Vivobook’s battery when in full motion, is simply horrible. We managed to squeeze about an hour and a half of Path of Exile earlier than it instructed us off for having a low battery.

On extra financial settings, together with messing round with MyAsus, we nonetheless solely managed to get a few hours complete between Photoshop, scripting this evaluation, and a few maps inside Path of Exile earlier than having to run again for the charger.

The laptop computer can be stuffed to the gills with bloatware. McAfee, MyAsus, and one thing known as “ScreenXpert” which makes itself at residence on the nook of the display, actively harms the general expertise when utilizing the laptop computer.

It’s not usually we take into account reinstalling Home windows on a take a look at unit, however right here it virtually made us attain our breaking level. Every replace and restart would introduce one thing new.

Artificial benchmarks

Gaming benchmarks

In our testing, we discovered that the laptop computer was greater than succesful at dealing with the newest AAA video games at Excessive settings and 1080p. Any increased than that, and also you’ll be utilizing FSR and DLSS as a crutch, with Resident Evil 4 actually benefitting from it.

Esports and MMOs can have a a lot better time right here. Counter-Strike managed to hit highs of 150FPS and by no means dipped decrease than 90, whereas Path of Exile’s body fee drops largely stemmed from latency points with the server.

Is it good for creators?

As we mentioned on the high of the evaluation, the Vivobook 16 isn’t meant for simply gaming. It doesn’t even include the Nvidia gaming drivers put in, opting to make use of the Studio drivers as an alternative. With these put in, the laptop computer can do unbelievable issues – when linked to different gadgets.

The Pantone verified show is ok, however by no means will get vibrant sufficient to provide a really color-accurate show. When enhancing the video on it, the outcomes got here out too vibrant due to it. We wouldn’t belief it for prolonged enhancing periods for images both.

Nonetheless, no self-respecting skilled would closely depend on a built-in display. Nonetheless, what the 4060 inside means that you can do – with the Nvidia Studio drivers put in – is spit out a 10-bit picture onto a supported display. This further depth and wiggle room within the shade house means you’ll be able to keep away from banding, grade accurately, and see pictures for nearly what they’d be elsewhere.

For these like us, who will set the laptop computer apart and dock it for bigger initiatives, it is a huge boon. Particularly when you begin to work with it in your packages of alternative.

We had been capable of export a 10-minute 4K video from DaVinci Resolve in only a few brief minutes, whereas Photoshop had no downside being drilled with an abundance of filters on super-large pictures.

For the streamers, the 4060 additionally provides you entry to the AV1 codec, making this doubtlessly a superb alternative for a small-scale centerpiece with loads of setups. AV1 is spectacular, permitting the next high quality to get despatched out over a smaller bitrate, and having it available in laptop computer type is an enormous boon.

Is it good for gaming?

It is a tough query, because the Vivobook can deal with a number of video games simply advantageous with trendy applied sciences aiding it. Nonetheless, we wouldn’t make this our first alternative in any capability. The 4060 inside isn’t an actual 4060 you could possibly count on to see later this 12 months in desktops.

It’s significantly weaker than anticipated and through our testing with video games like Resident Evil 4 Remake, we discovered that with out the assistance from AMD’s FSR, it might dip into the low 40FPS vary throughout hectic fights.

Even with the 120Hz panel onboard, you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a sport with out DLSS or one other supersampling possibility that may truly make use of it, until you play esports titles.

There’s additionally the 1920×1200 display, which as we’ve already mentioned, will trigger black bars if the sport doesn’t natively help it. That is extra a choice challenge than a problem with the gaming efficiency, however we predict it’s simply advantageous.

Verdict – 3/5

Between the value, software program bloat, and general construct high quality, the Vivobook Professional 16 doesn’t scream premium. Eradicating all the things from that and taking a look at it on the inside {hardware} degree? Asus has made a very tiny powerhouse that’s just about able to take something on. From gaming to content material creation, that GPU inside and the added enhance from an i9-13900H, make this , all-rounder gadget.

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