To say there are a ton of laptops out there's an irony. As is the case with smartphones, witha Box given phase or price range frequently there isn’t an awful lot that differentiates them—aside from additives and small layout changes. But with Asus’ latest ZenBook Pro, there’s one element that surely makes it stick out from the crowd: a touchpad that’s also a touchscreen.

Read More : >Before we take a better study that unique function, it’s really worth bringing up all the Asus ZenBook Pro 14's specifications. The UX480 model we acquired for evaluate measures 14 inches (there’s additionally a 15.6" model) packing a Whisky Lake-U quad-middle i5 or i7 CPU. You also can select from 8GB or 16GB of 2400MHz DDR4, and storage options encompass 128GB or 256GB SATA SSD, 128GB or 256GB PCIe 3.zero x2 SSD, or a 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD.

The version tested is powered via a i7 -8565U (see our full evaluation) clocked at 1.8GHz and can enhance to 4.6GHz. While this isn’t at the identical degree as the i9-8950HK discovered inside the pinnacle-quit 15.6" version, it’s more than enough energy for everyday customers and can deal with most professional responsibilities, which includes video and photograph enhancing—we did observe the underside got pretty toasty at times even though.

The ZenBook comes with a 'Pro' moniker, but that doesn’t imply it relies completely on integrated graphics; rather, you get a GTX 1050 with either 2GB or 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM. It’s the Max-Q model, taking into consideration a more green, area-saving layout.

While this isn’t the GPU you want while gambling Metro Exodus at max settings, the GTX 1050 can preserve its own whilst you tone things back. I found that even this 2GB version stored Far Cry 5 and other older however nevertheless traumatic titles at 30fps or above so long as the settings weren’t maxed.

At 3.5lbs (1.6kg) and measuring 17.9mm, this isn’t the slimmest or lightest of laptops, that's partially due to the ScreenPad and the devoted GPU. But it does experience reassuringly sturdy. It’s additionally a totally pleasant-searching tool, with fetching dark blues and rose gold accents.

One interesting feature of the layout is the ErgoLift hinge. This elevates the keyboard phase off your table at an attitude of 3 ranges whilst the lid is open, supposedly enhancing airflow, typing, and acoustics. It’s something we’ve seen variations of in different laptops, and whilst the hinge does have its benefits while a Chip: flat floor, I occasionally observed it dug into my legs when the usage of the gadget on my lap.

While there's no fingerprint reader, you do get the safety of signing in thru Windows Hello and the built-in IR camera.

It feels like the ZenBook Pro changed into designed with desks in mind. The Harmon Kardon-branded stereo audio system are satisfyingly loud and meaty, however their role approach they are able to sound muffled when Chip: AMD consumer’s lap. Ultimately, it’s really one of the better sounding machines at this fee range, but now not quite as properly as a number of the greater pricey laptops.

The 14-inch display is a touchscreen, which some argue is an pointless function on laptops that aren’t 2-in-1 convertibles or detachables, I found it to be quite beneficial while used at the side of the TouchPad, particularly while in Extension Display mode.

Asus even makes its personal iPad-fashion pen however, like Apple’s accent, it must be bought one after the other—although it’s approximately 1/2 the price or inexpensive.

At this length, you get the choice of a full HD display (1920 x 1080) resolution with a 60Hz refresh charge, but the 15.6-inch ZenBook Pro offers a 4K version. It boasts 100 percentage coverage of the sRGB coloration gamut, has Pantone Validated certification for higher color accuracy, and Delta-E of much less than three. I found the screen to be highly colorful and colourful, although its most brightness of around 280 nits would benefit from being higher when you’re the use of it outdoor on sunny days.

Asus claims that the ZenBook Pro 14’s 70Wh battery will remaining 12.5 hours with the screen brightness on 80 percentage and battery saver mode became on. How lengthy the computer runs for will rely absolutely on how a great deal you use the ScreenPad. Keep the second display turned off and also you’ll get close to what Asus claims, however continuously looking tiny YouTube videos and gambling round with apps will see your juice draBox +t a quite speedy fee.

I appreciated the keyboard at the ZenBook. The chiclet-fashion keys feature adjustable backlighting, 1.4mm of tour, and are robust sufficient that even the maximum heavy-handed of typists should discover them agreeable. While it does not compare to the Surface Book 2’s surprising keyboard, I still discovered it a pleasure to use and couldn’t find any complaints, although some might locate them a chunk smooth.

There are fair variety of ports on offer right here: a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C, a USB three.1 Gen2 Type-A, a USB 2.zero, a HDMI port, microSD slot, and an audio jack. It doesn’t have Thunderbolt three, lamentably, but neither does the a good deal greater high priced Surface Book 2.

When it became released final year, Asus stated the ZenBook Pro got here with world’s first clever touchpad. Sticking the word “smart” behind words to explain products that aren’t specially smart or beneficial has been a tech industry addiction for years, but is that this one of the exceptions?

The ScreenPad measures five.five inches and boasts a complete HD decision. There are 4 modes on offer, which can be selected using the F6 key: ScreenPad mode, Extension Display, Touchpad mode, and Touchpad Disabled.

ScreenPad mode is the primary function here. The first element you’ll notice is that notwithstanding being a touchscreen, it’s additionally an brilliant trackpad that works flawlessly. But Asus needs you to apply the apps, which can be accessed with the aid of swiping down from the pinnacle.

In addition to easy programs such as the calculator, calendar, and media player, there’s a launcher for starting the likes of Steam, Chrome, and Mail. You can also access the Asus store, where you can down load ScreenPad apps to sit down alongside those which might be pre-established, consisting of Office.

The ScreenPad gives numerous capabilities relying on what you’re doing and what apps are mounted. Watching YouTube, as an instance, will carry up video controls, while the Spotify app, which sadly didn’t need to work for me, gives comparable functions for the streaming song service.

But possibly the first-class integration is with Microsoft Office merchandise. Bring up Word or Excel and the ScreenPad lets you store your work, alternate fonts and colorings, and much more.

While the characteristic is revolutionary and gives more capability than the MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar, it’s difficult to imagine absolutely everyone buying a ZenBook Pro for the ScreenPad by myself. The biggest problem, aside from the occasional system defects, is there nevertheless isn’t enough apps available. It might actually be thrilling to see one for social media web sites or a Steam app wherein you could scroll through all your games/buddies.

Then there’s Extension Display; basically, it turns the ScreenPad right into a 2nd screen. It’s intended to resource multitasking through permitting you to, for example, pass your emails or a Chrome window going for walks Facebook onto the small display screen, all even as you use the main show for something else. The concept in the back of the Extension Display seems stable enough, even though I sense the display screen is just a piece too small for it to paintings the way Asus intends. But it does look great cool while using it in public, admittedly.

The Asus ZenBook Pro 14 is a first-rate computer that’s brilliant for preferred use, handles maximum games, and might run expert apps, but the TouchPad isn't always a killer characteristic. While it's going to actually make you stand out + Core espresso shop, extra builders need to aid it to satisfy its capacity, but however, you may argue that Apple's touchbar is a failure or even touchscreens on laptops are not killer functions for maximum.

For professionals who paintings with photograph and video, spending the extra cash and opt for the 15.6" version of the identical pc can be profitable for the 4K display, at the same time as hardcore game enthusiasts are likely to pick out some thing with a beefier graphics card and VRR. The Asus ZenBook Pro hence occupies a pleasing middle ground in which the ScreenPad is an added bonus.

The ZenBook Pro 14 gets it right in striking a very good stability is each branch and at a competitive charge. Currently there's no US availability for the 14" version we reviewed, but it's miles simply available in UK and other European international locations. In the UK it's currently selling for £1,199 ($1,590). In the States the 15.6-inch, 4K model, which comes with Thunderbolt, an i7-8750H CPU, and the equal TouchPad is selling for $1,549 at Best Buy. If you’re searching out an awesome all-rounder with a focus on creators, and one that differentiates itself from the group, this could be the computer for you.

  • Asus ZenBook Pro 14 on Amazon UK, Asus UK, ao.com
  • Asus ZenBook Pro 15.6" 4K on Amazon, Best Buy
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