ASUS has presented a new selection of AI-integrated laptops equipped with AMD's recent Ryzen AI 300 processors at Computex 2024. The new range comprises the Zenbook, Vivobook, ROG Zephyrus, and TUF Gaming series, all featuring advanced Copilot+ AI functionality in Windows 11.
Zenbook S 16: Built for Creators
The centerpiece, Zenbook S 16 (UM5606), sports a 16-inch OLED screen and an innovative “Ceraluminum” lid that merges the texture of ceramic with aluminum's toughness. It's geared towards content creators, powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU with 12 cores and 24 threads, reaching speeds up to 5.1GHz. Its Neural Processing Unit (NPU) delivers 50 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second) of AI performance, surpassing Microsoft's 40 TOPS benchmark for Copilot+ usage. Key specs include up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and a 78Wh battery. The display features 3K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, along with an FHD webcam with IR. Pre-orders are available at Best Buy from $1,400.
Vivobook S Series: Slimmer and Lighter
The Vivobook S series refresh includes the S 14 (M5406), S 15 (M5506), and S 16 (M5606), utilizing AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and Ryzen AI 9 365 CPUs. These models have been slimmed down, with the Vivobook S 14 being only 0.54 inches thick and weighing 2.8 pounds. They support up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. Pricing and availability are yet to be announced.
PZ13: A Surface Pro 11 Contender
The PZ13 emerges as a strong rival to Microsoft's Surface Pro 11, with a 13.3″ 3K OLED WQXGA+ touch screen with full DCI-P3 color gamut, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU, and a larger 70Wh battery compared to the Surface Pro 11's 53Wh. It includes 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD and additional features like an SD card reader and a rear camera are also included.
New TUF Gaming Laptops
The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 has a 16-inch display, housed in a slim 17.9 mm chassis, achieving a 90% screen-to-body ratio. The screen features a 2.5K resolution, 400 nits brightness, a 165 Hz refresh rate, and a 3 ms response time, with full sRGB color gamut support.
Enhancements include an enlarged touchpad and full-size arrow keys for improved control. Connectivity options are extensive, offering two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a USB 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1, a USB 3.2 Type-C port with 100W power delivery, an ethernet jack, HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5 mm combo audio jack.
Under the hood, the laptop features the latest AMD Ryzen AI processors, with configurations available up to an RTX 4070 GPU and LPDDR5X-7500 memory. It's equipped with a 90 Wh battery and sophisticated cooling technology for thermal management.
The TUF Gaming A14, while smaller, retains many features of the A16, including an RTX 4060 GPU and a 73 Wh battery. Its system TDP starts at 100W and can boost to 110W in Turbo mode. The 14-inch display mirrors the A16's with a 2.5K resolution, 400 nits brightness, a 165 Hz refresh rate, and a 3 ms response time.
Both models are designed for durability, with the A14 sporting a military-grade chassis and an FHD webcam compatible with Windows Hello.
ProArt Series: AI-Enhanced Creativity
ASUS has added to its ProArt series with the ProArt P16, PX13, and PZ13. These models aim to elevate creative tasks with AI, using AMD Ryzen AI 300 and Snapdragon X Elite chipsets. The ProArt P16 offers a 16-inch 4K OLED display, AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPU options, and an optional RTX 4070 GPU.
It can be configured with up to 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The PX13 and PZ13 feature 13.3-inch 3K OLED screens, with the PX13 equipped with AMD Ryzen AI 300 series and the PZ13 with Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, offering up to 32GB and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, respectively, and integrated graphics.
Asus claims the new ProArt models provide military-grade durability and offer over 40 TOPS of NPU performance. They also include complimentary software subscriptions, such as six months of CapCut and three months of Adobe Creative Suite. Enhanced connectivity is provided through WiFi 7.
