This laptop looks so nice … but’s also very expensive too. The top spec ZenBook Duo can cost up to $1,700 with 32GB of RAM, with a 1TB SSD and powered by NVIDIA’s MX450.
Taken from Engadget … ASUS isn’t giving up on dual-screen PCs anytime soon. This year, it revamped the ultraportable ZenBook Duo with a rising second screen, more power and vastly improved software for working across two displays. Plus, the $999 starting price means you won’t have to pay an absurd premium. While it’s still not a total home run, the ZenBook Duo is far more compelling than last year — it even won a Best of CES award from us. Finally, there’s a dual-screen machine you may actually want to buy.
| Geekbench 5 CPU | PC Mark 10 | 3DMark (Night Raid) | ATTO (top reads/writes) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ZenBook Duo (2021, Core i7-1165G7, Intel Xe) | 1,410/4,539 | 4,704 | 15,315 | 3.3 GB/s / 2.48 GB/s |
| ASUS ZenBook Duo (Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250) | 986/3,487 | 4160 | 11,625 | 1.6 GB/s / 1.62 GB/s |
| Dell XPS 13 (2020, Core i7-1065G7, Iris Plus) | 982/4,659 | 4,005 | 10,047 | 2.7 GB/s / 1 GB/s |
| ASUS ZenBook 13 (2020, Core i7-1065G7, Iris Plus) | 1,255/4,168 | 4,293 | 7,836 | 1.51 GB/s / 912.11 MB/s |
… If you’re considering the ZenBook Duo, you’ll have to think hard on whether a short second screen is worth losing a more ergonomic keyboard and touchpad. At least this year, you’ll have to pay a lot less for the privilege of owning the Duo: It starts at $1,000 with a Core i5-1135G7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Those are actually useful specs for mainstream users, but if you’re really planning to put it through its paces, I’d recommend the $1,500 model with 16GB of RAM and an MX450. Our review unit, which again was limited to 8GB of memory, sells for $1,300. And you can spec the ZenBook Duo all the way up to $1,700 with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and NVIDIA’s MX450.
Pros
- Angled second screen is more useful
- Better dual-screen software
- Excellent build quality
- Powerful hardware upgrades
Cons
- Keyboard and trackpad are hard to use
- Less battery life than standard ultraportables
- Still no native dual-screen support in Windows
Summary
ASUS’s latest ZenBook Duo is a solid step forward from the last model. Its secondary screen now tilts up, making it more ergonomic and easy to use. While not quite a complete home run, its combination of power and genuinely useful software makes it a dual-screen PC you may actually want to buy. Another plus, it’s also far cheaper than last year.
Source: Engadget
