Asus’s 2022 gaming laptop line-up includes new 16in Zephyrus Duo
Gamers are always well catered for at CES, and that’s no different this time around. Asus has announced four new additions to its popular ROG range of laptops at the 2022 event, each designed with a specific type of gamer in mind.
Arguably the most exciting is a new model of the Zephyrus Duo, which increases the size of the main display to 16in. That makes it the largest dual-screen Asus laptop to date, retaining the secondary ScreenPad Plus touchscreen above the keyboard. This even now slides up to meet the main display – in theory, this should result in a more seamless multitasking experience.
What’s more, plenty of apps are already optimised to take advantage of the second screen. Asus specifically mentions creator platform Overwolf, the Red Dead Redemption companion app, and Dying Light 2, but it can also work directly withWindows 11. We’re talking monitoring performance levels or taking advantage of the OS’s native Android app support.
However, the main display shouldn’t be overlooked. A key difference compared to the Zephyrus Duo 14 and 15 is the move to mini-LED. This isn’t necessarily an upgrade over OLED, but should deliver better contrast and deeper blacks, both of which are important while gaming. There are two choices here when it comes to quality – either QHD at 165Hz or a premium 4K panel, which can automatically switch between 120Hz and 240Hz.
The rest of the Zephyrus Duo 16’s design is relatively familiar, but there are further significant upgrades under the hood. It’s among the first to useIntel’s new 12th-gen processorsand Nvidia’s upgraded RTX 30 Series GPU, both of which were announced on the same day at CES 2022.
Intel claims its new silicon delivers big performance and power efficiency improvements, while having a powerful discrete GPU is a must for dedicated gaming hardware. Alongside up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, it remains to be seen just how much of a difference this will make.
Asus also specifically highlighted the Zephyrus Duo 16’s cooling abilities. Instead of using the popular thermal paste, the company has opted for a custom-designed liquid metal solution. The advantages here are supposedly two-fold, with up to 15°C more cooling capacity and around five years before it shows any signs of degrading (compared to three years for thermal paste).
However, Asus is yet to reveal any pricing or availability information for the Duo 16.
ROG Zephyrus G14
If you don’t value the second screen, the Zephyrus G14 is a great alternative. It adopts a more traditional laptop design, with a 14in display flanked by slim bezels, all within a thin and lightweight body.
The mini-LED panel here is QHD at 120Hz, with Asus also advertising full DCI-P3 color gamut coverage and 3ms response time. A slim build doesn’t mean it sacrifices power either, with AMD’s new Ryzen 6000 Series and Radeon RX 6800S or 6700S GPUs under the hood.
The Zephyrus G14 will start at £1,699.99 when it goes on sale in either March or April 2022.
ROG Strix
While the Zephyrus range focuses on portability and great battery life, Asus’s ROG Strix line-up targets esports enthusiasts. The new ROG Strix G15 and G17 embody that, combining top-tier internals with liquid metal cooling and a premium design. You’ll also find plenty of customisation options, with two sizes (15- or 17in), two resolutions (FHD or QHD) and four refresh rates (165Hz, 240Hz, 300Hz, 360Hz).
Plenty more features are consistent across all Strix models, including Dolby Atmos audio, a 90Wh battery with 100W fast charging, and Wi-Fi 6E.
However, the brand-new ROG Strix Scar offers several extra features. These include PCIe Gen 4, super-fast DDR5 RAM and Windows 11 Pro out of the box, as opposed to Windows 11 Home on the G15 and G17.
The ROG Strix Scar will be available from February, starting at £2,499.99. You’ll have to wait until March or April for the ROG Strix G15 (from £1,699.99), but there’s currently no pricing or availability for the Strix G14.
Zenbook 14
Regular consumers haven’t been forgotten about by Asus at CES 2022. The Zenbook 14 OLED has been updated with a choice ofIntel 12th-genor orAMD Ryzen 6000CPUs, which helps power a 2.8K, 90Hz display with full DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. You also get a large trackpad and 75Wh battery, all within a 1.4kg chassis.
It’s very much an iterative update, but more wholesale design changes can be found on the new Space Edition of Asus’s Zenbook 14X laptop. This adopts a new futuristic design, complete with monochrome external display. It’s even been built to handle being taken into space.
However, pricing and availability information for the new Zenbook devices is yet to be revealed. The same can be said of theZenbook 17 Fold OLED, Asus’s first ever foldable.
When they do come to market, the new Asus devices could be contenders for ourbest laptopandbest gaming laptopcharts.
Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.
