The best Asus laptops: Best overall, best for gaming, and more
- 22 April, 2022 20:45
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Whether you're in the market for a powerful workhorse, or something more portable you can toss in a bag, or a laptop with a beautiful OLED display, Asus is known for its innovative designs (hi, dual screens!) and quality products. Here at PCWorld, we've personally reviewed a number of Asus laptops. We've looked at everything from inexpensive VivoBooks to powerful gaming machines like the ROG Strix and Zephyrus.
To make your search for an Asus laptop easier, we've curated a list of the best Asus laptops we've tested. However, there's one laptop that really sets itself apart: The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which offers an enticing combination of blazing-fast performance and a compact form factor. The white exterior is easy on the eyes, as well. Not your cup of tea? Lucky for you, we've got plenty of other options.
Be sure to visit our comprehensive guide to the best laptops among all the major brands if you want to peruse the cream of the crop from every notebook maker.
1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 – Best overall
Pros
- Powerful CPU and GPU performance
- Compact and attractive design
- Newly added webcam
Cons
- Semi-upgradeable RAM
- Keyboard backlighting is subpar
The ROG Zephyrus G14 is both lightweight and powerful. It weighs just a little over three pounds, which makes it a capable traveling laptop. Thanks to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor and AMD Radeon RX6800S GPU, you can expect strong performance as well. The only weakness is the keyboard, which our tester describes as meh. It feels a little mushy and the backlighting is rather unimpressive. Nitpicks aside, the Zephyrus G14 is well worth it. In addition to the strong performance, the 1600p display produces vibrant images and the audio is decent. If you're in the market for a portable Asus laptop that delivers zippy performance, this laptop is a phenomenal pick.
2. Asus VivoBook Pro 15 OLED Ultra Slim Laptop – Best OLED display
Pros
- Good productivity performance
- Superb display
- Rugged design
- Great battery life
Cons
- Boring aesthetics
- Unimpressive 720p webcam
- Unreliable fingerprint scanner
- Poor port selection
Back in the days of old, laptops with OLED displays were something of a far-fetched dream. Nowadays, they're more mainstream and the Asus VivoBook Pro 15 is one such example. According to our review, the Pro 15 has an outstanding 15.6-inch 1080p OLED non-touch display at an affordable price. Wild, right? Shadows are deep and wonderfully rich while brighter spots are super vivid. The color performance is fantastic as well. If you're looking for a laptop that makes games look great and also satisfies productivity needs, the Pro 15 is a great choice.
3. Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 – Best premium gaming laptop
Pros
- Excellent CPU and GPU performance
- Robust and innovative design
- Comfortable and customizable keyboard
Cons
- Trackpad requires some pressure
- Very high price
The Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 is a gamer's ultimate dream. This laptop features lightning-fast GPU and CPU performance plus a stunning 17.3-inch 4K display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The rugged all-metal chassis, six speaker sound system, and customizable keyboard really adds to the premium experience as well. However, you're going to pay out the nose for it. If you've got a flexible budget and you won't settle for anything other than the best of the best, the Zephyrus S17 is truly the bees knees.
4. Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition – Best midrange gaming laptop
Pros
- Outclasses every CPU in competing laptops
- Radeon RX GPU outclasses similarly-priced GeForce GPUs in conventional gaming.
- Surprisingly good audio quality
Cons
- No webcam
- Very bulky 280-watt power brick
- Nvidia GPUs outclass Radeon in ray tracing and content creation.
Granted, the premium Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 can be out of range for many people's budgets. Coming in at a more palatable price point is the Asus ROG Strix G15 Advanced Edition, another all-AMD laptop that delivers fast CPU and GPU performance without busting your wallet. It's packing an AMD Ryzen 5900HX processor, an AMD Radeon RX 6800M GPU (comparable to an RTX 3070 or 3080), 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. According to our review, the GPU doesn't outpace higher-wattage RTX 3080 laptop GPUs, but it's a worthy competitor for conventional gaming tasks. Unsurprisingly, the Strix G15 is one chunky machine, measuring 28mm at its thickest part. Although the additional thickness allows more space for cooling components, it's not very portable. But, as long as you don't plan on taking this laptop everywhere you go, it's a powerful gaming rig that's well worth the money.
5. Asus ROG Flow Z13 GZ301 – Most portable
Pros
- Big performance in a small package
- Bright, crisp display
- Compatible with XG Mobile for GPU boost
Cons
- Versatility doesn't come cheap
- Detachable keyboard poor fit for gamers
If versatility and portability are your bag, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a worthy option. With its detachable keyboard, you can easily convert the Flow Z13 from a 3-pound ultraportable clamshell into a 2.6-pound tablet. In both instances you'll benefit from the the Z13's bright, crisp 1920×1200 IPS touch display. It's Core i9-12900H CPU and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics make it suitable for gaming, though you'd probably want to invest in an external keyboard and mouse for the best experience. It's a unique combination of qualities that's admittedly not for everyone, but if you're looking for maximum flexibility, it's a capable performer, albeit at a premium price.
6. Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 – Best for content creation
Pros
- Dual OLED screens are a boon for mobile content creation
- Great keyboard and extra-loud speakers
- Includes a backpack, palm rest, ergonomic stand, and stylus
Cons
- Small trackpad that hates lefties
- Dual-screen software takes some getting used to
- Tech specs slightly underperform comparable laptops
Now for something completely different. The Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 gives users dual screens: a 15.6-inch 4K OLED panel that shines at a bright 440 nits while covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut—a serious screen for serious content creators—and, in a truly interesting twist, a secondary 14-inch 3840×1100 OLED screen situated above the keyboard. Windows counts it as a second monitor and you can use bundled Asus software to use it for all kinds of helpful tasks—say, as a trackpad or for summoning a panel of touch controls for select Adobe apps.
The UX582 packs abundant firepower, including a high-end overclockable Core i9 chip, GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, 32GB of DDR4 memory, and a fast 1TB NVMe SSD. It's basically a portable high-end PC workstation, though the lack of an SD card reader may prove irksome. You can always buy an external SD reader and slap it into one of the laptops dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, though. You might also consider a less expensive version than our review model, which switches out the high-end overclockable Core i9 chip for a Core i7 chip, and drops the memory down to 16GB, on sale for $2,400 at Amazon. It should still be plenty speedy for video editing but costs significantly less.
How we tested
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others we've tested. Below, you'll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.
Windows laptops
- PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on.
- HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptop's CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
- Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time.
- 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips.
- Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10's Movies TV app until the laptop dies.
What to look for in a laptop
Ah, here we are at the billion dollar question. What parts and features matter most in a laptop? Well, it really depends on your personal lifestyle and what you plan on using it for. If you travel a bunch for work, it's probably a good idea to invest in a laptop with solid battery life and a lightweight body. If you're a gamer, your needs will be different. Here's a rundown of some key features to take into account.
- Laptop type: The first question you should ask yourself is what kind of laptop you're looking for. There's traditional clamshells, 2-in-1's, and much more. The displays on convertible laptops (aka 2-in-1's), for example, can swing around 360 degrees, or in the case of the ROG Flow Z13 above, detach from the keyboard altogether. This allows you to use the laptop like a tablet. They can also be propped up like a tent for viewing movies or participating in video calls.
- CPU: If it's CPU power you're looking for, the cream of the crop is the Core i9-12900H on the Intel side, with 14 total cores and 20 threads and a boost speed of 5GHz. Intel processors are available in Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. The higher the number, the more powerful the CPU. As for AMD options, the Ryzen 3 is good for basic productivity and web browsing. If you need more power, the Ryzen 7 chip is well suited for content creation like video editing. Finally, if you're dealing with 4K video, spring for a Ryzen 9.
- Graphics: You'll want a discrete graphics card for hardcore gaming or editing videos. It's separate from the processor, so you can expect higher performance out of it. Integrated graphics, on the other hand, are attached to the CPU and use less power as a result. This is perfectly fine for everyday tasks, especially if you're not doing anything that's graphics-intensive.
- RAM: 8GB of RAM is zippy enough for general use. However, if you've got a gaming laptop, 16GB of RAM is the way to go, and content creators will want even more.
- Display size: If you're a video editor or someone who does a lot of multimedia work, you'll want a display that's anywhere from 15- to 17-inches. The sweet spot is really anywhere from 13- to 14-inches, though. The bigger the display, the heavier your laptop is going to be. A 13- or 14-inch display is the best in terms of portability and value.
- Battery life: If you plan on taking your laptop anywhere with you, aim for something that can last 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. That's more than a full work day, so it should theoretically get you through long flights or a day of classes. Obviously, more is always better. Just know that the bigger the battery, the heavier the laptop.
- Price: The price really depends on your budget. If you're strapped for cash (been there, trust me), go for an entry-level business laptop. These laptops are good choices for students or young professionals. If you can afford to spend more, the versatility of a 2-in-1 laptop is really worth it.
- Ports: A wide array of ports is always a plus in my book, as it eliminates the need for an adapter. I'd recommend a laptop that has both USB-C and USB-A. An HDMI port is good, too. This is especially useful for when you want to hook up to an external monitor.
