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If the Zenbook S16 risks getting people talking about it, This is mainly due to the integration of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip. The latter acts as a direct competitor to the Snapdragon X Elite, with its 12 cores. Zen5 multithreaded allowing a maximum frequency of 5.1 GHz. We are on a small monster, more powerful than its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 8945HS (we will still have to work on the names).
The ambitions are clear: to enable great performance while offering the comfort of a particularly thin ultrabook, sinceit does not exceed 13 millimeters thick. However, will there be consequences in terms of autonomy, connectivity or even in terms of the screen ? Let's start by focusing on what we first see: the design and the construction of the computer.
Visually, the look is immediately attracted by the obvious thinness of the Zenbook S16. The design is similar to the S13, although it stands out with Asus' in-house finish: Ceraluminium. This new material combines the advantages of ceramic and aluminum, to provide additional resistance (at least that's what ASUS claims). The chassis appears softer to the eye, and then offers a pleasant matte finish, which also allows reduce the appearance of fingerprints and fingerprints.
A simple upward push is enough to open the computer. It then reveals a very beautiful 16-inch OLED panel, a three-level backlit keyboard, a large touchpad and a perforated area between the keyboard and the hinge for ventilation. The cooling of the computer is in fact taken care of by two fans located in this hinge, which allows temperatures to never exceed 45 degrees under full load.
However, it is the center of the keyboard that will be most affected by the heat, which can be detrimental during long writing sessions, for example. Even more so in the summer: when this test was carried out, the ambient temperature fluctuated between 30 and 32 degrees. The prospect of warming one's hands additionally by simply writing text on a keyboard did not facilitate a positive perception at this level.
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The huge touchpad under the keyboard is a nice touch, though, especially since it allows for various nice shortcuts. By sliding your finger vertically on the right side of the pad, It is thus possible to increase the brightness of the screen, for example. Note however that this same function is also accessible from a dedicated button on the keyboard, which then limits its interest.
Otherwise, in terms of design and construction, this Zenbook S16 Oled has many qualities. Thin and light (1.5 kilos), it benefits from a refined presentation allowing a quick and efficient handling, all coated with a premium finish to justify the price.
We are indeed on an ultrabook, and the keyboard offers a convincing typing system, simply phagocytized by a damaging cooling system during long writing sessions. The good news is that most of the heat isn't in the palms of your hand (i.e., near the touchpad). Instead, it's in the very center of the screen and at the hinge between the screen and the keyboard.
The Zenbook S16 stands out from the competition thanks to a magnificent 16-inch OLED panel with a maximum resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels (3K), all wrapped in a maximum frequency of 120 Hz. Its daily use is a real treat, whether playing games, streaming a movie or simply doing research/working on a word processor. The infinite contrasts enabled by OLED also offer a beautiful image quality.
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In terms of refresh rate, we note the presence ofa very practical dynamic mode, which allows you to automatically alternate between 60 Hz and 120 Hz depending on the computer's power supply. On battery, you will then switch to 60 Hz to gain a little autonomy, while the device goes directly to 120 Hz if it is plugged in, in order to make the most of the screen highlighted.
Overall, this screen therefore almost perfectly compliments the ASUS ultrabook, except for one detail. The glossy panel is particularly sensitive to reflections. Thus, despite a more than acceptable maximum brightness of almost 400 candelas per square meter, the significant reflection of light makes its use almost impossible outdoors, if it is very sunny.
The ASUS Zenbook S16 is therefore a computer to be used indoors, there is no doubt. It's a shame, however, because its slim design and lightness make it a tool that we would like to be able to use everywhere, even outdoors. But as long as you are a homebody, the screen will do the job perfectly.
This is always the big unknown when approaching a laptop benefiting from 'a certain finesse in its design: what concessions will be made in terms of ports and connectivity? Finally, here, we are entitled to the essential: two USB 4.0 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 10 Gb/s USB A port, an SD card reader (UHS-II standard) and finally a jack. Classic, but effective.
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To talk about the technical specifications in more detail, the Asus Zenbook S 16 benefits from all the qualities following:
- An AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor
- An AMD Radeon 890M GPU
- 32 GB of RAM
- 1 TB of internal storage
- A 16-inch OLED QUHD+ screen, 120 Hz and Dolby Vision
- A classic 1080p webcam
- A 78 Wh battery
- A 65W USB-C charger
- 6 speakers to handle audio
< p>We note that the fingerprint reader is a big absentee, as well as the numeric keypad. To connect to a session, you will therefore have to enter a password on the keyboard or set up Windows Hello via facial recognition. These shortcomings are unfortunate, because using an ultrabook implies a certain ease of use, but the Zenbook S16 makes up for it by adding a few pleasant new features.
Thus, this new model integrates the new CoPilot key, which allows Windows to establish itself as a safe bet on the artificial intelligence market. In addition, the Zenbook S16 supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, to benefit from the best possible wireless data transfers.
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On the audio side, the six speakers of the Zenbook S16 certainly allow a significant volume, but quickly saturated. Especially since the bass is far too little present to truly offer a satisfactory listening experience. Fortunately, there is a headphone output. Unfortunately, the audio via the jack is quite weak. It will then be necessary to boost the volume close to the maximum in order to enjoy the audio via earphones or headphones, which is very damaging.
Now comes the hot topic of performance, which is the main reason why this ASUS Zenbook S16 is so closely watched for its release this summer. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the undeniable new feature of this laptop, and the main reason why many consumers will be considering it. So how does it perform in practice??
Note that two different configurations are available for this Zenbook S16. One features the Ryzen AI 9 365 with 24 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. The other features the faster Ryzen AI 9 370 with 32 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD. For this test, we were able to evaluate the latter.
The AMD Ryzen 370 processor (we’ll make it shorter) features 12 Sen 5 CPU cores (24 threads) with a base clock frequency of 2 GHz and a boost clock frequency of 5.1 GHz. The NPU (Neural Processing Unit) is also more powerful and can reach 50 TOPS. In other words, the minimum requirement to run Copilot+ is directly met (40 TOPS) without having to go through the cloud.
Being able to take advantage of AI locally allows for better responsiveness (and therefore more speed). On the other hand, there is no risk that the data shared via AI will reach the internet: confidentiality is a must.
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However, as part of our test, we have not yet been able to really test the computer's AI features. These are not available at the moment (yes, even under Windows 24/2). Microsoft is currently reserving its Copilot+ features for devices equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 370 is particularly powerful, especially since it is coupled with an efficient Radeon 890M graphics processor. In practice, this allows you to play low-demand games (like Fortnite for example) with total fluidity. Other games that require more power are also playable, but they quickly begin to suffer from a slight lack of fluidity. However, for an ultrabook not at all dedicated to gaming, we must admit that this Zenbook S16 surprised us.
We were able to run Elden Ring on it without issue, where it reached 45/50 fps with “high” settings. Ditto for Cyberpunk 2077, which runs at 48/50 frames per second on average.
To summarize, This processor offers more than enough performance for what you would expect from an ultrabook. Whether it's word processing, web browsing, or more demanding activities like gaming or even video editing, the Zenbook S16 (with Ryzen 370) can do just about anything without having to worry about performance.
To test the Zenbook S16's battery life, we ran three different tests, each time putting the device in a dedicated situation. First, we used the computer for word processing as well as web browsing, to test a professional situation. Then, we used the Zenbook S16 in a multimedia setting using YouTube, Netflix, or AppleTV. Finally, we tested the computer's battery life in game.
If you want to use this Zenbook S16 in a mainly professional setting, note that it will offer you very good battery life performance (based on 70% brightness at 120 Hz). It took 13 hours for the battery to completely discharge. This is an excellent result, since it allows you to consider a full working day (or even two!) without needing to recharge.
On the streaming video side, the Zenbook S16 is all the more impressive: it lasted 16 hours, compared to 8 hours over two days in our test. Note thatafter two hours of reading, the charge had only dropped by 8%, which is particularly energy-efficient.
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Finally, in the context of a prolonged gaming session, the autonomy will obviously depend on the game chosen. On Elden Ring, the Zenbook S16 lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes non-stop, with the brightness at 70%. On Cyberpunk 2077, we go down to 2:40. It's not the best on the market in this area, but the simple possibility of playing these games in good quality for more than 2 hours is already more than enough satisfactory.
Especially since charging is rather fast thanks to the 65W USB-C charger provided in the box.< /strong>It recharges the battery by 39% in 30 minutes, 75% in one hour and 100% in 1 hour 28 minutes. Very satisfactory fast charging overall. In terms of autonomy, the Zenbook S16 therefore does honor to ultrabooks, with a good lifespan in light or intensive use, all crowned by quality fast charging.
What we remember above all about this Zenbook S16 is its versatility. He can do just about anything, and do it pretty well. It does not have any real weaknesses overall, and has convinced us in everyday use . It is fast, consumes little, offers a quality OLED screen and offers better performance than we had the right to expect.
If we had to note a few flaws, we would mainly talk about the glossy panel which reacts badly to reflections and makes it almost impossible to use outdoors if the weather is nice. The speakers offer a mixed sound, sometimes too saturated and lacking bass. We also regret the absence of a fingerprint reader to start a session. And then there is a big unknown: artificial intelligence.
We would have liked to be able to test the capabilities of Copilot+ for good with this Zenbook S16, especially since it is one of the flagship promises of the new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor. As it stands, we were therefore unable to form an opinion on it, which is damaging to the overall opinion we can have of this PC.
Despite everything, overall, the Zenbook S16 remains a particularly interesting solution for a user who needs versatility. The Asus laptop is capable of spending hours on a streaming series, of considering itself as a dedicated work tool or even a sporadic gaming PC capable of running many games with ultimately surprising performance. For a device as thin and discreet, it must be admitted that we are on a performance.
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