Asus' Zenbook S 16 is among the pioneering laptops to showcase AMD's flagship Ryzen AI processor, purportedly outpacing Intel and Qualcomm in gaming, content creation, and AI tasks — all while nestled in a notebook that AMD claims surpasses the MacBook Air in thinness and lightness. On paper, it appears to be the quintessential, all-encompassing Windows laptop.
Yet, Asus faces the challenge of persuading consumers to embrace this AMD-powered device now, when machines running Qualcomm's latest chips can satisfy most users' needs while offering battery longevity that far eclipses traditional processors. To emerge as this summer's laptop sensation, Asus would need to outshine the entire lineup of Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops released mere months ago, not just in raw speed, but across the spectrum of battery endurance, build quality, user comfort, app compatibility, feature set, and pricing. This is the formidable mountain AMD and Asus must scale.
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Laptops invariably come with some form of compromise, whether it's performance, battery life, or other aspects. In my assessment, the Zenbook S 16 doesn't quite achieve the status of a flawless, all-in-one laptop. However, it strikes a balance between everyday tasks and power-user capabilities more adeptly than most productivity-focused machines — earning it a spot among the finest laptops I've had the pleasure of using.
Defying 16-inch expectations
The Zenbook S 16 presents itself as a svelte 16-inch laptop, offering a base configuration of 24GB of memory, a 1TB SSD, and AMD's Ryzen AI 9 365 processor for $1,400. It also boasts a 2880 x 1800 (3K) touchscreen OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a substantial 78Wh battery. My evaluation focused on the $1,700 variant, equipped with 32GB of memory and the more potent Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 chip.
Remarkably, Asus managed to incorporate such a capacious battery into the Zenbook's 0.47-inch thick chassis, all while keeping the total weight to a mere 3.31 pounds. Larger laptops often prove cumbersome to transport, partly due to their battery size. However, the Zenbook feels more akin to a 13- or 14-inch device, making its actual dimensions easy to overlook.
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The keyboard placement further contributes to the laptop's compact feel. Asus positions the keyboard closer to the front by maintaining a reasonable trackpad size and situating the speaker grille at the rear, enhancing typing comfort. I can reach the function row without lifting my palms from the wrist rests. With most 16-inch laptops, I find myself typing like Thing from The Addams Family, with my wrists awkwardly suspended in mid-air.
The keys approach a low-profile desktop keyboard's satisfying, full press without producing clacky or pingy sounds.
Asus Zenbook S 16 Specs
- GPU: AMD Radeon 890M
- RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X 7500
- Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Webcam: FHD 1080p camera with IR (supports Windows Hello)
- Display: 16-inch (2880 x 1800) 120Hz OLED touchscreen
- CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
- Ports: 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB 4.0 Gen 3 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, 1x HDMI 2.1, SD card reader, headphone/mic combo
- Weight: 3.31 lbs.
- Dimensions: 13.92 x 9.57 x 0.47–0.51 inches
- Battery: 78Wh
- Included extras: Asus Stylus
- Price: $1,700
Aesthetically, it's a winner too. The exterior undergoes a specialized process forming a hard, ceramic oxide layer over the aluminum chassis, resulting in a delightful texture that feels rough and smooth. Asus has also retained the gorgeous geometric lines sparsely adorning the lid, reminiscent of previous Zenbook models.
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Including a 3K, 120Hz OLED display is becoming increasingly standard for laptops in the Zenbook S 16's price range. The screen offers vivid colors and deep contrasts, enhancing the laptop's appeal.
Outperforming Qualcomm
Performance is where this laptop clearly distinguishes itself from Qualcomm Snapdragon devices. For video calls, music streaming, and other routine tasks, AMD's Ryzen AI chip and Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors deliver comparable responsiveness, as expected from processors of their caliber. However, AMD sets itself apart with superior graphics performance, making the Zenbook S 16 surprisingly adept at gaming and content creation for such a portable machine.
Being on the x86 Windows platform ensures that most games function seamlessly on the Zenbook. Shadow of the Tomb Raider crashes on an Arm-based Snapdragon laptop if I attempt to run it at resolutions higher than 1080p or with elevated graphics settings. In contrast, I can run the same game on the Zenbook S 16 at the same resolution with high specifications, and it not only runs smoothly but also achieves up to 20 additional frames per second.
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