Best Asus laptops: Best overall, best for gaming, and more

Whether or not you’re out there for a robust workhorse, or one thing extra moveable you’ll be able to toss in a bag, or a laptop computer with an exquisite OLED show, Asus is thought for its progressive designs (hello, twin screens!) and high quality merchandise. Right here at PCWorld, we’ve personally reviewed quite a few Asus laptops. We’ve checked out every thing from cheap VivoBooks to highly effective gaming machines just like the ROG Strix and Zephyrus.

To make your seek for an Asus laptop computer simpler, we’ve curated an inventory of the perfect Asus laptops we’ve examined. Nonetheless, there’s one laptop computer that actually units itself aside: The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, which gives an attractive mixture of blazing-fast efficiency and a compact kind issue. The white exterior is simple on the eyes, as effectively. Not your cup of tea? Fortunate for you, we’ve received loads of different choices.

Remember to go to our complete information to the perfect laptops amongst all the key manufacturers if you wish to peruse the cream of the crop from each pocket book maker.

1. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 – Greatest general

Professionals

• Highly effective CPU and GPU efficiency
• Compact and enticing design
• Newly added webcam

Cons

• Semi-upgradeable RAM
• Keyboard backlighting is subpar

MSRP:

$1650 (base worth) | $2500 (Radeon RX 6800S, 1TB SSD, 32GB RAM)

The ROG Zephyrus G14 is each light-weight and highly effective. It weighs just a bit over three kilos, which makes it a succesful touring laptop computer. Due to the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS processor and AMD Radeon RX6800S GPU, you’ll be able to anticipate robust efficiency as effectively. The one weak point is the keyboard, which our tester describes as “meh.” It feels slightly mushy and the backlighting is moderately unimpressive. Nitpicks apart, the Zephyrus G14 is effectively price it. Along with the robust efficiency, the 1600p show produces vibrant pictures and the audio is first rate. If you happen to’re out there for a conveyable Asus laptop computer that delivers zippy efficiency, this laptop computer is an exceptional choose.

Learn our full
ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) evaluation

2. Asus VivoBook Professional 15 OLED Extremely Slim Laptop computer – Greatest OLED show

Professionals

• Good productiveness efficiency
• Excellent show
• Rugged design
• Nice battery life

Cons

• Boring aesthetics
• Unimpressive 720p webcam
• Unreliable fingerprint scanner
• Poor port choice

Again within the days of outdated, laptops with OLED shows have been one thing of a far-fetched dream. These days, they’re extra mainstream and the Asus VivoBook Professional 15 is one such instance. In response to our evaluation, the Professional 15 has an “excellent 15.6-inch 1080p OLED non-touch show at an reasonably priced worth.” Wild, proper? Shadows are deep and splendidly wealthy whereas brighter spots are tremendous vivid. The colour efficiency is implausible as effectively. If you happen to’re in search of a laptop computer that makes video games look nice and likewise satisfies productiveness wants, the Professional 15 is a superb selection.

Learn our full
ASUS VivoBook Professional 15 OLED Extremely Slim Laptop computer evaluation

3. Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 – Greatest premium gaming laptop computer

Professionals

• Wonderful CPU and GPU efficiency
• Sturdy and progressive design
• Comfy and customizable keyboard

Cons

• Trackpad requires some strain
• Very excessive worth

MSRP:

$2,200 (base unit) as much as $3,700 (evaluation unit)

The Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 is a gamer’s final dream. This laptop computer options lightning-fast GPU and CPU efficiency plus a surprising 17.3-inch 4K show with a 120Hz refresh price. The rugged all-metal chassis, six speaker sound system, and customizable keyboard actually provides to the premium expertise as effectively. Nonetheless, you’re going to pay out the nostril for it. If you happen to’ve received a versatile funds and also you gained’t accept something aside from the perfect of the perfect, the Zephyrus S17 is really the bees knees.

Learn our full
Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 evaluation

4. Asus ROG Strix G15 Benefit Version – Greatest midrange gaming laptop computer

Professionals

• Outclasses each CPU in competing laptops
• Radeon RX GPU outclasses similarly-priced GeForce GPUs in typical gaming.
• Surprisingly good audio high quality

Cons

• No webcam
• Very cumbersome 280-watt energy brick
• Nvidia GPUs outclass Radeon in ray tracing and content material creation.

Granted, the premium Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 could be out of vary for many individuals’s budgets. Coming in at a extra palatable worth level is the Asus ROG Strix G15 Superior Version, one other all-AMD laptop computer that delivers quick CPU and GPU efficiency with out busting your pockets. It’s packing an AMD Ryzen 5900HX processor, an AMD Radeon RX 6800M GPU (akin to an RTX 3070 or 3080), 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. In response to our evaluation, the GPU “doesn’t outpace higher-wattage RTX 3080 laptop computer GPUs, however it’s a worthy competitor for typical gaming duties.” Unsurprisingly, the Strix G15 is one chunky machine, measuring 28mm at its thickest half. Though the extra thickness permits more room for cooling parts, it’s not very moveable. However, so long as you don’t plan on taking this laptop computer in all places you go, it’s a robust gaming rig that’s effectively well worth the cash.

Learn our full
Asus ROG Strix G15 Benefit Version evaluation

5. Asus ROG Stream Z13 GZ301 – Most moveable

Professionals

• Massive efficiency in a small package deal
• Brilliant, crisp show
• Appropriate with XG Cell for GPU increase

Cons

• Versatility doesn’t come low-cost
• Removable keyboard poor match for players

If versatility and portability are your bag, the Asus ROG Stream Z13 is a worthy choice. With its removable keyboard, you’ll be able to simply convert the Stream Z13 from a 3-pound ultraportable clamshell right into a 2.6-pound pill. In each cases you’ll profit from the the Z13’s shiny, crisp 1920×1200 IPS contact show. It’s Core i9-12900H CPU and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics make it appropriate for gaming, although you’d most likely need to put money into an exterior keyboard and mouse for the perfect expertise. It’s a novel mixture of qualities that’s admittedly not for everybody, however in case you’re in search of most flexibility, it’s a succesful performer, albeit at a premium worth.

Learn our full
Asus ROG Stream Z13 GZ301 evaluation

6. Asus Zenbook Professional Duo 15 OLED UX582 – Greatest for content material creation

Professionals

• Twin OLED screens are a boon for cell content material creation
• Nice keyboard and extra-loud audio system
• Features a backpack, palm relaxation, ergonomic stand, and stylus

Cons

• Small trackpad that hates lefties
• Twin-screen software program takes some getting used to
• Tech specs barely underperform comparable laptops

Now for one thing fully totally different. The Asus Zenbook Professional Duo 15 OLED UX582 offers customers twin screens: a 15.6-inch 4K OLED panel that shines at a shiny 440 nits whereas masking 100% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut—a critical display for critical content material creators—and, in a very fascinating twist, a secondary 14-inch 3840×1100 OLED display located above the keyboard. Home windows counts it as a second monitor and you should use bundled Asus software program to make use of it for every kind of useful duties—say, as a trackpad or for summoning a panel of contact controls for choose Adobe apps.

The UX582 packs considerable firepower, together with a high-end overclockable Core i9 chip, GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, 32GB of DDR4 reminiscence, and a quick 1TB NVMe SSD. It’s mainly a conveyable high-end PC workstation, although the dearth of an SD card reader could show irksome. You possibly can at all times purchase an exterior SD reader and slap it into one of many laptops twin Thunderbolt 3 ports, although. You may additionally think about a inexpensive model than our evaluation mannequin, which switches out the high-end overclockable Core i9 chip for a Core i7 chip, and drops the reminiscence all the way down to 16GB, on sale for $2,400 at Amazon. It ought to nonetheless be lots speedy for video enhancing however prices considerably much less.

Learn our full
Asus Zenbook Professional Duo 15 OLED UX582 evaluation

How we examined

The PCWorld staff places every Home windows laptop computer via a collection of benchmarks that check GPU and CPU efficiency, battery life, and so forth. The concept is to push the laptop computer to its limits after which evaluate it towards others we’ve examined. Beneath, you’ll discover a breakdown of every check and the the reason why we run them.

Home windows laptops

• PCMark 10: PCMark 10 is how we decide how effectively the laptop computer handles lighter duties like net looking, phrase processing, spreadsheets, and so forth.
• HandBrake: HandBrake is extra intensive than PCMark 10. It mainly measures how lengthy a laptop computer’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
• Cinebench: Cinebench is a short stress check of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a brief time frame.
• 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D efficiency stays constant over time by operating graphic-intensive clips.
• Video rundown check: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Home windows 10’s Motion pictures & TV app till the laptop computer dies.

What to search for in a laptop computer

Ah, right here we’re on the billion greenback query. What components and options matter most in a laptop computer? Properly, it actually depends upon your private way of life and what you intend on utilizing it for. If you happen to journey a bunch for work, it’s most likely a good suggestion to put money into a laptop computer with stable battery life and a light-weight physique. If you happen to’re a gamer, your wants might be totally different. Right here’s a rundown of some key options to have in mind.

• Laptop computer kind: The primary query you need to ask your self is what sort of laptop computer you’re in search of. There’s conventional clamshells, 2-in-1’s, and far more. The shows on convertible laptops (aka 2-in-1’s), for instance, can swing round 360 levels, or within the case of the ROG Stream Z13 above, detach from the keyboard altogether. This lets you use the laptop computer like a pill. They can be propped up like a tent for viewing motion pictures or collaborating in video calls.
• CPU: If it’s CPU energy you’re in search of, the cream of the crop is the Core i9-12900H on the Intel facet, with 14 complete cores and 20 threads and a lift pace of 5GHz. Intel processors can be found in Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9. The upper the quantity, the extra highly effective the CPU. As for AMD choices, the Ryzen 3 is sweet for primary productiveness and net looking. If you happen to want extra energy, the Ryzen 7 chip is effectively suited to content material creation like video enhancing. Lastly, in case you’re coping with 4K video, spring for a Ryzen 9.
• Graphics: You’ll need a discrete graphics card for hardcore gaming or enhancing movies. It’s separate from the processor, so you’ll be able to anticipate greater efficiency out of it. Built-in graphics, then again, are hooked up to the CPU and use much less energy because of this. That is completely tremendous for on a regular basis duties, particularly in case you’re not doing something that’s graphics-intensive.
• RAM: 8GB of RAM is zippy sufficient for normal use. Nonetheless, in case you’ve received a gaming laptop computer, 16GB of RAM is the way in which to go, and content material creators will need much more.
• Show measurement: If you happen to’re a video editor or somebody who does lots of multimedia work, you’ll need a show that’s anyplace from 15- to 17-inches. The candy spot is absolutely anyplace from 13- to 14-inches, although. The larger the show, the heavier your laptop computer goes to be. A 13- or 14-inch show is the perfect when it comes to portability and worth.
• Battery life: If you happen to plan on taking your laptop computer anyplace with you, purpose for one thing that may final 10 to 12 hours on a single cost. That’s greater than a full work day, so it ought to theoretically get you thru lengthy flights or a day of courses. Clearly, extra is at all times higher. Simply know that the larger the battery, the heavier the laptop computer.
• Worth: The worth actually depends upon your funds. If you happen to’re strapped for money (been there, belief me), go for an entry-level enterprise laptop computer. These laptops are good selections for college students or younger professionals. If you happen to can afford to spend extra, the flexibility of a 2-in-1 laptop computer is absolutely price it.
• Ports: A big selection of ports is at all times a plus in my ebook, because it eliminates the necessity for an adapter. I’d suggest a laptop computer that has each USB-C and USB-A. An HDMI port is sweet, too. That is particularly helpful for whenever you need to hook as much as an exterior monitor.