The rise of AI is revolutionizing the tech landscape, and no area is feeling its impact more than the laptop market. Chipset manufacturers are vying for dominance, each pushing the boundaries of performance and integration. AMD’s new Ryzen AI 300 series, a powerful contender in this race, powers the impressive Asus Zenbook S 16, a sleek powerhouse that perfectly blends portability and performance. But does this premium laptop live up to its hefty price tag? This in-depth review dives into every aspect, from its stunning design and vibrant display to its powerful performance and impressive battery life, revealing whether the Asus Zenbook S 16 truly deserves a place in your bag.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Laptop Design: Beautiful and Sleek
The Asus Zenbook S 16 showcases a commitment to design excellence. Asus’s use of Ceraluminum, a unique blend of ceramic and aluminum, gives the lid a striking, almost otherworldly finish. The glossy silver lines accentuating the lid further enhance its premium aesthetic. The Zumaia Gray color option, in particular, offers a sophisticated, stone-like texture that sets it apart from competitors.
- Dimensions: 353.6 x 243 x 11.9 mm
- Weight: 1.50 kg
- Colors: Zumaia Gray
Its portability is truly remarkable. Weighing just 1.5 kg and measuring a mere 11.9 mm thin, it effortlessly slips into a laptop bag without adding significant weight. However, the 150-degree hinge, rather than a full 180-degree lay-flat design, is a limitation stemming from the placement of the cooling vents. These vents are meticulously designed with a grid of rounded squares, each featuring two holes to optimize airflow, reflecting a dedication to both aesthetics and thermal management. The speaker placement, subtly integrated into the chassis sides similar to MacBooks, further contributes to the machine’s clean and refined design. The selection of ports is also comprehensive, featuring two USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C ports (supporting display output and power delivery), a 3.5mm audio jack, an HDMI 2.1 port on the left, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port on the right, and an SD 4.0 card reader. In summary, the Zenbook S 16 succeeds in its mission of providing both a sleek profile and the connectivity needed for modern workflows.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Laptop Display: Vibrant and Colourful
- Display: 16-inch OLED touchscreen
- Resolution: 3K (2880 x 1800 pixels)
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
The 16-inch display is a standout feature. The thin bezels maximize screen real estate, and the 3K resolution delivers incredibly sharp visuals. The touchscreen functionality, enhanced by a digitizer layer and protective glass, provides responsive and intuitive input. While the digitizer layer introduces a slight graininess, particularly noticeable in solid white backgrounds, it’s far less pronounced than in older OLED touchscreen panels. The OLED panel itself excels, boasting deep blacks, vibrant colors, and minimal light bleeding. The out-of-the-box color calibration is excellent, creating uniform hues. For further customization, the MyAsus application offers tools to fine-tune display settings to perfection. Notably, Asus has incorporated OLED Flicker-Free Dimming, mitigating the flickering issues often associated with OLED panels.
However, the glossy screen coating contributes to significant reflectivity, making outdoor use challenging. The brightness, while acceptable in dimly lit environments, falls short for bright office or outdoor settings. Finally, the glossy finish makes the screen prone to smudges, necessitating frequent cleaning with a microfiber cloth.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Laptop Keyboard, Touchpad, Speakers, and Webcam: Works Fine
- Keyboard: Backlit keyboard
- Webcam: 1080p Hi-res camera
- Speakers: Six Speakers
The backlit keyboard features bright LEDs ensuring comfortable typing in low-light conditions. An ambient light sensor automatically adjusts keyboard brightness, further enhancing usability. While the key travel is slightly shorter at 1.1 mm, offering a responsive typing experience, it is initially less familiar to those who prefer deeper keystrokes. However, once accustomed, the keyboard proves comfortable, even during prolonged use.
The generously sized touchpad seamlessly handles gestures like swipes and taps, delivering smooth and responsive input. The physical clicks feel satisfying and show minimal rattling. Asus includes edge gestures – along the top, left, and right edges — for controlling screen brightness, volume, and navigation. Yet the absence of palm rejection leads to occasional accidental inputs. It’s worth noting that the fingerprint sensor function could be improved. The review unit had frequent issues with Windows Hello authentication. The 1080p webcam, however, delivers sharp and usable video for calls.
The six speakers, powered by Harman Kardon audio tuning and smart AMP technology, provide a surprisingly powerful and balanced audio experience. The sound is loud enough to fill a small room, with minimal distortion even at higher volumes. A well-balanced bass and treble response adds to the overall quality.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Laptop Software: Useful
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Other Features: Copilot Plus
The Zenbook S 16 runs on Windows 11 Home. It’s marketed with Microsoft’s Copilot, though the machine’s true potential within the AI space remains somewhat untapped. The inclusion of a dedicated Copilot key allows for quicker navigation. A tool like Amuse, a real-time image generation application, leverages the AMD NPU’s capabilities. However, the laptop isn’t branded as a "Copilot+ PC," despite containing an AMD XDNA 2.0 NPU boasting up to 50 TOPS of processing power—a high figure in this segment. This lack of distinct marketing around its AI functionalities might disappoint those anticipating the latest AI advancements. Nonetheless, MyAsus provides a helpful one-stop shop for troubleshooting, driver updates, and system customization.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Performance: Top-Notch Performance
- Chipset: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
- RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X
- ROM: 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
- GPU: AMD Radeon 890M Graphics
The Asus Zenbook S 16 is a powerful machine, driven by AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. The review unit’s processor, based on the new Zen5 architecture, features four performance and eight efficiency cores that show exceptional multitasking ability. Moreover, it contains integrated AMD Radeon 890 graphics and the AMD XDNA 2.0 NPU.
The following benchmarks give a general view of the Zenbook S 16’s performance in comparison to other notebooks.
| Benchmark | Asus Zenbook S 16 (2024) | Dell Latitude 7450 2-in-1 | Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro 360 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 Single Core | 1917 | 1,683 | 11752 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi Core | 15,776 | 9024 | 10,961 |
| Geekbench 6 Single Core | 2,712 | 2,339 | 2,380 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi Core | 12732 | 9630 | 12571 |
| PC Mark 10 | 4451 | 6127 | 6640 |
| 3DMark Night Raid | 27,358 | 19,557 | 25,726 |
| 3DMark CPU Profile | 7,446 | 5,031 | 7,234 |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light | 3,287 | 1,696 | 1,721 |
| CrystalDiskMark | 5066.63 MB/s (Read)/ 3609.52 MB/s (Write) | 4946.10 MB/s (Read)/ 916.91 MB/s (Write) | 3754.35 MB/s (Read)/ 2641.51 MB/s (Write) |
The Asus Zenbook S 16 handles everyday tasks and heavy multitasking with ease. Its gaming capabilities are sufficient for casual games at lower settings. The laptop offers various performance modes: Speed (33W sustained power), Performance (28W), Standard, and Whisper. While the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports up to 55W, Asus prioritizes a quieter, more power-efficient user experience, optimizing battery life over raw power.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Laptop Battery: Long-lasting and Reliable
- Battery Capacity: 4 Cell, 78 Wh (Typical)
- Fast Charging: 65W USB Type-C Adapter
The 78Wh battery and 65W fast charging capabilities translate to excellent battery life. In standard mode, around 11 hours of battery life was achieved during daily usage, and it stayed comfortable around 8 and 6 hours even under heavier loads and higher performance profiles. A full charge takes approximately two hours.
Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) Verdict
The Asus Zenbook S 16 offers a compelling blend of premium design, powerful performance, and impressive portability. Its slim and lightweight chassis houses a vibrant OLED display, punchy speakers, and a potent AMD Ryzen AI processor. While some minor drawbacks exist — a reflective screen, occasional Windows Hello authentication issues, and the absence of a full 180-degree hinge — the laptop successfully merges style and substance. For users seeking a reliable 16-inch laptop that prioritizes a perfect balance of portability, design, and performance, the Asus Zenbook S 16 stands as a strong contender. However, individuals expecting fully realized AI features may find the current implementation slightly underwhelming given the marketing around AI elsewhere.
