Asus Zenbook S 16 (2024): The Ultimate Powerhouse for Work and Play?

The Asus Zenbook S 16: A 16-Inch Laptop That Doesn’t Feel Like It

The Asus Zenbook S 16 is a bold statement, aiming to be the do-it-all Windows laptop, powered by AMD’s flagship Ryzen AI processor – a chip promising performance that eclipses even Intel and Qualcomm for gaming, content creation, and, of course, AI. With AMD boasting a form factor thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air, the Zenbook S 16 seeks to claim the top spot in the portability stakes.

But the challenge is immense. Qualcomm’s new chips are already making waves with their impressive power efficiency, offering extended battery life that surpasses traditional laptop processors. In a market saturated with stellar Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops, the Zenbook S 16 faces a steep climb, needing to outshine the competition not only in speed but also in key areas like battery life, build quality, comfort, app compatibility, features, and, crucially, price.

The Zenbook S 16 represents a bold bet by AMD and Asus, one that aims to capture the hearts of users seeking a powerful yet portable machine, but it’s not a perfect blend. While it excels in everyday tasks and offers surprising power for creative projects, it’s not without its shortcomings.

A Compact Powerhouse

The Zenbook S 16’s claim to fame lies in its impressive 0.47-inch thin, 3.31-pound chassis, housing a sizable 78Wh battery. While larger laptops often burden users with bulky power packs, the Zenbook S 16 cleverly disguises its 16-inch form factor, feeling more akin to a 13- or 14-inch machine.

The keyboard’s strategic placement further contributes to the feeling of compactness. By keeping the trackpad to a reasonable size and positioning the speaker grille at the back, Asus creates a setup that feels surprisingly space-efficient. This design allows users to comfortably type without having to elevate their wrists, a common issue with larger laptops.

Visually, the Zenbook S 16 is a knockout. Its distinctive ceramic-oxide coating lends the aluminum chassis a unique tactile experience, blending a rough yet smooth texture that’s undeniably pleasant. The iconic geometric patterns that grace the Zenbook’s lid further enhance its elegant appeal.

Beyond aesthetics, the Zenbook S 16’s 3K, 120Hz OLED display is a modern marvel. Offering vibrant colors and deep contrasts, it sets the stage for an immersive viewing experience that complements the machine’s overall appeal.

Above and Beyond Qualcomm

The Zenbook S 16 truly shines when it comes to performance, outdoing Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops in areas where they struggle. While both Ryzen AI and Snapdragon deliver smooth performance for everyday tasks like video calls, music streaming, and web browsing, the Zenbook S 16 distinguishes itself with superior graphics capabilities.

This superior graphical prowess translates into a surprisingly capable gaming experience for a portable machine. Games that would crash or run poorly on a Snapdragon machine due to limited graphics processing power perform flawlessly on the Zenbook S 16, even at high graphical settings, delivering a smoothness that Qualcomm laptops simply cannot match.

AMD’s FSR 2.1 upscaling technology further enhances the gaming experience, allowing the Zenbook S 16 to tackle even demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 in a playable state, surpassing the performance of Qualcomm’s Auto Super Resolution upscaling solution.

For creative professionals, the Zenbook S 16 delivers excellent performance. The Ryzen AI processor outperforms Snapdragon in rendering tasks like those found in Blender. This edge stems from the Ryzen AI processor’s ability to utilize both the CPU and GPU, a luxury currently not afforded to Blender on Snapdragon machines.

However, AMD’s claim that the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 would outpace Apple’s M3 Pro in the MacBook Pro falls short in real-world tests. While the Zenbook S 16 didn’t lag behind in everyday applications, the MacBook Pro triumphed in demanding Blender benchmarks, proving to be notably quicker.

Battery Life: A Tradeoff

The Zenbook S 16’s pursuit of performance has a less-than-ideal consequence: battery life. Though possessing a sizable 78Wh battery, the laptop clocks in at around 11 hours of usage. While reasonable, this falls short of the 14-hour runtime achieved by the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, a direct Qualcomm competitor with a similar form factor and a 23 percent smaller battery.

It’s a tradeoff that might be acceptable for users who prioritize performance and portability over extended battery life. The Zenbook S 16’s ability to handle creative tasks, demanding games, and everyday activities without needing a power outlet within several hours makes it a compelling alternative for those seeking a powerful, all-purpose machine.

However, the Zenbook S 16’s erratic battery estimation can be frustrating. The taskbar icon’s constantly fluctuating readings make it difficult to gauge remaining runtime accurately.

AI: Still a Work in Progress

The Zenbook S 16 features a key selling point: AMD’s 50 TOPS NPU. However, this highly anticipated AI hardware falls short of expectations in its current implementation.

StoryCube, the flagship AI app, disappointingly fails to live up to its promise. Designed to automatically organize photos and videos from cloud storage, it simply doesn’t work effectively, leading to hours of frustration.

Amuse, an AI image generation app, is supported but exhibits slower performance with the NPU enabled, contradicting the expectation of accelerated processing.

While Microsoft’s Copilot Plus PCs are generating some buzz, the Zenbook S 16 isn’t included at launch. This means users miss out on AI-powered features like Cocreator and Live Translation, features currently exclusive to Snapdragon laptops but scheduled to become available on Ryzen AI devices by the end of 2024.

The Zenbook S 16’s AI potential remains a work in progress. While AMD’s NPU holds promise, its current implementation across key apps doesn’t yet deliver a truly transformative experience for the everyday user.

The Competition

The Zenbook S 16 distinguishes itself as a balanced 16-inch machine, offering a compelling combination of performance and portability. While it may not be the absolute top performer across all benchmarks, it excels in common tasks and is remarkably capable in areas where Snapdragon machines struggle, particularly in gaming and content creation.

For users prioritizing extended battery life and a compact form factor, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge emerges as a strong contender. It surpasses the Zenbook S 16 in battery life while offering a similar size and weight.

The Apple MacBook Air 15-inch also remains a formidable competitor, offering a blend of impressive performance and battery life that outshines the Zenbook S 16.

In the Intel laptop arena, the Zenbook S 16 holds its own. The MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo offers longer battery life but lacks the Zenbook’s sleek design and typing comfort. The 2024 Dell XPS 14 boasts a small battery life advantage but at a significantly higher price.

For gaming and content creation needs, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 emerges as a top contender. Delivering superior gaming and rendering performance, it offers an impressive blend of performance and portability, though battery life is still a compromise.

Verdict

The Asus Zenbook S 16 is a compelling machine that comes close to fulfilling AMD’s ambitious promises. While it may not reign supreme in every category, it brings a rare blend of everyday usability, surprising power, and portability to the table.

The Zenbook S 16 represents a significant leap for AMD in the world of thin-and-light laptops. It’s an ideal choice for users who value performance, portability, and a touch of elegance, even if it comes with a slight sacrifice in battery life.

As AMD continues to refine its AI capabilities and software companies optimize their products for the NPU, the Zenbook S 16 holds promise as a future leader in the world of AI-powered laptops. For now, it’s a powerful and versatile machine that sits firmly at the top of the 16-inch Windows laptop category.

Article Reference