About the fact that ASUS is preparing a laptop with two screens, I knew at the beginning of this year. In general, as a person who constantly monitors mobile technology, it has long been obvious to me that manufacturers are striving to expand the functionality of their own products precisely by installing a second display. We observe . We see that laptop manufacturers are doing the same thing, Apple immediately comes to mind with its Recently we told you about a series of gaming laptops , which includes a tiny, 6-inch display. However, ASUS engineers have gone the furthest and equipped the ZenBook Pro Duo UX581GV with a full 14-inch touch panel with a resolution of 3840 Γ 1100 pixels. What came of it - read on.
Specifications, equipment and software
It should be noted that the ZenBook Pro Duo attracted our attention not only by the presence of two screens at once. The fact is that this laptop is also equipped with very powerful hardware - it is obvious that the device is positioned primarily as a means for creating content. All possible combinations of ASUS ZenBook UX581GV components are shown in the table below.
| ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX581GV | |
|---|---|
| Display | 15,6", 3840Γ2160, OLED+14", 2840Γ1100, IPS |
| CPU | Intel Core i9-9980HK Intel Core i7-9750H |
| Video card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 |
| RAM | Up to 32GB DDR4-2666 |
| Installing Drives | 1 Γ M.2 in PCI Express x4 3.0 mode, 256 GB to 1 TB |
| Optical drive | No |
| Interfaces | 1 Γ Thunderbolt 3 (USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C) 2 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A 1 x 3,5mm mini jack 1 x HDMI |
| Built-in battery | No data |
| External power supply | 230 W |
| dimensions | 359 Γ 246 Γ 24 mm |
| Notebook weight | 2,5 kg |
| Operating system | Windows 10 x64 |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Price in Russia | 219 rubles for a test model with Core i000, 9 GB of RAM and 32 TB SSD |
As you can see, the most productive version of Zenbook has arrived in our test lab. All UX581GV models have GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB graphics, but the processors may be different. In our case, we use the fastest mobile eight-core processor - Core i9-9980HK, the frequency of which, when loaded on one core, can reach 5 GHz. The laptop also has 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. All ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX581GV are equipped with the Intel AX200 wireless module, which supports IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac/ax standards at 2,4 and 5 GHz (160 MHz bandwidth) and a maximum throughput of up to 2,4 Gbps , as well as Bluetooth 5. And the test model is certified according to the military reliability standard MIL-STD 810G. At the time of this writing, this model could be pre-ordered for 219 rubles.
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX581GV comes with an external power supply with a power of 230 W and a weight of about 600 g.
Appearance and input devices
ZenBook Pro Duo has a recognizable design. Those who created this device decided to use strict, chopped forms - it turned out, in my opinion, quite nicely. The body of the laptop is entirely made of aluminum, the color is called Celestial Blue. However, we were, of course, first attracted to the additional screen ScreenPad Plus. More precisely, a combination of displays.
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The main screen with a diagonal of 15,6 inches has a resolution of 3840 Γ 2160 pixels and a standard aspect ratio of 16:9. The ZenBook Pro Duo uses an OLED panel, but we'll talk about its quality characteristics in the second part of the article. The touch screen has a glossy surface. The thickness of the frames on the left and right is 5 mm, and on top - 8 mm. ASUS has already accustomed us to thin frames - you quickly get used to the good ones.
An additional screen with a diagonal of 14 inches has a resolution of 3840 Γ 1100 pixels, that is, the aspect ratio is 14:4. It is also touch-sensitive, but has a matte finish.
By default, both screens work in extended mode. At the same time, ScreenPad Plus has its own menu, very reminiscent of the Start menu of the Windows operating system. Here we can change the settings of the secondary screen, as well as launch applications that are loaded in the My ASUS program. For example, the Quick Key program is preinstalled - it provides access to frequently used key combinations. Of course, you can customize your own combinations.
The ScreenPad Plus menu allows you to manipulate the displays in different ways. So, there is a Task Swap function - when you press a key, the windows open on different screens are swapped. There is an option ViewMax - when it is enabled, for example, the browser is stretched to both panels. There is a Task Group mini-program: click on the icon - and the laptop launches several applications at once. The Organizer menu allows you to arrange windows symmetrically on the secondary display. Finally, the App Navigator option shows all the programs running on the laptop as a ribbon.
Who needs a laptop with two of these screens? In my opinion, ZenBook Pro Duo can be a great assistant for those who work with video and photo editing. Everything is quite simple here: ScreenPad Plus will allow you to place the most frequently used submenus of graphic editors on the second display. Thus, we will not overload the main screen.
ZenBook Pro Duo is also useful for programmers, because the window with the code can be stretched to both displays. Finally, an additional screen will be convenient for streamers - here you can put a chat and, for example, the OBS menu.
I've been using the ZenBook Pro Duo for just over a week. By occupation, I have to constantly βhang outβ in social networks and instant messengers. Therefore, it turns out to be quite convenient, for example, to write an article - and at the same time communicate on Telegram or Facebook. And I'm writing this text now, and ScreenPad Plus displays a review of the laptop β so it is more convenient to view graphs with test results.
The only point: you need to get used to the location of the second screen. Because you have to tilt your head down a lot - and still you look at the ScreenPad Plus at a far from right angle.
As we have already found out, a very powerful hardware is installed in the laptop. Obviously, compared to other Zenbooks, the Pro Duo version is never an ultrabook. So, the thickness of the device is 24 mm, and its weight is 2,5 kg. Add an external power supply here - and now you have to carry 3+ kg of extra luggage with you. In this regard, ZenBook Pro Duo is not much different from 15-inch gaming laptops.
The lid of the hero of today's testing opens approximately 140 degrees. The hinges on the ZenBook Pro Duo are tight and position the screen well. The lid can be easily opened with one hand.
Keeping a laptop on your lap is not very convenient, as the hinges noticeably lift the laptop case and dig into the body. Two things forced the engineers to use the Ergolift hinges in the ZenBook Pro Duo: firstly, they needed to provide a good air flow to the laptop cooler, and secondly, they tried to make it more convenient to use the ScreenPad Plus (look at it from a smaller angle).
The Zenbook does not have a lot of connectors. On the left side there is an HDMI output and USB 3.1 Gen2 A-type. On the right is Thunderbolt 3, combined with USB C-type, another USB 3.1 Gen2 A-type and a 3,5 mm headset jack. Eh, a laptop designed for photo and video editors clearly lacks a card reader! Most of the left and right sides are occupied by a perforated grille for the laptop's cooling system.
The ZenBook Pro Duo has a backlight on the front.
The keyboard on the ZenBook Pro Duo is compact. I warn you right away: it will take some time to get used to the vertically located touchpad and tiny F1-F12 keys. At the same time, the touchpad is also equipped with a digital block. A number of buttons F1-F12, as in ultrabooks, by default work in combination with the Fn button, while priority is given to their multimedia functions. The keyboard has three levels of white backlighting. In the daytime, the signs on the buttons with the backlight on are clearly visible, in the evening and at night - even more so.
In general, after getting used to working at the Zenbook keyboard, it is quite convenient. The key travel is 1,4 mm. The only thing that has to be done is to place the laptop itself away - 10-15 centimeters away from you.
The webcam in the ZenBook Pro Duo is standard - it allows you to shoot at 720p resolution at a vertical frequency of 30 Hz. I note that the laptop supports the Windows Hello face recognition function.
Internal arrangement and upgrade options
The laptop is quite easy to understand. To get to the components, you need to unscrew a few screws - two of them are hidden by rubber plugs. The screws have a Torx connection, so you will need a special screwdriver.
The ZenBook Pro Duo's cooling system looks pretty interesting. First, we state the presence of five heat pipes. Four of them are responsible for heat dissipation from the CPU and GPU. Secondly, the fans are quite far separated from each other. It can be seen that the impellers blow air outside the housing on the sides. The manufacturer claims that each fan is equipped with a 12-volt motor and 71 blades.
What can we replace in ZenBook Pro Duo? In our case, climbing under the lid, it seems, does not make sense at all. Perhaps one terabyte of SSD is not enough for someone - then yes, over time, the Samsung MZVLB1T0HALR drive may give way to a two-terabyte solid-state drive. But 32 GB of RAM should be enough for a long time.
True, one point must be taken into account. On the official website of the manufacturer, it is indicated that on sale it will be possible to meet versions of the laptop with 8, 16 and 32 GB of RAM. In the photo above, we see that the Zenbook's RAM is soldered, its volume cannot be increased over time. Consider this point before buying.
Source: 3dnews.ru