“Red” processor in a white ‘tuxedo’: review of the ASUS Zenbook S 16 laptop

Performance is becoming less and less of a problem for very portable laptops, which allows for the improvement of other components. And at the same time, manufacturers are keeping up with current trends, so additional AI capabilities are also relevant for ultrabooks. The Zenbook line has never been particularly shy, offering customers many good solutions. Let's find out what potential owners of ASUS Zenbook S 16 can expect in today's review.

Specifications of ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606WA)

Equipment

The package of ASUS Zenbook S 16 is almost standard. "Almost" is explained by two things. The first is that the box contains an Ethernet adapter with USB-A, which is not so common in other cases. The second is that the branded power supply may not have record-breaking power, but it is very compact and convenient. It also has an interchangeable spout, which will be useful for users who may find themselves in countries with different standards from Ukraine. 

Unfortunately, the kit no longer offers an envelope case or other solutions for protection during transportation, and this should be relevant for such a laptop. But, of course, this won't prevent the user from finding a suitable and interesting option, except that it will become an additional "weight" in the laptop upgrade budget.

Design and usability

The issue of portability is one of the key ones for users who take their laptops to work almost every day, often go on business trips, or change their workplace from time to time. And manufacturers need to combine their top models in such a way that the device looks good, feels good while working, and still retains small dimensions. ASUS Zenbook S 16 has done a very good job with all this.

Let's start with the fact that 16-inch laptops are rarely associated with light weight, but quite the opposite. Here we have a weight of one and a half kilograms. Of course, this is not the Expertbook, which managed to "lose weight" to less than 900 grams, but the screens and, accordingly, the cases there were smaller. We have a laptop measuring 353.6×243×11.9 mm. That is, the new Zenbook is not only light, but also one of the thinnest to date. I'm sure that users who need a small body but a laptop with a large screen will appreciate these dimensions.

The design will also add to the pleasant experience. To begin with, the case is entirely metal, using a material that the company has named Ceraluminum. It is claimed that similar materials are used in aeronautics and luxury watches. The laptop itself comes in Zumaia Gray or, as in our case, Scandinavian White. And this design is probably one of the best aesthetically pleasing I've ever seen. The laptop is also MIL-STD 810H certified, which doesn't necessarily mean that it will withstand anything or won't get damaged over time, but it should be able to continue to work after certain unpleasant situations.

We should also emphasize the coating itself. The case is completely matte (with the exception of a few decorative lines on the display cover), so there are practically no noticeable prints on it. And in general, the laptop doesn't look like it would be easy to scratch during normal use.

There are no exceptional accents on the bottom. But there are two wide rubber feet that hold the laptop well on the surface and prevent slipping. However, you still need to keep in mind that they won't save you if someone accidentally pulls the connected power cable, for example.

ASUS Zenbook S 16 still turned out to be a surprisingly good addition to the lineup. It's hard to complain about the build quality and assembly, as well as the overall appearance. An interesting selection of materials and a minimalist design with a few nice accents only add to the points of this model. Therefore, the impression of appearance and use should be exactly what the manufacturer envisioned at the development stage.

Display

Another nice addition is the large and really cool display. They didn't skimp on it either. It has a 16-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2880×1800 pixels. For those users who frequently change workplaces and work with a laptop rather than connecting an external monitor, this is a very good solution from many perspectives. The bezels around it may not be record-breaking, but it won't spoil the experience (and at the same time, it allows you to do without a camera cutout and additional sensors).

Since the laptop is made in the classic version, and there is no way to rotate the display 180 or 360 degrees, the touchscreen coating was abandoned here. There is no option. But it certainly doesn't count as a disadvantage. And by the way, the hinge not only fixes the position well, but also allows you to open the laptop with one hand.

Other nice bonuses include a response time of 0.2 ms and a matrix refresh rate of 120 Hz. Yes, we have a non-gaming model for which this is not so important. However, this image refresh rate adds a lot to the user experience.

And it's all adorned with a gorgeous OLED matrix. This is not the first such screen for ASUS, so the user will find a beautiful image with DCI-P3 color space coverage, image saturation and temperature profiles. So, if desired, the user can more flexibly adjust the image to their own needs. Although it is unlikely that most buyers will need it, because the color reproduction and really deep blacks will do the trick, and the difference from conventional or even good IPS-matrices will be noticeable. In addition, the manufacturer emphasizes the PANTONE Validated and VESA DisplayHDR True Black certifications.

Several tools are also provided to prevent pixel burn-in. For example, the taskbar in the system can have a light transparency effect and hide automatically, and there is a separate screensaver that activates after half an hour of waiting. There is Target Mode, which makes the background around the active window darker. And in case of pixel burnout, the warranty provides for replacement.

And, of course, it's a bright matrix that promises up to 400 cd/m² in operating mode and 550 when playing HDR content. There is an option for automatic backlight control, which more or less well adjusts the brightness depending on the lighting (although occasionally it happened that I wanted to add a little more). The matrix is covered with glossy glass, so in certain situations there are still glare, but the image still does not lose saturation and remains absolutely legible.

Security

In line with its level, ASUS Zenbook S 16 did not do without the ability to identify the user. For this, there is an infrared sensor next to the webcam. Traditionally, this is a fast and reliable option for different lighting conditions. It may not be as fast as those found in smartphones, but it's still ahead of entering a password.

And although there was room for a fingerprint scanner, this time the manufacturer decided to limit itself to face scanning. I can't say that this is a big loss, but it would still be nice to have the option.

Ports

Ultra-thin models usually do not boast a large set of ports. But in this case, the general checklist of the necessary is filled. So, on the left side of the topcase, the user will have access to a classic 3.5 mm jack, two USB-C 4 ports (each of which can be used for charging), and HDMI 2.1. The right side has USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 and an SD card reader.

In total, three external monitors can be connected to the laptop, and the bundled adapter will help with a wired connection to the network. And in general, if the user does not have specific demanding tasks or work scenarios, it is quite possible to get by with the available ports. On the other hand, if the current connectors are not enough, the hub has fast USB-C 4 ports.

Manipulatives and multimedia

The new Zenbooks also have an updated keyboard. There are no significant differences in the location or size of the keys (except for the new Copilot key). But the mechanism is significantly different from the previous versions. The keys are now very quiet and soft. Fans of mechanical keyboards may not be thrilled, but family and colleagues will definitely appreciate the lack of unnecessary typing noise.

At the same time, there is still enough space in the thin topcase to leave a good amount of space for the key mechanisms. Working with texts is no less pleasant than before, even despite the change in tactile sensations. And in addition, there is a bright white backlight, which I did not have to turn on more than a third of its capabilities (there are three brightness levels in total, where the first one is quite enough).

A really large trackpad is located in the center of the topcase under the keyboard. With dimensions of 150×99 mm, it is definitely enough to comfortably replace a mouse or touchscreen display. Moreover, there is so much space that the edges were equipped with additional functionality. For example, by swiping along the left edge, you can control the volume, and the right edge controls the brightness of the display. During media playback, you can also swipe the timeline at the top edge. And by dragging from the upper right corner to the center, you can open the ScreenXpert app.

It is worth noting that even with such large dimensions, the trackpad does not interfere with work. I didn't encounter any accidental triggering, which happens sooner or later when typing. And the sensor itself perfectly recognizes gestures and controls the cursor.

Another point that has long been largely ignored in most laptops is sound. However, ASUS has recently paid a lot of attention to this aspect in various lines. ASUS Zenbook S 16 is equipped with two tweeters and four subwoofers. And together they are able to harmoniously play music and podcasts, accompany movies, videos and everything else. And given such a thin body, there's nothing to complain about at all. There is Harman Kardon certification and Dolby Atmos support, as well as separate settings for different scenarios.

The full HD webcam will provide good image quality, and AI will help get rid of unnecessary "noise" in the picture. The camera also supports Windows Studio Lights, which will help with cropping, background blurring, and more. The camera has a clear view of the user and is perfect for video communication.

It is the same with microphones. They have several modes, among which the most interesting, not without the help of AI, will offer noise cancellation. And it really works as expected. With this mode, the user will be able to communicate freely, and the conversation will not include unnecessary sounds from the environment, the keyboard, and everything else that may be happening around them. And the system identifies the voice accurately and almost without unwanted artifacts.

Performance and software

Unlike the Vivobook S 15, which we recently reviewed, the ASUS Zenbook S 16 has a more classic platform. There are two configurations built with AMD processors: Ryzen AI 9 365 and Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. Depending on this, there are variations with the maximum RAM: 24/32 GB. Also, in both cases, only an integrated graphics accelerator is provided, which will depend on the processor model: Radeon 880M or 890M, respectively.

The test model is a top-of-the-line model and includes a 12-core AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (4 Zen 5 cores up to 5.1 GHz, 8 Zen 5c cores up to 3.3 GHz, 24 threads, 36 MB cache, 28 W), 16-core AMD Radeon 890M graphics, and an XDNA NPU (up to 50 TOPS). They are complemented by 32 GB of LPDDR5X 7,500 MHz RAM, but they are located directly on the motherboard, so you need to choose the right amount right away. A PCIe 4.0 drive can only be replaced if there is a single slot for it. The test model got 2 TB of permanent memory.

All configurations are also equipped with support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and include the aforementioned adapter for wired network connection. Variants with LTE modules are still reserved for purely "business" lines.

Speaking of performance, the topcase is not much thicker than a modern smartphone in a case, and both synthetic tests and normal use showed very good results. Moreover, the integrated graphics are capable of delivering over 30 FPS in games like GTA V or Forza Motorsport with relatively high settings. Yes, it's not a lot, but it's in the native display resolution. Of course, this is unlikely to be important to the vast majority of buyers of such a laptop, but it is still an indicator that most everyday tasks are unlikely to be problematic.

The model has its own issues with regard to a separate NPU and artificial intelligence tasks, which are emphasized separately. For example, the software must be supported (this is if the processing does not take place in the cloud). Therefore, users with similar tasks should first make sure that the required programs have or at least plan to receive updates for a particular chip, and only then rely on the promised 50 TOPS from XDNA. For example, a banal Geekbench AI test may offer to test the CPU or GPU accelerator, but the NPU is not "seen".

But on to something more interesting. The processor managed to pleasantly surprise us with a not too big loss of performance when running on battery power. That is, even after switching the system to power saving mode and reducing the cooling intensity from Full-speed mode to Whisper, you can see not as much difference as we are usually used to seeing in cases with Intel. Not that the latter lose the ability to do anything, but the "red team" still manages such moments a little more efficiently (we will return to the issue of autonomy soon, and, spoiler alert, there are some nice things there as well).

Again, the software support was a bit of a letdown, and AIDA, which we usually use to check the stability of the work, does not display the necessary data. However, this didn't stop us from turning to 3DMark benchmarks. Of course, the test developer strictly requires more than 97% frame stability, which is probably more important for slightly different scenarios than the ASUS Zenbook S 16 provides. And even so, the results of 84.5% in Steel Nomad Light and 87.5% in Solar Bay are quite good for such a laptop.

Cooling is provided by a pair of small and relatively quiet fans, which are assisted by an evaporation chamber. Airflow is organized by (quite stylish) perforations at the top and bottom, as well as separate slots near the hinge. And according to 3DMark, the processor does not exceed 80°C under load. But on the other hand, at such moments, this temperature is well felt on the topcase, so it will be uncomfortable to work with the laptop on your lap for a long time in this mode. At other times and with everyday simple work, the case usually does not heat up to the point where it would be a problem.

With the top-of-the-line configuration, the user also gets Windows 11 Pro with a small set of related programs. The standard MyASUS is responsible for system configuration, diagnostics, updates, etc. The ScreenXpert utility, which was previously available only to the manufacturer's laptops with two displays, now appears in classic models and will help with window organization when working with external monitors. There's also the StoryCube app, which uses AI to organize user photos.

Battery life

A 78 Wh battery takes up most of the space inside the ASUS Zenbook S 16 topcase. This was enough for more than 14 hours in an office battery test. Perhaps not a record, especially against models with ARM chips, but still quite good. In real use and depending on the brightness, of course, there will be lesser results. But, for example, a two-hour movie, with comfortable brightness and volume settings, cost only 11% of the charge. So we can't complain about the battery life.

The very compact power supply has a power output of 65 W. It takes about two hours to fully charge. However, its miniature size allows you to take the PSU with you wherever you go without any inconvenience. However, it can get noticeably hotter during operation than larger versions. But in general, this does not affect its use.