Asus ProArt StudioBook Professional X Fingers-On Evaluation

Asus ProArt StudioBook Professional X hands-on

“Six cores may not flip heads, however a pair of beautiful shows definitely will.”

Skilled, understated design

Highly effective with loads of storage

Beautiful foremost show in 16:10 ratio

Second display screen is an intriguing device for creatives

Strong construct and port choice

Hefty regardless of slim construct

GPU falls behind the extra succesful StudioBook One

Bespoke crafted laptops for particular audiences have usually focused just a few key sectors; gaming, finances, being the obvious. However a brand new breed of laptop computer appears to be like to cater to a extra nuanced, if not area of interest, viewers. Just like the ProArt desktops that got here earlier than, Asus’ new ProArt StudioBook line is aimed squarely at inventive professionals and arguably probably the most intriguing of the lot is the ProArt StudioBook Professional X. It’s a system with wonderful energy and an equally thrilling second-screen show within the touchpad.

We managed to get our fingers on one at IFA 2019 and after attempting a few of its ProArt siblings, the StudioBook Professional X is the one which’s caught with us probably the most.

The (virtually) better of every thing

The ProArt Studio Guide Professional X is technically the second strongest laptop computer within the new vary, falling ever-so-slightly behind the ProArt StudioBook One. However its spec sheet continues to be full of a few of the strongest parts on this planet as we speak.

The Professional X has by far the extra spectacular reminiscence configuration, providing as much as 128GB of DDR4.

At its core is a alternative of Intel Core i7 or Intel Xeon CPU, every with six cores and excessive clock speeds, paired up with an Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics chip for some severe processing and rendering grunt. The system is totally ISV licensed, which means that it doesn’t matter what load you throw at this technique, it’ll crunch via it with ease. We’re additionally instructed by Asus that the laptop computer was designed with a strong cooling resolution which prevents thermal throttling, so you possibly can count on sustained efficiency inside Intel’s typical enhance parameters, to guarantee that your rendering and processing duties are dealt with as rapidly as potential.

Whereas its CPU and GPU may not match the StudioBook One’s, the Professional X has by far the extra spectacular reminiscence configuration. Providing as much as 128GB of DDR4. And with RAID-Zero, high-speed NVMe storage assist, patrons have the choice of a drive configuration which may attain 6GBps. That helps guarantee as little downtime as potential when transferring or engaged on massive collections of — or merely massive — information and ends in a handy guide a rough and responsive utilization expertise.

Taking the skilled slant of this laptop computer critically, Asus has bucked the connectivity pattern of less-is-more, and has packed the StudioBook Professional X with plentiful ports. It has a trio of high-speed USB-A three.1 Gen 2 ports, a pair of USB-C Thunderbolt three ports, a headphone jack, HDMI-output, SD card reader, and a coveted Ethernet port for zero restrictions in your networking capabilities.

A pleasure to behold

Alongside its premium , Asus has left no stone unturned in the case of the visible readability and total feel and look of the StudioBook Professional X. It’s a tastefully understated design, with a muted however elegant gray shade scheme that’s accented by little angular sweeps and contours alongside the entrance fringe of its lower-half. The Asus NanoEdge bezels stay thick sufficient on the high to deal with the webcam, however little else, with mild rounding on the corners giving knowledgeable, however removed from sharp, aesthetic. There’s a 97 % display screen to physique ratio, leaving the consumer with little wasted house and an immersive view of what they’re engaged on.

The display screen itself is a trademark of the ProArt StudioBook vary. With shade accuracy so essential in all method of inventive fields, Asus has ensured that the StudioBook Professional X helps 97 % of the DCI-P3 shade gamut and with full Pantone validation, you possibly can make sure that its colours are close to true-to-life. In particular person, even with aggressive exterior lighting, we discovered it to be simply viewable, with nice readability and wealthy, deep colours.

It may not break floor on the decision entrance, at simply 1,920 x 1,200, however the 16:10 side ratio is a superb, fashionable contact that provides it knowledgeable really feel away from extra typical, 16:9 choices.

The lid and touchpad have a carbon-fiber impact coating which helps differentiate them from not solely the remainder of the laptop computer, however a majority of the system’s rivals. Keyboard keys have tasteful backlighting for low-light operation and each it and the touchpad had been correct and responsive.

Nevertheless it’s its secondary operate of that touchpad which is arguably probably the most intriguing element of this complete system.

Double the screens

Secondary shows haven’t all the time been as helpful as they could have been. We’re nonetheless not fairly certain what to do with the MacBook Professional’s Contact Bar, even in the event you can run Doom on it. However the elective ScreenPad — that we first noticed within the ZenBook Professional 15 — is an intriguing additional for the StudioBook Professional X. It provides smartphone-like interplay with the laptop computer, providing fast entry app launchers and bespoke instructions in your favourite functions.

The 16:10 side ratio is a superb, fashionable contact, that provides it knowledgeable really feel away from extra typical, 16:9 choices.

We discovered it responsive and correct to the contact, with easy accessibility to menu gadgets for tweaking brightness, decision, and refresh charge. You possibly can even have it show a singular background picture for a lightweight be aware of non-public aptitude in your touchpad. While you’re finished utilizing it to launch functions, or simply need a typical touchpad, you’re only a faucet away from it.

We’d want to make use of it for longer than we had in our temporary hands-on to let you know how helpful such a show is day-to-day, however we’re intrigued by the chances of such a display screen on an altogether succesful laptop computer.

The perfect, at a greater worth?

The general really feel of the ProArt StudioBook Professional X is a sturdy one. It appears like knowledgeable piece of kit, with a sturdy hinge and although it’s fairly a svelte system for the 17-inch type, it’s not light-weight, lending it a power and rigidity that isn’t usually discovered in additional streamlined gadgets. Whereas which may make it much less moveable than your common mid-range system, that’s not the hallmark of the StudioBook Professional X.

With nice , knowledgeable feel and look, and an intriguing second display screen that would provide extra helpful operate than the skinny and often-redundant-feeling MacBook Professional’s Contact Bar, this StudioBook laptop computer might show to be probably the most thrilling of the expanded ProArt vary.

If you happen to want extra graphical horsepower, the ProArt StudioBook One is the extra succesful system, however the Professional X feels prefer it higher embodies the inventive professionals that Asus is concentrating on with its new gadgets. We don’t have a agency launch date or pricing for this mannequin simply but, but when it might probably undercut the extra highly effective One choice in addition to present better performance, this mannequin may very well be the most effective of the brand new ProArt StudioBook lineup.

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