Coinciding with the major laptop processor announcements from Intel and Nvidia this morning, Asus has introduced a number of exciting new laptops. Probably the most newsworthy addition is the Republic of Gamers Zephyrus Duo 15, described as "the ultimate gaming laptop," by Asus.
HEXUS has previously reported on laptops featuring ScreenPad second screen technology, so regulars will know what to basically expect with this laptop. In this case, the main 15.6-inch Pantone validated Microsoft Hybrid Graphics / G-Sync screen (4K IPS 60Hz / 1080p IPS 300Hz options) is accompanied by a 14-inch ScreenPad Plus 3840 x 1100 pixel IPS touchscreen. Furthermore, as one opens up the clamshell form factor of this laptop, the secondary screen rises to sit at an angle (by 28.5mm) - for better touch/readability and to facilitate the Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) Plus airflow design.
Packing in powerful components like the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU, Asus' AAS Plus is helped perform by enhancements like Thermal Gizzly liquid metal thermal compound with fence around CPU, five heatpipes, Dual n-Blade fans with liquid-crystal polymer blades, and extending vents around the design. Asus says this AAS implementation offers 30 per cent better airflow than previous designs with noise levels kept below 46 dB(A) in Turbo mode, and 43 dB(A) in Performance mode.
What will you use the ScreenPad Plus for? Asus touts that it is useful in a wide range of scenarios including gaming, streaming, and content creation. For the former Asus is working alongside developers such as Techland to optimize AAA games like Dying Light 2 - moving co-op chats to ScreenPad Plus for easy viewing, and adding touchscreen controls for easy switching between inventory items and quests. Another collaboration, this time with Overwolf, will allow gamers to download apps to show real-time stats, build recommendations, and more for the likes of League of Legends, Fortnite, and CS:GO. Meanwhile productivity and creative apps are usually Windows UI friendly so can easily use the secondary display without additional coding.
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ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 specs |
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Processor |
Intel® 10th Gen Comet Lake i9-10980HK |
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Graphics |
Nvidia® GeForce® RTX 2080 Super™, 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM |
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Operating system |
Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro |
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Display |
Main Screen: 15.6” Pantone Validated, supports Microsoft Hybrid Graphics / G-SYNC switching |
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Memory |
16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz onboard, plus 1 x SODIMM slot up to 32 GB (supports up to 48 GB total) |
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Storage |
2 x M.2 SSD slot (NVMe® PCIe®), PCIe® 3.0 x4 512 GB / 1 TB, supports RAID 0 |
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Keyboard |
Backlit chiclet keyboard, supports n-key, per-key with 1.4 mm key travel |
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Audio |
2 x speakers, ESS + Hi-Res Audio (HRA) certification, supports smart amplifier, Nahimic Sonic Studio + ISST |
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Wi-Fi / Bluetooth |
2x2 multi-antenna WiFi 6 (802.11ax) |
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I/O Ports |
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C™, DisplayPort 1.4, TBT, PD input 20 V/3A；output 5 V/3A, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (right) |
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Battery |
90 Wh |
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Power Supply |
240 W power adapter, Supports USB-C™ Power Delivery 3.0 up to 65 W |
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Size |
36 x 26.8 x 2.1 cm |
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Weight |
2.4 kg |
Asus told HEXUS that the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 will be available in the UK from July 2020, with prices starting from £2,999.99.
