The Asus ROG Zephryus Duo is in contrast to another gaming laptop computer I’ve ever seen. It’s one of many first wave of dual-screen gaming laptops popping out over the course of this 12 months, and it’s each baffling and exquisite in equal measure. It’s stunning as a result of the engineering on its secondary 14.1in show is simply so rattling beautiful. Seriously, I made a GIF of its sturdy, rock stable hinge and all the pieces and it nonetheless will get my coronary heart racing even now, three weeks after I acquired to see an early pattern of it within the flesh.
The factor is, although, who of their proper thoughts goes to spend £3000 on this Intel 10th Gen Comet Lake / Nvidia RTX 2080 Super laptop computer when it launches this July simply to get its fancy second display? It all relies on whether or not Asus could make good on their promise to get a few of right this moment’s prime builders on the case to make particular customized game options for it.
When I first noticed the Zephyrus Duo again in March, Asus had been naturally conserving the precise particulars of which builders they had been working with on the Zephyrus Duo fairly near their chest. They mentioned they’d let the builders announce their respective creations sooner or later, however given the laptop computer is at present as a consequence of launch in July (coronavirus-related delays nonwithstanding), it most likely gained’t be lengthy earlier than we begin seeing some correct bulletins coming by.
Either approach, you’ll be able to most likely guess what that second display (dubbed the ROG Screenpad Plus) goes for use for on the subject of games. Just like we noticed with Nintendo’s sensible, however ill-fated Wii U all these years in the past, mini-maps and HUD data are fairly apparent decisions for this 14.1in touchscreen, as are leaderboards for on-line multiplayer games. Indeed, whereas Asus wouldn’t go on file about which games is perhaps getting particular Zephyrus Duo options, it was arduous to not discover that Fortnite was one of many featured games in its looping demo reel of potential Screenpad Plus options.
Technically, it’s a re-tooled model of Overwolf’s present Fortnite extension app, however as you’ll be able to see above, the display confirmed a bunch of stats, such because the Okay/D ratio for all the highest gamers in an ongoing match, how lengthy they survived for and what number of kills they’d racked up in complete. There had been different Overwolf apps on present as effectively, together with Dota 2 and Rainbow Six Siege extensions that tracked your laptop computer’s efficiency, gadgets and leaderboards once more, however the enchantment of the Zephyrus Duo’s second display doesn’t simply lie in devoted game apps.
Indeed, you may theoretically use it for sticking all of your streaming and Discord chat apps down there as effectively, as then they’d be in full view with out making you Alt-Tab out of your game to work together with feedback and such, or hook your laptop computer as much as one other show.
Yes, it’s a really costly bit of additional comfort, however behold. Here is that second display rising majestically from the bottom of the keyboard tray, its agency and durable hinge rising up and down routinely with each raise of the laptop computer’s lid. No fiddly kickstands, no fussy hooks. Just one clear, stunning motion.
PHWOAR.
When I noticed the Zephyrus Duo in particular person, I’ve to confess I used to be fairly mesmerised by the best way the Screenpad Plus opened and closed of its personal accord, and I used to be totally impressed when it didn’t even transfer an inch once I began prodding its 14in touchscreen with my fingers. It’s an unbelievable little bit of engineering, and Asus have clearly put plenty of time and thought into making it really feel good.
It’s not simply the touchscreen that made me go a bit weak on the knees, both, because the Screenpad Plus additionally offers a few further nifty air flow factors for the Zephyrus Duo, serving to to maintain the laptop computer that bit cooler beneath load. Indeed, once I acquired around the again of the laptop computer and shone a torch beneath its raised touchscreen, I may nearly make out two further followers whirring away beneath it. I’ll have to attend and see how these carry out in follow as soon as evaluation samples can be found, in fact, but it surely might be simply the factor to assist hold the Zephyrus Duo’s noise ranges beneath management while you’re taking part in games on it.
Away from gaming, you’ll be capable to snap as much as three home windows to the Screenpad Plus utilizing Asus’ particular app, or you’ll be able to simply drag home windows down manually from the principle show.
It’s going to want as a lot cooling as it might probably probably get, too, because it’s additionally going to be one of many first gaming laptops to return with Nvidia’s new RTX Super graphics chips, too. Previously, RTX gaming laptops had been restricted to the non-Super variations of Nvidia’s ray tracing-enabled graphics chips, however now they’ve lastly labored out methods to cram their Super playing cards into laptop computer type as effectively.
There might be two variations of the Zephyrus Duo when it launches in July – one with an RTX 2070 Super inside it, and one other with the even beefier RTX 2080 Super packed inside its bowels. Both might be manufacturing unit overclocked by Asus as effectively, which they are saying will improve efficiency by 15-20% in contrast their non-Super equivalents.
Asus have additionally used a particular liquid steel thermal compound to assist hold Intel’s new high-powered 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs cool as effectively, leading to temperatures which might be 7% decrease than they might be with their common thermal compound. And no marvel, provided that the Comet Lake CPU Asus have determined to stay on this factor is Intel’s top-end eight-core Core i9-10980HK, which has a large prime frequency of 5.3GHz. Combine that with 32GB of RAM clocked at 3200Hz and the Zephyrus Duo packs some critical energy.
You’ll have two decisions of show, too. On the RTX 2070 Super model, you’ll get a 15.6in 1920×1080 with an enormous 300Hz refresh price, whereas the RTX 2080 Super mannequin will include a 4K decision capped at 60Hz. Both might be Pantone-validated, too, making certain their panels can have prime notch color accuracy for gaming and media enhancing alike, and include full Nvidia G-Sync help as effectively.
You don’t want to fret about storage issues on the Zephyrus Duo, both, because the RTX 2070 Super mannequin will include a 1TB NVMe SSD, whereas the RTX 2080 Super model can have two 1TB NVMe SSDs RAIDed collectively.
The keyboard will little question take somewhat getting used to, what with it being shunted all the way down to the underside of the laptop computer relatively than in its regular place slightly below the display, however once I tried typing on it myself I used to be happy to see there was an honest stage of tactile suggestions current and a very good quantity of journey. The touchpad additionally doubles up as a useful quantity pad, too, which you’ll be able to swap between on the fly by urgent and holding down the built-in button within the contact pad’s prime left nook.
The actually beauty of the Zephyrus Duo, although, is that it’s so skinny and light-weight(ish) in comparison with your typical gaming laptop computer, measuring 20.9mm thick and weighing 2.4kg. Its plain magnesium-aluminide chassis and anodised end additionally means I’m not going to be embarrassed taking it out of my bag in public (if and after we’re lastly allowed out of our homes once more, in fact), and I don’t even must lug its 90 Wh energy adapter round with me if I’m not going to be taking part in games on it out and about, as you may as well cost it with an everyday USB-C plug.
Not that I’d be able to work and play games on this mad gaming laptop computer, in fact, as I merely don’t have a spare three grand tucked away to spend on one thing like this. And that’s simply the worth of the RTX 2070 Super mannequin, too. Who even is aware of how a lot the RTX 2080 Super model’s going to price. Probably nearer to £4000 if I needed to guess, as Asus unsurprisingly solely had the ‘starting’ worth handy throughout my preview session.
Still, as a glimpse of what gaming laptops may seem like sooner or later, the Zephyrus Duo does paint fairly a horny image. Yes, solely three individuals on the planet will most likely purchase considered one of these come its launch in July, however I’m wanting ahead to seeing how its second display stuff all shakes out. Could we lastly see the promise of Nintendo’s Wii U fulfilled in laptop computer type? Or will it’s one other thunderous technological mistake? Only time will inform.
