Read our review of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the groundbreaking ROG Zephyrus Duo 15, which integrates two displays in an ultraslim form factor to bring a new dimension of versatility to premium gaming laptops, without sacrificing any of the high-powered performance that defines ROG.
Highlights
- ROG ScreenPad Plus unlocks endless possibilities: 14.1″ secondary display adds multitasking with intuitive touchscreen, apps, and stylus support
- AAS Plus amplifies airflow: 28.5 mm intake increases airflow 30% over standard AAS while keeping noise under 46 dB(A) and elevating performance
- Go Hi-Res: PANTONE Validated display includes a 4K UHD display with 100% Adobe RGB
- Super-powered speed: Up to a GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GPU delivers high frame rates and speeds up tasks like 3D modeling and deep learning
- Boosted productivity: Powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, 32 GB of 3200 MHz RAM, 2 x 1TB SSDs in RAID 0, and Thunderbolt 3
- Revolutionary cooling: CPU and n-Blade fans use an exotic liquid metal compound, and operating modes adapt to any task to boost overall performance
Multi-monitor arrangements enable gamers, creators, and power users to work more effectively on their desktops. Laptop users are also commonly seen using their phones as a second screen. To make that level of productivity portable, the Zephyrus Duo 15 doubles down on displays with an elegant Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) Plus design that makes the full-width ROG ScreenPad Plus touchscreen an integral part of the cooling system.
As the AAS Plus system tilts the laptop up, the second display also rises for comfortable viewing, while revealing a large air intake for deep airflow. The sophisticated cooling design gives Zephyrus Duo 15 ample thermal headroom to fit powerful flagship processors in a groundbreaking multi-screen gaming laptop.
Endless possibilities
As the laptop is opened, ROG ScreenPad Plus tilts up at a 13° angle for comfortable viewing and touchscreen interaction. This fluid motion is carefully choreographed by a custom hinge that staggers the rise of the displays to prevent damage. To prevent the screens making contact as the lid opens, the hinge incorporates curved sliders that delay the deployment of the secondary display.
The 14.1-inch panel in ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is the largest second display ever put in a production gaming laptop. The IPS panel stretches wide viewing angles across the full width of the body, and its 3840 x 1100 resolution boasts a high pixel density that delivers rich details, crisp text, and flowing lines at a smooth 60 Hz refresh rate.
Having more screen space enhances a wide range of scenarios. ScreenPad Plus can be used to turn the primary display into a more immersive medium for gaming, streaming, and content creation. Users can get a more expansive view of their game, movie, or other media, while using the secondary screen to keep an eye on emails, social media, and more.
ROG is working with game developers like Techland to optimize AAA games like Dying Light 2, which artfully moves co-op chats to ScreenPad Plus for easy viewing, and adds touchscreen controls for easy switching between inventory items and quests. A collaboration with Overwolf also allows gamers to download apps for games like League of Legends, Fortnite, and CS:GO to see real-time stats, build recommendations, and more — all to amplify the advantages that the multi-screen design offers.
Avid creators can use ScreenPad Plus to keep toolbars, timelines, and reference materials in sight with a more clutter-free workspace on the main screen. The touchscreen also supports the ASUS Pen active stylus that makes scribbling and sketching seamless.
Companion functions optimized for ScreenPad Plus also speed up day-to-day work and play. The Task Group feature lets users take snapshots of app arrangements across both screens, and then open those apps instantly with a tap of its associated icon. ROG Armoury Crate has a built-in resource monitor that allows users to track vital stats like CPU and GPU frequencies at a glance. And streamers can run their broadcasts more easily with an interface optimized for the secondary screen thanks to Xsplit Gamecaster.
AAS Plus amplifies airflow
For maximum efficiency in a compact form factor, the ROG ScreenPad Plus secondary display also doubles as a crucial component of the overall cooling system.
Modern processors only achieve their full potential under optimal thermal conditions allow, which is particularly challenging in slender systems. With AAS Plus, tilting the touchscreen at an angle opens a larger 28.5 mm air intake, and allows the fans to draw in cooler air from above the laptop instead of warmer air from beneath it.
This massive air intake increases airflow by up to 30% over previous AAS implementations, improving performance and putting less strain on the internal cooling system. Decreased need for heat dissipation means that noise levels can be kept below 46 dB(A) in Turbo mode, and 43 dB(A) in Performance mode.
Go Hi-Res
Displays determine how virtual worlds are experienced. There is no substitute for a good one, which is why ROG works closely with panel partners to ensure that each device can be configured in ways that fit every need. For Zephyrus Duo 15, users get a high-resolution 4K UHD display.
For high-resolution experiences, the 4K UHD display offers incredible visuals at the highest fidelity detail. The display is factory calibrated and PANTONE® Validated to guarantee color accuracy, but this particular panel also covers 100% of the Adobe RGB color space. The wide gamut and accurate colors let gamers and creators produce work at a professional level.
The primary display also uses NVIDIA G-SYNC technology to enable a uniquely engaging experience. Game performance tends to vary with the intensity of the scene, but traditional displays refresh the on-screen image at a constant clip. This disparity can cause visual tearing artifacts that disrupt immersion. G-SYNC synchronizes the refresh rate with the frame rate to eliminate tearing, minimize stuttering, and reduce input lag.
A GPU switch exclusive to ROG lets users toggle between G-SYNC and Optimus modes depending on whether they want smoother gaming or longer battery life, reinforcing this laptop’s innate duality.
Super-powered speed
A top-tier display requires a top-tier GPU to keep up. The new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER makes everything fast and fluid. Thanks to advanced cooling and ROG Boost, the GPU can hit peak clock speeds as high as 1330 MHz in Turbo mode.
The revolutionary Turing architecture behind the GeForce RTX series enables incredible visual realism. Lifelike lighting, shadows, and reflections render with speed across upgraded CUDA cores for programmable shading, RT cores for real-time ray tracing, and Tensor cores for AI processing. These versatile cores can also accelerate workloads like image processing, 3D modeling, and deep learning.
Boosted productivity
An 8-core 10th Generation Intel Core i9 CPU hits speeds as high as 5.3 GHz on a single core, and can engage up to 16 parallel threads with Hyper-Threading technology to power through heavy duty tasks.
Two nimble NVM Express PCIe x4 SSDs run in RAID 0 to provide plenty of high-speed storage. The dual-drive array makes the whole system feel more responsive, with lightning load times and quick access to data. With up to 2 TB of capacity, gamers and creators can take their entire game library and professional portfolio wherever they go.
Beyond the hardware inside, USB Type-C (USB-C) with Thunderbolt 3 offers versatile connectivity for a wide range of powerful accompaniments. Gamers can hook up to high-speed storage for ultrafast multimedia editing and transfers, speed up gaming and rendering by plugging into external graphics, daisy-chain multiple monitors to augment the integrated displays, or connect to a fully equipped desktop dock with the simplicity of a single cable. With peak theoretical interface bandwidth of up to 40 Gbps – 4X the speed of USB 3.1 Gen 2 standard – Thunderbolt 3 can balance multiple performance-hungry devices and drive external displays up to 8K resolution.
Revolutionary cooling
To carve out even greater cooling headroom, the CPU of Zephyrus Duo 15 is coated with Thermal Grizzly’s liquid metal compound instead of standard thermal paste. Applying the exotic material is delicate work typically done by hand. That’s not viable for mass production, so ROG commissioned custom equipment to automate the process with mechanical precision, and also designed a special internal fence to prevent the liquid from leaking, over time. After honing the approach with the ROG Mothership, it is being rolled out across the entire lineup of laptops with 10th Generation Intel Core processors.
Cooling requirements change based on the task, so Zephyrus Duo 15 has multiple modes tuned for different needs. Silent mode sacrifices a touch of speed to keep acoustics low, which is ideal for everyday tasks. Performance mode offers the horsepower needed for high gaming frame rates without too much noise. Turbo mode dials the CPU up to full power and reaches higher speeds with a louder fan profile.
Users can switch between operating modes on demand with a handy keyboard shortcut or automatically with Scenario Profiles. Available through the ROG Armoury Crate utility, Scenario Profiles lets users link individual games and programs to specific operating modes, lighting effects, and other settings. They’re triggered by the foreground application and allow seamless switching that adapts to the active task.
Stay active anywhere with portable power
The Zephyrus Duo 15 squeezes power and premium features into an impressively slim body that’s just 20.9 mm thin and weighs only 2.4 kg. The sleek magnesium-aluminide chassis is resilient, with clean lines, all-metal construction, and an anodized finish that imparts a professional feel.
It’s easier to stay productive anywhere with Zephyrus Duo’s high-capacity 90 Wh battery. The laptop can also charge via USB Power Delivery, so users can take care of lighter work with a 65 W USB-C adapter that’s much smaller than the standard unit required for full performance. If the battery runs low and there’s no free socket available, users can buy time by charging from a compatible USB power pack.
Bundled with Dying Light 2
To kick start your gaming adventures, ROG has teamed up with Techland to include a copy of Dying Light and Dying Light 2, with every ROG Zephyrus Duo purchased, available once the game is released and redeemable till February 2021.
Availability & Pricing
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 will be available from July 30th, 2020 in the UAE from Amazon, Computronic, Emax, Noon, Sharaf DG & Virgin Megastores for AED 17,999.
