Why it matters to you
Asus’ offerings for 2017 will be of interest to anyone looking to buy a new laptop, whether money is no object or price is your primary concern.
This week, Computex 2017 takes over Taipei, Taiwan, and we are already seeing new hardware unveiled. Asus detailed five laptops across its luxury Zenbook line and its less expensive VivoBook range, offering up plenty of enticing options for any budget.
Headlining the group is the Zenbook 3 Deluxe, a high-end laptop with an arresting all-aluminum design highlighted with gold accents. Asus claims that at 12.9mm thick, it is the world’s thinnest 14-inch laptop, according to On MSFT.
The Zenbook 3 Deluxe boasts a seventh-generation Intel Core i7 processor, with an i5 processor offered as an alternative, up to 16GB of LPDDR3 memory, and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The system will cost upward of $1,199, depending on the configuration chosen.
Asus is fielding another ultra-thin system as part of the Zenbook line, which is being billed as the world’s thinnest convertible. The Zenbook Flip S packs a 13.3-inch display into a device that is just 10.9mm thick, and weighs 1.1 kilograms, with plenty of horsepower to handle anything that is thrown at it.
The Zenbook Flip S is built around a seventh-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, with up to 1TB of SSD storage, and up to 16GB of LPDDR3 memory. The version fitted with an i7 processor is capable of 11.5 hours of battery life. The 2-in-1 is priced from $1,099.
Rounding out the new Zenbooks is the Zenbook Pro UX550. This beast is outfitted with a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card, an Intel i7-7700HQ or an i5-7300HQ processor, and up to 16GB of memory. These specs are put to good use by its 15.6-inch 4K display, its quad-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound audio, and its impressive 14.5-hour battery life. Prices on the laptop start at $1,299.
Meanwhile, the Vivobook Pro N580 offers similarly high-quality sound and vision without such a large price tag. It boasts a 15.6-inch 4K display, an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, Harman Kardon certified audio, and up to 2TB HDD and 512GB SSD storage, with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM, according to a report from Tech Spot. Despite those impressive credentials, its pricing starts at $799.
Finally, there is the VivoBook S, which comes with a seventh generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a Nvidia GeForce GTX 940MX graphics card. It is priced from $499.
Asus is clearly trying to target all kinds of users with its new laptops. Between high-end systems and more affordable fare, there are lots of compelling options here for anyone looking to invest in a new PC over the coming months.
Asus ZenBook Pro UX550
Asus ZenBook Flip S
Asus ZenBook 3 Deluxe
Asus VivoBook S
Asus VivoBook Pro