ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo is a laptop for extremely intense multi-taskers. You know who you are.

Even the ScreenPad Plus, the laptop’s secondary screen, boasts 4K resolution.

| Jason Fan | Sponsored | November 16, 2019, 10:59 AM

When I was given the opportunity to test out the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo, I was beyond excited.

Like its name suggests, it possesses two screens, both of which boasts 4K resolution.

As somebody who likes to work with multiple windows open at the same time, its secondary panel, called the ScreenPad Plus, is a godsend. 

In theory, it allows me to be so much more productive without having to resort to a secondary monitor.

But how would it work in reality?

As it turns out, it exceeded my expectations.

Tech specs

The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo is an insane machine.

It boasts an overclockable 2.4-GHz Intel Core i9-9980HK processor (eight cores, by the way), 32GB of RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, and a new-generation Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card with 6GB of VRAM.

Wow.

For those of you who don’t speak tech, let me repeat again.

The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo’s specifications are insane, especially for a laptop.

It is a laptop only in name, but far outperforms most consumer-grade desktops. 

ASUS also offers the ZenBook Duo, which is a great alternative for those who want to make use of the laptop’s unique ScreenPad Plus display, but do not require their laptop to boast top-of-the-line specs.

The ZenBook Duo possesses an i7-10510U processor, 16GB of RAM, the same 1TB PCIe SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics card, which is nothing to sneeze at.

A pair of 4K OLED screens

One of the most impressive parts of the laptop is the PANTONE Validated 4K OLED display, which delivers extremely sharp details and super high colour accuracy.

The laptop also comes with an ASUS Pen, which can be used to turn the screen into a drawing tablet.

Personally, I think that 4K and OLED is a match made in heaven, as the visuals are simply on another level. 

The main display looks gorgeous, and the pictures seriously do not do it justice. 

The ScreenPad Plus display, which is the laptop’s signature feature, is a secondary panel that also boasts 4K resolution. 

The 4K resolution means that there is no rescaling necessary when dragging windows between the two screens, making it a seamless experience. 

This also means that you can display a single app that may require more screen real estate, such as editing software, across both screens the same way you would with an extended desktop.

Oh, and did I mention both screens are touch-screen as well? Because they are.

A dream for multi-taskers

If you are the kind of person that likes to multi-task, then it is tough to beat the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo.

Having the ScreenPad Plus is an obvious plus. It allows you to place secondary apps such as your email or calendar in the second screen, so you can keep an eye on them constantly.

If you are a gamer, the ScreenPad Plus is also really useful, as it allows you to keep other apps open within sight without having to tab out.

For example, you can place voice-messaging apps such as Discord, Spotify for your music needs and a YouTube game walkthrough simultaneously within the the ScreenPad Plus.

This also allows you to spend time watching YouTube videos discreetly at work. Big plus.

ASUS’s App Navigator function also helps me track all the different apps running at a single glance, making my workflow seamless. 

I tried to test the limits of the laptop

While the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo’s ScreenPad Plus is undoubtedly the laptop’s standout feature, as it allows users to multi-task a lot more effectively, it is not the only feature which makes it the King of multi-tasking.

Random-access memory, or RAM for short, is basically a computer’s short-term memory.

More RAM means more applications can be open without slowing down the system.

This means that it is a crucial feature for multi-tasking, and the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo has an industry-leading 32GB of it.

In comparison, most gaming laptops only start at 8GB of RAM, up to 16GB.

In an attempt to test the limits of the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo, I decided to do a (admittedly, non-scientific) test of the laptop’s capabilities.

I simply tried to turn on as many of the applications that I would normally use on a daily basis, and see whether the laptop would be able to run them smoothly.

Most gaming laptops only start at 8GB of RAM, up to 16GB. Hence, I was curious how much this laptop can handle.

I started the experiment by opening two games at the same time, with around 20 Google Chrome tabs open, and Spotify in the background. 

The result? Not even close.

I decided to up the ante, and open up three games at the same time, with around 50 Google Chrome tabs open, and Spotify and Discord in the background. 

This strained the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo a little more, although still not enough to push it to its limits. 

Frustrated, I attempted one last attempt at overloading this powerful machine.

I fired up the same three games, but I decided to keep a staggering 200 Google Chrome tabs open.

Ha, this would show the laptop who’s boss.

Well then.

The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo won the challenge

I won’t be afraid to admit I failed.

The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo was able to take everything I threw at it, and still continued to run smoothly. 

The laptop, which retails at S$4,998, is understandably quite expensive for a laptop.

However, its cost is a lot more reasonable once you consider that the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo is not your average laptop.

It is a fully functional workstation for professionals, which also happens to have the advantage of being portable. 

This allows users to be productive even on the go, something that is not possible on a desktop with an external monitor. 

As mentioned earlier, the ZenBook Duo is a less expensive alternative, which retails at S$2,198.

It comes in a smaller size, at 14-inches, and is also lighter at 1.5kg, making it a perfect choice for those who prefer increased portability over the extra specs. 

Now I really want one for myself.

You can check out the laptop on the ASUS store here.

Top photo by Jason Fan.

This sponsored article by ASUS Singapore made the writer regret that he just bought a new laptop.