Vivobook Pro 16X may benefit from more attention to hardware design, but it has a solid structure and has many things to like under the surface.

Author: Sandra Vogel | November 17, 2021 | Topic: Laptop

The 16-inch ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X is equipped with Intel or AMD processors and is aimed at creators.

Vivobook Pro 16X belongs to the new ASUS notebook brand-including ProArt, Studiobook and Zenbook Pro models-designed for "creators". The latter market covers amateurs and professionals.  

Vivobook Pro 16X has a 16-inch OLED screen, which is very suitable for creative work, meets Pantone Validated standards and supports 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. The 14-inch and 16-inch models also passed the new VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification.  

My evaluation unit is equipped with AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, but Vivobook Pro 16X OLED can also be equipped with Intel Core i7 CPU, and a comprehensive independent Nvidia graphics card. The cost of the specifications of my review unit in the UK is £1,799 (including VAT) (approximately US$2,417); the official US pricing has not been confirmed in detail, but the estimated starting price is US$1,399.

This laptop weighs 1.95 kg (4.3 lb), so you need a sturdy shoulder to carry it with you; the 120W charger is also a relatively large brick. The suitcase needs to hold the huge size of the laptop — 360.5 mm wide, 259 mm deep, 18.9 mm thick (14.19 inches x 10.20 inches x 0.74 inches) — plus a charger and any other equipment. 

The aluminum chassis is sturdy, and the lid or base has almost no obvious bends. However, there are not many styles here. The striped logo on the lid looks like it is pasted on the label, connected to the larger Vivobook label. On my slate gray review unit, the brand looked a little weird, and it might look weirder on the silver variant. The cap also collects fingerprints, so make sure your fingers are not greasy when you carry it.  

Vivobook Pro 16X weighs 1.95 kg (4.3 lbs) and is available in black or silver.

Turn on the laptop and you will notice some more unique design elements. The Esc key is bright orange, and even if it is in the usual upper left corner, you can hardly miss it. The QWERTY key and the separate numeric keypad are black, while the key columns on both sides of the QWERTY key are gray. This makes them easier to locate under certain lighting conditions than usual, and although there is a window on your left, the leftmost key looks black. 

The diagonal stripes on the lid are repeated on the Enter key, with white and gray keys. This makes the Enter key easy to find and helps me avoid hitting the "4" on the numeric keypad. Diagonal stripes appear on the long hinge.  

The keys are light to the touch and the size is moderate. Touch typing is comfortable and fast. A fingerprint sensor is built into the power button, located in the upper right corner of the keyboard. 

The keyboard includes a separate numeric keypad, using unique color coding. The large touchpad combines Asus' DialPad to control screen brightness and speaker volume, as well as various functions in the Adobe application.

The touchpad is large because it should have a screen size. It works well and there is no problem with gesture control. The touchpad also integrates ASUS DialPad, which is activated by sliding diagonally from the upper right corner of the touchpad (a small circle indicates where to start sliding). 

DialPad is displayed on the touchpad as a small solid circle inside a larger dotted circle, and its default operation is to control the screen brightness and speaker volume. When you tap the inner circle on the touchpad, a copy will appear on the screen. Swipe left and right between the inner ring and the outer ring to switch between system brightness and system volume. Tap to confirm your choice, and then swipe left and right between the inner ring and the outer ring to adjust the volume or screen brightness. 

DialPad is a bit cumbersome to use, but Asus has put in a lot of effort. If you use Adobe applications, such as After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Lightroom Classic, you can use it to control all aspects of these applications. More general settings can be made in the provided ProArt Creator Hub application, which can be used to add functions such as vertical scrolling, application switching, and switching between virtual desktops.  

Vivobook Pro 16X does not have a touch screen. If it has certain functions handled by DialPad, it can be said to be easier to implement. On the other hand, matching with specific applications can achieve a certain degree of personalization, which some creators may find useful. As a user interface experiment, DialPad is indeed worth a try. 

The 16-inch OLED screen is pleasant to use. With a 16:10 aspect ratio and 4K (3,840 x 2,400 pixels, 283ppi) resolution, it is large and clear enough for creatives to use easily. Pantone Validated compliance, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification and 100% DCI-P3 coverage will please those interested in visual arts-although the screen is reflective, it is not excessive. 

Unfortunately, Asus can't make the screen frame smaller, but at least there is room at the top edge for a webcam with a sliding privacy cover, and the bottom frame is not very large. ASUS claims that the screen to body ratio is 86%, although we calculate it to be 79.5%. 

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The screen has a peak brightness of 550 nits, which may not be enough if you need to work outdoors in bright sunlight. However, it can be used indoors under normal (not too bright) office lighting. 

The stereo speakers output from the bottom of the laptop through a grille, which is slightly raised from the surface because they are located on the upward curve of the front of the base. The sound quality is okay, but the maximum volume is far from loud enough, which is a shame. 

My evaluation department runs Windows 10 Home on AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor equipped with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics card (updated to Windows 11 in due course). It has 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD, as well as a built-in MicroSD card reader. 

On the right edge, the MicroSD card reader is connected to a USB-A port, a full-size HDMI connector, a USB-C port, a 3.5 mm combo audio jack, and a round pin power connector. There are also two USB-A ports on the left edge. If you want Thunderbolt support, you need to check the Intel version of this laptop. 

Using batteries to power large OELD screens is a challenge, but some creative users need to use Vivobook Pro 16X away from the main power source. Fortunately, the 96WHr battery of the laptop does a very good job. In a typical test, I spent three hours processing various mainstream workloads-video and audio streaming, social feeds, and document editing. After the battery is fully charged, the power is exhausted to 72%, which indicates that the total battery life is about 11 hours.  

Admittedly, this laptop is designed to deal with more severe challenges than my standard workload mix, but I still have confidence in the full-day battery life, and then some. 

ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X may benefit from more attention to hardware design, but it has a solid structure and has many things to like under the surface. The battery life is long, the OLED screen is great, and the keyboard is very comfortable to use. The latter's color scheme may be unusual, but this does not affect its usability.  

DialPad has potential, although some people may find it a bit cumbersome to use, and the speaker's power is a bit insufficient, which is a shame. The price is high, but content creators may find it well worth the cost. 

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