ASUS' Flow X16 2-in-1 gaming laptop features a 165Hz mini-LED display
ASUS has refreshed its gaming laptop lineup to add the latest components from AMD, Intel and NVIDIA. Of the two computers it announced today, the more intriguing one is the ROG Flow X16. It builds on the company’s previous gaming 2-in-1s by adding an enviable display to the mix.
The X16 will come with a mini-LED panel. According to the company, the QHD screen features a 165Hz refresh rate and a 3-millisecond pixel response time, in addition to 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage and 1,100 nits of peak brightness. With 512 local dimming zones, the X16’s display secured VESA’s DisplayHDR 1000 certification. When it comes to gaming monitors, you’ve typically have had to choose between speed and HDR performance. With the Flow X16, ASUS is promising a no-compromise display, and that’s exciting if you play a mix of competitive titles and immersive single-player games.
Internally, you’ll have the option to configure the X16 with the latest Ryzen 6000 series CPUs from AMD, including the eight-core 6900HS. Also on offer are NVIDIA’s recently announced RTX Ti GPUs for laptops. ASUS hasn’t forgotten about DDR5 either. It’s possible to configure the X16 with up to 64GB of fast 4,800MHz DDR5 RAM, and as much as 2TB of PCIe storage.
To cool all those components, ASUS has equipped the Flow X16 with its “Pulsar” heatsink and an additional fan. The company says those components will help keep the computer cooler for longer. Powering everything is a 90Wh battery with fast charging support built-in, and the entire laptop weighs just under four-and-a-half pounds.
On the I/O front, you can look forward to HDMI 2.1 connectivity, allowing you to plug the Flow X16 into the latest 120Hz TVs to play games at 120 frames per second just like you would with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. The X16 also comes with a single USB 4.0 port that can act as a DisplayPort 1.4 connection. For good measure, the laptop will also ship with stylus support and a Windows Hello-compatible Full HD web camera. Pricing on the Flow X16 will start at $1,950, increasing to $2,700 for the top-spec model.
On Tuesday, ASUS also announced an updated version of its ROG Strix Scar 17 laptop. The company claims the new "Special Edition" model features among the “most powerful” components you’ll find on a portable PC. You can configure the computer to feature Intel’s 16-core i9-12900HX CPU in combination with a GeForce RTX 3080Ti. What’s more, the SE includes a Turbo Mode, allowing both components to draw more power than they normally would, in turn boosting their performance. For cooling, the CPU and GPU feature a thermal metal interface, which ASUS claims keeps the components up to 15 degrees Celsius cooler than traditional thermal paste. Additionally, the company says the SE won’t produce more than 40 decibels of noise when in its Performance mode.
Unfortunately, the laptop won’t come with a mini-LED display like the Flow X16, but it will feature an IPS panel with a QHD resolution, 240Hz refresh rate and a 3-millisecond pixel response time. Just like the X16, it also comes with up to 64GB of 4800MHz DDR5 RAM, HDMI 2.1 connectivity and a 90Wh battery. Unique to the SE is an invisible ink finish ASUS says it spent six months developing. The finish produces a blue and green glow when under UV light.
Pricing for the Strix Scar 17 SE starts at an eye-watering $3500. ASUS expects both models to go on sale before the end of the first half of the year.