Asus defines its ZenBook line, and specifically the Pro Duo model, “the notebook of the future“. A statement of some importance, all to be confirmed and proved. What is certain is that that “Duo”, which refers to the dual screen installed on a laptop, is something you don’t see every day.. It is an element that distorts its form factor, due to the fully touch dashboard (as well as the main monitor) that tilts every time it is opened, which forced the design team to enclose the keyboard and touchpad in a smaller space, which works both as a mouse and gives numeric keypad, should it serve.
OnAsus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 (this is the full name) that we had the opportunity to test for a few weeks, there is not an iota of free space, but never mind: to occupy all that space is not a simple secondary monitor, but a useful tool designed to optimize maximum productivity.
Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED, the specifications
Before going into the details of this secondary monitor, let’s tell you what the expensive notebook from Asus looks like overall. We specify immediately that it is expensive because it falls within a very high price range, which places it in a very specific segment which includes professionals of a certain type and with an above average economic availability: the cost is in fact well 3499 euro, an astronomical figure, but still justified a little by what it hides under the hood, a little by the stellar prices due to the chip crisis (link). The graphics card alone, the RTX 3070 (in laptop version), which should cost just over € 500 from the list, is well over double, to give an idea.
But it is not only that to raise the price: the UX582 can indeed boast a 10th generation Intel i9-10980HK processor from 2.40 GHz, 32 GB of RAM, an OLED 4K NanoEdge touch screen, a 3.0 NVMe SSD 1 TB, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1, one HDMI 2.1 output and one 3.5mm output for audio. These are excellent components, even if in some cases obsolete (the processor, the Thunderbolt ports) or incomplete (such as the single USB port, or the absence of a memory card slot).
And to reaffirm its luxurious nature, the packaging, as well as the external body: it is enclosed in a box, and in the package there are also a stylus compatible with both screens, a support to keep it raised (it is a bit particular and the instructions are not very clear, but it does its duty), a fairly comfortable plastic wrist rest and a pouch to protect it when you carry it around. The shell is made of an alloy of magnesium and aluminum, and gives it a color defined by the company itself “Celestial Blue”, Even if both internally and externally it recalls a quite atypical petrol green, but pleasing to the eye. Overall it’s solid, and the design is really nice, also that of the side vents for the air, grilled, but weighs 2.4 kg, has a thickness of 21 mm and a half, and measures 35.9 cm by 25.1 cm, so it is neither very practical nor light.
ScreenPad Plus: what it is and what it is for
The strong point of this Asus ZenBook Pro Duo, or the most obvious element, is the 14.1-inch touch screen which covers the exact half of the base of the notebook, the one where usually only the keyboard is located. It tilts by 9.5 °, and not just for a question of usability: under it there are in fact two fans, which emit heat laterally. The ScreenPad Plus, this is the official name, it offers a brightness of 400 nits, and compared to previous models, its current structure offers a better circulation of hot air, in addition to a smaller thickness.
For obvious reasons it is less bright and pleasant to see than the main panel, but its strength lies not so much in the visual quality it is able to offer, but in its being a powerful multitasking tool: it is in fact designed to be able to place two or even three different software and screens inside it, according to the user’s needs. For example, it is possible to play on the first screen, and place on the second Spotify on one side, with which to customize the background music, and YouTube on the other, in which to view a video during loading times, or a strategic guide thanks to which overcome a particularly difficult point. Or for those who play in streaming, you can keep the chat on one side, with which to view and reply to comments, and on the other software such as OBS, adjusting volumes and modifying scenes in real time, without returning to the Desktop.
However, it works very well, thanks to the extreme precision, even with a single software or application: you can read a book or an article by placing them on both monitors, or, thanks to the appropriate Control Panel (different from that of Windows), yes they can create real shortcuts optimized for the main video and photo editing software (from Photoshop to Lightroom, from After Effects to Premiere Pro). The use of Paint 3D, as well as audio software, proved to be very convenient, thanks to the included stylus: having the timeline of the video or a song available, moving on it and zooming with a simple touch, is a not indifferent comfort.
In the keyboard and in the aforementioned panel there are also keys and commands that facilitate the process of using the ScreenPad Plus: with a key the keyboard is deactivated, so as to avoid accidental presses while drawing by hand; with another the screen itself is deactivated; another swaps the apps and software open at that moment between the two screens. You can then create shortcuts to open multiple software together with a single touch and arrange them in a certain way, ready-to-use “arrangements” (“only” 4, unfortunately) for when working on a project, or for a streaming on the fly.
The Control Center UI is simple but functional, and also offers a minimum degree of customization, but it is a bit limited: for example, in the number of apps that can be started natively from there (even if any software and application, even entire games, can be inserted into the ScreenPad Plus). We then encountered some rare bugs in use, particularly in the tutorial, which stopped abruptly several times. All solved with a simple restart.
The performance
How does the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED perform? Here some sore points begin, but it depends a lot on the type of use made of it. On the productivity side, there is very little to complain about: the 32 GB of RAM allow you to easily run more software together and the SSD guarantees very fast loading. Combined with the aforementioned and efficient ScreenPad Plus and RTX 3070 graphics card, the Zenbook Pro Duo becomes an irresistible tool for professionals working in fields such as graphics, videomaking and music production, as thanks to its portable nature it can be carried almost anywhere with you. It also defends itself well with writing, with a good keyboard (albeit without some keys and functions), but it is certainly not a strong point.
With some reservations, it can also prove to be a very useful tool for professional streamers, thanks to the aforementioned potential in the combined use of video games, OBS and browsers for chat: the reserves lie in the performance with the games themselves, which at least in the cases of the most recent and demanding titles, run well but not without some graphic compromise. We put it to the test with Forza Horizon 5, where the 60 FPS were reached only on condition of minimizing shadows and particle effects, the same with DiRT 5, and with Cyberpunk 2077, where the frame-rate was instead dancer in several situations (especially in the open world sections).
With older titles all smooth (even the expensive Kingdom Come: Deliverance), but in short, if you are looking for a pure gaming laptop, despite the Ray Tracing support guaranteed by the included GPU, the advice is to look elsewhere. Another matter if, on the other hand, the need is to have a machine that is useful both for work and for entertainment. Also because between the OLED screen and the good audio sector, really powerful and rich in terms of frequencies (but not too crystal clear), this Zenbook Pro Duo 15 really knows its stuff.
The only need that cannot in any way satisfy, and it is a bit of a contradiction for a notebook, concerns its being anything but portable.. Between its being quite bulky (ditto the charger), but above all, the poor battery life, it is almost impossible to use it properly without a socket available. Even sacrificing performance, reducing the power of the fans (adjustable via integrated software) or the efficiency of the battery, we were able to use it for about two hours and a little more, half in the case of more intensive gaming sessions. A real shame, but that’s not all that surprising given the undoubted qualities of this laptop.
Good heat dissipation, with a tendency to overheat only in the lower part, and without generating too much noise, at least in the standard fan mode. When more performance is needed, the fans start to push, breaking the perceived partial silence when using lighter software and applications.
Less exciting is the webcam, which does its own, but without sparkling. On the other hand, it supports Windows Hello and facial recognition.
In conclusion
The Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 is designed for a super-specific category of user, looking for a powerful machine aimed at a certain type of use, and capable of incurring a cost that goes well beyond the average of devices high-end. € 3500 is not a small amount, especially if we reflect on certain limits, such as the very limited battery, or certain compromises to which we must go down with the video games of the moment. At the same time, the ScreenPad Plus is a real one game changer, a secondary screen to always carry with you, but which is also and above all an ally for multitasking, or if necessary, a precise and efficient graphics tablet, and again, a control panel from which to better manage the main production software photos, audio and video. It will not be the definitive work machine, thanks to some defects (of a hardware and software nature), but for those who can afford it, this Zenbook Pro Duo raises the bar on what has been done so far by Asus with its dual-screen line .
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