Note: This feature was first published on 4 June 2024.
After successfully launching the Vivobook S 15 two weeks ago as their first Microsoft Copilot+ PC with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor, ASUS is going all in on AI at Computex 2024, refreshing their entire notebook lineup with AMD’s latest Ryzen AI 300 series APUs. And before you ask, Intel is conspicuously missing from the Computex slate because Lunar Lake simply isn’t ready yet, and according to our sources, won’t be till September 2024. So, AMD is having a field day.
As AMD also has an advantage of letting Qualcomm go first, the Ryzen AI 300 APUs also boast of NPU performance of up to 50 TOPs, slightly edging out the Snapdragon X Elite’s 45 TOPs, making it the current fastest NPU for Windows Copilot+ integration. Now, I know, it’s not by much and we can table the whole NPU/TOPs debate for another time. Let’s look at what ASUS is announcing today.
ASUS Vivobook Series
Interestingly, only the Vivobook S 14 and S 16 models are refreshed with the Ryzen AI 300, while the S 15 remains as the only Vivobook featuring the Snapdragon X Elite. This feels like a deliberate attempt by ASUS to carve out a niche for Snapdragon in their Vivobook lineup without having it directly compete with the other x86 models.
The S 14 and S 16 also share almost identical specifications and design, with up to 32GB LPDDR5X 7,500MHz RAM, 1TB PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD, 75Wh battery, same I/O ports (1 x USB4 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x HWDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio, MicroSD card slot), same IceCool cooling tech, and Harman Kardon audio. The differences in size obviously affects display and weight with the S 14 starting at 1.3kg while the S 16 starts at 1.5kg. Both notebooks are equally slim at just 13.9mm thin, which is interestingly almost 1mm thinner than the Snapdragon-based S 15 (14.7mm). The S 14 has a 3K 120Hz OLED display, while the S 16 has a slightly larger 3.2K 120Hz OLED display.
ASUS Zenbook S 16
The premium productivity space, ASUS introduces just one new model, the Zenbook S 16. Unlike the Vivobook series, the Zenbook S 16 is so much more than just an AMD AI 300 refresh. ASUS is championing the 16-inch form factor here, showcasing all their engineering and design chops in creating one of the sexiest productivity notebooks I’ve seen. With each generation of Zenbook, ASUS has become more understated, yet refined in design. The Zenbook S 16 features a lid with ultra-clean lines, subtle logos, and boasts of a new ceramic alloy that now has a fancy trademarked name - Ceraluminum.
Inside, ASUS claims of a precise CNC-milled chassis to remove every last gramme of weight. It also has a new thermal solution for 50% increased air-flow efficiency, allowing it to stay cool and silent (under 25dB) while operating at up to 50% higher TDP than previous generations. The Zenbook S 16 also has a large 78Wh battery, yet retains the same weight as the Vivobook S 16 at 1.5kg. However, it’s ridiculously slim at just 1.1cm thin.
You'll be seeing a whole lot of "AI" performance benchmarks comparing NPU TOPs vs Apple M3.
The VivoBook S 16 supports configurations up to AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 32GB LPDDR5X RAM, 2TB SSD, and 3K Lumina OLED Touchscreen. They’ve already opened pre-orders in the US and prices start at US$1,399 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD).
ASUS TUF Gaming A14 and A16
The TUF Gaming series sees the introduction of the first ever 14-inch notebook, and a refreshed 16-inch model. What’s amazing about this announcement is that the specs of the new TUF Gaming A14 looks so enticing, they’ve basically made an affordable rival to their own ROG Zephyrus G14.
Unlike previous TUF Gaming notebooks, the A14 is not a chunky monster. It supports configurations up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 APU with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, a 73Wh battery that supports up to 100W Type-C charging, and a 2.5K 165Hz display. All this hardware and it’s not that much thicker or heavier than the Vivobooks above. The TUF Gaming A14 is only 1.69cm thin and weighs just 1.46kg. I’m actually surprised that ASUS made it this sleek and compact.
The TUF Gaming A16 is a more direct refresh, with an improved cooling solution that can supposedly lower surface temperature by 7° C and a redesigned chassis that’s also undergone a diet to come out at just 1.79cm thin, though it weighs 2.2kg. While the A14 maxes out with an RTX 4060, the A16 can be configured with up to a GeForce RTX 4070.
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