Expensive eye-catcher with super features: Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 tested

What an eye-catcher. What inner values. What a price. I'm getting dizzy.

The specs of the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (UHD version):

• Processor: Intel Core i9-10980HK
• Graphics card: nVidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
• Memory: 32 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM
• Data storage: 2 TB SSD (2 x 1 TB SSD with RAID0, M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4)
• Display: 15.6" UHD IPS display (3840 × 2160 pixels), anti-glare, 60 Hz, with 100% Adobe RGB colour space coverage, Pantone validated, nVidia G-Sync
• Second screen: 14.1" IPS touchscreen with 3840 × 1100 pixels, anti-glare, 60 Hz
• Keyboard: Chiclet keyboard with backlight, RGB keys, 1.4 mm key travel
• Ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C (Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort 1.4, Power Delivery), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, Ethernet port
• Audio: 2 x 3.5 mm jack connection (headphones and microphone), 4 W stereo speakers and array microphone
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
• Battery: 90 Wh lithium-ion battery
• Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
• Dimensions: 36 x 26.8 x 2 cm, 2.4 kg
• Power supply: 240 W, supports USB Power Delivery up to 65 W
• Additional features: Asus ROG Eye GC21 webcam, wrist rest, ROG Ranger BP2500Gm backpack, download code for Dying Light 2 (expected to be released in March 2021)

First of all, I have to give Asus and Republic of Gamers a pat on the back: From the very first glance at the Zephyrus Duo 15, it's clear that the secondary display above the keyboard has been improved compared to the one in the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo. It now shines almost as brightly as the device's main display.

In contrast to the second screen, the 15.6-inch main display cannot be operated with the fingers or pen. Instead, you can choose between two versions when purchasing the product. A Full HD gaming display with 300 Hz and a UHD display with 60 Hz, which on paper comes with Pantone validation and 100 per cent Adobe RGB colour space coverage for professional use. A fine thing that I want to get to the bottom of. That's why I'm testing the UHD version of the device.

Design and connections

When closed, I wouldn't give it to this notebook that it houses a veritable firework of hardware components with a thickness of just 20.9 millimetres.

The base and lid are made of an aluminium alloy in the colour gunmetal grey. When I run my fingers over it, it feels like a mixture of aluminium and magnesium. A touch of Microsoft's "Surface" at Asus, so to speak. Like the bonnet of many cars, the lid has a kind of optical crease that runs diagonally - in short, it's a slash. There is also a reflective ROG logo that always reminds me of an owl's eye. However, it could also be a modified eye of the bringer of heaven and light Horus.

When opened, it becomes clear how ROG manages to cool a powerful processor and a super high-end graphics card in a thin chassis: When you fold up the screen, the second display automatically rises by 13 degrees. This not only helps to provide a better viewing angle. The air inlets of the cooling system can also be found under the display. The air outlets can be found at the height of the second screen on the side and at the back of the base.

In addition to a second screen, it also offers a wide range of connection options. The mains connection and two 3.5 mm jack connections - for headphones and microphone - are located on the left-hand side.

Two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port are located on the right-hand side. The USB-C port can also be used for charging if required and also offers Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort 1.4.

The rear of the base offers another USB port - USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A to be precise - as well as one HDMI 2.0b and one Ethernet port.

Display and second screen

Sunlight reflections and spotlights are annoying. Whether you're working or gaming. That's why I'm delighted with the Zephyrus's matte display. The 15.6-inch panel of this version offers 3840 × 2160 pixels and is said to have 100 per cent Adobe RGB colour space coverage. I like its viewing angle stability. HDR is not included, but it does support G-Sync.

The secondary display, also known as the ROG ScreenPad Plus, expands the image with 3840 × 1100 pixels. It does not claim to offer colour space coverage for professional work. Instead, it can be operated with a mouse, pen or fingers. The fact that it tilts when the lid is opened is not only conducive to a more direct view of the image and cooling, it also benefits the viewing angle stability. This has been significantly improved in the ScreenPad Plus compared to the previously tested ZenBook Pro Duo and is now good in a normal sitting position.

Luminosity, uniformity and colour space coverage

I like the picture and the colour reproduction of the two screens. In a direct comparison, the second display looks a little milky if you look closely, which I don't actively notice while working or playing. It doesn't bother me, but could be improved.

What I can't judge with the naked eye are the promised colour values, luminosity, uniformity of illumination and contrast values. To determine these values, I measure both panels with the x-rite i1Display Pro Plus:

The 15.6-inch UHD display has an average brightness of 370 cd/m² at its brightest setting. The second display has 334 cd/m². This makes it clear that my eyes were not deceiving me - that my meandering wreath at the beginning of this article was not wrong. The difference between the brightness of the two displays at the brightest level is 36 cd/m². On the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo, I measured a difference of 97 cd/m² in January.

The uniformity of illumination is good on both panels. The large one has a light drop of only 10 cd/m² from the brightest to the darkest area. No one can see this with the naked eye. The illumination of the small panel is not quite as accurate, but even 33 cd/m² difference is not much.

Colour gamut coverage is very important for professional work in graphics and video production. Asus knows this too, which is why the main display is supposed to have 100 per cent Adobe RGB coverage from the factory. I measured 99.9 per cent for sRGB, 99.7 per cent for Adobe RGB and 88.3 per cent for DCI P3. This means that the screen delivers pretty much exactly what the manufacturer promises. A dream come true for graphic designers and pre-press enthusiasts. For video producers, the DCI P3 coverage is fine, but it should be even higher. The static contrast of the image is a crisp 1492:1.

The second screen should only be used as a support in professional use, as its colour space coverage is not equally good: I measured 95.5 per cent for sRGB, 69.9 per cent for Adobe RGB and 72.5 per cent for DCI P3. The static contrast is 963:1.

Operation of the second screen: What can I do with it?

A new feature compared to the previous use of the ScreenPad Plus, which works seamlessly with the main screen, is additional game content. That's why the Zephyrus Duo 15 also comes with a download code for Dying Light 2. Although the game will not be released until next spring, it has been known since the launch of Zephyrus that it will offer exclusive additional content on ROG's second screen. Exactly what this will be is still a matter of speculation.

Those who already want to use the second display for gaming purposes can use the corresponding app to display real-time statistics and recommendations for League of Legends, Fortnite or CS:GO. The GPUTweak II and Armoury Crate applications can also be used to change graphics settings and performance while playing.

Of course, the second screen can also be deactivated at the touch of a button if required. The following things are also possible:

• Extend screen, for example to display a website on both screens
• Auto-arrange up to three windows: Drag favourite programs onto the screen and automatically adjust the size of the window to the entire display area, half of it or a third of it. This is done by moving the mouse to the right, left or top edge of the display and then releasing the programme.
• Use integrated apps: Use apps specially developed for the second screen. Some are already pre-installed. The ScreenPad Plus also has an additional launcher in which normal programmes can also be stored.
• Swap screen content at the touch of a button: Switch your open Excel window from the main display to the second screen or vice versa at the touch of a button.
• Actions with the mouse: When you grab a window with the mouse, a small button with three functions appears directly next to the mouse pointer. If you drag the window to the corresponding position, you can either extend it to both screens, have it switch screens or add it to the launcher of the second screen.

I find the ScreenPad Plus to be a practical addition. It works just as well as a second screen on a desktop PC. It's great for researching and writing at the same time without constantly having to hold down Alt-Tab. If you like, you can also download a piano app and strum around on the base.

Keyboard and trackpad

I'm already familiar with the layout of the chiclet keyboard, which has been moved to the front edge of the base and reminds me a little of a living room keyboard. That's why I don't accidentally press the right arrow when I want to hit the Ctrl key

The keys have three-stage backlighting and RGB. You can therefore adjust the colours as required. The key travel is 1.4 millimetres - I feel a clear trigger point when I press it. Personally, I like the feeling of typing on the rather quiet keyboard. I'm also helped by the palm rest that comes in the box.

The touchpad is small. Nevertheless, it is precise to use once you get used to it. In addition, an illuminated number pad can be activated by pressing the top left corner.

Loudspeakers

The stereo speakers are located underneath the base at the front corners. If the Zephyrus is placed on a table, they sound good by notebook standards. If you pick it up or have it on your lap, the tabletop resonance body is missing and the bass becomes less; it is already rather restrained on the table. Meaning: I like the highs and mids for music, games and watching films. The bass is okay, but it's the reason why I reach for a headset sooner or later with every notebook.

Battery performance

90 Wh battery capacity sounds like a lot of juice for a notebook. At least as long as it doesn't have hardware as powerful as this one. It's understandable that ROG hasn't given the Zephyrus even more Wh given its thinness. To find out how the device performs away from a power socket, I tested it while continuously streaming YouTube videos, at maximum performance and during office work.

Important: The device has nVidia G-Sync. As G-Sync only works as long as the integrated second graphics unit of the SoC is deactivated, it is also switched off on delivery. The device is therefore ready for gaming. However, for all work that does not require the power of the nVidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q installed here, i.e. for surfing the internet or for office work, this default setting on battery power is poor. The dedicated super graphics card draws more power than the integrated one. It is therefore worth thinking about the intended use before using the device and selecting the correct power mode.

If you want to deactivate G-Sync and activate the second graphics unit instead, you can do so by clicking on the corresponding option (Optimus mode) in the Armoury Crate software. The device will then restart and the battery will last longer. I switched on Optimus mode to test the battery while working in the office and streaming YouTube videos continuously.

Youtube continuous streaming

To ensure comparability with our other notebook reviews, I switch off the second screen and set the brightness of the 15.6-inch display to 150 cd/m². I then run YouTube music videos in a continuous loop and wait for the notebook to switch off after three hours and 27 minutes. That's not long, but it suits the powerful Intel Core i9-10980HK, which comes with a TDP of 45 watts. For comparison: An Intel Core i7-1065G7, which is found in the Surface Book 3, has a TDP of 15 watts. With this and an 82 Wh battery, the 15-inch Surface Book 3 achieves seven hours and 47 minutes in the same test, which is over four hours more.

Battery life under maximum performance and volume

The maximum performance not only shows how long the battery lasts and how loud the device gets, but also the cooling behaviour. In other words, how long the CPU can remain fully utilised before the device clocks it down. In order to utilise all of the device's hardware, I run a stress test with the screen at maximum brightness. To do this, I run the HeavyLoad and FurMark software simultaneously.

The Zephyrus Duo 15 lasts 23 minutes with 100 per cent CPU load. I measure around 50 decibels from a sitting position, i.e. an arm's length away. Then the behaviour changes. However, not as I would expect. The cooling becomes slightly quieter and the CPU jumps from 100 per cent load to 25 per cent and back again at regular intervals, six times a minute.

After 39 minutes, the behaviour changes again. The ventilation becomes quieter again, I still measure around 35 decibels. The graphics card remains fully utilised, but the CPU now shows the opposite behaviour as before: the load is now mostly at 25 per cent, jumping to 100 per cent again and again at short notice with the same regularity as before. And the utilisation remains the same until the device's battery is drained after 57 minutes.

I have never seen this kind of behaviour on any other notebook. Normally, the ventilation doesn't shut down, only the CPU. Strange, especially since I have also made sure that the notebook is not allowed to automatically reduce the energy saving plan from maximum performance. Which does not happen. Everything seems normal, but the behaviour is the opposite. If the notebook is connected to the power supply, it never reduces the ventilation without being asked. Only when I command it to do so in Armoury Crate.

Battery life for office work

When working in the office, I mainly use programmes for which the device uses the integrated graphics card. Some Photoshop is also included. That gives me just under half a working day. After four and a half hours at the latest, the device has to be plugged in again.

Processor

With the Intel Core i9-10980HK, Asus ROG has installed a high-performance mobile 64-bit high-end SoC, which is manufactured using the 14 nm++ process. It is based on the Comet Lake architecture and has eight cores. Using two cores, the processor clocks at 2.4 to 5.3 GHz. However, the temperature of the SoC must remain below 65 degrees Celsius, otherwise the cores will only reach 5.2 GHz. A maximum of 4.4 GHz is possible when using three to eight cores. The TDP is 45 watts. The chip also includes Intel's UHD Graphics 630 GPU.

High-end super graphics card

With the nVidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, you get an extremely powerful mobile graphics card. It is the slimmed-down or power-saving version of the version without the Max-Q design, but is still clearly in the upper high-end range. The TU104 chip of the graphics card is manufactured using the 12 nm process and offers features such as Real Time Ray Tracing and Deep Learning Super Sampling. The version installed here has 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM and clocks at 1080 to 1330 MHz. The power consumption is 90 watts.

Performance

To test the performance, I run benchmarks; Cinebench R20 and Geekbench 5 for the processor, some tests from 3DMark and VRMark as well as gaming benchmarks from "Assassin's Creed Odyssey", "Civilization VI: Gathering Storm" and "Far Cry 5".

Processor performance: Cinebench R20 and Geekbench 5

With Cinebench from Maxon, you can test how your PC performs when rendering Cinema 4D content. Processors with more cores will always deliver a better result here (with the exception of single-core results).

Geekbench is a benchmark that runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android and iOS. In addition to simulated real-world scenarios with which the CPU is tested (single-core and multi-core), Geekbench can also determine GPU performance in the areas of image processing and machine vision. You can also compare the results with other systems thanks to the Geekbench browser.

The results of Cine- and Geekbench:

The Zephyrus Duo 15 shows its muscles in multi-core mode. The processor performs well and, if we again use the Intel Core i7-1065G7 of a current Microsoft Surface Book 3 for comparison, it easily achieves three times the score in Cinebench R20. In Geekbench 5, it is around two and a half times the performance. In single-core mode, the difference is slightly smaller; in Cinebench R20, the performance increase is 26 per cent in comparison, in Geekbench 5 it is 23 per cent.

3DMark: Gaming benchmarks

3DMark offers lots of benchmarks for testing gaming PCs and laptops. To give you an overview, I'm testing 1080p gaming (Fire Strike), WQHD gaming (Time Spy) and UHD gaming (Time Spy Extreme).

The powerful hardware of the Zephyrus Duo 15 performs significantly better in all benchmarks than the reference laptop model specified by 3DMark with Intel Core i7-9750H and a mobile nVidia GeForce RTX 2060.

VRMark: Virtual reality gaming benchmarks

Put on your goggles and start gaming? Use the VRMark benchmarks to find out whether your notebook is ready for virtual reality gaming.

The notebook passes the Orange Room and Cyan Room benchmarks. This means you can game with current VR headsets without any problems.

Gaming and FPS

Though this display can only offer 60 Hz, UHD gaming is possible. And that's a lot of fun with this hardware. Nevertheless, I would think carefully about whether I want to play or work more before buying. If you spend most of your time gaming, it is advisable to do without the pre-calibrated UHD display and instead benefit from a display with 300 Hz and 3 ms response time.

In order not only to rave about the performance, but also to substantiate it, I run in-game benchmarks at the highest possible quality level. In "Far Cry 5", the CPU is not put under quite as much strain as the GPU. "Assassin's Creed Odyssey" and "Civilization VI: Gathering Storm" in particular are more processor-intensive and therefore put more strain on the hardware.

Here are the results:

Conclusion: I would love to be a millionaire

Asus ROG impresses with its high-end graphics card, powerful processor and innovation. With the Zephyrus Duo 15, the manufacturer is bringing its second display in an improved form to a gaming notebook for the first time. However, the Zephyrus in the version tested here, with a pre-calibrated UHD display, is more of a device for professional creatives who like to game with powerful hardware on the side.

The second touch-capable display is very useful when working. It definitely speeds up the workflow, but not necessarily when gaming. But that could change. After all, Asus ROG has already been able to convince games developer Techland, which will be releasing its first AAA title, Dying Light 2, with additional content for the second display next year.

Whether it's worth spending half a million on the design and the really powerful hardware is questionable. Before testing it, I was worried about the price. But now I have to admit that I'm quite hooked. If I were so fluid that I didn't have to think about it, I would definitely buy one. But then the version with a 300 Hz display.