ASUS ROG Stream X16 evaluate

The mini-LED ROG Nebula HDR show is, from a purely subjective person expertise, the nicest wanting show we’ve seen on a laptop computer. It’s colourful, appears very crisp with its 2440 x 1600 decision, has a pleasant tall 16:10 16-ich show which is right for scrolling by means of two paperwork or net pages side-by-side, and could be very shiny when set to 100% – sufficient to view paperwork and video media in direct daylight on a sunny day. The bezels are good and skinny and it does really feel such as you get loads of display screen area to play with.

We will’t say what the IPS model of the show is like, as we weren’t given one to evaluate, however the mini-LED display screen is certainly the one we’d go for.

In an excellent world we’d have preferred to have seen a most refresh fee above 165Hz, which is the quickest choice accessible with this laptop computer, given the highly effective core parts are able to pushing past 165 FPS in video games (see the benchmark outcomes additional down this web page). That being stated, though we’re beginning to see 240Hz 1440p choices in 2022, we’ve but to see a competing 1600p laptop computer with a refresh fee above 165Hz, so it’s not like a competing gadget may do any higher. 165Hz is greater than sufficient for almost all of avid gamers wants anyway, and it’s solely actually a draw back in the event you’re a hardcore aggressive participant of on-line twitch shooters.

By way of the response time, ASUS declare 3ms when Overdrive is enabled within the onboard software program, although testing reveals a mean 5ms grey-to-grey response time is extra correct. Regardless, that is nonetheless sooner than the 6ms wanted to utterly eradicate ghosting at this refresh fee, so it doesn’t truly have to be any sooner than this, and is a powerful outcome.

The show comes with FreeSync help, not G-Sync sadly, nevertheless the USB-C/DisplayPort 1.4 output does help it if you wish to plug in to an exterior show. That is additionally a method to get the next max refresh fee, must you want to.

The next checks had been performed with the Backlight Management set to One Zone (beneath House > System configuration inside the Armoury Crate software program). This implies the show acts extra like a standard panel, with every of the min-LEDs performing as one reasonably than independently. This successfully disables HDR mode, reduces distinction ratio and means much less deep blacks, however is the one method to obtain one of the best coloration accuracy.

ASUS ROG Stream X16 coloration gamut

ASUS claims that the mini-LED model of the X14 has a coloration gamut which covers 100% of the sRGB spectrum, in addition to 100% DCI-P3. Our outcomes, which you’ll be able to see beneath, help these claims, recording 99.9% sRGB and 99.6% DCI-P3 protection, which is shut sufficient in each cases to successfully rely at 100%. Adobe RGB protection was 94.2%.

ASUS ROG Stream X16 coloration accuracy out of the field

Previous to calibrating the show, the colour accuracy of the X16 out of the field confirmed a mean delta of two.88, which is a bit disappointing, and above the two.5 threshold {that a} display screen wants to attain beneath to get a respectably low degree of variance. The white level nevertheless, was rattling close to good was excellent at 6504K, very near the best 6500K outcome. Gamma was equally good at 2.20, which is an ideal rating. Black depth was ample at 0.1324 cd/m², however we’d have preferred to have seen a greater (decrease) outcome, and the identical will be stated for the distinction ratio, which was disappointingly low at 912.5:1. 

Switching the Backlight Management to Multi-Zone would possible enhance the distinction ratio and black depth outcomes as talked about, however we haven’t but examined these as a consequence of time pressures. Watch this area for the up to date outcomes. Both means the typical delta / coloration accuracy was the principle disappointment, and Multi-Zone wouldn’t enhance this.

ASUS ROG Stream X16 coloration accuracy following calibration

Calibration noticed nearly no change to the outcomes, with white level getting barely worse to 6474K and distinction ratio barely enhancing to 917.1:1. The whole lot else remained precisely the identical, which isn’t stunning given the display screen has been Pantone calibrated and authorized (nonetheless all the time value a crack regardless). It’s attainable {that a} extra in-depth calibration than the one we did could yield a barely improved delta outcome, but it surely’s unlikely.

Finally, which means that professionals working in fields the place coloration accuracy is paramount won’t discover this show appropriate for his or her wants, even with the highest notch gamut protection. The vast majority of creatives (together with professionals) who don’t must be fairly so industry-precise in relation to coloration ought to nonetheless discover it greater than appropriate nevertheless.

ASUS ROG Stream X16 panel uniformity

We do a panel uniformity take a look at on all laptops we evaluate after their calibration, which checks for each luminance and coloration accuracy. We begin on the centremost level as a reference after which take a look at all the opposite sections of the display screen (25 in whole) to see how they examine.

Usually, any common coloration variation beneath 1.00 is sweet and reveals up as inexperienced within the picture above, although the typical shopper received’t have the ability to inform a lot distinction beneath 3.00. Visible editors who work with coloration nevertheless could have a keener eye.

The outcomes we acquired on the X14 had been usually respectable. There was a mixture of variation above (in yellow) and beneath (in inexperienced) 1.00 common delta, however nothing exceeded the three.00 rating, that means no variance could be noticeable to the untrained eye. The best common variance was 2.31 within the second from backside left panel (equating to three.34 cd/m²) however nowhere else averaged above 2.00, which is fairly good.

All-in-all, a good outcome – actually ok for many creatives to work with except they’re working on the very excessive finish of color-accurate requirements.

ASUS ROG Stream X16 brightness

We completed off our coloration accuracy testing by operating a luminance take a look at. On the unit we examined, we acquired a peak brightness of 518.73 cd/m² and a minimal of 37.03 cd/m². It is a very respectable outcome and properly above common by way of the height brightness. It’s properly wanting the 1100 nits peak brightness claimed by ASUS, however this might be when the laptop computer is examined in HDR mode, which now we have but to do (watch this area although!).

When utilizing the laptop computer within the daytime we’d advocate matching the brightness to 120 cd/m² which equates to a brightness setting of 29% beneath the brightness controls for this laptop computer.

Audio

ASUS are one of many few gaming laptop computer manufacturers that are inclined to have respectable audio system on their fashions, and the overall audio high quality of the X16’s are properly above common (although not up there with the likes of one of the best non-gaming fashions just like the MacBook and Dell XPS 13 Plus). There’s a richness to the sound high quality, the higher and center frequencies are properly represented, and there’s a diploma of bass by comparability to most gaming laptops.

Like with nearly all laptops, the decrease bass frequencies are nonetheless fairly absent, so in the event you’re enjoying any songs with loads of sub-bass tones, you’re unlikely to listen to them. Equally, loads of the low rumbling high quality of sound results in video games (explosions and the like) are lacking. Nonetheless, the audio system are ok to take pleasure in Netflix and so forth. in the event you aren’t too valuable about this form of factor, and the very fact is there aren’t actually any competing gadgets that may output this form of bass anyway.

Quantity-wise the audio system had been additionally above common, actually loud sufficient for gaming and watching media on, and most crucially there wasn’t any discernable lack of sound high quality at max quantity.

Battery life

The ASUS ROG Stream X16 battery life, on the mini-LED RTX 3070 Ti mannequin we examined at the least, got here in at simply over 5 hours. 

This was with our ordinary take a look at, with brightness set to 50%, background purposes switched off, two hours of fullscreen YouTube, then the remaining net searching and typing on GoogleDocs. We set the whole lot inside Armoury Crate to enhance power effectivity as a lot as attainable, with MSHybrid (i.e. Optimus), Eco Mode, Panel Energy saver all turned on beneath House > System Configuration, One Zone Backlight Management switched on, Panel Overdrive turned off, and beneath System > System the GPU Energy Saving set to Eco Mode. Keyboard RGB was additionally turned off.

We wouldn’t go so far as to name this a powerful outcome, but it surely’s actually not unhealthy, contemplating each the pretty slimline nature of the gadget, the mini-LED show, and the high-powered parts. The performance of with the ability to tweak so many settings inside Armoury Crate actually helps rather a lot, and we think about if these aren’t tweaked the battery life would solely final a mere fraction of the above.

Efficiency, noise & temperature

Noise

On the whole, non-gaming utilization, when set to Silent mode inside Armoury Crate the X16 was simply that. Even Balanced Mode was nearly inaudible, and that is most likely the setting we’d advocate in the event you’re within the workplace or typing on the transfer, because it received’t be heard by anybody but will supply higher inner and exterior cooling. When gaming beneath Turbo or our personal customized Guide preset (which we’d advocate), the laptop computer did get pretty loud, however was nonetheless quieter than your typical gaming laptop computer working beneath the extent of pressure we subjected it to, which speaks to the advantages of getting the third inner fan.

Exterior temperature

The X16 remained moderately temperate for normal use when switched to Balanced mode. Silent mode generated noticeable heat on the keyboard however to not an uncomfortable degree, on a heat day you may get sweaty palms although. When gaming on both Turbo mode or our personal maximised customized preset, with each the followers and energy allocation to the CU and GPU set to the max, the keyboard did get fairly heat, however not more than nearly all of gaming laptops. Given the slimline nature of the machine the general expertise was actually respectable.

Inside temperature

The graph above reveals the temperature outcomes for the video games we examined (as defined beneath, now we have but to efficiently take a look at Far Cry 6, however will add this at a later time). 

As per all of our checks, we set the wattage allocation to the CPU and GPU to the utmost inside the onboard software program, set the followers to most beneath House > guide mode, and turned off any power saving settings for the GPU and different parts – this can put the utmost pressure on the interior temperatures of the laptop computer, and isn’t essentially what you’d need for daily gaming, however offers one of the best concept of the utmost efficiency potential.

To get an concept, the low-to-mid 90’s is the place thermal throttling begins to happen on a CPU, and the excessive 90’s is the place harm to the longevity of parts begins to happen. Though the outcomes could seem excessive to the untrained eye, these are literally decrease temperatures than what we’ve seen on the XMG Neo 15 E22, which is a a lot thicker laptop computer, each for CPU and GPU efficiency, to not point out the smaller sized ASUS G14 (which is much less stunning). Briefly, evidently the brand new cooling expertise is doing a very good job; these are spectacular outcomes for such a skinny machine and in the event you turned the ability limits down a bit in comparison with how we had them on this take a look at, you could possibly anticipate to get a good lifespan out of this machine.

ASUS ROG Stream X16 benchmarks

We examined the ASUS ROG Stream X16 with Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti and AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS in each its native 1600p decision and at 1080p throughout a spread of titles on totally different graphical presets. 

We made certain the MSHybrid/Optimus was turned off with the MUX Change inside the Armoury Crate software program, which is how we advocate everybody has it set when enjoying demanding video games, because the FPS uplift it brings will be as excessive as 50% in some titles.
Word: The outcomes aren’t as complete as we’d like but, as we had points operating Far Cry 6 with out it crashing (although this isn’t possible a difficulty with the laptop computer itself). We might be updating this evaluate with the Far Cry 6 leads to the close to future.