Who needs a gaming laptop that converts? When the ASUS ROG Flow X16 arrived on our doorstep in December of last year, we had exactly these same feelings. Could hybrid laptop gaming have a future? Do gamers really want a large, bulky tablet? These are all valid concerns, but in the case of this gaming laptop, flexibility is not the end-all and be-all. The Flow X16 raises the bar for working remotely if maximum performance is what you’re after.
Specs
| Display size/resolution | 16-inch QHD+ 16:10 (2560 x 1600, WQXGA), 165hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, 100% DCI-P3 coverage. |
|---|---|
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS Mobile Processor (8-core/16-thread, 16MB cache, up to 4.9 GHz max boost). |
| Memory | 16GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM x 2 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU |
| Storage | 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 Performance SSD |
| Networking | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows 11 Home |
Performance
When we’re not working in the office, we’re playing video games at home. And chances are excellent that we’re traveling, flying, or taking a train to get to work when we’re not at the office working. Maximizing our productivity outside of the office is becoming more and more crucial as a result of the amount of time we spend traveling throughout our lives.
Play is just as vital as work, which is why you would ever consider a gaming laptop in the first place. A combination of AMD’s Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, which offers 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an integrated 8GB NVIDIA Geforce RTX 3070Ti GPU, along with a 1TB SSD, makes up the ROG Flow X16, which will gladly accept your request for as much graphics, speed, and general “gaming performance” as you can throw at it. Consider the performance levels of Forza Horizon 5 on Ultra graphics settings.
The X16’s ability to transform from a gaming powerhouse with 165 Hz and QHD+ (2560 x 1600) resolution graphics to a helpful leisure device for Netflix viewing to a portable workhorse that easily handles all video editing duties is what’s truly astounding. When you’re asking a lot of a single device, and it can do it from anywhere, it’s the best of both worlds.
Ports
Ports are one of the most crucial things to think about with any laptop designed for gaming. These days, it’s all too typical to put in a monitor only to discover that the connection is throttled by subpar ports or that there are no more USB ports available to plug in your gadgets.
Thank goodness, the ROG Flow X16 laptop has plenty of functionality on the sides. A 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack is followed by two USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C port, and HDMI 2.1 for a monitor. Similar to other ROG models in the lineup, a socket hidden under a flap allows power to be bumper with a slot for the company’s XG Mobile interface.
Battery Life
It uses a LOT of power when gaming due to its AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, 32GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and integrated 8GB NVIDIA Geforce RTX 3070Ti GPU. Although you can reduce the performance to save some of the 90whr battery power while traveling, if you’re pushing the system in any way, you’ll need to keep it plugged in with the 240-watt power converter.
When playing mobile games, battery life won’t last much longer than an hour, but if you lower the brightness and performance settings, you can watch videos for up to 4 hours.
Portability
The 16-inch 165Hz QHD+ (25601600) Mini LED display of the X16 will make you want to carry it everywhere you go, but performance suffers as a result of its reduced portability. It weighs 2.1 kg, which doesn’t seem much lighter after you fold it in half to become a tablet.
This only truly becomes an issue if you intend to bring the Flow X16 to business meetings, fly with it, or carry it about all day long.
