Asus ProArt P16 Challenges Dell XPS 16 in High-End Laptop Market

Asus ProArt P16 vs. Dell XPS 16: There's an obvious winner | Digital Trends

There are a lot of great large-screen laptops today, with the 16-inch machine taking over as the most popular choice for creators and productivity power users. It's no longer necessary to grab a gaming laptop if you want to churn through video editing. Contents Specs and configurationsDesignPerformanceDisplayPortabilityThe ProArt P16 is a better creators laptop, and a better laptop, periodShow 1 more item The Dell XPS 16 is that company's latest mainstream offering, and it's a mixed bag. That gives the Asus ProArt P16 an opening in winning over Windows users. Can the Asus compete? Recommended Videos Specs and configurations Asus ProArt P16 Dell XPS 16 Dimensions 13.97 inches x 9.72 inches x 0.59-0.68 inches 14.1 inches x 9.4 inches x 0.74 inches Weight 4.08 pounds 4.7 pounds Processor AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Intel Core Ultra 7 165H Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Graphics AMD Radeon 890M Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Intel Arc graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 (50W) Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (50W) Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (60W) RAM 32GB 64GB 16GB LPDDR5x (6400 MT/s) 32GB LPDDR5x (6400 MT/s, 7467 MT/s RTX 4070) 64GB LPDDR5x (6400 MT/s, 7467 MT/s RTX 4070) Display 16.0-inch 16:10 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED, 60Hz 16.3-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS non-touch, 60Hz 16.3-inch 16:10 4K+ (3840 x 2400) OLED touch, 90Hz Storage 1TB SSD 2TB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD 2TB SSD 4TB SSD Touch Yes Optional Ports 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 1 x USB-C USB4 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x SD card reader 3 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 1 x 3.5mm audio jack 1 x microSD card reader Wireless Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 Webcam 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition 1080p with infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition Operating system Windows 11 Windows 11 Battery 90 watt-hour 99.5 watt-hours Price $1,900+ $2,199+ Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars 3.5 out of 5 stars The base model of the ProArt P16 is $1,900 for an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (the only option), 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, and a 16-inch 4K+ OLED display. The XPS 16 base model is less expensive, at $1,500, but that nets a lesser configuration of an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, integrated Intel Arc graphics, and a Full HD+ IPS display. When configured with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, a (slower) RTX 4050 GPU, a 4K+ OLED display, the XPS 16 is a lot more expensive at $2,700. Then, the ProArt P16's $2,700 high-end configuration has 64GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and an RTX 4070. The XPS 16 costs $3,300 with the same configuration. The bottom line is that the ProArt P16 is considerably more affordable. Design The XPS 16 is a sleek laptop on the outside, with a streamlined aesthetic that remains unchanged for several generations. Open it up, and it's full of ultramodern touches -- a zero-lattice keyboard, a hidden haptic touchpad, and a row of LED touch function keys. It also has the thinnest display bezels on a 16-inch laptop. The ProArt P16's design is less of a standout. Its external lines are more minimalist, and when opened, it's a lot more traditional. If you're choosing by looks alone, the XPS 16 will be a lot more attractive (no pun intended). In terms of their build quality, both enjoy all-aluminum constructions. However, the XPS 16 is a lot stiffer and, by virtue of being considerably heavier, it feels denser and more rigid. The ProArt P16 is reasonably solid in its chassis and keyboard deck, but its lid bends under pressure. Again, the XPS 16 gets a design win. That combines with the XPS 16 managing to fit a slightly larger display into a slightly smaller frame, although the ProArt P16 is considerably thinner and, again, a lot lighter. As you dig into the details a little more, the XPS 16's most modern features become a little less competitive. The zero-lattice keyboard that has large keycaps and almost no key spacing isn't demonstrably better in practice than the ProArt P16's more traditional layout. The switches are roughly equal in feel, as well. The XPS 16's haptic touchpad is more precise than the ProArt P16's mechanical version, but its hidden nature can be hard to get used to. Finally, the XPS 16's LED touch function keys are undeniably poor choices, with no haptic feedback to indicate when they've been engaged and no way to feel a function key when you're not looking at the keyboard. The ProArt P16's more traditional design gets the win in terms of actual usability. Connectivity is also a win for Asus. The ProArt P16 is stocked with a variety of ports, although more than just one USB4 port would have been a good idea. But the full-size SD card reader and overall ability to connect legacy devices without dongles is a clear win. Both laptops have the latest in wireless connectivity. Both also have similar webcams with infrared cameras for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition. The XPS 16 also has a fingerprint reader embedded in the power button. AI support theoretically favors the ProArt P16 with is faster neural processing unit (NPU, see below), but actual AI support remains an open question. Performance We reviewed the XPS 16 with the 28-watt Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, a 16-core/22-thread chipset running at up to 4.8GHz. The ProArt P16 uses the 28-watt AMD Ryzen AI 9 370 HX, a 12-core/24-thread chipset running at up to 5.1GHz. The Ryzen AI 9 has an NPU capable of 50 tera operations per second (TOPS), compared to the Core Ultra 7's 10 TOPS. As mentioned above, it's questionable at this point whether the faster NPU matters -- but theoretically, it may one day enable faster, more efficient on-device AI. The XPS 16 can also be configured with the faster 45-watt Core Ultra 9 185H with the same core count as the Core Ultra 7 but with a faster clock speed. The XPS 16's performance suffers in that not a lot of power is distributed to the CPU and GPU. So, even the faster chipset wouldn't make a difference. When compared to the ProArt P16, we see that the Asus is faster across all of our benchmarks. That includes the Pugetbench Premiere Pro benchmark, which can use the GPU to speed up various tasks, and in gaming benchmarks where the ProArt P16 is also significantly faster. Simply put, the ProArt P16 is faster for productivity users, creators, and gamers. Geekbench 6 (single/multi) Handbrake (seconds) Cinebench R24 (single/multi/GPU) Pugetbench Premiere Pro Asus ProArt P16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 / RTX 4070) Bal: 2,688 / 14,497 Perf: 2,690 / 14,455 Bal: 50 Perf: 49 Bal: 114 / 1,165 / 11,184 Perf: 114 / 1,208 / 11,421 Bal: 5,444 Perf: 6,451 Dell XPS 16 (Core Ultra 7 155H / RTX 4070) Bal: 2,196 / 12,973 Perf: 2,238 / 12,836 Bal: 72 Perf: 73 Bal: 100 / 838 / 9,721 Perf: 102 / 895 / 10,477 Bal: 5,401 Perf: 5,433 Display We reviewed both laptops with their high-end 4K+ OLED displays, which are both excellent. The XPS 16's panel has a faster 90Hz refresh rate, which is a plus. According to our colorimeter, the XPS 16's display is brighter, while the ProArt P16's display has wider colors in the AdobeRGB color gamut. Both are about equally accurate and both have the usual OLED inky blacks. You'll be happy with either of these displays. You can choose a Full HD+ IPS panel with the XPS 16, but it wouldn't be nearly sharp enough and, while it would afford better battery life, it wouldn't meet the needs of the creators most likely to buy the laptop. Asus ProArt P16 (OLED) Dell XPS 16 (OLED) Brightness (nits) 359 432 AdobeRGB gamut 98% 90% sRGB gamut 100% 100% DCI-P3 gamut 100% 100% Accuracy (DeltaE, lower is better) 1.0 0.59 Contrast ratio 25,110:1 27,790:1 Portability Both laptops are large and relatively heavy. The ProArt P16 is thinner and lighter, which is a good thing. But you'll feel both as you lug them around. Despite having a larger battery, the XPS 16 didn't last as long on a charge. It managed just 5.5 hours in both our web browsing and video looping battery tests, compared to the ProArt P16 at 8.5 hours and 11 hours, respectively. If you're editing video, neither laptop will last very long when unplugged. But for productivity tasks, the ProArt P16 will last a lot longer. The ProArt P16 is a better creators laptop, and a better laptop, period The XPS 16 is a well-built laptop with modern appeal. But it's also held back in its performance, it's not the thinnest or the lightest 16-inch laptop, and it's very expensive. That differs from past XPS machines that have been a class leader. The ProArt P16, therefore, didn't have to meet that high a bar. But it did, offering great performance in a thin and light package along with a spectacular display. It's not as rigid, but it's also a lot less expensive. It's the more attractive machine, by a lot.

Asus ProArt P16 review: A drop-dead gorgeous 4K creator laptop

The Asus ProArt P16 makes smart trade-offs to deliver a feature-rich laptop at a more reasonable price. Nearly any laptop with a fast CPU and GPU offers the performance desired by "creatives" and "creators" but, as Apple has proven with its long-standing MacBook Pro, details like weight, connectivity, and battery life matter. The Asus ProArt P16 pays attention to these details yet also manages to cap the laptop's MSRP at a high-yet-not-excessive $2,300. It's a solid combination, though the P16 doesn't win in every category. Further reading: Best laptops for video editing 2024: Work faster with these expert picks The Asus ProArt P16's headline feature is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 370 HX. It has a 12-core processor (four performance cores with eight efficient cores). It also has a 50 TOPS NPU and AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics -- though, for the most part, the 890M will only be used when the laptop is on battery power. While the Ryzen AI 9 processor takes the spotlight, Asus packs a lot of extras into the ProArt P16. Notable features include a 4K OLED display, 2TB solid state drive, a USB-C 4 port with 40Gbps data speeds, an SDcard reader, and Wi-Fi 7. The Asus ProArt P16 I tested was a mid-range model. Asus also offers an entry-level model with the same processor and RAM, a 1TB solid state drive, and RTX 4060, for $1,899.99. On the flip side, a model with the same specifications as the laptop we tested but an upgrade to 64GB retails with an MSRP of $2,699.99. The Asus ProArt P16 is the kind of laptop that might be taken to meetings with clients and colleagues regularly, so Asus opts for a conservative, inoffensive look. It's essentially a black slab with a small Asus logo tucked away in one corner. There are some positives to the design. Asus' materials feel sturdy and the metal finish shows a nice luster when light hits the laptop. And while the design is understated, I will give Asus credit for maintaining consistency across ProArt products. This laptop looks similar not only to other Asus ProArt laptops but also Asus ProArt monitors. Looks aside, the ProArt P16's design is comparable to its competition. It's a somewhat large laptop due to the 16-inch display, but the thin bezels keep its footprint small -- less than 14 inches wide, under 10 inches deep, and less than seven-tenths of an inch thick. Asus has an advantage in weight, as the ProArt P16 is just 4.08 pounds. That's less than the MacBook Pro 16, Dell XPS 16, or Razer Blade 16. The typing experience is a strength of the Asus ProArt P16. The laptop features a large center-aligned keyboard with a spacious layout, including large keycaps for most keys and ample space between them. Key travel feels generous, although the bottoming action is wooden and vague. On the whole, the typing experience can't match leaders like Lenovo ThinkPads or the Apple MacBook Pro 16, but I found it to be on par with, if not better than, the Dell XPS 16 or the Razer Blade 16. The Asus ProArt P16 deserves praise for its large touchpad, which measures six inches wide and four inches deep. Although it may not surpass competitors like the MacBook Pro 16 or the Razer Blade 16, it still offers more space than most. Windows multitouch gestures feel smooth, and there's ample room for executing gestures that require multiple fingers such as the five-finger swipe to minimize all windows. The touchpad doesn't have haptics but physically clicks when tapped. I think a well-executed haptic touchpad is better, but some may enjoy the physical action. Asus also provides a small, circular etch in the upper left corner of the touchpad which can act as a Windows scroll wheel. As someone who creates content for my YouTube channel, Computer Gaming Yesterday, I appreciate this feature. I found the software a bit finicky, though, which forced me to dive into Asus' settings to control the wheel's function and sensitivity on a per-app basis. That might turn off users who just expect the wheel to work for scrolling in all apps right out of the box. It's admittedly been some time since I last used Microsoft's Surface wheel, but I recall it required less configuration. Asus doesn't pull any punches with the ProArt P16's display. It features a 16-inch OLED panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 3840×2400. That's as good as it gets for a modern Windows laptop display, with the arguable exception of a few mini-LED displays, which can achieve higher brightness levels in general use and in HDR. The display is an excellent choice for a laptop aimed at professional creatives and consumers. It has the pixel count to view 4K footage at its native resolution, and the resolution is useful when editing high-resolution photos and images. It boasts an incredible color gamut and deep contrast, too, ensuring that content viewed on the display will look both accurate and attractive. However, as with other OLED displays, brightness and glare can be an issue. The display is bright enough for indoor use in a room with some light control, but it can appear dim if used near a sunny window or outdoors. The screen is glossy, so glare and reflections can at times make the display difficult to view. Asus sticks with a 60Hz refresh rate. I prefer to see a refresh rate of up to 120Hz on high-end laptops, as it delivers a smoother and more responsive experience, but 60Hz is typical for 4K OLED displays in laptops. I think most creatives will be willing to overlook this downside. Audio quality is good, but not great. The ProArt P16 has a pair of upward-firing speakers placed on each side of the keyboard. They deliver clear, crisp sound at moderate volumes and handle less complex audio, like podcasts, well. However, music and games at higher volumes can overwhelm the speakers, muddying the soundstage significantly and resulting in an irritating audio experience. Asus ships the ProArt P16 with a 1080p webcam that delivers performance comparable to competitors. The image looks reasonably sharp and colorful in good lighting, but it can start to look grainy when room lighting is less favorable. It's a good webcam and serviceable for calls on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. I have a similar opinion of the microphone. It captures clear audio and does a decent job of removing background noise. However, like other laptop microphones, it can sound hollow and distant. Again, it is comparable to alternatives: most are fine, but I can't recall when I last tested a laptop microphone that left me surprised by its audio quality. The laptop supports biometric login through Windows Hello facial recognition. It's easy to set up, reliable, and works in both bright and dark rooms. A fingerprint reader is not available. There's no shortage of connectivity on the Asus ProArt P16. It features two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, and an SD card reader. Ethernet is the only port some shoppers might miss, but many laptops now exclude it, so the ProArt P16 is no different from most competitors here. One of the USB-C ports supports USB 4.0 with data rates up to 40Gbps, while the other supports USB 3.2, and both support DisplayPort Alternate Mode for video output to an external display as well as USB Power Delivery for charging the laptop. The USB-C ports top out at 100 watts of power, though, which is half the wattage delivered by the proprietary 200W power adapter included with the laptop. The power adapter is required to achieve the best performance and charging speeds. The inclusion of two USB-A ports is helpful for supporting legacy connectivity and older devices. It's also good to see a full-sized SD card slot, especially in a laptop meant for creatives. You can take an SD card out of a typical DSLR camera and pop it into the laptop. Wireless connectivity is great, too, as the laptop supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. These are the most recent versions of each wireless standard, so the ProArt P16 will support all of the latest wireless features at the best possible speeds. The ProArt P16 has an edge over competitors, including the Apple MacBook Pro 16, Dell XPS 16, Razer Blade 16, and Lenovo Yoga 7i 16. These competitors typically leave out some aspects of connectivity that are found on the ProArt P16. For example, the Dell XPS 16 doesn't have any USB-A ports and the Lenovo Yoga 9i 16 lacks Wi-Fi 7. The Asus ProArt P16 is an intriguing laptop from a hardware perspective, as it's one of the first to have AMD's new Ryzen AI 9 370 HX chip. It includes a twelve-core processor (four performance and eight efficient cores) with a base clock of 2GHz and boost clock up to 5.1GHz. In this laptop, it's paired with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 solid state drive. The Ryzen AI 9 370 HX is a powerful processor -- but it's not setting records. First up is PCMark 10, a general system benchmark meant to mimic a range of day-to-day and productivity tasks. Here the Asus ProArt P16 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 370 HX turned in a mediocre score of 7,608. That's definitely not bad, but it's a mid-pack result and one that falls almost 1,000 points behind leading laptops with 16-inch displays. Cinebench R20 is a more focused look at a short-duration, heavily multithreaded workload, but it doesn't change the story much. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 delivered a strong score of 8,578, but it didn't outrun most competitive laptops. Intel Core i7-14700HX and Core i9-14900HX laptops have the edge in this test. Next up is Handbrake, a video encoding app that we use to encode a two-hour-long 1080p movie from MP4 to MKV. It's a long duration multithreaded workload. Intel tends to edge out AMD in this test, and the Asus ProArt P16 doesn't buck that trend. It took 961 seconds to complete the task, which is not bad (anything under 1,000 is quite good). But Intel's 14th-gen Core i7 and Core i9 processors win by throwing tons of cores, and no shortage of power, at the problem. In summary, the ProArt P16's processor performance is quick but just ok when compared to the alternatives. It's a capable system for a wide variety of creative professional apps. However, it's clear that the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is not a leader but, instead, just competitive. As I mentioned in my Asus Zenbook S 16 review, I have a beef with AMD's branding. To me, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 doesn't feel worthy of the "Ryzen 9" brand and would have felt more appropriate if sold as a "Ryzen 7" chip. Next up is our first graphics test, 3DMark Time Spy. Here the Nvidia RTX 4070 in the ProArt P16 delivered a competent result of 10,608. That is lower than gaming laptops with RTX 4070 GPUs -- the ProArt P16 proved itself more capable in real-world game tests. Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a good example of a demanding and graphically feature-rich game that came out of the PlayStation 4 / Xbox One console generation. It doesn't pose much challenge for modern laptops even at 1080p and Highest detail, so the ProArt P16 happily churns out an average of 142 frames per second. That even matches some gaming laptops, such as the Gigabyte Aorus 16X. It's a similar story in Metro: Exodus, where we observed an average of 50 frames per second in the game's benchmark at 1080p and Extreme setting (but with ray-tracing disabled). Exodus might be an older game at this point, but the Extreme detail preset lives up to its name, so this is a healthy result. We tested Cyberpunk 2077 to gauge how the laptop performed in newer titles. It averaged a pleasant 73 frames per second at 1080p and Ultra. Upgrading to the Ray-traced Overdrive preset, however, tanked the framerate to just 20 frames per second. Both results are without DLSS. Gamers looking for a playable experience in Cyberpunk 2077 should try 1080p at the High RT preset with DLSS 3 Frame Generation and Super Resolution turned on. In this scenario, the ProArt P16 achieved 88 frames per second. I have one final note about the Asus ProArt P16's performance and that's heat. The laptop can get hot at full load: I measured a maximum external temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat is most intense at the rear bottom of the laptop when the laptop is plugged in. So, if you plan to run an intensive workload with the laptop plugged in, then I recommend you don't do it with the laptop on your lap. AMD's processor performance might not match Intel -- but, then again, AMD processors also tend to throw less raw wattage at the problem. While that might hurt them in multithreaded workloads, it can prove a benefit in battery tests. The Asus ProArt P16 endured over nine hours of our standard battery test, which loops a 4K file of the short film Tears of Steel. That's an excellent result that defeats most comparable Intel-powered laptops. In addition to a more miserly processor, the ProArt P16 makes good use of switchable graphics, flipping from the Nvidia RTX 4070 to the integrated Radeon 890M when appropriate. The Asus ProArt P16 is a laptop with a specific audience -- creative professionals and prosumers -- and it hits the target. The ProArt P16 has many features this demographic will crave including a wide range of connectivity, a spectacular 4K OLED display, a large touchpad with virtual scroll wheel, and good battery life. Performance is a bit compromised, though, and prevents the ProArt P16 from obtaining a higher score. Make no mistake: it's still a quick laptop and likely more than adequate for the needs of most people it targets. However, it's clear that Intel-powered competitors can deliver better multithreaded performance. And while the Nvidia RTX 4070 performs well, gaming laptops will often provide the same level of performance at a lower price. But that also demonstrates why the ProArt P16 works for its audience. It's not the quickest 16-inch laptop, but it does a good job of balancing speed with portability, weight, size, and price -- a recipe that makes it a solid choice.

Gigabyte Aorus 16X Review: Mid-range value for the money

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. The Gigabyte Aorus 16X ($1,599.99 as tested) is an excellent all-around device that can rival some of the best gaming laptops. This midrange 16-inch model offers impressive performance with its Intel Core HX-class processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card. It excels in nearly every area, particularly its screen, and practical features, including a comfortable keyboard and IR webcam, also make it suitable for everyday use when not gaming. While we wish the battery life lasted longer, there's still plenty to appreciate here. The Aorus 16X's "midnight" gray chassis looks more like black in person. It makes no attempt to hide that it's a gaming laptop, with aggressive cooling vents, an RGB lightbar and keyboard, and flashy detailing on the palm rest. The laptop is built with sturdy plastic used in the chassis and aluminum on the lid. The lid opens only 45 degrees past vertical; I'd like to see it go a full 180 degrees. Looks-wise, Aorus' reflective lid logo and badge don't really stand out, though the lightbar running along the bottom edge is bright and projects Aorus' logo about an inch behind the laptop for a touch of uniqueness. The Gigabyte Control Center app provides different color schemes and patterns (pulse, rainbow wave, static, and color cycling). The lighting can, of course, be disabled. I liked it and kept it enabled. The inside of this laptop is also flashy, with vents across the top of the keyboard and textured patterns flanking it. The "Team Up, Fight On" lettering on the palm rest isn't my taste, but the printed lines running through the touchpad add flair. The Aorus 16X pulls off the aggressive look successfully. At 14.02 x 10 x 1.06 inches and 5.07 pounds, the Aorus 16X has about the same footprint but is lighter than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 (14.3 x 10.25 x 1.05 inches, 5.51 pounds) and the Alienware m16 R2 (14.33 x 9.81 x 0.93 inches, 5.75 pounds). It's not quite as slim as the Alienware. The Aorus 16X's abundant connectivity starts on the left edge with Ethernet, HDMI video output, a USB Type-A port, and a USB Type-C port. Both USB ports are version 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps). The USB-C port supports DisplayPort 1.4 video output. The barrel-style AC power jack is also here. I dislike that some of the ports are further forward (towards the user) than the chassis midpoint; if you're left-handed, peripherals plugged into these ports may intrude into your external mouse space. At least the cooling vents are far enough back that the exhaust air shouldn't reach your hands. Ports on the right include a 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo jack, a MicroSD card reader, a Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port, and another 10 Gbps USB-A port. Thunderbolt 4 port is big plus; the Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 doesn't have it. Wireless connectivity comes from an Intel BE200 networking card supporting the latest Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 standards. Our Aorus 16X has an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop graphics card (140W), and 32GB of RAM. It's well equipped for modern gaming. Playing Crysis 3 Remastered at 2560 x 1600 with Very High details, I saw between 75 and 85 frames per second indoors and almost 100 fps outdoors. The game was very smooth and didn't lag at all. Our comparison systems include the Alienware m16 R2 (Core Ultra 7 155H, RTX 4070 140W, $1,899.99 as tested), the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 (Core i7-14650HX, RTX 4060 140W, $1,313.99 as tested), and the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS, RTX 4070 90W, $1,999.99 as tested). The latter is a 14-inch gaming laptop and isn't as powerful as the others, but it will show what can be done in a more portable form factor. We use the 1080p resolution numbers for apples-to-apples comparisons, but we also include results from running at the laptop's native screen resolutions. The Aorus 16X, Alienware, and Legion are all 2560 x 1600 while the Asus is 2880 x 1800. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest details preset), the Aorus 16X achieved 114 fps at 1080p and 68 fps at 1600p, almost matching the Alienware's 113 fps and 68 fps. The Legion, equipped with an RTX 4060, was close behind with 109 fps and 64 fps. Meanwhile, the Asus reached 100 fps at 1080p but dropped to 48 fps at its native resolution. Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra) was tough for all these units. The Aorus 16X and the Alienware were close, with the Alienware slightly ahead at 1600p, scoring 22 fps against the Aorus's 20 fps. The Legion performed significantly better for reasons that aren't clear to us, while Asus predictably picked up last place. The Aorus 16X's 103 fps at 1080p in Far Cry 6 (Ultra) was much better than the Alienware's 89 fps and the Legion's 92 fps. It tied the Alienware at 1600p, with 71 fps. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium) was another good showing for the Aorus 16X; its 73 fps at 1080p bested the Alienware's 65 fps and Legion's 69 fps. Its 44 fps at 1600p was also the best number, with the Alienware and Legion trailing with 41 and 42 fps, respectively. Borderlands 3 (at the game's "Badass" settings) was another photo finish for the Aorus 16X and Alienware at 1080p at both resolutions. The Legion took a backseat here, with just 61 fps at 1600p compared to the Aorus' 66 fps. The Aorus 16X and Alienware were closely matched, which isn't surprising since most of our games are GPU-limited and both use an RTX 4070 rated at 140W. Interestingly, the Legion performed similarly with its 140W RTX 4060, indicating minimal difference between it and the RTX 4070 at the same power rating. Wattage indeed matters; the Asus, with its 90W RTX 4070, couldn't match the Aorus 16X's performance. For stress testing, we simulate half an hour of gaming by running the Metro Exodus benchmark 15 times at RTX settings. During the test, the Aorus 16X averaged 82.1 fps with fluctuations of only one or two fps between runs, suggesting its cooling system keeps temperatures very stable. The Core i7-14650HX's P-cores had an average clock of 2.95 GHz and the E-cores 2.35 GHz and respective average temperatures of 60 and 63 degrees Celsius. The RTX 4070 had an average core clock of 2.36 GHz and an average temperature of 64 degrees. Our Aorus 16X review unit has a Core i7-14650HX processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. In Geekbench 6, the Aorus 16X was just off the Legion's pace in the single-core test, with 2,660 against 2,723 points, but it leapt ahead in multi-core with 15,708 to 13,424 points. The Alienware's Core Ultra 7 chip lagged despite being of a newer architecture, though in fairness, its processor has a 45W base power rating whereas the Core HX-class chips are 55W. In the Handbrake test, the Aorus 16X finished in 3 minutes and 40 seconds, just behind the Legion's 3:32. The Alienware followed at 3:53, while the Asus had the slowest time at 4:16. The Aorus 16X had a middling score of 1,500.98 MBps in our 25GB file transfer test, lagging the Alienware's 2,014.6 MBps and Legion's 1,919.1 MBps but well ahead of the Asus's 1,353.8 MBps. If you don't care about OLED, you'll be hard-pressed finding a better display on a midrange 16-inch gaming laptop than the one on the Aorus 16X. Its 2560 x 1600 resolution works out to a 16:10 aspect ratio. Gaming-friendly specifications include a 165 Hz refresh rate and an anti-glare surface. There is no Nvidia G-Sync support. The picture is first rate; I appreciated the vibrant colors and deep contrast watching Disney's Star Wars: Acolyte. The high brightness really helped animate lasers and lightsabers in battle scenes. The same qualities carried over into gaming, where the deep contrast helped me pick out enemies in Crysis 3 Remastered and the brightness made muzzle flashes and explosions seem realistic. The Aorus 16X had the highest brightness of 477 nits, surpassing the Legion's 355 nits and the Alienware's relatively dim 288 nits. It was also brighter than the Asus, though its 392 nits is very good considering it uses OLED and not IPS like the others. The Aorus 16X also excelled in color reproduction, covering 80.8% of the DCI-P3 spectrum compared to the Legion's 76.5% and the Alienware's 69.6%. I thoroughly enjoyed typing on the Aorus 16X's keyboard which felt satisfying and precise. The keys have a rubbery feel, but the cushion at the bottom of the keystroke prevents fatigue during longer typing sessions. I achieved an excellent (for me) 114 words per minute with 100% accuracy in the MonkeyType online typing test. The translucent WASD cluster and Q, E, and R keys give this keyboard an obvious gaming focus. The specifications say it has three RGB backlighting zones, but I didn't see a way to individually control them in the Gigabyte Control Center app; its effects (pulse, rainbow wave, static, and color cycling) apply to the entire keyboard. It's probably a software oversight since I did observe parts of the keyboard being different colors, so the hardware is obviously capable. The Alienware m16 R2 offers more advanced per-key backlighting, but a similar model is several hundred dollars more expensive than this Aorus. The Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 offers an additional zone (a total of four) because it has a numeric keypad. But I don't miss a numeric keypad on the Aorus 16X; fitting one on a 16-inch laptop usually involves a compromise or two. (For instance, the Legion's numeric keypad uses two-thirds width keys.) Gigabyte instead makes great use of the space by putting a column down the right edge with dedicated Home / PgUp / PgDn / End keys. Other layout highlights include a Copilot key and a full-size arrow cluster. I also like the Aorus 16X's huge touchpad. My fingers didn't stutter across its matte surface even when it was humid, and physical clicks are quiet (if not silent) and feel satisfying. Good laptop speakers are like umbrellas; you might not actively seek them out, but they're invaluable when needed. The Aorus 16X's speakers are reliable if you forget your headphones or want to watch a movie with a friend. I noticed clear vocal separation and decent bass playing "Better off Alone, Part III" by Alan Walker, Dash Berlin, and Vikkstar. The volume is more than sufficient for personal listening and seems distortion-free even at 100%. Watching Star Wars: Acolyte, I didn't need subtitles to understand the dialogue. The soundstage was convincing enough, with clear separation between the left and right channels. Dolby Atmos tuning deserves credit for much of the sound quality. The included Dolby Access app provides different equalizers and lets you create your own. I'd like to see a setting automatically switches between them depending on the media, but I had no complaints using Balanced as my all-around preset. Servicing the Aorus 16X is a bit tricky due to the 12 Torx T6 screws of varying lengths securing its plastic bottom, so it's crucial to remember their positions. I managed to free the panel's clips using my thumb instead of a trim removal tool by pressing on a notch near the display hinges. The Aorus 16X offers as much upgradeability as you can expect in a laptop, with two DDR5-5600 SODIMM slots and two M.2 2280 PCI Express 4.0 solid-state drive slots. One of the M.2 slots is empty so you can easily add a drive. It's also refreshing to see that the wireless card is an easily replaceable M.2 2230 variant instead of being soldered. The battery is also replaceable; its 99.2 WHr limbos under the 100 WHr maximum allowed on airplanes per TSA regulations. Our battery life test includes simulated web browsing, streaming video over Wi-Fi, and running OpenGL tests with the screen brightness set to 150 nits. The Aorus 16X lasted 5 hours and 31 minutes, outlasting the Legion by 20 minutes but falling short of the Alienware by about 45 minutes (6:13) and the 14-inch Asus by over an hour (6:45). While the Aorus 16X has room for improvement, its battery life should allow you to work away from home for a morning or afternoon without needing the power adapter. One reason the Aorus 16X gets the battery life it does is because of Nvidia Advanced Optimus, which automatically switches between the Nvidia GPU and the power-saving Intel integrated graphics built into the Core i7. I noticed a slight pause when the switch occurred, but it's otherwise seamless. The Nvidia Control Panel or Gigabyte Control Center apps allow forcing the RTX 4070 to be always enabled. [BATTERY MEASUREMENT CHART] We stress test gaming laptops by running the Metro Exodus benchmark at RTX settings 15 times to simulate half an hour of gaming. We measured 92 degrees Fahrenheit on the Aorus 16X's keyboard between the G and H keys, 72 degrees on the touchpad, and the highest temperature we saw on the underside was 102 degrees. These temperatures are low for a gaming laptop - no part of it felt more than lukewarm to the touch. The two cooling fans make a fair amount of noise while gaming, though it's no louder than I'm used to from other laptops in this class. The built-in speakers get loud enough to drown out the fan noise. The Aorus 16X's 1080p webcam isn't anything special but has sharp-enough video and handles low light without excessive grain. As with many 16-inch laptops, I must tilt the screen almost vertical for the camera to capture my head and upper body. For better video quality, check out our best webcams. I wish the camera had a kill switch or sliding privacy shutter. The webcam's infrared sensor provides the Aorus 16X with biometric capability with Windows Hello, something many gaming laptops often forgo. Gigabyte preloads only a few apps on the Aorus 16X beyond those included with Windows 11. The most important is the Gigabyte Control Center, which offers system monitoring and updates, settings adjustments, RGB lighting control, and fan curve customization. Settings include automatic adjustment of RGB lighting and screen refresh rate (dimming the lighting and lowering the refresh rate on battery) and limiting battery charge to extend its lifespan. The AI Nexus section allows you to switch between default power levels and shows whether the Nvidia GPU or integrated GPU is active. Additionally, the app lets you control the keyboard backlighting and rear lightbar. While it worked reliably, the interface could have been more intuitive. The other important app is Dolby Access, which I mentioned in the audio section. Kudos to Gigabyte for not including any unwanted trial apps. Gigabyte covers the Aorus 16X with a one-year warranty. We reviewed the Aorus 16X model ASG-53USC64SH with a Core i7-14650HX processor, a GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Newegg had it discounted to $1,599.99 from $1,629.99 at review time. The only other configuration I found with a 14th gen Intel CPU was model ASG-63USC65SH, which bumps the CPU to a Core i9-14900HX and doubles the storage to 2TB for $1,719.99, on sale from $2,099.99. There doesn't appear to be a budget model, but I did see model 9KG-43USC54SH for $1,999.99 with a Core i5-13650HX, a GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. All the Aorus 16X configurations appear to use the same 2560 x 1600 screen. Our Aorus 16X is significantly more affordable than the $1,999.99 Alienware m16 R2. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 is a competitive value; the $1,313.99 model we tested (which had risen to $1,459.99 by the time of this review) performed similarly in our gaming tests despite using an RTX 4060 and only having 16GB of RAM. A more comparable RTX 4070 model was $1,829.99 at Best Buy and included a Core i9. Overall, the Aorus 16X provides an attractive combination of components for the price. The Gigabyte Aorus 16X excels in both gaming and practicality. Its Core i7-14650HX CPU and GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card effortlessly handle modern games on its excellent display, and its built-in speakers won't have you missing your headphones. On the practical side, it has productive input devices, excellent connectivity (including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7), and biometric security from its IR webcam. In terms of pricing, the Aorus 16X stands out by matching or surpassing the Alienware m16 R2's performance for hundreds of dollars less and offering more features than the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 for similar money. While its battery life could be better, it still lasts long enough for a few hours away from home without the power adapter. Overall, the Aorus 16X is an outstanding midrange 16-inch gaming laptop that competes with major brands on price.