ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED review: Ultimate power at your fingertips

The Citizen’s tech team had the pleasure of reviewing the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED over the festive season – a sleek and impressive powerhouse packed with features.

We had the N7601 model. Here’s what we loved about the laptop, and what we didn’t. (Spoiler alert, there wasn’t much we didn’t love).

Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED

Design

First, let’s talk about design. The quality of the build is top-notch and it looks great too – in line with Asus’ modern aesthetic.

Marketed as “the world’s first 16-inch 3.2K OLED laptop”, it’s built for no-compromise performance while being kept cool with a quad-vented cooling system.

It has an all-metal design and comes in two colours – Cool Silver and my personal preference, 0˚ Black.

I’d like to think of the lighter shade speaking more towards a minimalist mindset or something ethereal, while the dark-greyish-black version comes across as authoritative.

But of course, looks aren’t everything.

We all know it’s what’s under the hood that really matters.

And in that regard, it’s safe to say the Vivobook doesn’t disappoint.

Performance and battery

This thing has power for days! I kid you not.

With a powerful processor (12th Gen Intel Core i9) and plenty of memory (up to 32 GB RAM and 2TB PCIe 4), the Vivobook can handle any workload requirements you throw at it.

I was able to effortlessly multitask across several different programmes, and streaming is a breeze as well. I used it for both work and (minimal) gaming, and it kept up with me.

To cover all the performance specs would be a whole other article. Let me just leave these specs here to save us time:

It has a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Nvidia GPU, supports real-time ray tracing, and encompasses AI-augmented computing process optimisation.

The Vivobook is also equipped with a long-lasting 90 Wh battery and supports fast charging technology.

It basically gets you from 0 to 50% in under 30 minutes.

I managed to get 10 hours of battery life on one charge at a medium brightness setting.

Screen and display

The OLED screen is a beauty in its own league, with perfect accuracy up to 100% colour gamut coverage and 550 nits of brightness – making it perfect for working in low-light conditions.

It also has a 16:10 aspect ratio – I have talked extensively about this ratio in previous reviews – and four super-slim bezels (called NanoEdge) for a superior screen-to-body ratio. ASUS say:

It’s a display that will show your creations in their very best light.

You can also rest assured that your eyes won’t take any extra strain. ASUS incorporated TÜV Rheinland certified technology for “eye-friendly low blue-light emissions and flicker-free operation”.

Designed for creators

It’s a creator’s dream – whether you’re into image editing, videography, or serious 3D rendering. I, unfortunately, couldn’t test these features to its full capacity, but I’ve seen the results.

It is designed to be compatible with Adobe’s Creative software suite. Do you use After Effect, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Lightroom Classic, or Adobe Illustrator?

The ASUS DialPad will make your life so much easier.

WATCH: ASUS DialPad explained

Thanks to the Vivbook Pro 16X’s powerful processor, you’d be able to easily switch between multiple projects without losing your creative streak.

This laptop also has the ProArt Creator Hub so you can calibrate your screen colour for accuracy and optimise your workflow.

I/O ports

Ports-a-plenty.

On the one side, you’ll find an audio combo jack, along with a USB Type-A port (which supports up to 10 Gbps data transfer), as well as an HDMI 2.1 port, a USB Type-C port and a Thunderbolt USB-C port.

The USB Type A and Type C ports support data transfer of up to 10 Gbps, while the Thunderbolt USB-C supports data transfer of up to 40 Gbps.

On the other side, you’ll find a DC-in jack, an Ethernet port (Rj-45), another USB Type-A port (it’s gen 1 and supports data transfer up to 5 Gbps), as well as a MicroSD Express port.

ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED: Conclusion

The ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X OLED is a wonderful machine. Powerful performance and is useful for anyone from entrepreneurs to 3D artists to gamers.

While not an ultralight laptop (weighing in at 2.30 kg) it is lighter than other devices on the market without compromising its high-end specs.

TL;DR: This is a great device for anyone looking for a powerful yet stylish laptop.

Pros

• Bright and beautiful OLED panel
• Lightweight (for what you’re getting)
• Powerful performance
• I personally loved the orange finishes

Cons

• Heavier than I would like (I travel ultra-light)
• Battery life could be better
• Expensive (R35,000 upwards)

If you need a budget-friend Vivobook, check out our ASUS Vivobook Pro 14X OLED review.