The ASUS ROG Flow X16 is a completely fresh laptop model. It features a very sleek 16-inch mini LED screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The laptop boasts a powerful processor and graphics card, and its overall build is of very high quality.
Price Consideration
Unfortunately, all these benefits come at a price. This time, the price for the reviewed ASUS ROG Flow X16 could be around US$2,699.99. I cannot provide an exact price, as during the review process, I did not come across a well-equipped ROG Flow X16 in stores.
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Technical Specifications of ASUS ROG Flow X16
| Detail | Specifications |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (8 cores, 16 threads, 16 MB cache, up to 4.9 GHz max boost) |
| Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, ROG Boost 1085 MHz at 125 W (1035 MHz Boost Clock + 50 MHz OC, 100 W + 25 W Dynamic Boost), 8 GB GDDR6 |
| RAM | 32 GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM |
| Screen | 16 inches, ROG Nebula HDR, Mini LED, QHD+ 16:10 (2560 x 1600, WQXGA), 165 Hz, glossy, MUX Switch, FreeSync Premium Pro, PANTONE Validated, touchscreen |
| SSD | 2 TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 |
| Ports | 1x 3.5 mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DisplayPort, power delivery, G-SYNC), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DisplayPort, power delivery), 1x ROG XG Mobile Interface, microSD card reader |
| Wireless Connections | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) Dual band 2×2 + Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Dimensions | 35.98 x 23.53 x 1.89 ~ 1.99 cm |
| Weight | 1.6 kg |
| Battery | 90 Wh, 240 W charger |
| Additional Features | Backlit RGB keys, second lighter charger for travel |
| Software | MyASUS, Armoury Crate, McAffee |
| Price | US$2,699.99 |
Appearance and Build
The exterior of the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is crafted from a metal alloy, while the interior houses a high-quality plastic. The laptop can be fully folded back 360 degrees, allowing you to comfortably place it on a table for gaming or watching movies. Of course, this folding capability is accompanied by a touchscreen.
The laptop offers a sufficient range of ports, though they are mostly shifted towards the right side to accommodate the cooling system. Among the ports, you’ll find a microSD card reader, HDMI, two USB Type-A, and one USB Type-C port. Technically, it can be said that the ROG XG Mobile Interface port also conceals another USB Type-C port with DisplayPort, power delivery, and G-SYNC support, though you might not notice it immediately.
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Cooling
The back and part of the bottom of the ASUS ROG Flow X16 are occupied by cooling vents, and there’s also a ventilation opening on the right side. This cooling is crucial as the ROG Flow X16 operates with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti (125 W) graphics card. The laptop isn’t silent and will generate some warmth even when playing less demanding games or using more resource-intensive programs.
Audio
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 boasts impressive speakers, but they have a quirk of sounding a bit odd when you place both palms on the laptop for typing. However, this won’t be a hindrance when gaming (one palm on WASD keys, the other on the mouse). Additionally, the laptop features an intriguing built-in microphone that could genuinely replace an external one for gaming.
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I am slightly concerned about the hinges of the ASUS ROG Flow X16, which seem quite loose for a brand-new laptop. It’s hard to predict how they’ll hold up after half a year or a year of use. ASUS has also included in the package a cardboard piece meant to support the laptop, but it’s a cheap, ordinary cardboard that doesn’t quite match a laptop that costs US$2,699.99.
Interestingly, this time the ASUS ROG Flow X16 comes with two chargers – a large 240 W charging brick and another smaller Type-C charger with 100 W. However, you won’t be able to use the small charger for gaming. The small charger for the ASUS ROG Flow X16 will try to maintain some level of charge during gaming, but it might be too short for extended gaming sessions. You can also feel that the performance of the ASUS ROG Flow X16 takes a significant hit, and the Type-C charger itself isn’t that small either.
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Screen
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 features an impressively cool 16-inch 16:10 aspect ratio Mini LED screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a refresh rate of 165 Hz. Additionally, this is a touchscreen. Positioned above the screen is a Windows Hello-compatible webcam with a somewhat regrettable 720p resolution.
The Mini LED screen is simply stellar – it’s more pleasant than OLED, though it doesn’t have quite the same deep blacks. However, the screen boasts a speedy 165 Hz refresh rate and is exceptionally bright.
Keyboard and Touchpad of ASUS ROG Flow X16
I find the keyboard on the ASUS ROG Flow X16 a bit disappointing, as it’s not particularly comfortable. There’s a sense that the keys are spaced a bit too far apart, requiring significant adjustment to get used to it. Otherwise, the keyboard seems of high quality and features extensively customizable RGB backlighting.
The touchpad is large, perhaps even slightly too large. It seemed that in games, it might be best to disable it altogether to prevent it from interfering and moving the mouse cursor. It’s worth noting that the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402) had a significantly cooler keyboard.
Read Also: Review of ASUS ROG Flow X13
Software
The ASUS ROG Flow X16 comes with the familiar MyASUS application (updates, battery settings), Armory Crate (performance, RGB LED, microphone operation, and updates), and also includes the rather aggressive and assertive McAfee antivirus.
Battery of ASUS ROG Flow X16
As is customary for gaming laptops, don’t expect anything dazzling in the case of the ASUS ROG Flow X16. In office mode, you can expect about 4 or 5 hours. For simple 2D games, it’ll be around one and a half to 2 hours, but in demanding games, battery life drops to around an hour. I must say, I was expecting longer battery life from a 90 Wh battery.
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Performance
In terms of gaming performance, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 is almost on par with the ROG Flow X13 with an external RTX 3080 graphics card. Of course, it’s important to consider that the ASUS ROG Flow X16 has a 1440p+ screen, which will take a toll on frame rates when playing games at that resolution.
In in-built performance tests for games, you can also see that with a 1440p+ resolution and Ultra settings, games will be enjoyable.
Passmark PerformanceTest 9.0 test, this laptop achieved an impressive score of 6363 points, which is significantly above the level of the ASUS ROG Strix G (4653.7 points) and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (5056). In this test, the best result among the computers we’ve tested is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme with 7809.2 points, but that’s a device in a completely different class.
The laptop boasts a lightning-fast 2 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.
Overall – a very fast laptop for gaming and everyday use, but I didn’t expect anything else for this price.
ASUS ROG Flow X16 Review Conclusion
ASUS has designed the ASUS ROG Flow X16 as an entertainment tool at a formidable price, which certainly to some extent justifies the cost. However, for the asking price of US$2,699.99, you could assemble a desktop computer with a monitor and peripherals that would be much quieter and significantly more powerful.
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I was not a fan of the hinges in the ASUS ROG Flow X16 build, the keyboard could have been better, and the 1.6-kilogram weight is noticeable in a bag. And that’s not even including the hefty power brick. Additionally, it’s worth noting that all the USB Type-A ports are on the right side, which can be a bit inconvenient when using a mouse right next to them.
However, the ASUS ROG Flow X16 has an insanely cool screen and performance that will be relevant for the coming years. Quietly confessing, with this ASUS ROG Flow X16 screen, I enjoyed playing the relaxing Return to Monkey Island game more than shooting games and utilizing the offered 165 Hz.