AMD is demonstrating the potential of x86 processors in the new age of Windows laptops. Following the debut of Snapdragon X Elite and Copilot+ laptops, anticipation has been high for AMD, and eventually Intel, to showcase their offerings. The Asus Zenbook S 16, powered by the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, provides the answer. While AMD’s new Zen 5-based CPU might not deliver earth-shattering performance, it’s swift and efficient. In the laptop landscape of 2024, efficiency and versatility are paramount, and the Zenbook S 16 exemplifies this perfectly.
The Asus Zenbook S 16 boasts an impressive design and specifications. Its sleekness and lightness are immediately noticeable, with a thickness less than half an inch and a weight of just 3.31 pounds. This makes it lighter than the MacBook Pro 16 and even matches the weight of the MacBook Air 15, a remarkable feat. The aesthetic appeal is equally impressive, featuring subtle Zumaia Gray and Scandinavian White colorways, a diagonal design on the lid, and Asus’ signature Ceraluminum finish. The Zenbook range has always been a symbol of progress in Windows laptops, and the S 16 continues this legacy.
Asus complements the design and portability with excellent specifications. A prominent feature is the OLED display, a hallmark of the Zenbook range, such as the Zenbook S 13. In the S 16, it’s a 3K display, offering 2880 by 1800 resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. While not a gaming laptop, the 120Hz refresh rate significantly enhances the user experience. Connectivity options include a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type-A), two USB 4 ports (Type-C), a full-size SD card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI 2.1 port. Asus also supports Wi-Fi 7, assuming compatible routers are available. The keyboard is exceptional, and the trackpad is generously sized. The laptop operates silently under load, although it can get slightly warm, particularly near the display. The only slight drawback is the speakers, which, while loud, lack bass and are focused towards the center of the laptop.
Performance is crucial for AMD’s new generation. The Zenbook S 16 I tested is equipped with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a 12-core CPU capable of boosting up to 5.1GHz and operating at 28 watts. While Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs are not yet available, Qualcomm has already made its mark with the Snapdragon X Elite. The comparison between AMD and Qualcomm is not clear-cut. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 matches the Snapdragon X Elite in the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16, delivering slightly better performance in the default power mode and slightly lower performance in performance mode. The XPS 13 also presents strong competition despite its smaller size. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 falls behind the Core Ultra 9 185H in the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i but surpasses AMD’s previous generation Ryzen 7 8840HS in the Yoga 7 14, and by a substantial margin.
Application performance is similarly competitive. AMD successfully matched Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H in the Yoga 9i in Premiere Pro, as well as outperforming the Zenbook 14 OLED with the same chip, highlighting the impact of a larger chassis on performance. The MacBook Air M3 demonstrates a significant difference between Windows and macOS in certain applications, achieving a higher score despite having less powerful hardware on paper. Photoshop reveals a different side of the chip. It outperformed the Core Ultra 9 185H in the Yoga Pro 9i and the Core Ultra 7 155H in the Dell XPS 16. However, it’s noteworthy that both laptops have dedicated Nvidia GPUs, whereas the Zenbook S 16 lacks one, and Photoshop performance is influenced by the GPU. The CPU performance of the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is not groundbreaking, but the RDNA 3.5 graphics stand out.
PCMark 10 offers insights into lighter tasks across the entire system. Here, AMD outperforms all its direct competitors, from the Core Ultra 9 185 H in the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra to the Ryzen 7 8840Hs in the Lenovo Yoga 7 14. The CPU performance is not exceptional, with last-generation options often performing similarly to AMD’s latest offering. As mentioned, this chip is not about achieving peak performance. It’s about providing competitive performance and delivering on efficiency and battery life, which are the true strengths of this chip.
Graphics performance is a strong point. Despite not being a gaming laptop, the RDNA 3.5 GPU in the Zenbook S 16 is impressive. AMD integrates its Radeon 890M with this chip, significantly outperforming the competition from Qualcomm and Intel. In 3DMark Time Spy, it delivers nearly double the performance compared to the Snapdragon X Elite in the HP Omnibook X, and comparable performance to the Core Ultra 7 155H in the Zenbook Duo. Even compared to the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i with its dedicated GPU, the Zenbook S 16’s integrated graphics hold their own. The latest 3DMark test, Steel Nomad Light, further highlights AMD’s gains. While the MacBook Air M3 is slightly faster, Intel and Qualcomm competitors fall short. AMD also managed to beat its last-generation Ryzen 7 8840HS in the Lenovo Yoga 7 14, demonstrating the impact of the RDNA 3.5 upgrade. This is not a gaming laptop, but the integrated graphics are capable enough for casual gaming. AMD’s integrated graphics show a slight improvement over the previous generation, a competitive edge over Intel’s integrated Arc graphics, and a substantial leap ahead of Qualcomm’s offerings. In real-world gaming, I was able to play lighter indie titles and even some heavier games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Elden Ring without issues. Performance was not always ideal in the heavier titles, especially at higher graphics settings, but I achieved 60 frames per second (fps) through a combination of graphics settings, AMD’s Radeon Super Resolution (RSR), and Fluid Motion Frames (AFMF).
The Ryzen AI HX 370 provides our first experience with AMD’s XDNA 2 neural processing unit (NPU), which is more significant than it may seem. It is currently the fastest NPU available, and AMD appears poised to maintain that lead this generation. Qualcomm and Intel both claim 45 TOPS, while AMD pushes ahead with 50 TOPS. While this difference in TOPS doesn’t directly translate to performance, and there aren’t enough AI applications to fully utilize this small difference, AMD holds the lead in terms of raw hardware power. Beyond TOPS, a key development is the introduction of the Block FP16 instruction type. AMD did not invent this instruction, but it is the first NPU to support it. In essence, Block FP16 provides the speed of 8-bit instructions with the accuracy of 16-bit instructions. To run larger models on relatively low-power NPUs, models need to be quantized down to smaller instruction sizes, sacrificing accuracy in the process. Block FP16 addresses this issue, enabling more accurate models to run at the same speeds. This is a significant advancement, especially for users working with AI models and applications from platforms like Hugging Face and Github. However, the vast majority of users are not yet interacting with these applications, making the XDNA 2 NPU a currently underutilized piece of hardware, primarily used for background blur and other Windows Studio Effects. Once Microsoft unlocks its Copilot+ software, the NPU will be leveraged for more features, such as Live Captions and Windows Recall. AMD anticipates this to be available by the end of the year. While the NPU has its potential, the primary driving force behind the recent surge in laptop purchases is not AI prowess but rather improved battery life. The NPU is impressive hardware, but it is not a deciding factor in choosing AMD’s new CPUs unless you have a very specific use case. Unfortunately, I was unable to directly test the NPU in the available benchmarks, such as Geekbench ML and Procyon. The GPU and CPU are capable of handling AI workloads, but there is still a limited selection of applications heavily relying on the NPU beyond Studio Effects.
The standout feature of the Zenbook S 16 is its remarkable battery life. AMD is matching, and sometimes surpassing, Qualcomm in this area. While not reaching MacBook levels, AMD’s battery life surpasses Intel’s offerings, providing 10 to 12 hours of battery life under continuous use, and sometimes even more. Our web browsing test, which continuously browses various websites until the battery dies, demonstrates AMD’s improvements. From the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16 to the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, AMD matches Qualcomm. The only Snapdragon chip that clearly surpasses AMD is the one found in the Surface Pro 11. Intel lags significantly behind in the Dell XPS 16, and AMD’s last-generation CPUs are also far behind in the Framework Laptop 16. A new test we implemented involves Cinebench R24, which pushes the device to its limit and measures the time it takes for the battery to drain. I anticipated AMD to fall behind the competition in this test, but that was not the case. The Zenbook S 16 outlasted every Qualcomm laptop we tested, only falling short of the MacBook Air M3. This represents a new class of laptop. Windows machines are still not on par with Apple’s offerings, but they are significantly closer than before. Most importantly, the battery life achieved by AMD and Asus in the Zenbook S 16 provides compelling evidence that x86 CPUs are still relevant and capable.
Should you consider the Asus Zenbook S 16? While my focus has primarily been on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, it’s important to note that this processor is an excellent complement to the Zenbook S 16. When comparing other options at this price point, the Asus Zenbook S 16 offers a more affordable option. The model I reviewed is priced at $1,700, with a cheaper model available for $1,400, making it more competitive than the Dell XPS 16 and Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 16, both of which cost over $1,700 and only come with 16GB of memory. This laptop, along with the new AMD chip powering it, shifts the focus away from peak performance. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 still delivers impressive results, but its true strengths lie in providing excellent performance with solid battery life. Asus and AMD have truly excelled in this area.
