Asus ZenBook Pro 15 (i9-8950HK, 16GB) in review: The multimedia notebook for everyone?

I have been using the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 every day for almost two months. It is now time for a conclusion: Can the multimedia notebook from Asus convince despite the high price? My test report.

Even though there are currently a ton of notebooks available, it is still not easy to find a fan. Some people prefer something compact and thin, while others prefer something a little more powerful or the option for gaming. The Asus ZenBook Pro 15 offers a good middle ground here. With a GTX 1050 Ti, a 4K display and a so-called "ScreenPad" for faster working, the ZenBook Pro 15 seems very well equipped at first glance. Is it convincing beyond the data sheet? My detailed test.

Unboxing: everything included

The notebook comes out of the large box when you open it. There is also a power supply unit with a power plug and a fixing strap. Otherwise, as usual, there is a quick start guide, safety instructions and a warranty card in all possible languages. The packaging actually doesn't contain a lot more - on the other hand: nothing is missing. Otherwise the packaging is not unnecessarily large and contains the essentials. In addition, you can already see which notebook it is on the outside.

Workmanship and design: room for improvement

The 1,88 kg heavy notebook is very thin despite its inner workings. With its dimensions of 18,9 x 36,5 x 25,1 cm, it fits pretty much in every backpack and is pretty practical to take with you on the go. There is basically nothing wrong with the workmanship of the unibody case, but there are a few inconsistencies on closer inspection and testing. During the test, I noticed the sometimes squeaking fan very negatively (you can also read other test reports on this model), and the touchpad or "ScreenPad" (more on that later) clicks a bit loudly and does not sit straight in the case. I have already forwarded the point about the screeching fan to Asus and I will contact you here as soon as there is any news.

Otherwise, the display is very stable and does not wobble around. It can also be opened sufficiently to the rear. The keyboard's pressure point was also very positive during the test.

Display: 4K and razor sharp

We come to the display - a not insignificant point in a notebook. The 15,6 inch display in 16: 9 format has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels (4K) and is not only razor-sharp on the data sheet. You don't see such a sharp display at first glance, but if you work with it for longer, it was quite a habit for me to work on a Full HD monitor again.

Since the display can also be used as a touchscreen, it is extremely reflective. If you want to work comfortably outside in the sun, you definitely have the wrong notebook here. However, this is the same for all devices with a touchscreen. Otherwise, all colors and contrasts are very balanced, making the notebook perfect for working in Photoshop and other graphics applications.

Equipment and connections: Very good, if not throttled

Inside, my test device, the Asus ZenBook Pro 15, comes with an i9-8950HK processor from Intel and 16 GB RAM (soldered). There is also an SSD with a capacity of 1 TB. The Samsung PM961 PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSD offers a decent Seq read rate of around 2000 MB/s and a write rate of almost 1600 MB/s (measured with the latest version of CrystalDiskMark 5).

A GTX 1050 Ti from Nvidia is used as the graphics unit. However, it is noticeable after a few minutes when gaming that the graphics card is throttled fairly quickly due to the lack of cooling (with this thin design). In the 3DMark with "FireStrike" my test device achieved a score of almost 6700 points. If no games are run on the notebook due to usage, the more energy-saving Intel UHD Graphics 630 automatically takes over the service.

However, the notebook sometimes quickly became loud when simply watching YouTube videos or other multimedia content and turned the fan fully up. This then often ran for an hour. On other days, however, that didn't happen at all.

The hexa-core processor, with its maximum clock speed of 4,8 GHz, cannot really be used for long periods of time. During stress tests, the clock speed is significantly throttled after just a few seconds or minutes, rendering the i9 unusable. Realistically, another model would have been sufficient here; the i9-8950HK is not really necessary or useful - in my opinion.

The connections have not been saved and they are also moving with the times. In addition to a power connection, there is also an HDMI and two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left. On the right side there is a 3,5 mm combo jack, a micro SD reader and two USB 3.1 ports. An SD card reader is definitely missing here, as it would certainly have had space.

The battery life is okay - but you shouldn't expect much here. However, if you turn down the performance in the Windows power options, the notebook lasts a lot longer.

Extras

When choosing the perfect notebook, the workflow and the little extras in everyday life are of particular interest. So I test all notebooks for several days and weeks in my everyday life and integrate them completely into my daily tasks. This is the only way to get realistic test results - from a point of view for me.

The second display: "ScreenPad" is also a touchpad

Unlike most other notebooks, the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 comes with two displays. The second display is hidden in the 5,5-inch touchpad with a resolution of 1080p. The ScreenPad offers four modes to choose from, which can be switched on the keyboard using the F6 key. In "ScreenPad mode" it offers some practical functions, such as a calculator, Spotify control and shortcuts in Microsoft Office programs. This means that you can carry out other tasks at the bottom of the ScreenPad while other programs are open on the main screen. Then there is the "extended display" mode, which gives you a second display area. This means that you can push programs and other applications down "into" the touchpad - like with a second monitor.

Since the ScreenPad can get annoying when working or gaming and is also sometimes frozen during the test (because of the software), it can be completely deactivated with the "touchpad mode". Then the ScreenPad glows in black and no longer shows any content. With the ScreenPad switched on, it also sometimes happened that I unintentionally pulled down the menu and then it was not possible to use the touchpad for a short time. Last but not least, you can completely deactivate operation via the touchpad with "Touchpad off". Then the notebook can only be operated via the display with the touchscreen or the keyboard.

Let's be clear: There is still room for improvement - errors such as a frozen touchpad or problems when switching to the extended mode, as it is controlled by the software, simply cannot happen. Nevertheless, for me it was a nice gimmick that was also well received by friends (such as playing games on the touchpad). I don't think the ScreenPad is really useful or absolutely necessary (yet). Nevertheless, it is not bad, given the possibility of using it as a second display.

Fingerprint sensor: protection from prying eyes

I really don't want to be without a fingerprint sensor on a notebook anymore. There is no better way to be able to log into your Windows on the bus and train or with friends without fear of reading other people's passwords. In addition, password managers, mostly in their paid versions, support the use of passwords using a fingerprint sensor. In my test, it worked very quickly and reliably. The set-up was also completed in a flash.

The fingerprint sensor works very well and quickly. (Image: © 2019 TechnikNews)

Loudspeaker and microphone: decent sound from Harman Kardon, good microphone

The Harman Kardon speakers in the ZenBook Pro 15 are impressive. I would say that they are some of the best speakers I have ever heard in a notebook. Even though you can't compare them to an "external" speaker, you can hear rich bass and pleasant treble. They don't distort at all at higher volumes - unlike other notebooks. The microphone on the Asus flagship is also much clearer and of higher quality than other devices in this price range.

Webcam: Not really useful

While the speakers and microphone of the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 are highly praiseworthy, the webcam is a real disappointment. The quality really leaves a lot to be desired. Other manufacturers can do better with their devices for this price. Microsoft, for example, shows how it can be done differently with its Surface models. It's useful for simple video conferences, but facial recognition wouldn't work at all on this notebook because of the pixel mush. Hopefully they'll improve this - with the decent speakers and good microphone they're at least on the right track.

Conclusion: good multimedia package for demanding users

The Asus ZenBook Pro 15 is a really exciting notebook. Especially where other manufacturers are currently lacking ideas, cool innovations are needed here, such as the "ScreenPad". Even if it didn't really convince me in my first experience, it is practical and useful for use as a second screen - if it weren't for the problems with the ScreenPad software. The ScreenPad often froze completely or simply didn't want to switch to advanced mode - only logging out or restarting helped with this problem.

The points like the missing SD card reader or the squeaking fan in everyday life also bothered me. In addition, the fan often turned up quite a bit for light tasks, such as watching videos and photos. Due to the touchscreen on the 4K display, however, the display is quite reflective and cannot really be used outdoors or in direct sunlight.

Otherwise, the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 offers a good multimedia package, which is really well equipped with modern connections and a GTX 1050 Ti. However, this also comes at a hefty price of almost 2000 euros. Before buying, however, you should consider whether you want to do more gaming or more work. If the former is the case, the ZenBook Pro 15 is not the right choice despite its graphics card and powerful processor. It simply lacks the necessary cooling that would allow the graphics card to last much longer without throttling.

• Buy Asus ZenBook Pro 15 at Asus
• Buy Asus ZenBook Pro 15 on Amazon

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