Asus has refreshed its VivoBook lineup with a number of new fashions in 2023. After reviewing the Asus VivoBook 14X, VivoBook 15X, and the VivoBook Professional 16X K6604, we now flip our consideration to the most recent addition, the VivoBook Professional 16 K6602VU.
The 2023 VivoBook Professional 16 gives a number of key upgrades in comparison to the closing technology. It packs some tough parts, together with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics. Our check unit additionally got here provided with 16 GB of speedy DDR5-4800 RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, and a colourful 120Hz 16:10 3.2K OLED show with Dolby Imaginative and prescient make stronger.
This well-appointed setup does not come affordable, alternatively — our VivoBook Professional 16 config rings the money registers at ₹1,54,990 (€2,199 incl. VAT) within the Indian marketplace. We put the VivoBook Professional 16 thru its paces to look if it lives as much as the lofty price ticket.
The VivoBook Professional 16 chassis is available in Cool Silver and Quiet Blue (our assessment unit) colour choices, weighing 1.9 kg. As with different VivoBooks, the development is basically plastic with a steel lid that may lay totally flat at 180 levels and is straightforward to open one-handed with out sliding the pc base.
The matte, clean surfaces provide a refined but horny aesthetic. VivoBook design hallmarks like the emblem at the lid and striped Input key accessory are provide. An orange-painted Esc key supplies some other splash of colour very similar to the VivoBook Professional 16X.
Construct high quality is first rate general with some flex within the keyboard deck and show, however not anything regarding in common use. The hinges are sturdy-enough to carry the display screen firmly at any attitude with out creaking.
Asus has endowed the VivoBook Professional 16 with a good set of ports, together with Thunderbolt 4. The USB 3.2 Gen2 Kind-C port helps each DisplayPort-out and Energy Supply.
Like different VivoBooks we have now observed this yr, the port distribution favors the correct aspect of the software that may be irksome whilst the usage of a stressed out mouse. Fortunately, all ports can be utilized concurrently with out interference.
In keeping with Asus, the VivoBook Professional 16’s integrated microSD card reader helps height switch speeds as much as 312 MB/s. In our trying out with an Angelbird AV Professional V60 microSD card, we recorded sequential learn speeds of as much as 232 MB/s within the AS-SSD sequential learn benchmark. Copying diversified JPG information from the cardboard crowned out at 163.5 MB/s.
Whilst fairly under Asus’ claimed most, the cardboard reader speeds are considerably upper in comparison to the former technology style.
The VivoBook Professional 16 comes provided with an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 wi-fi card. In trying out, we recorded sturdy transmit and obtain speeds over 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
Efficiency within the 6 GHz band was once first rate, although no longer fairly as speedy as 5 GHz, in our setup the usage of an Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 reference router.
When compared, the Lenovo Legion Professional 5 gives a excellent, somewhat strong 6 GHz throughput with its MediaTek Wi-Fi 6E MT7922 card.
The 1080p webcam with a bodily privateness shutter displays massive colour deviations, however the general symbol high quality is serviceable for fundamental video calls and conferencing. Main points are quite well-preserved, however the readability and sharpness can use numerous enhancements.
The VivoBook Professional 16 gives a fingerprint reader within the energy button for Home windows Hi-based logins. The fingerprint reader works speedy and is fairly responsive. A TPM 2.0 module is to be had to fulfill Home windows 11’s necessities.
Our unit got here with out a further equipment within the field excluding the 150 W energy adapter and the standard bureaucracy.
In India, Asus gives a normal one-year guaranty for the VivoBook Professional 16. Moreover, patrons can make a choice from a number of guaranty and unintended injury coverage choices starting from ₹999 to ₹2,999, equipped they sign in their acquire inside of 15 calendar days.
Getting within the VivoBook Professional 16 calls for taking away 9 Torx screws to detach the ground panel. Inside of, key parts just like the RAM, NVMe SSD, and Wi-Fi card can also be accessed for upgrades. The battery may also be changed if wanted by means of unscrewing it.
RAM growth is restricted to 24 GB most as 8 GB of DDR5 reminiscence comes soldered onto the motherboard and just one SO-DIMM slot is to be had for including extra RAM.
Asus outfits the VivoBook Professional 16 with its signature ErgoSense keyboard, very similar to what we have now observed with the VivoBook 15X and Professional 16X fashions. The keyboard supplies a responsive typing revel in a with 1.4 mm key commute. The MyAsus app permits surroundings the principle serve as of the highest row keys for F1-F12 or particular shortcuts.
The typing feels at ease for day by day productiveness, although the arrow keys really feel cramped. A 3-level white backlighting aids typing at the hours of darkness.
The 9 cm x 13 cm gives clean, responsive gliding, with the entire floor performing because the left mouse button. Home windows Precision gestures are totally supported. There is not any integrated Asus Dial not like what we have now observed with the VivoBook Professional 16X.
The VivoBook Professional 16 makes use of the similar 16:10 Samsung ATNA60BX01 OLED panel because the Professional 16X and ProArt StudioBook 16, with a 3200 x 2000 decision and 120 Hz refresh fee. As anticipated from an OLED panel, it delivers a near-infinite distinction ratio with deep blacks and with none backlight bleed. Brightness distribution could also be extremely uniform.
In SDR mode, we recorded a height brightness of 358 nits. With HDR enabled, the show can achieve as much as 566 nits, just about the VESA DisplayHDR 600 spec. The MyAsus app supplies a number of changes like DC dimming, colour gamut, and OLED pixel shift that forestalls burn-in.
Whilst most SDR brightness is fairly less than superb, the OLED panel’s highest blacks create an immersive viewing revel in regardless.
Colour measurements and calibration had been carried out within the Customary mode with a local colour profile and within the Show P3 colour area.
The panel kind of covers everything of sRGB and Show P3 colour gamuts along side an outstanding 96.5% Adobe RGB protection. The broad gamut make stronger makes the VivoBook Professional 16’s show extremely amenable for each multimedia intake and content material advent alike.
Out of the field, the VivoBook Professional 16’s colour accuracy displays room for development, with upper than superb moderate Delta E values in our ColorChecker check.
Our calibration regimen the usage of the X-Ceremony i1Basic Professional 3 spectrophotometer and Portrait Shows’ Calman Final tool considerably improves Grayscale (0.7) and ColorChecker Delta E 2000 (2.42) values.
Some minor colour rendition problems stay although, in particular with totally saturated crimson hues and likely pores and skin tones.
The calibrated ICC record can also be downloaded from the hyperlink above.
The 100% black to 100% white transition takes about 13.2 ms by means of handbook estimation, which isn’t too dangerous. The 50% gray to 80% gray shifts are so much quicker at on the subject of 0.68 ms.
The VivoBook Professional 16’s OLED panel implements 240 Hz PWM under 60% brightness, switching to 240 Hz DC dimming above that threshold. Whilst much less fatiguing than PWM, a better frequency DC dimming would had been preferable.
At a 60 Hz refresh fee, the DC dimming frequency drops to 120 Hz. To cut back possible eyestrain, we propose surroundings the brightness above 60%.
Additional info can also be present in our articles, “Why PWM is this type of headache” and “Research: DC Dimming vs. PWM — Are you able to dim AMOLED presentations with out the flickering“. You’ll be able to additionally get an outline of measured PWM throughout reviewed gadgets in our PWM Rating desk.
The shiny display screen makes outside viewing below direct daylight irksome. Viewing angles are strong, however we do apply some inexperienced tinting at excessive angles as is not unusual with OLED presentations.
Asus gives the VivoBook Professional 16 K6602VU in Intel thirteenth gen Core i5-13500H and Core i9-13900H choices, each with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics. There is additionally a VivoBook Professional 16 K6602HC to be had with the older Core i9-11900H, RTX 3050 Pc GPU, and an FHD+ 120 Hz show.
Efficiency settings are repeated in each MyAsus and the ProArt Author Hub apps. We used the Efficiency mode with the MUX switched to the discrete RTX 4050 GPU for all benchmarks. Battery assessments had been run within the Whisper surroundings in MSHybrid mode.
Energy limits are the similar in each Usual and Efficiency modes. Alternatively, the latter permits for higher sustained efficiency owing to raised cooling.
The Intel Core i9-13900H is a 14-core 20-thread processor with six P-cores, 8 E-cores, and a most single-core spice up of five.4 GHz. This isn’t the quickest Core i9-13900H we have now observed, although.
Total CPU efficiency is only a tad higher than the closing gen VivoBook Professional 16’s Core i7-12700H, trailing even the Ryzen 5 7645HX within the Lenovo Legion Professional 5 by means of 6%. The restricted energy funds in our check software hinders the Core i9-13900H’s efficiency as opposed to laptops such because the Gigabyte Aero 16 OLED and the Asus ROG Float X16 with the similar processor.
The efficiency isn’t any fit for the Core i9-13980HX discovered within the VivoBook Professional 16X, which leads by means of a large 46% margin cumulatively.
That being mentioned, the VivoBook Professional 16’s cooling appears to be doing a excellent process as glaring from the quite constant Cinebench R15 multi-core loop graph.
Cinebench R15 multi-core trying out sees the VivoBook Professional 16 suffering to totally make the most of the Core i9-13900H’s 115 W energy prohibit, even in Efficiency mode. We recorded a height CPU bundle energy of simply 80 W in Efficiency, with max spice up clocks attaining simplest 3.6 GHz.
The Usual mode is relatively extra conservative with a 76 W height bundle energy and three.5 GHz spice up clocks.
In Whisper, the VivoBook Professional 16 hits a 66.7 W most however coasts at a median CPU bundle energy of on the subject of 15 W. This ends up in most clocks of three.45 GHz that moderate out at on the subject of 1 GHz all the way through the run.
Efficiency is additional restricted on battery, with Cinebench R20 rankings shedding by means of 46.3% in single-core and by means of 27% in multi-core as opposed to AC energy.
Our devoted Intel Core i9-13900H web page gives additional information and benchmark comparisons.
A an identical development is observed in PCMark 10 and CrossMark assessments as effectively. The Core i9-13980HX-powered VivoBook Professional 16X just about ties with our check style in general PCMark 10 rankings whilst reaching a 19% in mixed CrossMark assessments.
That being mentioned, we didn’t to find the rest regarding in day by day utilization for the standard productiveness, multimedia, or internet surfing duties.
We measured the best interrupt to procedure latency to be about 1,753.6 µs, which will probably result in issues of real-time audio/video enhancing workflows.
Extra DPC latency comparisons can also be present in our DPC Latency Rating web page.
The Micron 2400 1 TB PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD is ensconced below a long aluminum quilt, which is a tad bulky to take away. The entire pressure efficiency is fairly higher than a Micron 2400 512 GB pressure however lags considerably at the back of the WD SN560, Gigabyte, and SK Hynix PC801 choices discovered within the pageant.
The Micron 2400 takes the utmost hit in 4K reads at a queue intensity of one, although it fares a lot better in 4K Q32 reads.
A spare M.2 slot is to be had for garage growth. There is not any scope for including 2.5-inch SATA drives.
We didn’t apply any disk efficiency throttling with a continuing DiskSpd learn loop at a queue intensity of 8.
Take a look at our HDD and SSD benchmarks web page for extra garage efficiency comparisons.
The VivoBook Professional 16 uses a 60 W Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Pc GPU that may spice up as much as 1,605 MHz.
The GPU’s cumulative 3DMark efficiency is 58% upper than the RTX 3050 Ti in closing yr’s VivoBook Professional 16. Alternatively, it lags 16% at the back of the 140 W RTX 4050 within the Legion Professional 5.
In comparison to the VivoBook Professional 16X and its 140 W RTX 4060, our unit’s 60 W RTX 4050 simplest trails by means of 7% in general 3DMark metrics.
3DMark Time Secret agent Graphics rankings can drop by means of 21% on battery energy.
The VivoBook Professional 16’s RTX 4050 ties with the Asus TUF Gaming A16‘s Radeon RX 7600S in mixed 1080p Extremely gaming efficiency. Alternatively, the Legion Professional 5’s upper wattage RTX 4050 positive aspects perceivable leads right here.
That being mentioned, this yr’s Professional 16 iteration does be offering an outstanding 44% uplift over the former technology with an RTX 3050 Ti.
It’s conceivable to reach playable body charges at QHD Extremely local settings with the RTX 4050 in older titles. For extra fashionable video games, you’re going to desire a serving to hand from upscalers similar to Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR, or Intel XeSS.
We seen a somewhat strong body fee whilst stressing with The Witcher 3 at 1080p Extremely indicating ok GPU cooling.
Extra benchmark and gaming comparisons can also be present in our devoted Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Pc GPU web page.
Asus enforces pre-set fan noise limits for every VivoBook Professional 16 efficiency profile, very similar to what we have now observed with different VivoBooks prior to.
The Usual profile targets for not up to 40 dB(A) sound force point (SPL) in line with Asus’s specifications, which our trying out confirms. Whisper mode cuts the SPL additional to below 30 dB(A).
Efficiency mode ramps the fanatics to their height, leading to considerably upper noise ranges as much as 52 dB (A) in our measurements.
Since Usual and Efficiency modes have an identical energy limits, we propose going with the previous for extra tolerable acoustics with out the distracting fan din.
Within the Efficiency mode, we recorded temperatures of as much as 42.6 °C and 48.4 °C at the best and backside surfaces, respectively below max load. Right through The Witcher 3 pressure at 1080p Extremely, the ground temperature sizzling spot hit 63.6 °C.
Whilst those temperatures happen in hard check eventualities, lap use remains to be no longer really useful when working heavy workloads. Anything else past mild productiveness can probably lead to noticeable warmth buildup and discomfort.
The touchpad and palm leisure spaces stay somewhat cool even below complete load.
In Prime95 in-place massive FFT pressure trying out, the VivoBook Professional 16’s Core i9-13900H reached a height 3.49 GHz clock velocity at 78.7 W energy draw. Reasonable clocks settled round 2 GHz using 40 W.
When including FurMark GPU pressure, the Core i9-13900H and RTX 4050 compete for shared thermal headroom. The CPU drops to only 1.1 GHz moderate at 23.5 W, whilst the GPU boosts as much as 2,415 MHz height the usage of 82 W.
In a real-world gaming load (The Witcher 3 at 1080p Extremely), the VivoBook Professional 16 displays extra cheap energy sharing between the Core i9-13900H (2.3 GHz at 17.5 W moderate) and RTX 4050 (2,225 MHz at 65 W moderate).
In keeping with Asus, the Efficiency profile must permit as much as 90 W mixed TDP between CPU and GPU. Alternatively, our pressure trying out by no means reached that claimed worth.
In Prime95 + FurMark, mixed height energy crowned out at 162.5 W in brief however averaged simplest 53 W. The pc fared higher in The Witcher 3 pressure, hitting mixed 86 W height and 82 W moderate shared between the CPU and GPU.
Asus gives a number of audio improvements similar to Sensible Amp, Audio Booster, and Harman Kardon tuning. The onboard audio system reproduce mids and highs decently, however the bass is missing.
In our trying out, height loudness reached 81.6 dB(A), which must be ok for indoor use. Exterior audio by way of the three.5 mm jack or Bluetooth 5.3 supplies a a lot better revel in, particularly for tune and films.
The VivoBook Professional 16’s general energy intake below load could be very economical in comparison to the contest. Alternatively, energy attracts in standby and idle do appear to be a motive for worry.
The provided 150 W energy adapter is greater than ok to energy the pc below pressure.
The 96 WHr battery is a marked development over the 70 WHr capability in closing yr’s style. The battery can come up with the money for ~10 hours of run time all the way through internet surfing and H.264 1080p video playback at 150 nits.
The provided energy adapter can fast-charge the battery to 50% in about half-hour.
The 2023 Asus VivoBook Professional 16 K6602VU brings noteworthy upgrades over its predecessor. Despite the fact that no longer sumptuous, the VivoBook Professional 16 is solidly constructed.
The standout characteristic is the pretty 3.2K 120 Hz OLED show borrowed from Asus’s pricier ProArt line, which excels for each growing and eating content material. Battery run occasions has additionally progressed to round 10 hours due to the brand new 96 WHr battery.
Geared toward multimedia customers and hobbyist creators, the Asus VivoBook Professional 16 K6602 hits a candy spot prior to bearing in mind the costlier ProArt StudioBook collection. Whilst the Core i9-13900H and RTX 4050 combo can get maximum jobs finished, energy customers will wish to glance in other places.
Wi-Fi 6E efficiency might be higher optimized, and port placement progressed. Alternatively, our major peeve with this pc is that Asus limits the possibility of the Core i9-13900H CPU by means of proscribing energy limits under its features.
The CPU and GPU combo underdelivers on Asus’s claimed 90 W mixed TDP goal. Nonetheless, it nonetheless supplies abundant efficiency for on a regular basis productiveness and novice ingenious paintings. The RTX 4050 even permits first rate high-resolution gaming with some make stronger from upscalers.
Regardless of a couple of shortcomings, the VivoBook Professional 16 a robust contender for patrons searching for a well-rounded multimedia pc that may create in addition to sport across the ₹1,54,990 (€2,199) mark.
For many who like VivoBook aesthetics however need one thing much more tough, the Asus VivoBook Professional 16X K6604 with the Core i9-13980HX must are compatible the invoice. The Gigabyte Aero 16 OLED BSF is some other viable however dear possibility in case you are searching for a extra top class development and a strong GPU.
The examined configuration of the Asus VivoBook Professional 16 OLED K6602VU can also be had for ₹1,54,990 from the Asus India retailer and Amazon India.
In the USA, Absolute best Purchase is these days providing the VivoBook Professional 16 K6602VV with the RTX 4060 for US$1,699.99 whilst Amazon US shares it for US$1,673. The FHD+ variant of this SKU can also be had for US$1,300 on Amazon US.
Allow 48h for review and removal.