ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 2022 – Touched up for the new year

The ROG Zephyrus M16 for 2022 has not changed too much from its 2021 edition, besides accordingly updating to a 12th Gen Intel Core Processor and the newer series of RTX 30 GPUs. Proudly calling itself the world’s first gaming laptop with 4-sided, Super-Narrow Bezels, what else does this laptop have for us?

DESIGN

The Zephyrus series has typically kept to its more low profile style, and it’s the same with the latest iteration of the Zephyrus M16. The RGB elements are kept to a minimum save for the keyboard, making it more subtle and more suited for a professional environment, or simply not wanting to attract too much attention.

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The lid is divided by a diagonal line, the upper part bearing the dot matrix design coated in a prismatic film for a rainbow sheen. This also allows for minute colour changes depending on which angle you’re looking at it from. The branding is discreetly on the bottom left for an overall clean design. Simplicity can truly never get old.

The whole package is 1.99cm thick, weighing in at 2.0kg. The 180 degree Ergolift hinge raises the laptop to allow for more airflow and improving cooling performance.

HARDWARE

Connectivity wise, it’s a pretty standard selection:

1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
1x HDMI 2.0b
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
1x RJ45 LAN port
1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
1 x card reader (microSD) (UHS-II)

There’s support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, so apart from the HDMI being preferably 2.1 instead, it’s pretty satisfactory. You can have up to 2TB of PCIe 2.0 SSD storage, so just chuck everything on this one machine and it’ll be fine.

For visuals, you get a 2K 165Hz, 16:10 3ms IPS screen, with a 94% screen to body ratio. Additionally, its DCI-P3 colour range and Pantone validation, on top of ROG Nebula and Dolby Vision HDR, that’s one screen you can expect some of the most dazzling images possible. That experience is further enhanced with the 6 immersive speakers, dual noise-cancelling woofers and Dolby Atmos, allowing the Zephyrus M16’s audio performance far exceed most typical laptops.

MUX switches are finally available, while the keyboard itself is a Stealth-type with 1.7mm travel distance. The keycaps are bigger as there’s no numpad, which isn’t much of a gripe. The touchpad has increased 20% in size, with smooth controls and even better precision, definitely much appreciated.

PERFORMANCE

The previously mentioned Ergolift hinge adds to the cooling efficiency provided by the 6 heatpipes and liquid metal used for this laptop. However, Turbo mode does unfortunately make the fan go quite loud when you’re settling in for a gaming session, which is fairly typical for most gaming laptops. Fortunately, outside of that, the laptop is pretty silent. Overall, thermals are respectable.

Thanks to the 90Whr battery, non-gaming use will offer up to 6 to 7 hours of battery life. A 240W AC Adapter and 100W PD Charger are provided in the box, for options should you need to be more mobile. If necessary, the Type-C port will let you charge your laptop with a powerbank.

Numbers wise:

3D MARK:10,649

PCMARK 10: 7,293

If you somehow had any doubt of its performance due to a lighter-weight design, put those aside; this is still a definite powerhouse.

As for gaming, as powerful as it is, 2K 60 FPS isn’t guaranteed if you’ve maxed out All settings. DLSS with medium and/or high should be more than enough.

ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA: 63 FPS (All Max)

GOD OF WAR: 53 FPS (All Max)

DYING LIGHT 2: ~40 FPS (All Max), ~50FPS (All Max, DLSS Performance)

SPECIFICATIONS

ROG ZEPHYRUS M16 2022	GU603Z-XK8044W	GU603Z-WK8060W	GU603Z-MK8054W
OS	Windows 11 Home
PROCESSOR	12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H Processor 2.5 GHz (24M Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 14 cores: 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores)		12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H Processor 2.3 GHz (24M Cache, up to 4.7 GHz, 14 cores: 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores)
GRAPHICS	NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 Ti Laptop GPU, ROG Boost: 1175MHz at 120W (1125MHz Boost Clock+50MHz OC, 100W+20W Dynamic Boost), 16GB GDDR6	NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti Laptop GPU, ROG Boost: 1085MHz at 120W (1035MHz Boost Clock+50MHz OC, 100W+20W Dynamic Boost), 8GB GDDR6	NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 Laptop GPU, ROG Boost: 1475MHz at 120W (1425MHz Boost Clock+50MHz OC, 100W+20W Dynamic Boost), 6GB GDDR6
DISPLAY	ROG Nebula Display, 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 16:10 anti-glare display, DCI-P3: 100%, Refresh Rate: 165Hz, Response Time: 3ms, IPS-level, Adaptive-Sync, Pantone Validated, MUX Switch + Optimus, Support Dolby Vision HDR: Yes
MEMORY	16GB DDR5 on board, 16GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, Max Capacity: 48GB, Support dual channel memory		8GB DDR5 on board, 8GB DDR5-4800 SO-DIMM, Max Capacity: 40GB, Support dual channel memory
STORAGE	2TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 Performance SSD	1TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 Performance SSD	512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 Performance SSD
I/O PORTS	1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.0b, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery, 1x RJ45 LAN port, 1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
KEYBOARD AND TOUCHPAD	Backlit Chiclet Keyboard RGB, Touchpad
CAMERA	720P HD IR Camera for Windows Hello
AUDIO	Smart Amp Technology, Dolby Atmos, AI noise-canceling technology, Hi-Res certification, Built-in array microphone, 2x 2W tweeter, 2x 2W dual-force woofer with Smart Amp Technology
NETWORK AND COMMUNICATION	Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax)+Bluetooth 5.2 (Dual band) 22;(BT version may change with OS upgrades.)
BATTERY	90WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
POWER SUPPLY	ø6.0, 240W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 12A, 240W, Input: 100~240C AC 50/60Hz universal \| TYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC 50/60Hz universal
WEIGHT	2.00 Kg (4.41 lbs)
DIMENSIONS (W X D X H)	35.5 x 24.3 x 1.99 ~ 1.99 cm (13.98" x 9.57" x 0.78" ~ 0.78")
SECURITY	BIOS Administrator Password and User Password Protection, Kensington Nano Security Slot™
IN THE BOX	ROG backpack, ROG Delta headset, ROG Chakram Core mouse P511, TYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC 50/60Hz universal	ROG backpack, ROG Chakram Core mouse P511, TYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC 50/60Hz universal	ROG backpack, TYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC 50/60Hz universal

CLOSING THOUGHTS

You get the latest CPU and GPU in the market, a pretty good display with accompanying audio performance, good portability thanks to its lightweight design and subtle touches and MUX Switches, the Zephyrus M16 2022 edition is well suited for gamers wanting to be lower-key, and for creative works alike. The upgrades make this laptop a strong recommendation for its overall versatility.