It’s that time of the year again for the electronics and technology industry. Computex has kicked off, and with that comes the usual slew of new product launches, demonstration sessions, and the like. ASUS’ gaming arm Republic of Gamers (ROG) has unveiled plenty for users to enjoy and experience, and the parent company isn’t about to miss out on the chance to do so themselves.
With the team having a slice of most things in the tech department, it’s only natural that a range of products has been put up on display at the event. The star of the event, however, is undeniably the ZenBook series, which not only had one or two models in the spotlight, but a whole line of them.
That doesn’t mean the other products are not worth checking out, however. Inclusive of the ZenBook series, here’s what stood out in the ASUS showcase.
ZenBook Series
ASUS’ ultrabook family can be considered to be the company’s pride, and for good reason, too – the reception of ZenBook iterations is generally positive, which are more than capable of standing up against competition in the market. Following the launch of the brand-new ZenBook Pro 14 and a refreshed ZenBook Pro 15, the team is rolling with the momentum to push out selected models and improve upon past editions.
To recap, the Pro siblings pack powerful specs, with the former running on the 8th Gen Core i9 processor with a NVIDIA GTX 1050 graphics card, and the latter on the Core i7 and GTX 1050 Max-Q. Both are now equipped with the ScreenPad, a brand-new feature that doubles up as a second screen where users can launch selected apps, such as the calendar or calculator.
Accompanying the duo is new family member ZenBook S, an ultraportable that’s tougher than it looks. Designed to measure up to military specifications, it sports a deceptively frail all-metal, 12.9mm-thick body, with two Intel 8th Gen processors in tow. A total of three USB-C ports line the sides of the laptop, alongside a 3.5mm headphone jack. Similarly to the ZenBook Pro 14, it also features ErgoLift technology, where the keyboard is raised and tilted at an angle for easier typing.
A complete package of lightweight and toughness, the ZenBook S would make a viable choice for those with butter fingers.
VivoBook S Series
The mid-range version of the ZenBook, the VivoBooks may not quite compare to their higher-end counterparts in terms of performance, but are assuredly pretty solid builds in their own right. Among them, the S series has been refreshed, upgrading to an Intel 8th Gen processor, as per the trend, and sporting five new different looks. A minor but welcome change would be to the keyboard, where the travel of keys makes for great comfort. Likewise, the ErgoLift hinge is present as well.
Newly-launched alongside the refresh is the S13, which lacks the ErgoLift feature, but boasts identical specs to its siblings.
ASUS AiMesh AX6100 Wi-Fi System And ASUS RT-AX88U
With the number of wireless devices rapidly on the upward trend, there’s an increasing need for better wifi systems. ASUS’ new 802.11ax router is built for that purpose – its tri-band design can offer up to a peak aggregate throughput of 6100Mbps, with most of it belonging to the 5GHz 802.11ax band. In other words? A fast internet speed awaits.
As should be the case with all good things, the AiMesh AX6100 comes in a two-pack that can extend coverage so that dead spots may be eliminated. Its ASUS-exclusive AiMesh also means users can mix multiple routers to create a whole new mesh network – an especially nifty feature.
Decked out in the same underlying hardware as the ROG Rapture GT-AX1100, the RT-AX88U is similarly controlled by a powerful quad-core processor, and supports 802.11ax devices. Armed with four antennas and twice as many LAN ports as the usual, it measure a peak total bandwidth of around 6,000Mbps, and is best used with other wired devices in close proximity.
And in the case the internet service gets disrupted? There’s an additional 4G dongle for a backup WAN connection, which certainly comes in handy, especially when there’s urgent work to be done.
ASUS CG32 Console Gaming Monitor
Gaming with a big-screen monitor is great, but the setup for that can be tricky within the confines of a smaller room. ASUS knows this, and has given an answer in the form of the CG 32 Console Gaming Monitor.
Equipped with a 31.5-inch, it’s at a comfortable size without being too overwhelming, especially in the cavernous environment. The size certainly doesn’t compromise on its performance either, since the CG32 sports a whooping 4K UHD resolution, with the Adaptive Sync feature and HDR support in tow, resulting in lower input lag and brighter, more vivid colours.
Those experienced in the craft of PC gaming should know about the wonders of refresh technology, where the refresh rate of a monitor is synced to the frame rate of compatible graphics cards. The refresh rate of ASUS’ new monitor, clocking in at 40 to 60Hz, is far from the best on the market, but is sufficient to compensate for in-game performance fluctuations.
In a thoughtful move on ASUS’ part, the CG32 also doubles up as a peripheral and charging hub. A total of four USB 3.0 ports are located at its base, but two are reserved solely for charging purposes, which opens up the remaining two as downstream ports to connect peripherals and external devices to the system.
With the ZenBook series leading the front, ASUS’ product lineup for Computex 2018 is looking strong, especially since it caters to different tech audiences. Between the variety of devices and a demonstration corner for the ScreenPad feature, there’s more to explore and experience at the booth, where everyone can get a slice of the tech pie.
Computex 2018 runs from June 5 to 9, 2018 and is held at Taipei, Taiwan.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
