ASUS gives its high-performance Zenbook laptops a 12th Gen Intel refresh

What you need to know

• ASUS announces new Zenbook, Zenbook S, and Zenbook Pro laptops for its 2022 product line-up, sporting the latest 12th Gen Intel hybrid processors.
• The flagship Zenbook Pro 16X OLED has a gorgeous 4K display with powerful NVIDIA Creator-validated internal specifications.
• Availability for the entire range of 2022 Zenbook notebooks commences this month with prices for the Zenbook Pro family starting from £3,000.

ASUS unveiled a plethora of Zenbook notebooks for 2022, including Zenbook Pro and Zenbook S models with an emphasis on performance. The refreshed family of Zenbook laptops covers standard, convertible, and dual-display laptops, ranging in size between 13 and 17.3 inches.

All latest Zenbook laptops come with 12th Gen Intel or AMD Ryzen 6000 processors. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series graphics processing technology is also included for good measure on select models, creating a portfolio of very capable portable workstations for creators, gamers, and everyone in between.

As well as the new processors, ASUS is utilizing IceCool, IceCool Plus, and IceCool Pro to try and keep all these power-hungry components from thermal throttling. But that's not all that is new with the Zenbook family of ASUS laptops. The company has also worked on giving the notebooks a new modern look with a revamped logo to boot.

Additionally, Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602) and Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402) introduces the new Active Aerodynamic System Ultra (AAS Ultra), which is a fancy name for the new ASUS auto-tilt mechanism that elevates the ScreenPad Plus secondary touchscreen or the ASUS ErgoSense keyboard for better ergonomics and improved airflow.

ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602)

The new ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED (UX7602) is the most powerful Zenbook laptop ASUS has created to date. We're looking at a 14-core 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor with a max turbo speed of 5.0GHz. There's an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU powering a 16-inch 4K 16:10 OLED 60Hz panel with a maximum brightness of 550 nits.

ASUS will support up to 32TB of LPDDR5 RAM and 2TB of rapid PCIe 4.0 storage. One can also expect to see the usual ports and connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5, USB-C Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, USB-A ports, and even a card reader. Everything is enclosed in an aluminum chassis that weighs just 2.4kg.

To keep everything cooled, ASUS is making full use of its new cooling solutions, as well as efficiently venting heated air via the new AAS Ultra mechanism, lifting the keyboard by 14.5mm and tilting it by 7 degrees. This is going to be a creator-focused laptop to keep a close eye on.

ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402)

The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a compact dual-screen notebook designed for creators. The main selling point here is the world's first 14.5-inch 2.8K 120Hz OLED panel. Then there's the larger (and brighter) 12.7-inch ScreenPad secondary screen with the same AAS Ultra auto-tilting design as the Zenbook Pro 16X OLED.

It's a little less potent than the 16X, but there's more than enough power contained within the Pro 14 Duo OLED to get everything done. The same Intel Core i9-12900H processor is located inside the same aluminum chassis alongside an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti. The display is something special, however, rocking a 120Hz refresh rate and an upgraded peak brightness of 500 nits.

Should you require something similar to the Pro 14 Duo but with a larger display, ASUS has revamped the existing 15.6-inch Zenbook Pro 15 Duo OLED (UX582) for 2022 with a 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060.

Meet the first 17-inch ASUS Zenbook

We've outlined the flagship Zenbook Pro 16X OLED and Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED, but there are other refreshes taking place within the Zenbook Pro range. There's a new 15.6-inch Zenbook Pro 15 Flip OLED (UP6502) convertible laptop and the first-ever 17.3-inch Zenbook, the aptly named Zenbook Pro 17 (UM6702).

ASUS is covering most form factors and sizes with the Zenbook Pro range, offering something for quite literally everyone. The refreshed Zenbook Pro 15 Flip OLED is equipped with the world's first 15.6-inch 2.8K 120Hz OLED touchscreen, and is powered by up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with the all-new Intel Arc A370M discrete graphics.

The main focus here is on a compact, thin and light companion with a 360-degree hinge, allowing one to use the Zenbook Pro 15 Flip OLED in multiple ways. There are some advanced features inside this laptop, including a Harman Kardon-certified quad-speaker Dolby Atmos audio system for punchy sounds.

As for the Zenbook Pro 17, this is the first 17-inch Zenbook from ASUS and to mark the occasion, the company is utilizing the power of AMD Ryzen. Inside, you can configure up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, and there's a Harman Kardon-certified Dolby Atmos audio system for good measure.

All-new ASUS Zenbook S

It's not just the Zenbook Pro range of notebooks that have received love and affection from ASUS HQ. There are some new Zenbook S laptops that are perfect for those seeking better portability. The new convertible Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED and Zenbook S 13 OLED, which ASUS claims to be the world's lightest 13.3-inch OLED laptop, make up quite the portfolio.

There's a new design for the Zenbook S 13 Flip OLED, as well as the ASUS ErgoLift hinge, which is torture-tested and capable of numerous modes, including laptop, tent, stand, tablet — or anything in between. Weighing in at just 1.1kg and at just 14.9mm thin, this is one seriously compact and portable notebook companion.

Intel's latest 12th Gen processors are found inside this convertible laptop, allowing one to configure up to an Intel Core i7 for decent performance. The 67Wh battery should see you going strong for a workday (and then some if you're conservative with use). It also rocks on nifty features like presence detection that automatically locks and unlocks the computer.

Those who don't really have a need for a laptop that has multiple modes can always go with the normal Zenbook S 13 OLED. ASUS touts this as the lightest 13.3-inch OLED laptop, weighing in at 1kg. It's possible to configure this notebook with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor with AMD Radeon 680M graphics.

There's a selection of colors to choose from — Ponder Blue, Aqua Celadon, Vestige Beige, and Refined White. The excellent 16:10 2.8K OLED HDR NanoEdge (with Dolby Vision) touchscreen is PANTONE validated for color fidelity and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified.

When can you buy the new ASUS Zenbooks?

Availability for these new laptops is expected to commence sometime later in May with prices for the Zenbook and Zenbook Pro starting from £1,100 and £3,000, respectively. The ASUS Zenbook S range has yet to be confirmed by ASUS.