Why choose between power and versatility? The Asus ROG Flow X16 (2022) brings the RTX 3070 Ti and Ryzen 9 6900HS in a 360° format.
Can you be powerful AND versatile? You often have to choose between raw performance and being able to easily transport your laptop, or even choose a concept like a 360° that more or less turns into a tablet. Asus ROG has decided to ignore all that by creating the ROG Flow X16, a transformable gaming PC that refuses the slightest sacrifice… At least, on paper.
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Asus ROG Flow X16 (2022) datasheet
| Model | Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601) |
|---|---|
| Screen size |
16 inch |
| Definition |
2560 x 1600 pixels |
| Display technology |
LCD |
| Touchscreen |
Oui |
| Processor (CPU) |
Ryzen 9 6900HS |
| Graphics chip (GPU) |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti |
| Memory (RAM) |
32 Go |
| Internal memory |
1 To |
| Wi-Fi standards |
Wi-Fi 6E |
| Version du Bluetooth |
5.2 |
| Operating system (OS) |
Microsoft Windows 11 Pro |
| Dimensions |
355 x 19,4 x 243 mm |
| Weight |
2100 grammes |
| Prix | 3 199 € |
|
Product sheet See the test |
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Design
For the uninitiated eye, the ROG Flow X16 will go completely unnoticed. It must be said that its dark gray color and the absence of the usual well-defined lines of the ROG brand make it seem almost banal compared to all its brothers. It still has a small specificity: its hood is quilted, which gives it a textured touch that is not unpleasant.
It is in its proposal that its originality emerges. The ROG Flow X16 is indeed able to fold back on itself at 360° to form a sort of tablet, be used in “tentpole” mode or to bring out only the screen, pushing the keyboard away. A transformability that we are more used to seeing on ultraportable computers, and not really on such a muscular configuration. It is in this context that its weight of 2.1 kg finds its meaning: it is certainly not light compared to a category which has made the weight of 1 kilo common today, but is devilishly light for what he proposes.
Keyboard and touchpad
On the keyboard side, you can always count on the excellence of Asus in this area. The full-frame layout is solid, and the keys offer welcome resistance as a bonus to good running distance. Not to mention the totally customizable RGB of course. On this point, the only flaw in the configurations of the Taiwanese manufacturer is its Enter key, cut in two in the American style, which is also found on its European configurations. A blow to take more than a bad point.
The large glass touchpad is also excellent, and offers a flawless glide over its very large surface. The comfort of use is absolute on this ROG Flow X16.
connectors
On this part once more, the sacrifices are invisible. We have the right on the left side to a classic power port, an HDMI 2.0b, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with PowerDelivery and DisplayPort and a combo jack. Above all, note the inclusion of the company’s proprietary XGm port, which will allow the connection of an external graphics card module from the brand (and can find a second use by being used as a classic USB-C port).
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
On the right, there is the power button, 2 USB A 3.2 Gen 2 ports and a microSD slot. In the end, there are only two small disappointments in this otherwise very exhaustive configuration: the fact that the HDMI port is not in 2.1 for 4K at 120Hz, and that the SD slot is not full format. We will put up with the last much more than the first.
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Screen
The ROG Flow X16 does not skimp on this point, since it incorporates a 16-inch Mini LED panel in Quad HD definition with a 16:10 ratio (2560 x 1600 pixels) capable of reaching a refresh rate of 165 Hz. -ci is also tactile, to go with its transformable concept, and is compatible with styluses.
Under our probe and with the DisplayCal software, we can observe that the excellent calibration promised by Asus leaving the factory is verified. The panel covers 162.3% of the sRGB space, 11.8% of Adobe RGB and 115% of the DCI P3. It also displays a color temperature of 6442K, which is extremely close to the desired video standard, and a very good average Delta E00 of 1.31. The latter shifts a little too much on the blue tones, but it is far from being prohibitive.
The maximum brightness measured in SDR is 423 cd / m², which will be more than enough to use the computer outdoors in direct sunlight while maintaining very good readability. It can also reach up to 1100 cd / m² on HDR content and is Dolby Vision compatible. The only thing we regret is the absence of the usual Asus settings on the colorimetry of the panel, although it is excellent from the factory.
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Software
Not to mention the usual Windows 11, the Taiwanese manufacturer once once more offers its usual suite in the presence of MyAsus and Armory Crate. The first takes care of computer system updates and classic computer operation very simply, and does it very well.
The second is the software allowing experienced gamers to get the maximum performance from their machine, to precisely monitor its behavior and to adjust the various RGB customization options. The latter is among the most intuitive on the market, and is always a pleasure to use. Unfortunately, even on this price bracket, Asus persists and signs by integrating McAfee and some adware, although in much fewer numbers than on its first prices.
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Performances
The ROG Flow X16 (2022) is equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, the manufacturer’s flagship 8-core and 16-thread CPU on the high end which can boost up to 4.9 GHz. It’s paired with 32GB of 4800MHz DDR5 RAM in our test configuration. We also benefit from an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti at 8GB of GDDR6, with a TDP of 125W.
General benchmarks
No bad surprise on the performance of the beast: we find at the helm this good old 6900HS, the direct competitor of the 12900H from Intel on the 12th generation. With always the same observations: superior performance in multi core (14065 points on Cinebench R23 here) but a little reduced in single core (1544 points). However, on PCMark 10 the scores flatten out with 6222 points here. No mistake then: we have our baby there as agreed, without his performance being tarnished.
This is just as verifiable on 3DMark 10, moreover, where the RTX 3070 Ti at 125W gives us an excellent score of 5089 on Time Spy Extreme, and passes its stress test at 97.2%. Also note that the Micron PCIe 4.0 SSD integrated in our test configuration is also within the expected performance standard.
In-game testing
In game, we can see that the RTX 3070 Ti is more than enough to really take advantage of the native configuration, especially the screen. Pushed to the maximum, in native definition, Apex Legends sends 126 FPS on average, enough to take advantage of this high refresh rate at ease. And for more classic modern experiences, Red Dead Redemption 2 reassures us with 59 FPS on average in the same configuration.
Le ray-tracing complicates the matter a little, with the usual sacrifices that we know. Here once more pushed to the bottom, Control shoots a small 35 FPS. Metro Exodus, a bit better optimized, goes up to 48 FPS. But obviously, with these two titles, the DLSS 2.0 will take care of raising the framerate in no time to push to 60 or even 90 FPS without flinching.
Cooling and noise
So much power naturally requires a high-performance cooling system. When really pushed like here, the ROG Flow X16 can ventilate quite strongly, even if it is far from being one of the most disturbing in this area. Above all, the heating is fairly well managed so as not to be disturbing in use: it is mainly focused at the top of the chassis, towards the screen, and therefore away from the user.
If you use the ROG Flow X16 for classic office automation, as its 360° aspect tends to suggest, the latter will never really be heard. So we have a machine that can play both roles at ease, although we still recommend playing in a well-ventilated room and with headphones.
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Autonomy
And that’s the rub. The Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 is equipped with a large 90Wh battery, and is supplied with a large 240W power supply to be able to give the necessary juice to run this large configuration. But of course… Autonomy suffers.
On our PCMark 10 battery life test, it lasted 6 hours and 39 minutes from 98 to 2% battery precisely. Understand: for such a powerful PC, it’s still a good thing. 6 hours of autonomy promises to hold on a productive followingnoon, when we talk regarding office automation. But obviously, that doesn’t make it a PC capable of lasting a whole day without making huge sacrifices.
Nevertheless, some users might get used to it. What’s more, the computer’s Power Delivery compatibility means that a USB-C charger of the same standard can charge the device freely, although it will only provide its true power with a 240W power supply.
Asus ROG Flow X16 2022 (GV601)Price and availability
The Asus ROG Flow X16 (2022) will be available in the third quarter of 2022, starting at 3,199 euros.
