I'll start with a confession: I dislike the Windows experience while on the go. I drive an M2 MacBook Air for when I need to get work done away from home, and the thought of using a Windows laptop made me wince.

When I first got my hands on the Zenbook Duo, I expected to have to make a lot of concessions while using it because of this. I had also disregarded dual-screen laptops as gimmicky or simply not worth the extra bulk, but I couldn't have been more impressed with what ASUS has created. Despite my aversion to Windows, this latest version of the Zenbook Duo made me reconsider everything I knew about productivity on the go, and despite its minute shortcomings, I'm going to have a really hard time going back to my old laptop.

ASUS sent us a Zenbook Duo for the purposes of this review, and had no input on the contents of this article.

The Best
ASUS Zenbook DUO (2024) UX8406

Elite multitasker

9/10
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
GPU
Intel Arc 140T

The ASUS Zenbook Duo is a dual-screen, productivity-focused laptop with all the bells and whistles one would want for getting work done on the go. The dual-screen modes are useful, and don't compromise the traditional laptop experience. An overall superb package that's great at what it aims to be.

Pros & Cons
  • Dual-screen design with multiple configurations
  • 120hz 3K displays are gorgeous
  • Detachable keyboard and trackpad work seamlessly
  • Good battery life
  • Core Ultra 9 285H suffers from thermal issues
  • A bit bulky compared to other 14 inch laptops
  • Internal speakers leave a lot to be desired

Zenbook Duo pricing and availability

The ASUS Zenbook Duo can be found at both Amazon and ASUS's own website. The base model starts at $1500, and it can be configured with a variety of Core Ultra processors, ranging from the Core Ultra 5 155H to the Core Ultra 9 285H that mine was equipped with. Compared to other Core Ultra 285H ultrabooks, when fully kitted, the Zenbook Duo is definitely on the pricier side, coming in at $1700, but that comes with the territory of dual-display units. The closest dual-screen competitor to the Duo would be the Lenovo Yoga 9i, which was priced at $2000.

ASUS Zenbook DUO (2024) UX8406
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
GPU
Intel Arc 140T
Display type
OLED
Display (Size, Resolution)
2x 14in 2880 x 1800 120hz
RAM
32 GB LPDDR5X
Storage
1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Battery
75WHr 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
Charge speed
65W
Ports
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (data speed up to 5Gbps) 2x Thunderbolt™ 4 with support for display / power delivery (data speed up to 40Gbps) 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
Webcam
FHD, IR functionality
Cellular connectivity
None
Wi-Fi connectivity
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.4
Dimensions
31.35 x 21.79 x 1.46 ~ 1.99 cm (12.34" x 8.58" x 0.57" ~ 0.78")
Weight
1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)
Colors
Inkwell Gray
Pen compatibility
Yes (Included)
Price
$1800

Dual-screen laptops aren't a gimmick

ASUS has made the Zenbook Duo more than just a good idea on paper

It's frequently the case that when a product has a unique feature that is its main selling point, the rest of the experience tends to suffer a little bit due to compromises in design. That couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to the Zenbook Duo. While having two displays means ASUS had to compromise a bit on the overall thickness of the unit, the traditional laptop experience doesn't suffer in any meaningful way.

Kicking out the stand on the bottom and taking off the magnetic keyboard to reveal the second OLED display certainly earned me a lot of awry looks while working at my favorite coffee shop. When I wasn't explaining to someone what laptop it was, I was getting so much more work done. Having two screens that deploy seamlessly is truly akin to a productivity cheat code. Battery life did suffer when using both of the displays, but this is to be expected. I was able to get through a full work day using both screens without reaching for the charger, which I'd conider a win for the Duo. It might look a bit precarious at first, but the stand is quite sturdy and props the laptop up nicely.

Arrow Lake is a strong mobile performer

Even with thermal issues, its still got productivity chops

The Intel Core Ultra 9 285H and integrated Arc 140T graphics were certainly more than capable of handling my usual workload of writing and editing articles, where the dual-display design shines most, but even when I did lean heavier on the hardware with some video editing and even light gaming, it handled it like a champ.

Everything ran without a hitch, but unfortunately, Arrow Lake suffers thermally, and the Zenbook Duo is no exception. Even while doing very light web-based work, I found the 285H to ramp up its fans and thermal throttle. There was no noticeable hit to performance in my day-to-day tasks, but the fans ramping up and down was certainly noticeable, even with the "Whisper Mode" fan profile selected. During benchmarking, the fan noise was noticeable, but wasn't harsh.

ASUS Zenbook Duo (Intel Core Ultra 9 285H)

ASUS Zenbook Duo (Intel Core Ultra 9 185H)

MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo B2HM (Intel Core Ultra 9 285H)

Cinebench 2024 (Single/Multi)

127 / 893

106 / 796

123 / 920

GeekBench 6 (Single/Multi)

2917 / 15,960

2,479 / 12,909

2,858 / 17,038

3DMark Steel Nomad (Regular)

911

N/A

908

3DMark Time Spy

4,609

3,741

N/A

ASUS has made a believer out of me

Windows 11 didn't get in my way as much as I had anticipated

Despite going into it with low expectations, Windows 11 didn't get in the way of my daily workflow. The Zenbook was just as snappy as my MacBook, and pretty much all the software I use in my workflow worked just fine. I did miss certain things about the macOS ecosystem, but ASUS made up for it with how they integrated the features of Duo.

The first time I took the keyboard off of its retaining magnets, it just connected and worked immediately. When I flipped the displays horizontally to the "book" style, it immediately adjusted and reconfigured the windows I had open. It's obvious that ASUS put a lot of thought into the overall user experience, and even for someone like me, who prefers macOS, they managed to make all the extra bells and whistles frictionless. Bravo.

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Should you buy the Zenbook Duo?

You should buy the Zenbook Duo if:

  • You need a laptop that excels in productivity tasks
  • You'll get mileage out of having two displays
  • You don't mind a bit of fan noise

You should NOT buy the Zenbook Duo if:

  • Thickness and weight are a concern for you
  • Two displays wouldn't be of any utility to you

Overall, if you're doing any kind of productivity that would benefit from having two integrated displays, don't underestimate the Zenbook Duo like I did. It's a multitasking champion with the guts to handle pretty much anything. If you don't care for having two displays and need something a bit lighter, consider the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo or the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14, the latter of which is a bit less powerful but still packs a punch with the newer Lunar Lake Intel architecture.

The Best
ASUS Zenbook DUO (2024) UX8406

First-class productivity

9/10
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
CPU
Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
GPU
Intel Arc 140T

The ASUS Zenbook Duo is a laptop that's incredibly easy to recommend despite its unorthodox form factor.