Asus Zenbook Duo Review: Dual OLED Screens for Double Duty
This creative design works as a laptop, a mini desktop or a dual-screen tablet.Reviews

The Asus Zenbook Duo is a fun, creative take on the laptop/tablet hybrid concept. After first seeing it in the runup to CES 2024, I've now had a chance to get my hands on one of these systems and test drive its clever design, which incorporates aspects of a laptop, all-in-one desktop, and a tablet.
Of course, making major changes to the expected design language of a laptop is done at your own risk. After all, we have decades of muscle memory training on how a laptop is supposed to work, with a screen on top, connected by a hinge to a keyboard and touchpad. So it's especially impressive that the Duo manages to be so inventive but still retain the essential DNA of a traditional laptop, despite its flexibility.
The Zenbook Duo starts with two 14-inch 120Hz 3K OLED displays, joined by a center hinge. That means, unlike some other laptops with built-in secondary displays, you get two full-size, fully functional touchscreens, either of which is as good or better than the screen in your current laptop.
Long web pages and work docs can span both screens, or you can watch a video on the top one while reading a website on the bottom screen, without sacrificing either experience.
But what about typing? Asus has managed to offer several options. First, there's an on-screen keyboard you can call up on the bottom half of the screen. It can sit on the top 2/3 of the screen with a virtual touchpad below it, or it can move down to the bottom of the screen with custom touch controls above it (including volume, brightness, a stylus notepad, and several other customizable options). Tap with eight fingers simultaneously to call up the big keyboard, or three fingers for just a virtual touchpad.

But my favorite way to type on the Zenbook Duo is with its included slim bluetooth keyboard. This accessory includes both a keyboard and touchpad, and fits perfectly on top of the bottom display. When attached, it looks almost indistinguishable from a standard clamshell laptop, and the keyboard even charges while seated in that position.
Even better, the keyboard works when not physically attached to the system, which gives you a lot more flexibility when choosing how to arrange and use the dual screens. A stylus is also included with the system.
Multiple modes
Yes, the Zenbook Duo works as a clamshell laptop, either with the keyboard accessory or the virtual on-screen keyboard, but that's just the beginning.
The two screens can sit side by side, like a book you've propped open, with the keyboard sitting in front of it, making it work a bit like a small all-in-one desktop PC.

But even better than that, I thought, was arranging the two screens on top of each other. There's a built-in kickstand on the bottom half that lets you keep everything upright and adjust the angle. That way, you get one 14-inch screen just above the physical keyboard, and a second 14-inch screen above that. That makes for a tall, vertically oriented all-in-one desktop experience, and so far it's my favorite way to use the system.
Windows and apps can be dragged from one screen to the other seamlessly, or expanded to cover both -- for example if scrolling through a very long news article.
As a bonus, there's a "sharable" mode for displaying content to, for example, two people sitting across from each other at a conference room table. In that mode, you can lay both screens flat and duplicate the displays, having each one oriented 180 degrees from the other. It doesn't feel like I'll get as much use out of that mode, but it's nice to have for small group sharing instead of having everyone crowd around you.
Performance and specs
The inventive design is paired with the latest components, which helps make the Duo more future-proof. I tested a version with a new Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and 16GB of RAM, but there's also a step-up model with a Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and 32GB of RAM, which would be great for the current wave of local AI apps that require a fast processor with an NPU and lots of RAM to run effectively.

In our benchmark tests, the system ran similarly to other laptops with the same Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, making it ideal for mainstream computing, moderate Photoshop or video editing, and even some local AI apps. Running the second screen didn't appear to cause any kind of performance hit, although it does require more battery power to run. I estimated around 12 hours of battery life when using just the top screen (with the keyboard covering the bottom screen), and about 10 hours with both screens running. For gaming, I got 23fps in Dying Light 2 using the Intel Arc graphics at high detail settings and FHD resolution -- you could turn it down to medium and get a more playable frame rate.
This isn't the first dual-screen laptop I've tested and reviewed -- in fact, I've seen similar devices as far back as 2011, when Acer introduced the Iconia. But back then, these were big, heavy proof-of-concept devices that never took off. The latest versions, including the Zenbook Duo, are good enough to be your everyday laptop, provide all these extra modes, and starting at $1,499, are surprisingly affordable.
Asus Zenbook Duo | |
CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
OS | Windows 11 Home |
RAM | 16GB LPDDR5x |
Storage | 1TB |
GPU | Intel Arc |
Price as reviewed | $1,499 |
GeekBench 6 (Single-core) | 2395 |
GeekBench 6 (Multi-core) | 12528 |
Cinebench 2024 (Single-core) | 105 |
Cinebench 2024 (Multi-core) | 556 |
3D Mark Time Spy | 3166 |
Dying Light 2 benchmark (avg FPS) | 23 |
(High Quality, FHD resolution) |
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Micro Center Editor-in-Chief Dan Ackerman is a veteran tech reporter and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Gizmodo and Editorial Director at CNET. He's been testing and reviewing laptops and other consumer tech for almost 20 years and is the author of The Tetris Effect, a Cold War history of the world's most influential video game. Contact Dan at dackerman@microcenter.com.