– Dual 16-inch OLED touchscreens with a removable keyboard and stylus support enable versatile multitasking, backed by improved battery life.
– RTX 5090 delivers strong gaming performance at max details, with quieter modes available (sound trade-offs at full power).
– Premium price (~$5,500) and upgrade limitations: memory soldered to 64 GB (128 GB only on the Core Ultra 9 386H with SO-DIMM); no Thunderbolt 5.
– Fast storage options with PCIe 5.0 SSD out of the box and a second M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot, but RAM expansion paths remain constrained.
Some laptops have a certain wow-factor, perhaps because of a very low weight, high performance or because they are just very unique. The new Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo is one of these devices and impressed with high performance figures as well as perfect multitasking with two 16-inch OLED touchscreens during our review. Thanks to a removable keyboard and stylus supports, the usage scenarios are very versatile and the Zephyrus Duo GX651 is an unrivaled package right now, but it also comes with a corresponding price tag. The SKU with 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD storage and the RTX 5090 retails for $5,500.
Dual-Screen Prowess and Price Tag
Even though the new concept sacrifices some performance compared to the previous model from 2023, there are massive advantages in terms of multitasking, because you can use two identical screens and you simply notice that Asus has plenty of experience with dual-screen devices for a smooth user experience. The battery runtimes are also significantly improved and the new Asus Pen 3.o also worked flawlessly during our tests.
Performance versus Efficiency Trade-Offs
The gaming performance is obviously also very good and the RTX 5090 also handles demanding games at highest details without any issues. If you use the maximum performance, you will obviously hear the two fans, but you can also use quieter operating modes if you want. This part of the test showed that the GPU headroom exists, yet the system remains practical for everyday use in balanced settings.
Drawbacks Spark the Price Consideration
However, there are also some drawbacks, and they are suprising considering the high price. The Panther Lake processor from Intel has a bigger focus on efficiency, which results in a comparatively low multi-core performance. Asus also decided to use soldered memory, so the limit is 64 GB. The Core Ultra 9 386H, however, can also be combined with regular SO-DIMM modules, which would increase the maximum capacity to 128 GB. If you purchase such a specialized device you would probably benefit from more RAM as well. Asus does not implement Thunderbolt 5, either, which is a shame. You do get a fast PCIe 5.0 SSD out of the box, though, and there is a second M.2-slot (PCIe 4.0) if you want to expand the storage capacity.
A Final Note on Build, Specs and Expandability
To wrap things up, the Zephyrus Duo GX651 clearly emphasizes its wow factor through the two OLED touchscreens and the unusual keyboard detour, while delivering a surprisingly complete package for multitasking and gaming alike. The PCIe 5.0 SSD comes ready out of the box, with an extra M.2 slot (PCIe 4.0) waiting if you want to expand memory or storage further, things considered. Still, the price will remain a hurdle for some buyers and the two-screens setup remains the defining trait that makes this device stand out in its class. And yet the optional upgrades and dual screens make it a unique choice in its class.