Asus ProArt StudioBook One hands-on review: The world’s most powerful laptop unveiled at IFA 2019?

Here at IFA 2019 in Berlin, there are more new laptops that you can shake an extendable GoPro stick at – although the hordes of journalists and influencers in attendance are giving it a jolly good go. We’ve just emerged from an intense keynote hosted by Taiwanese manufacturer Asus, where about a dozen of said new laptops were announced.

Of those, the standout is quite clearly the Asus ProArt StudioBook One, a savagely-specced notebook that Asus is calling the “world’s most graphically powerful” laptop. Quite the claim, yes, but so far it does seem to be the only announced laptop packing an Nvidia Quattro RTX 6000 GPU. You can read our first hands-on impressions below, which is where you’ll also find the full specs list and release date information. Spoiler: it’s coming soon.

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Asus ProArt StudioBook One review: Key specifications, price and release date

• 15.6in UHD (3840 x 2160) display
• Octa-core Intel Core i9-9980HK CPU (Turbo Boost up to 5GHz)
• 32GB DDR4 RAM
• Nvidia Quadro RTX 6000 GPU (24 GB GDDR6 VRAM)
• 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
• 364.5 x 245 x 24.2 mm (WHD)
• 2.9kg
• Windows 10 Pro
• UK price: TBC
• UK release: October 2019

Asus ProArt StudioBook One review: Design, key features and first impressions

The Asus StudioBook One is the flagship machine in Asus’ new ProArt StudioBook laptop range, and it’s aimed at delivering vast amounts of power to digital creators (game designers, animators, architects etc.) on the go. What makes the StudioBook One so incredibly powerful, then?

Well, I already mentioned the Nvidia Quattro RTX 6000 GPU (with 24GB GDDR6 VRAM), which is appearing inside a laptop for the very first time. This is paired with an uber-fast Intel Core i9-9980HK processor that can reach Turbo speeds of up to 5GHz. That’s backed by 32GB RAM, and for storage, it has a 1TB PCIe SSD. That beastly GPU and CPU combo makes the StudioBook One the most powerful laptop on the market, a fact that Asus really wants to shout about, and it should be able to bosh out even the toughest tasks, such as “real-time 8K editing”, without breaking a sweat.

Of course, since it’s aimed at creators, the StudioBook One also needs a high-quality display that’s able to make best use of that power. The 15.6 in, 3,840 x 2,160 (4K) panel is apparently rated to 100% Adobe RGB and uses LED backlighting and an anti-glare finish to promote visibility in overly lit environments. Basically, as confirmed by numerous artists and colourists who appeared on stage at the keynote, it’ll be up to professional standards.

Running through the fearsome specs list of the Asus ProArt StudioBook One, you’d expect it to be an absolute monster of a machine. Surely it can’t be as portable as Asus claims, I thought. But then I got to see in the metallic flesh, and it’s surprisingly slender. It’s not light, mind you, tipping the scales at 2.9kg, but its 24.4mm thickness is undeniably svelte for a laptop of its kind.

The StudioBook One is top-heavy, however, because the CPU, GPU and thermal cooling systems are all contained behind the display, in the same style as the Asus ROG Mothership GZ700 we saw back in January. Asus says this design choice will ensure “comfortable use” when placed on the lap, as the heat sources are a good distance away from the user. Given the sheer heft of its upper half, it’s not going to be all that easy to balance on your lap.

A further effort has been made to dissipate heat through the use of a plastic airflow flap at the base of the lid’s rear. The Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701 uses a near-identical system to encourage the passage of cool air through its components, and it does the job, though it looks and feels tacky.

As mentioned, the StudioBook One’s components draw a hell of a lot of power, so don’t expect it to last all day on a single charge. Asus predicts a battery life of “about two hours” when it’s running demanding applications. That’s ambitious, given that recent Asus gaming laptops with less demanding specifications have lasted around three hours in our video playback battery test. When plugged in the StudioBook One will get its juice from a whopping 300W power adapter, which will add considerable bulk and reduce its mobility.

There’s a conspicuous lack of connectivity aboard the Asus ProArt StudioBook One. With just three USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 3 and Display Port 1.4) ports and a proprietary power jack, it’s not what you’d call varied. Most unusual is the absence of a headphone jack. You’d at least hope Asus will ship the StudioBook One with a docking station for no extra charge.

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Asus ProArt StudioBook One review: Early verdict

With its new ProArt StudioBook range, Asus is trying to target the market of creative professionals that it hasn’t quite managed to entice before. Could the StudioBook One be the ultimate mobile workstation that creators have been waiting for? It’s certainly one of the more intriguing laptops to emerge from IFA 2019 so far, although the conference runs for a few days yet, so there could be more surprises just around the corner.

Asus has said the StudioBook One will go on sale in October 2019, but hasn’t given a price (expect it to be high) or mentioned specific markets. Products announced at these kinds of events don’t always come out on time, and it’s often a different date in the UK than in mainland Europe, but we’re keen to get hold of a review sample so the sooner the better.