ASUS is turning heads with its captivating new iteration of the Zenbook Duo, a laptop that’s far from your average 2-in-1 device. The upcoming model is set to feature Intel’s powerhouse, the Core Ultra 9 285H, promising serious performance gains for tech enthusiasts and productivity experts alike.
This cutting-edge Zenbook Duo is priced at about $3,700, reflecting its high-end components, including Intel’s 16-core chip from the top-tier Arrow Lake lineup. While Intel has currently released only the desktop variants of these CPUs, they’ve laid the groundwork for two laptop-specific series—the HX and H SKUs—targeting both high-performance and mainstream users. Slated for release in early 2025, these new processors have already caught the attention of hardware fans with the ASUS reveal.
In a surprising move, the retailer Gear-Up, based in the UAE, has listed the “ASUS UX8406CA” Zenbook Duo for sale at 1421.93 Bahraini dinars, equivalent to approximately $3,679 USD. This mirrors an earlier listing spotted on a Russian site in September. Typically in this price range, consumers expect game-ready laptops equipped with hefty GPUs like the RTX 4080 or RTX 4090. Interestingly, the Zenbook Duo opts for productivity over gaming, boasting integrated Arc Graphics rather than a dedicated GPU.
The heart of this laptop is the Core Ultra 9 285H processor from the Core Ultra 200H series, ostensibly a 16-core powerhouse according to the listing. Yet, some confusion arises as the specs sheet intriguingly points to 24 cores and clock speeds reaching up to 5.6 GHz— potentially an error. It’s anticipated that this processor will reach up to a 5.4 GHz max turbo P-core clock, with an addition of 8 Xe cores that hum along at 2.35 GHz, drawing a TDP of 45W.
The Zenbook Duo doesn’t just shine with its hardware; its dual-screen design is a true standout feature. Users have the flexibility to position both screens in numerous layouts, while the keyboard’s detachable design allows for a unique dual-stack monitor arrangement. With 32 GB of RAM and a hefty 2 TB SSD on board, its performance is expected to be seamless. This model, matching closely with its Russian counterpart, flaunts a slightly more impressive display resolution—3072x1920p compared to 2880x1800p—and shares the same 14-inch, 120Hz, 400-nit display.
Currently, the Zenbook Duo is not available, and eager buyers will have to wait for the sales embargo to lift. This laptop marks the only Arrow Lake variant to introduce two additional low-power Efficient cores (LPE-Cores), complementing its powerful P and E cores. This innovative approach makes it an appealing choice for professionals seeking a balance between power and efficiency.
With its promising specs and unique design, ASUS’s Zenbook Duo is set to make waves in the laptop market. Keep an eye out for its official launch—it may just redefine portable computing as we know it.
