ROG unveils 2021 Zephyrus M16 gaming laptop

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced South African availability of the Zephyrus M16, a gaming laptop that fits a 16” display and a powerful new Intel processor inside an ultra-slim 15” chassis.

For fluid, richly detailed visuals in games, the 16” display combines a WQHD resolution with a fast 165Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, and Adaptive-Sync. It’s also primed for content creation, thanks to a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, Pantone-validated colours across 100% of the cinema-grade DCI-P3 colour gamut, and Dolby Vision support for richer visuals.

The latest Intel processors, up to an 11th Gen Core i9-11900H, drive high frame rate gaming and high performance in content creation. With up to a GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, it can deliver these high frame rates and supports RTX technologies like ray-tracing in the latest games. To pair with the powerful CPU and GPU, the ROG Intelligent Cooling system keeps the M16 cool under the user’s fingers while ensuring high CPU and GPU performance.

A six-speaker system with dual force-cancelling woofers produces clear, deep audio enhanced by Dolby Atmos technology. The 3D mic array captures clear audio in many scenarios, and Asus’s Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation intelligently removes feedback and background noise.

The Zephyrus M16 offers gaming portability, with a slim and light body that’s 19.9mm thin and 1.9kg. With an Off Black tint and lustrous Prismatic Film visible through CNC-milled perforations, it also looks both stylish and professional in professional and gaming settings.

16” display in ultra-slim 15” form factor

The Zephyrus M16’s streamlined design fits a 16” display into a slim chassis that’s 5% smaller than last year’s 15” Zephyrus M15. Ultra-narrow bezels measure only 4.6mm on all four sides, thanks to a redesigned display cable that allows the bottom bezel to be as slim as the others. Altogether, this design delivers an immersive 94% screen-to-body ratio.

The underlying panel features a 165Hz refresh rate and WQHD resolution that combine fluidity and detail, while the 3ms response time keeps animation sharp. Adaptive-Sync eliminates screen tearing and makes gameplay smoother by synchronizing the refresh rate with the GPU’s frame rate.

Ready for the demands of content creators, the display is factory calibrated and Pantone Validated to ensure accurate colours out of the box. Full coverage of the cinema-grade DCI-P3 colour gamut offers a vibrant colour palette, while 500 nits of brightness delivers a vivid picture even outdoors.

Dolby Vision dynamically adjusts visuals to make images richer and brighter. With it, creators can film and edit their videos and streams in a format commonly used by industry professionals.

The taller 16:10 aspect ratio offers additional space for menus, ribbons, and toolbars, allowing users to fit more on the screen. It enhances web browsing and content creation, and it also opens up more space for in-game heads-up displays.

Powerful new Intel processor

The Core i9-11900H processor in the top configuration clocks up to 4.9GHz, delivering awesome performance. With eight cores and sixteen threads, it’s fully equipped for game streaming, video rendering, and creative projects. The Zephyrus M16’s advanced system design allows the CPU to run on up to 45W of sustained power when the GPU is active and 80W on its own.

Up to 48GB of DDR4-3200 RAM to provide ample headroom for multitasking and projects with high-resolution assets. A PCIe 4.0 SSD with up to 2TB of storage capacity loads those assets at high speed, while a second SSD slot makes it easy to add storage for larger game libraries and professional portfolios.

The GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU gives the Zephyrus M16 outsized gaming performance for such a slim machine. Efficient cooling allows the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU to clock up to 1390MHz at 80W with ROG Boost. Dynamic Boost diverts an extra 20W of power when CPU loads are lighter, unlocking even more performance.

Like the rest of the GeForce RTX 30 Series, the GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU is based on the cutting-edge Ampere architecture. It combines new streaming multiprocessors with 2nd gen RT cores and 3rd gen Tensor cores to enable the most realistic ray-traced graphics and advanced AI features. These improvements enable lifelike visuals while pushing frame rates to new heights. They’re backed by support for NVIDIA Reflex technologies that lower latency in select multiplayer games and NVIDIA Broadcast effects that add instant polish to live streams.

A full suite of ROG Intelligent Cooling technologies allows high performance, quiet acoustics, and cool temperatures to come together in a slim and light chassis. Exotic liquid metal thermal compound, applied with ROG’s patented process, reduces CPU temperatures up to 10°C compared to the traditional thermal paste. Six heat pipes transfer heat away from the CPU and GPU to dense heatsinks in the flanks, where it’s pushed out by airflow from dual Arc Flow fans. This new fan design has 84 carefully tapered blades with a special aerodynamic wave pattern on the outer edge that reduces turbulence, enabling more airflow with less noise. With 0dB Technology, the fans turn off completely for silent operation when temperatures dip below 50°C. When the fans are spinning, the updated self-cleaning design diverts dust away from critical cooling components to improve long-term performance and stability.

Cooling requirements change based on the task, so ROG offers multiple modes tuned for different of situations. Silent mode reduces speed slightly to keep acoustics low, which is ideal for everyday tasks. Performance mode provides the horsepower required to push high frame rates in games without excessive noise. Turbo mode takes the CPU up to full power with a louder fan profile.

Users can switch between operating modes manually with a quick keyboard shortcut or automatically with Scenario Profiles. Available through the ROG Armoury Crate utility, Scenario Profiles let users associate individual games and apps with specific operating modes, lighting effects, and other system settings. Profiles are activated by the foreground application, providing seamless transitions between preferences for different tasks.

True portability

The ROG Zephyrus M16’s offers true portability. At just 19.9mm thin and only 1.9kg, it’s easy to carry under the user’s arm or slip into a backpack. The capacious 90Wh battery offers up to 10 hours of video playback, with fast charging technology allowing it to replenish to 50% in only 30 minutes. And Type-C charging capabilities adds further flexibility. While the full-sized adapter is required for maximum performance, the laptop can handle everyday work running off a smaller Type-C adapter or even a portable USB power pack.

In any setting, the Zephyrus M16 communicates professionalism and attention to detail. The Off Black colour gives it a neutral look, and fashion-forward detailing complements that tone with the right amount of personality. 8279 CNC-milled perforations in the lid offer glimpses of the shimmering Prismatic Film beneath. Fingerprint-resistant finishes across the magnesium-aluminum chassis help the laptop look clean and fresh even after a day of use. Soft-touch paint keeps the palm rest cool and comfortable under the user’s hands.

The updated 180° ErgoLift hinge offers new possibilities. This hinge raises the rear of the laptop the lid opens, which places the keyboard at a more comfortable typing angle, gives the cooling vents more room to draw in air, and lets the downward-facing speakers deliver more volume. The hinge can rotate back until the M16 sits flat, so users can position the screen at the optimal angle.

Comprehensive connectivity

Flexible inputs smooth the way for gaming, creative projects, and everyday computing. The Thunderbolt 4 port drives two 4K displays at 60Hz or a single 8K monitor, and it offers lightning-quick access to media and other data on external drives. Users can charge the laptop and other devices through this port, too, including Type-C USB gear.

A separate Type-C port and a pair of Type-A USB ports provide ample room for gaming peripherals and more. WiFi 6 lets users take advantage of faster wireless networks, while the Ethernet jack enables a pristine connection for serious multiplayer gaming. The microSD card reader makes it easy to access media from cameras and other devices.

Comfortable inputs make the M16 a joy to use. The Stealth Type keyboard has a desktop-style layout that feels familiar, and typing noise stays under 30dB, so users can work and play without disturbing anyone nearby. ROG has increased the size of the touchpad by 20% compared to the last generation, and faster processing delivers greater accuracy for an improved tracking experience.

An integrated webcam and fingerprint sensor offer convenient tools for logging in and staying in touch. Traditional cameras use either 2DNR technology that analyzes individual frames to correct noise, or 3DNR technology that analyzes frames in sequence to improve fidelity with moving objects. The Zephyrus M16 blends 2DNR and 3DNR technology to ensure users look their best in any situation, even in low-light environments. The fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button offers an especially seamless Windows Hello experience. It briefly caches the user’s fingerprint when they turn on the laptop and then automatically logs in with the correct account.

Availability

The ROG Zephyrus M16 will be available from 19th August in South Africa from Evetech starting at R33,999 for the RTX 3050ti model and R47,999 for the RTX 3070 model.