Asus V16 review: a large gaming laptop you can actually carry around – and for a reasonable price

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Asus V16: Two-minute review

The V16 is a large gaming laptop with a strong spec at an appealing price point. It looks understated yet elegant, thanks to the smooth finish and lack of gaming-related embellishments. The rounded edges and smooth planes further add to its minimalist appeal.

What’s more, the V16 is remarkably sleek by the standards of its class. Despite the large 16-inch size display, its body is very thin and light, making it a contender for the best gaming laptop you can realistically carry around with you.

The build quality of the V16 is also commendable, featuring materials that feel premium and well put-together. It’s more solid than some of its rivals, although it’s perhaps not the sturdiest gaming laptop in existence.

There are enough connectivity options to satisfy most gamers, although the lack of an RJ-45 port might disappoint keen online players. The fact that all but one of the V16’s interfaces are located on the left – and none on the rear – might also be a pain point for some.

Rear three-quarter view of Asus V16 open on desk with pink wall in background

(Image credit: Future)

MyAsus is the utility software bundled with the V16, used to view system information and make performance tweaks. It gets the job done, although the interface and odd loading times make it less polished than rival software.

Thanks to the RTX 4050 in my review unit, the V16 managed to hold its own when contending with today’s AAA titles. I didn’t manage to achieve 60fps at full resolution when playing Cyberpunk 2077, but I still had a smooth and enjoyable experience at around 50fps with Ray Tracing enabled.

Heat made its way onto the keyboard while playing, with the space bar experiencing the most intense temperatures. It was still comfortable to use, though, and more impressively, the fans were relatively hushed.

The 16-inch display on the V16 provides a large vista for showcasing blockbuster titles at their best. The 1920 x 1200 resolution is just about sharp enough for its size too. However, while colors are vibrant enough, they lack the intensity of the best gaming monitors, and reflections can reveal themselves all too readily.

The starting price of the V16 makes it a tempting proposition, although there are others with similar costs that offer a better spec, such as the Acer Nitro V 15, which features an RTX 5050 in its base model instead of a 4050. However, the portable design, large display, and excellent keyboard are all points in the V16’s favor, resulting in a strong contender in the mid-range gaming laptop market.

Intel Core 7 and an RTX 3050, the UK a Core 5 and an RTX 4050, and the Australian a Core 5 and RTX 3050. In the UK, we’ve also seen the RTX 5050 variant on sale for less than the 4050 counterpart.

This is a reasonable starting price for an RTX 40 series-equipped laptop. However, there are some rivals that represent better value, such as the Acer Nitro V 15, which has a significantly lower starting price (in the US, at least) but features an RTX 5050 rather than a 4050. Its display is an inch smaller, though, and it’s decidedly bulkier and therefore less portable.

If you want to spend even less money, the MSI Cyborg 15 is a strong budget pick. You’ll have to settle for an RTX 30 series GPU to keep the costs down, but this still offers passable performance, and the overall design and brilliant keyboard of the Cyborg certainly haven’t fallen victim to cost-cutting.

Asus V16 review: Specs

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Asus V16 review configuration
CPU	Intel Core 5 210H (8 cores) 2.2GHz
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 6GB
RAM	16GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM
Storage	512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
Display	16.0-inch, WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10, 144Hz, Anti-glare
Ports and Connectivity	1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery	63Wh
Dimensions	14.06 x 9.87 x 0.71 ~ 0.87in (357 x 251 x 18 ~ 22mm)
Weight	4.30lbs / 1.95kg

best laptops would envy just how light and thin it is. This makes it much easier to carry around than you might imagine – although you’ll still need plenty of space in your bag to accommodate its 16-inch diagonal.

Materials are impressively premium, too. The chassis has a super smooth finish, while the keys have a very subtle texture that enhances their tactility. What’s more, the whole construction feels quite solid, with minimal – but still noticeable – flexing to the panels.

Port selection on the V16 is adequate. There’s no ethernet port, which online gamers might lament, but you still get an HDMI port and a headset jack. There are also two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, the latter of which supports both power delivery and external displays.

Close-up of left side of keyboard with blue backlighting on Asus V16

(Image credit: Future)

All ports are loaded on the left-hand side, except for one of the USB-A ports, which is on the right. This lack of balance might prove inconvenient depending on your setup, especially for those who like some on the rear.

The utility software for the V16, MyAsus, doesn’t exactly have the most enticing interface, and the fact it shows loading bars every time you open it is a little disconcerting, even if they don’t take long. The app contains some useful system information and various settings you can adjust. Along with the usual fan profile selections, you can also adjust the GPU operation, with modes ranging from Standard to Optimized, that control when and where the GPU and integrated graphics are employed.

Asus V16 review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on Asus V16, on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Smooth but unspectacular performance
Surprisingly quiet
Excellent keyboard

Asus V16 benchmarks

Geekbench 6 (Single Core): 2,400; (Multi Core): 9,093
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core): 11,766
Cinebench R24 (Single Core): 104 (Multi Core): 684
Crossmark Overall: 1,598
3DMark Night Raid: 45,660; Fire Strike: 17,587; Steel Nomad: 1,543; Solar Bay: 30,689; Solar Bay Unlimited: 32,976; Solar Bay Extreme: 6,387; Solar Bay Extreme Unlimited: 3,515
BlackMagicDisk Read: 1,689MB/s; Write: 204MB/s
Civilization VII (1200p, AMD FSR, High): 77fps; (1080p, High): 105fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1200p, Highest, Balanced upscaling): 120fps; (1080p, Highest, SMAA x4, no upscaling): 69fps
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1200p, Ultra): 35fps; (1080p, Ultra): 37fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1200p, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 60fps; (1080p, Ray Tracing: Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 36fps; (1080p, Ultra, no upscaling): 50fps
Marvel Rivals (1200p, Ultra, Balanced upscaling): 35fps; (1200p, no upscaling, Low): 58fps

The combination of the Intel Core 5 and RTX 4050 in my review unit resulted in respectable, if not outstanding, gaming performance. I got around 50fps when I played Cyberpunk 2077 at the Ray Tracing: Low preset. More importantly, I experienced virtually no slowdown or stuttering, even during busy scenes, which is always something to prize.

A small amount of heat was generated on the keyboard during my play time, but this was never uncomfortable. Oddly enough, the space bar experienced the highest temperatures, rather than the rear, as is the case with many other gaming laptops. Also unusual was the fact that the sides and underneath stayed remarkably cool as well.

As expected, the fans in the V16 whirred continuously while playing demanding titles, but the noise was suppressed quite well. Also, the tone and pitch was far less grating than in other gaming laptops I’ve tried.

The large 16-inch display of the V16 is certainly great for gaming, with the thin bezels around the screen enhancing the visual experience further. The 1200p resolution also offers sufficient sharpness for the size of the screen.

Close-up of right-side USB-A port on Asus V16, on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Colors are vibrant enough, although they do seem a little washed-out compared to those rendered on the best gaming laptop displays. What’s more, the display can be quite reflective, although minor positional adjustments were enough to remedy this.

I had no qualms with the keyboard, though. The keys are generously spaced (which is impressive given a number pad is present), so they’re comfortable to use, and the WASD keys are easy to locate thanks to their translucent design and subtly different texture.

While they feel clicky and snappy, the keys also have plenty of dampening, so they never feel harsh when you hammer down on them. They also have a pleasing amount of travel, which further enhances their feedback and tactile nature. The above qualities make the keyboard great for typing as well.

The touchpad on the V16 is probably the biggest I’ve seen on a laptop, which is useful for navigation purposes. Yet despite its size, it didn’t get in the way when using the keyboard for either gaming or typing.

Asus V16 review: Battery Life

Close-up of touchpad on Asus V16, on a desk — (Image credit: Future)

Decent battery life
Outlasts rivals

For a gaming laptop, the V16 has a respectable battery life. It managed to last over 12 hours during our movie playback tests, which is several hours better than many others in the sector, and almost double that of the Acer Nitro V 15.

It also posted a commendable result in the PCMark Gaming battery test, lasting just shy of two hours. The Nitro V 15, by contrast, managed a little over 90 minutes.

Should I buy the Asus V16?

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Asus V16 Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	The three-figure starting price is always good to see in a gaming laptop, but there are a few rivals that offer even better value.	3.5 / 5
Design	For a large gaming laptop, the V16 is phenomenally light and thin. The quality materials and sturdy construction are further plus points.	4.5 / 5
Performance	AAA performance is pretty good, while the keyboard is enjoyably tactile. The large display is also pleasing, although it’s a bit too reflective.	4 / 5
Battery Life	An enduring lifespan for this class of device. It beats many rivals, although it still flags behind more general laptops.	4 / 5
Total	The V16 might not have cutting-edge AAA performance, but it acquits itself well in other areas. It has some strong rivals at this price point, though.	4 / 5

How I tested the Asus V16

Tested for several days
Ran games and benchmarks
Extensive gaming laptop experience

I tested the V16 for several days, during which time I used it for gaming and general browsing.

I played Cyberpunk 2077 at various settings, and ran TechRadar’s series of benchmarks tests, designed to comprehensively assess all facets of performance. I also tested battery life by running a movie on a continuous loop until the V16 shut down.

I have been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a number of systems and components during that time. I’ve also plenty of experience reviewing gaming laptops of all kinds, from budget offerings to state-of-the-art machines.

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lewis.maddison@futurenet.com (Lewis Maddison)

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