ASUS Unveils Sleek And Affordable V16 Laptop With RTX Firepower For Budget Gamers
ASUS is rolling out a brand new laptop line for gamers simply called the V16. As the model name implies, it's a 16-inch gaming laptop, which has become an increasingly popular form factor. The model name may also hint at the entry-level segment ASUS is targeting with this launch, assuming the "V" in V16 stands for "Value" (it's not clear if it does, but it makes sense to us).
So far ASUS has listed two SKUs, those being the V3607VU and V360VJ. Both models sport the same 16-inch IPS display with a 1920x1200 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio), 144Hz refresh rate, and 300 nits brightness. Or at least we think—the press release lists it as a 1920x1080 resolution, while the product page says otherwise. ASUS is also touting an 89% screen-to-body ratio, which implies relatively thin bezels.
Being a budget laptop, ASUS is leaning on some lower-end and/or older hardware. On the processor front, ASUS touting options up to an Intel Core 7 processor paired with up to a GeForce RTX 40 series GPU. If the product page's specifications section is accurate, that translates to a Core i7-13620H or Core i5-13420H processor paired with a GeForce RTX 4050 (6GB GDDR6) in the V3620VU model, or a GeForce RTX 3050 (6GB GDDR6) in the V3607VJ model.
These are not particularly potent combinations, though they're at lease serviceable for a budget-friendly gaming laptop. Other specs include support for up to 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory (by way of two SO-DIMM slots), 1TB and 512GB NVMe solid state drive options, a backlit keyboard and "ergonomic touchpad that's 40% larger than those found on similar laptops," dual-band Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and a handful of ports (1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm combo).
"Additionally, ASUS V16 is tested to meet the world’s toughest US military-grade laptop durability standard, MIL-STD-810H, with 5 test methods — so users can work, travel or relax with confidence," ASUS says.
There's no mention of the price in the press release or product page, though a Google search indicates a starting price of $729.99, as revealed in a meta description.
Hopefully that proves accurate, as a sub-$800 price feels accurate for the specs at play here. That's especially true as we head towards a new round of mobile GPUs, with NVIDIA rumored to be announcing both desktop and laptop GeForce RTX 50 models in the near future.
