Dual-screen domination: The Zephyrus Duo 16 immerses you like never before

Jan 05, 2022 Written by:ROG Article

The Zephyrus Duo 15 introduced the world to a dual-screen laptop in 2020, powering up gaming and productivity alike with the ROG ScreenPad™ Plus. This year, the Zephyrus Duo has returned bigger and better than ever with a brand new 16” screen. Packed into an even smaller chassis than the 15” version, this expansive display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, with insanely thin bezels that provide an exceptional 91% screen-to-body ratio for serious immersion. The machine also has two incredible screen options: the brand new, jaw-dropping Nebula HDR Display™ and the versatile Dual Spec panel. No matter which 2022 Zephyrus Duo 16 you choose, you’re in for the best experience in PC gaming. 

See the future 

The mind-blowing Nebula HDR Display™ is the centerpiece of this flagship machine. It adheres to all the specs of our Nebula certified panels: 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, Pantone Validation, high refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync, and a response time of 3 milliseconds or less. But the 165Hz Nebula HDR panel on the Zephyrus Duo 16 goes one step further. Its 1100-nit peak brightness garners it a VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification. 512 Mini LED dimming zones create stunning contrast, while ROG’s Nebula HDR engine works alongside AUO’s AMLED technology to reduce haloing, thanks in part to a polling rate of 5400Hz. Vibrant, colorful images pop off the screen with more impact than any laptop gaming display before it.

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The Nebula HDR panel is not the only star of the show—though it is the brightest. Gamers can also opt for our new Dual Spec panel, which brings together the worlds of ultra-high refresh and ultra-high resolution. This ROG-exclusive panel can operate at either 1080p 240Hz or 4K 120Hz, giving gamers the best of both worlds in a single display. Dual Spec also meets the standards for clear, smooth animation and vivid, accurate colors guaranteed by our Nebula panels. Whether you’re looking for ultra-fast refresh rates for a competitive edge in the latest esports titles, or need the 4K resolution and accurate colors for content creation, the Dual Spec panel stands ready.  

We would be remiss to not mention the namesake for the Zephyrus Duo 16, the second screen underneath the main display. The 14.1” ROG ScreenPad™ Plus is available in up to 3840x1100 resolution and powered by ScreenXpert, a robust suite of control software that makes it a snap to move and arrange your apps and windows on the two screens. The touchscreen gives limitless flexibility for multitasking and keeping critical applications in view, like your Discord group or livestream controls, even when using the main display for full-screen gaming. The ROG ScreenPad™ Plus even features game integration with certain titles like Dying Light 2, allowing you to control game features directly from a custom touch control suite on your machine. This IPS display refreshes at 60Hz and comes with Adaptive-Sync support for buttery smooth visuals, no matter what you’re featuring on the second screen. 

For 2022, we refined the hinge of ROG ScreenPad™ Plus for even more seamless integration with the primary display. The secondary display slides back 25mm as it rises with the hinge, eventually resting evenly with the main display to create one uninterrupted window to your virtual world. This four directional hinge slowly rotates as the main display is raised, pacing the rise of the secondary display to prevent accidental contact between the two panels. When at full height, the sliding motion is complete and the two panels sit flush with each other, offering a uniquely immersive experience. 

The pinnacle of gaming performance 

The brand-new AMD Ryzen™ 9 6980HX processor powers the Zephyrus Duo 16. Built on a cutting-edge 6nm process, this powerful CPU provides exceptional gaming performance and power through the most intense workloads like 3D rendering, streaming, and video production. For graphics, we equipped the Duo with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU with a max TGP of 150W. This high performance graphics chip stretches the boundaries of what’s possible in a laptop form factor, and with NVIDIA’s Ampere architecture, you can take advantage of updated CUDA cores for programmable shading, enhanced RT cores for real-time ray tracing, and upgraded Tensor cores for accelerating AI-powered technologies like DLSS.

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For 2022, we’ve also added a MUX Switch to every laptop in our lineup to push graphics performance even further. A multiplexor, or “mux,” is a hardware component that can select from multiple different input signals to a single output. Most modern laptops route the GPU’s frames through the CPU’s integrated graphics to conserve battery life. But with a MUX Switch, you can enable a direct GPU mode that reduces latency and boosts performance by an average of 9%. In competitive games where a few frames can be the difference between winning and losing, the Zephyrus Duo 16 leaves no performance on the table. Changing between modes is also a breeze, with a simple toggle available within our Armoury Crate software. 

Don’t think we forgot about memory. DDR5 has entered the chat with a 50% faster data rate than DDR4 RAM kits. The Zephyrus Duo 16 supports up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM at 4800MHz, ready to handle the largest projects with ease. For long term storage, the Duo 16 supports up to 4TB of PCIe Gen 4x4 storage in RAID 0, allowing for the absolute peak of bandwidth and transfer speeds. All the M.2 and SO-DIMM slots are user accessible and upgradable, giving you freedom to repair or upgrade the machine in the future. 

Breathe easily with AAS Plus 2.0 

We achieve these high levels of performance with a more robust cooling solution than ever before. On the Zephyrus Duo 16, cooling starts from the top, aided by increased airflow thanks to the rising second screen. Settling in at a 13-degree angle perfect for ergonomics, the opening also serves as a dedicated fresh air intake for AAS Plus 2.0. This allows for 30% more airflow than traditional laptop designs, which is crucial in such a compact form factor. 

The cooling improvements continue on the inside. Previous generations of the Zephyrus Duo used liquid metal thermal compound for high efficiency thermal transfer. New for 2022, the ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is equipped with Thermal Grizzly Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal. This amazing material has 17 times higher thermal conductivity than traditional thermal pastes, allowing the Zephyrus Duo 16 to run 15°C cooler. Lower temperatures allow the CPU and GPU to boost higher for longer, coaxing even more performance from this powerful machine. It’s this high-performance liquid metal that allowed us to increase the max TGP of the Zephyrus Duo 16 to a staggering 150W with Dynamic Boost, allowing for top-tier graphics performance in a slim form factor. The indium- and galium-based compound will not dry out or lose thermal efficiency over time, giving you reliability and peace of mind for years to come. 

Premium from end to end

We didn’t leave a single bell or whistle out of place with the Zephyrus Duo 16. Whether you’re using it as a mobile gaming device, a full-power battlestation, or a work machine for professional projects, it has the robust connectivity options you need. Dual USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports feature prominently on the machine, with one supporting power delivery up to 100W. The left side and rear of the device each feature a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port to round out connectivity for your peripherals. And a dedicated UHS-II microSD card reader makes quickly uploading your active files to the machine for editing a breeze.

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For wired network connectivity, the Duo 16 has a dedicated 2.5G RJ45 port for seamless high-speed transfers. When you need to stay mobile, ultrafast Wi-Fi 6E lets you game reliably at LAN speeds wherever compatible connections are available. Unlock the full cord-free potential of the Zephyrus Duo 16 with a Wi-Fi 6E wireless router that can deliver faster and more efficient signals, especially in environments with many devices competing for signal in the crowded 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands. 

Dolby Atmos technology puts you in the center of the action with 5.1.2-channel virtual surround sound. Twin speakers fire audio directly at you, while dual force-canceling woofers bounce bass off the table below. The Duo 16 also supports Hi-Res audio for headphones, making sure your music sounds exactly as the creator intended. 

Advanced Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation improves voice chat by removing unwanted sounds from both input and output audio. It can be applied to any device and even customized on a per-app basis, so you can limit noise-canceling to chat apps without affecting in-game sounds that you want to hear. Gamers can communicate better with teammates, creators can record cleaner audio in any environment, and everyone can enjoy clear conversation.   

The Zephyrus Duo 16 really shows its versatility when you take it on the go. The built-in secondary display means that you always have a second screen available, while the 90Wh battery and USB Type-C™ charging can keep you powering through work all day long. When connected to the 280W power adapter, the Duo 16 can charge to 50% in just 30 minutes. An IR camera with Windows Hello support makes unlocking the machine a breeze, even in low light scenarios. All of this functionality is packed into a 15-inch machine weighing only 2.5kg. 

ROG Zephyrus Duo 16
CPU AMD Ryzen 9 6980HX 
AMD Ryzen 7 6800H 
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 
Display QHD 165Hz/3ms Mini LED 100% DCI-P3 
4K/120Hz Full HD/240Hz Dual Spec Panel 100% DCI-P3 
Full HD 165Hz IPS level panel 100% sRGB 
QHD 165Hz/3ms Mini LED 100% DCI-P3 
Full HD 165Hz IPS level panel 100% sRGB
Second Display 4K 60Hz ROG ScreenPad™ Plus 
Full HD 60Hz ROG ScreenPad™ Plus
Memory  Up to 64GB DDR5 4800MHz 
Storage  Up to 4TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD 
I/O 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C    
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A   
1x 2.5G LAN RJ45 
1x HDMI 2.1   
1x MicroSD card reader 
1x 3.5mm audio combo jack   
1x Power (DC) input port 
1x Kensington Lock  
Battery 90Wh 
Size 355 x 265.9 x 20.5mm 
2.5kg 

Do it all

Whether you’re an HDR fanatic or a 4K gamer, the Zephyrus Duo 16 is the perfect laptop for the job. With prodigious cooling, performance, and upgradability, the Duo 16 will keep you at the cutting edge of PC gaming for years to come. For more information on the pricing and availability of the Zephyrus Duo 16 in your region, please contact your local ROG representative.