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Asus ExpertBook B9 Laptop Review: Tiger Lake offers a decent boost in performance for the ultra-mobile flyweight

Lighter than a carton of milk.

The 14-inch ExpertBook weighs less than 1000 grams (2.2 lbs) and gets a significant boost in performance this year, thanks to a new Tiger Lake chip. Moreover, the Asus laptop now comes with Thunderbolt 4 instead of Thunderbolt 3 and the display has gotten brighter. But did the new version get only the reasonable upgrades or is there something to be critical about? Read our extensive review to find out!
Business Comet Lake Laptop Intel Evo

In our May 2020 review, the 1-kilogram (2.2-lb) ExpertBook proved to be a very long-lasting and light notebook. It is also quite robust because it has a military certification. This year, Asus released an updated version, which is based on Intel’s Tiger Lake platform (Gen 11).

Since there are no visual changes we forewent including the information about the housing, connectivity, speakers and input devices in this review. Readers can find all relevant information in our original review of the Asus ExpertBook. 

Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R (ExpertBook B9 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-1165G7 4 x 2.8 - 4.7 GHz, 45 W PL2 / Short Burst, 29 W PL1 / Sustained, Tiger Lake-UP3
Graphics adapter
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, 27.20.100.8439
Memory
16 GB 
, Dual-Channel, 2133 MHz, soldered-in
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, No, B140HAN06.B, IPS, glossy: no, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Tiger Lake-UP3 PCH-LP
Storage
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, 1024 GB 
, 909 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Tiger Lake-U/Y PCH-LP - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 USB 4.0 40 Gbps, 2 Thunderbolt, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 1 HDMI, 3 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Headset, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 14.9 x 320 x 203 ( = 0.59 x 12.6 x 7.99 in)
Battery
66 Wh Lithium-Ion, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 20 h
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: IR 720p HD camera
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Harman/Kardon stereo speakers, Keyboard: chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
995 g ( = 35.1 oz / 2.19 pounds), Power Supply: 325 g ( = 11.46 oz / 0.72 pounds)
Price
2000 Euro
Links
Asus homepage
Asus notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Likely Competitors

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Price
87.1 %
v7 (old)
03 / 2021
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs		995 g14.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
86.5 %
v7 (old)
05 / 2020
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620		995 g14.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
85.3 %
v7 (old)
05 / 2020
LG Gram 14Z90N
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)		994 g18 mm14.00"1920x1080
89.8 %
v7 (old)
02 / 2021
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
i7-1160G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs		946 g16 mm13.00"2160x1350
85 %
v7 (old)
06 / 2020
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
R3 4300U, Vega 5		1.2 kg16.55 mm14.00"1920x1080

Case - No changes, still feather-light

Size Comparison

❌
323 mm / 12.7 in 211 mm / 8.31 in 18 mm / 0.709 in 994 g2.19 lbs323.4 mm / 12.7 in 218.9 mm / 8.62 in 16.55 mm / 0.652 in 1.2 kg2.65 lbs320 mm / 12.6 in 203 mm / 7.99 in 14.9 mm / 0.587 in 995 g2.19 lbs320 mm / 12.6 in 203 mm / 7.99 in 14.9 mm / 0.587 in 995 g2.19 lbs318.9 mm / 12.6 in 207 mm / 8.15 in 14.95 mm / 0.589 in 1 kg2.22 lbs292.8 mm / 11.5 in 207.7 mm / 8.18 in 16 mm / 0.63 in 946 g2.09 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - Now with Thunderbolt 4

The type and number of ports have not changed, but the speed has. The two USB-C ports now support Thunderbolt 4 instead of Thunderbolt 3, and the upcoming USB4 standard is also supported. Moreover, the touchpad still turns into a numeric pad with the press of a button.

Left side: two USB-C 3.2 Gen2 ports with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI port, microHDMI port (LAN via a microHDMI-to-RJ45 adapter)
Left side: two USB-C 3.2 Gen2 ports with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI port, microHDMI port (LAN via a microHDMI-to-RJ45 adapter)
Right side: audio jack, USB-A 3.2 Gen2 port, Kensington lock
Right side: audio jack, USB-A 3.2 Gen2 port, Kensington lock

Communication

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1342 (1287min - 1382max) MBit/s +10%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1329 (1141min - 1418max) MBit/s +9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1225 (540min - 1382max) MBit/s +1%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1215 (913min - 1432max) MBit/s
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s -4%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1412 (1292min - 1522max) MBit/s
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1364 (1078min - 1418max) MBit/s -3%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1259 (628min - 1412max) MBit/s -11%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
744 (578min - 950max) MBit/s -47%
05010015020025030035040045050055060065070075080085090095010001050110011501200125013001350140014501500Tooltip
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1411 (1292-1522)
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1215 (913-1432)

Web Camera

The ExpertBook comes with a quad-array microphone, which uses AI-based noise suppression to improve the video-conferencing experience.

It is not entirely clear to us why the Asus laptop, which costs more than 2000 Euros (~$2400), comes with a standard 720p web camera in the times of COVID-19. Anyone, who has to work or study at home, will find the otherwise high-end ExpertBook less valuable because of this webcam. However, the web camera shutter is still present.

ColorChecker
16.1 ∆E
19.1 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
19.8 ∆E
19.4 ∆E
18 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
22.6 ∆E
22.5 ∆E
21.2 ∆E
17.2 ∆E
16.7 ∆E
19.1 ∆E
19.5 ∆E
27.3 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
23 ∆E
21.6 ∆E
1.2 ∆E
15.8 ∆E
16.2 ∆E
14.2 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
8.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U: 17.54 ∆E min: 1.18 - max: 27.28 ∆E
ColorChecker
12.4 ∆E
16.9 ∆E
14.7 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
15.3 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
15.7 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
11.4 ∆E
11.3 ∆E
5 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
15.6 ∆E
4 ∆E
10.3 ∆E
9.1 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
ColorChecker Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R: 10.28 ∆E min: 2.3 - max: 16.86 ∆E
ColorChecker
9 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
11.4 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
12.3 ∆E
13 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
10 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
5.8 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
10.3 ∆E
3.5 ∆E
8.3 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
7 ∆E
9.6 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
6.6 ∆E
4.9 ∆E
1.8 ∆E
4.4 ∆E
8 ∆E
ColorChecker Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE: 8.26 ∆E min: 1.76 - max: 13.03 ∆E

Accessories

Because the ExpertBook lacks an Ethernet port, the manufacturer has decided to put a microHDMI-to-RJ45 adapter in the box. In our opinion, this is a praiseworthy act. In addition, the Asus notebook also comes with a slightly padded carrying bag. The box for the power adapter is surprisingly inventive. It can double as a laptop stand, which is rather wonderful.

The box for the power adapter can double as a laptop stand (source: Asus)
The box for the power adapter can double as a laptop stand (source: Asus)
The stand in action (source: Asus)
The stand in action (source: Asus)

Maintenance

The back plate is secured with the help of 11 small Torx T5 screws. It is best to start prying it away at the front edges. This can be done without using an additional tool.

Inside the device, users will have access to the single fan, the battery and the two SSD slots.

Display - Bright and contrast-rich

At the moment, it is not entirely clear from Asus’ website how many screen options there are. It appears as though Asus offers two different Full HD panels.

Just like the predecessor, our current review device features a matte Full HD IPS panel from AU Optronics. However, it looks as though it is an entirely different panel, because it is much brighter (421 cd/m² as opposed to 286 cd/m²). The brightness distribution of 87% is quite satisfactory.

There are no issues related to screen bleeding. The panel does not utilise PWM for brightness control.

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
Screen bleeding is barely perceivable
Screen bleeding is barely perceivable
399
cd/m²		400
cd/m²		407
cd/m²
410
cd/m²		437
cd/m²		441
cd/m²
397
cd/m²		458
cd/m²		442
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
B140HAN06.B tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 458 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 421.2 cd/m² Minimum: 23.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 445 cd/m²
Contrast: 1507:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 1.4
ΔE Greyscale 2.3 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
98.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
71.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
69.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.18
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
B140HAN06.B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
AU Optronics AUO623D, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
AU Optronics AUO7490, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		LG Gram 14Z90N
LG Philips LP140WF7-SPG1, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
MND007ZA1-2, IPS, 2160x1350, 13"		Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AU Optronics B140HAN04.0, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Display
-2%
-3%
-6%
1%
-45%
Display P3 Coverage
69.8
68.3
-2%
67
-4%
65
-7%
70.4
1%
37.78
-46%
sRGB Coverage
98.8
98.9
0%
98.3
-1%
95.5
-3%
99.9
1%
56.8
-43%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
71.3
69.3
-3%
68.3
-4%
66.1
-7%
72
1%
39.03
-45%
Response Times
7%
52%
18%
14%
18%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
60 ?(28.8, 31.2)
55 ?(27, 28)
8%
30 ?(2, 28)
50%
40.4 ?(20.8, 19.6)
33%
46.8 ?(22, 24.8)
22%
42 ?(20, 22)
30%
Response Time Black / White *
29.6 ?(14, 15.6)
28 ?(14, 14)
5%
14 ?(3, 11)
53%
28.8 ?(18, 10.8)
3%
28 ?(13.2, 14.8)
5%
28 ?(16, 12)
5%
PWM Frequency
Screen
13%
9%
-16%
9%
-99%
Brightness middle
437
294
-33%
404
-8%
316.8
-28%
460
5%
256
-41%
Brightness
421
286
-32%
377
-10%
298
-29%
434
3%
237
-44%
Brightness Distribution
87
86
-1%
79
-9%
89
2%
92
6%
81
-7%
Black Level *
0.29
0.12
59%
0.25
14%
0.33
-14%
0.27
7%
0.17
41%
Contrast
1507
2450
63%
1616
7%
960
-36%
1704
13%
1506
0%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.8
1.45
19%
1.47
18%
1.74
3%
1.1
39%
5.43
-202%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.5
2.74
22%
2.6
26%
5.41
-55%
4.5
-29%
19.73
-464%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.4
1.05
25%
0.84
40%
1.37
2%
1
29%
4.8
-243%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.3
1.65
28%
1.7
26%
2.7
-17%
1.6
30%
3.29
-43%
Gamma
2.18 101%
2.47 89%
2.35 94%
2.23 99%
2.2 100%
2.52 87%
CCT
6782 96%
6685 97%
6662 98%
6655 98%
6475 100%
6840 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
65.4
64
-2%
63
-4%
61.3
-6%
65.7
0%
36
-45%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98.7
99
0%
98
-1%
95.4
-3%
99.9
1%
57
-42%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / 10%
19% / 12%
-1% / -10%
8% / 8%
-42% / -74%

* ... smaller is better

Both the black value (0.29 cd/m² to 0.12 cd/m²) and the contrast ratio (1507:1 to 2450:1) have gotten worse. However, these are still good results.

There are no changes in terms of colour space coverage. The panel still covers almost all of the sRGB colour space and up to 65% of the AdobeRGB colour space. Most other competing devices in this price range offer similar results.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Thanks to a higher brightness and the matte screen surface, the light ExpertBook is more usable outdoors than its predecessor. However, we would not recommend using the Asus laptop in direct sunlight.

Outdoors under an overcast sky
Outdoors under an overcast sky
Outdoors: An oblique look
Outdoors: An oblique look

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
29.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 15.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
60 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 28.8 ms rise
↘ 31.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

As per usual, the IPS panel offers very wide viewing angles. Howbeit, the brightness drops slightly at acute angles.

Performance - Beats the predecessor by a large margin

The ExpertBook is a feather-light business companion. Thanks to its Tiger Lake CPU, Iris Xe Graphics and 16 GB of RAM, it can handle most somewhat demanding tasks without breaking a sweat. The entire package offers a very good level of performance while weighing less than a carton of milk. However, the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, which is why it cannot be replaced or upgraded.

We conducted all of our benchmarks in performance mode to get the best results. The performance mode can be enabled through the MyAsus utility.

Processor

The Intel Core i7-1165G7 is one of the fastest Tiger Lake chips. The quad-core SoC can boost its frequency up to 4.7 GHz. When idle, the chip can downclock itself to 1.2 GHz to save energy. The Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96 EUs) features 96 execution units with a clock rate in the range of 400 to 1300 MHz.

TDP
TDP
Cinebench R15 on battery power
Cinebench R15 on battery power

In the Cinebench loop, the CPU is able to maintain a very decent level of performance. The chip in the ExpertBook actually performs better than an average i7-1165G7. After the first benchmark run, the clock rates fall by about 8%. The Comet Lake CPU in the predecessor model is beaten by 60%, and the small Ryzen 3 4300U in the Acer Swift 3 is beaten by 57%. It is commendable that our current review device is able to maintain a stable level of performance, unlike the Thinkpad X1 Nano with the same chip.


The TDP hit 45 W only in the first benchmark run. In the subsequent benchmark runs, the TDP fluctuated between 27 and 31 W, amounting to about 29 W on average.


When running on battery power, the performance fell by 17 to 24%, at least in the multi-core Cinebench R15 benchmarks.

050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900Tooltip
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R Intel Core i7-1165G7: Ø837 (823.72-913.58)
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø444 (412-561)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE Intel Core i7-1160G7: Ø659 (587.69-862.27)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B AMD Ryzen 3 4300U: Ø560 (552.29-579.95)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (128 - 790, n=58, last 2 years)
637 Points +13%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
563 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (442 - 589, n=81)
552 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
544 Points -3%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
523 Points -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
427 Points -24%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
358 Points -36%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (579 - 8541, n=58, last 2 years)
4544 Points +121%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
2105 Points +2%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
2059 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1060 - 2657, n=81)
1967 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
1750 Points -15%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
1432 Points -30%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1081 Points -47%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (72.4 - 307, n=59, last 2 years)
250 Points +14%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
219 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (115 - 230, n=78)
212 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
208 Points -5%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
198 Points -10%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
166 Points -24%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
165 Points -25%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Core i7-10510U
141 Points -36%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (327 - 3345, n=64, last 2 years)
1981 Points +117%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
916 Points 0%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
913 (828.19min - 893.66max) Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
862 Points -6%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (553 - 1027, n=86)
846 Points -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
580 Points -36%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Core i7-10510U
561 Points -39%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
495 (446.17min - 494.8max) Points -46%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1023 Seconds * -81%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
907 Seconds * -60%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
625 Seconds * -10%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (468 - 1138, n=80)
618 Seconds * -9%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
598 Seconds * -6%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
566 Seconds *
Average of class Subnotebook
  (159 - 2271, n=62, last 2 years)
358 Seconds * +37%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2669 - 6403, n=57, last 2 years)
5487 MIPS +6%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5192 MIPS
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (4478 - 5507, n=80)
5182 MIPS 0%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4727 MIPS -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
4596 MIPS -11%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4166 MIPS -20%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
4014 MIPS -23%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Subnotebook
  (11775 - 77867, n=55, last 2 years)
48544 MIPS +103%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
24386 MIPS +2%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
23950 MIPS
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (15347 - 27405, n=80)
22935 MIPS -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
22305 MIPS -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
15043 MIPS -37%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
13432 MIPS -44%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (621 - 2350, n=58, last 2 years)
1786 Points +26%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1302 - 1595, n=77)
1524 Points +8%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1412 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
1406 Points 0%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1373 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
1027 Points -27%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
948 Points -33%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2557 - 14728, n=58, last 2 years)
10105 Points +98%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
5197 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (3078 - 5926, n=77)
5155 Points +1%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5105 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
4660 Points -9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
3330 Points -35%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
2464 Points -52%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.97 - 25.1, n=57, last 2 years)
13 fps +89%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
6.87 fps
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
6.39 fps -7%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1.39 - 8.47, n=80)
6.3 fps -8%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
6.06 fps -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
4.37 fps -36%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
3.67 fps -47%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
62.2 s * -26%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
61.5 s * -25%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (38.5 - 220, n=57, last 2 years)
54.7 s * -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
52.7 s * -7%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
50.5 s * -2%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
49.3 s *
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (21.5 - 88.1, n=78)
49.2 s * -0%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
0.761 sec * -28%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
0.686 sec * -16%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7
0.64 sec * -8%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7
0.638 sec * -8%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (0.552 - 1.002, n=80)
0.594 sec * -0%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7
0.593 sec *
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.413 - 1.456, n=57, last 2 years)
0.517 sec * +13%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
913 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
102 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
219 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core)
2059 Points
Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core)
563 Points
Cinebench R23 Single Core
1387 Points
Cinebench R23 Multi Core
4611 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 10
PCMark 10

In PCMark 10, the CPU performs exactly as expected and beats the Comet Lake predecessor by 3% in the Productivity section and by up to 97% in the Digital Content Creation section.

The laptop feels very responsive in day-to-day use. There are no freezes or hitches to report.

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4993 - 7788, n=50, last 2 years)
6435 Points +28%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
5008 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (4531 - 5454, n=50)
4959 Points -1%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
4794 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
4615 Points -8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
4322 Points -14%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4231 Points -16%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
3783 Points -24%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (9476 - 11331, n=50, last 2 years)
10479 Points +4%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
10086 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (8997 - 11505, n=50)
10014 Points -1%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
9772 Points -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
9482 Points -6%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8866 Points -12%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
8839 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
8600 Points -15%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6440 - 10623, n=50, last 2 years)
8624 Points +27%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7057 Points +4%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
6774 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (5570 - 7136, n=50)
6711 Points -1%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
6554 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
6489 Points -4%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
6487 Points -4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
6210 Points -8%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (5305 - 10983, n=50, last 2 years)
8086 Points +62%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4989 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (4083 - 5550, n=50)
4937 Points -1%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
4719 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
4530 Points -9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
3926 Points -21%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3285 Points -34%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
2537 Points -49%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (3769 - 5686, n=17)
4459 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
3841 Points
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3402 Points
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1739 - 4730, n=2, last 2 years)
3235 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5141 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
5085 Points
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1609 - 5271, n=2, last 2 years)
3440 Points
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (2431 - 3221, n=15)
2940 Points
PCMark 10 Score
5008 points
Help

DPC Latencies

When opening several browser tabs or playing back our 4K60 YouTube video, the ExpertBook did not run into any difficulties. However, there were 2 dropped frames in our 4K60 test. All in all, the Asus laptop is suited for work with realtime audio and video.

YouTube test
YouTube test
LatencyMon - Main
LatencyMon - Main
LatencyMon - Drivers
LatencyMon - Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2562 μs * -655%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)
2412 μs * -611%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G
1350 μs * -298%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
800 μs * -136%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI
544 μs * -60%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
339.4 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

The PM981a from Samsung has a storage capacity of 1 TB and is one of the fastest storage devices in our SSD data base, where it takes 14th place. The Samsung SSD in the ExpertBook performs exactly how it should and is able to beat most other storage devices.

Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR		Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)		LG Gram 14Z90N
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ		Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G		Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0		Average Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-8%
-2%
11%
-33%
1%
Write 4K
153.5
115.6
-25%
183.6
20%
269.4
76%
96.3
-37%
139.7 ?(76.2 - 229, n=36)
-9%
Read 4K
47.69
45.68
-4%
48.51
2%
54.1
13%
35.06
-26%
49.9 ?(34.3 - 75.5, n=36)
5%
Write Seq
2037
2091
3%
1520
-25%
1739
-15%
1001
-51%
2036 ?(776 - 2975, n=35)
0%
Read Seq
2208
2152
-3%
1914
-13%
1671
-24%
1072
-51%
2014 ?(973 - 2639, n=35)
-9%
Write 4K Q32T1
516
422.2
-18%
529
3%
580
12%
423.9
-18%
461 ?(268 - 656, n=36)
-11%
Read 4K Q32T1
366.8
391.3
7%
560
53%
708
93%
464.7
27%
499 ?(289 - 730, n=36)
36%
Write Seq Q32T1
3021
2403
-20%
1540
-49%
1812
-40%
967
-68%
2903 ?(788 - 3033, n=36)
-4%
Read Seq Q32T1
3532
3414
-3%
3408
-4%
2485
-30%
2179
-38%
3479 ?(2853 - 3568, n=36)
-2%
AS SSD
-16%
-40%
-29%
-51%
-3%
Seq Read
2784
2602
-7%
1744
-37%
2228
-20%
1682
-40%
2553 ?(1938 - 3148, n=37)
-8%
Seq Write
1362
1399
3%
1450
6%
1707
25%
931
-32%
2084 ?(1248 - 2837, n=37)
53%
4K Read
52.5
46.9
-11%
57.4
9%
47.12
-10%
41.53
-21%
53.1 ?(44.3 - 68.4, n=37)
1%
4K Write
202.3
132.9
-34%
140.9
-30%
237.4
17%
109.1
-46%
131.2 ?(87.4 - 208, n=37)
-35%
4K-64 Read
1136
1021
-10%
907
-20%
916
-19%
603
-47%
1477 ?(762 - 2093, n=37)
30%
4K-64 Write
1642
1302
-21%
1372
-16%
1245
-24%
713
-57%
1805 ?(1074 - 2152, n=37)
10%
Access Time Read *
0.038
0.032
16%
0.059
-55%
0.053
-39%
0.04983 ?(0.032 - 0.087, n=36)
-31%
Access Time Write *
0.017
0.028
-65%
0.081
-376%
0.069
-306%
0.035
-106%
0.04222 ?(0.017 - 0.128, n=37)
-148%
Score Read
1467
1328
-9%
1138
-22%
1186
-19%
813
-45%
1786 ?(1078 - 2449, n=37)
22%
Score Write
1980
1575
-20%
1658
-16%
1654
-16%
915
-54%
2144 ?(1471 - 2527, n=37)
8%
Score Total
4135
3530
-15%
3380
-18%
3431
-17%
2118
-49%
4826 ?(3309 - 6095, n=37)
17%
Copy ISO MB/s
1737
1520
-12%
1520
-12%
692
-60%
2098 ?(901 - 2932, n=23)
21%
Copy Program MB/s
479.1
539
13%
546
14%
226.5
-53%
500 ?(118.7 - 803, n=23)
4%
Copy Game MB/s
935
1070
14%
1080
16%
391.5
-58%
1132 ?(372 - 1830, n=23)
21%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-12% / -12%
-21% / -26%
-9% / -15%
-42% / -44%
-1% / -1%

* ... smaller is better

CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
AS SSD
DiskSpd
hddimg
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3532 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 3021 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 366.8 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 516 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2208 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 2037 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 47.69 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 153.5 MB/s

Continuous read speed: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card

The Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7, which is integrated in the Core i7-1165G7, is one of the fastest iGPU on the market. It can, in the best case, rival the performance of a dedicated GeForce MX350. However, the level of performance depends strongly on the cooling solution and the configured TGP.

In the synthetic 3DMark benchmarks, the ExpertBook performs about 8% better than the average laptop with the same iGPU. This is a very good result. The predecessor with the UHD Graphics 620 is beaten by more than 70%.

The ExpertBook gets through the Fire Strike stress test. On battery power, the GPU performance falls by 27% as our 3DMark 11 benchmark run shows.

3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark 11 (on battery power)
3DMark 11 (on battery power)
3DMark 11 | 3DMark
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (968 - 16296, n=54, last 2 years)
9617 Points +40%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7
6866 Points
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (2867 - 7676, n=202)
6353 Points -7%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
6117 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1160G7
5465 Points -20%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Radeon RX Vega 5, AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
3535 Points -49%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
3150 Points -54%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U
1836 Points -73%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (5577 - 58319, n=30, last 2 years)
37354 Points +21%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7
30951 Points
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (13162 - 38578, n=180)
26508 Points -14%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Radeon RX Vega 5, AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
18282 Points -41%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
7045 Points -77%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (832 - 11887, n=58, last 2 years)
6978 Points +29%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7
5422 Points
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (2286 - 6482, n=215)
4920 Points -9%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
4775 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1160G7
4192 Points -23%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Radeon RX Vega 5, AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
2438 Points -55%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
1487 Points -73%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-10510U
1319 Points -76%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (999 - 4501, n=59, last 2 years)
2571 Points +65%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7
1560 Points
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (707 - 1871, n=212)
1495 Points -4%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs, Intel Core i5-1135G7
1384 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1160G7
1260 Points -19%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Radeon RX Vega 5, AMD Ryzen 3 4300U
733 Points -53%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i7-1065G7
533 Points -66%
3DMark 11 Performance
7315 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
20293 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
4932 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1736 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Crashes when using DirectX 11
Crashes when using DirectX 11

The Xe Graphics G7 cannot always achieve playable frame rates at 1080p and high settings. However, most titles run smoothly at lower resolutions and lower visual settings. Rise of the Tomb Raider crashed constantly when using DirectX 11. However, it ran without any issues with DirectX 12.

The ExpertBook offers 15 to 37% more performance than the ThinkPad X1 Nano with the lower-clocked iGPU. The integrated GPU of the current ExpertBook is almost twice as fast as that of the predecessor.

The Witcher 3 | Dota 2 Reborn
The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Subnotebook
  (48 - 187, n=48, last 2 years)
118 fps +31%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
90.4 fps
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (28.9 - 117.2, n=186)
84 fps -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
78.5 fps -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
44.5 fps -51%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
32.5 fps -64%
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Subnotebook
  (33 - 118, n=36, last 2 years)
70.4 fps +19%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
59.1 fps
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (21.4 - 77.8, n=184)
53.6 fps -9%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
45.9 (24min, 42P1 - 49max) fps -22%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
28.4 fps -52%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (11.2 - 71, n=51, last 2 years)
41.2 fps +35%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
30.5 fps
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (10.6 - 45.9, n=189)
28.7 fps -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
26 fps -15%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
14.1 fps -54%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8.5 - 43.7, n=53, last 2 years)
21.8 fps +44%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
15.1 fps
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (8.79 - 20.1, n=179)
14 fps -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
11 fps -27%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
8.9 fps -41%
Dota 2 Reborn
1280x720 min (0/3) fastest
Average of class Subnotebook
  (33.7 - 171.8, n=62, last 2 years)
108.4 fps +30%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (36 - 148, n=215)
100.3 fps +21%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
93.3 (76.1min) fps +12%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
83.1 (45min) fps
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
81.9 (46.3min) fps -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
76.3 (46.8min) fps -8%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
56.3 (50.5min) fps -32%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
45.1 (29.7min) fps -46%
1366x768 med (1/3)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (25 - 137.8, n=62, last 2 years)
86.9 fps +29%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (31.6 - 108.5, n=215)
75.7 fps +12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
74.2 (52.3min) fps +10%
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
70.1 (46.5min) fps +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
67.7 (48.2min) fps 0%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
67.5 (45.9min) fps
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
38 (14.7min) fps -44%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
32.6 (26.8min) fps -52%
1920x1080 high (2/3)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (14.8 - 112.6, n=62, last 2 years)
68 fps +38%
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
  (23.2 - 88.1, n=215)
54.2 fps +10%
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
49.1 (34.9min) fps
Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs
48.7 (33.3min) fps -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Intel Core i7-1160G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
44 (30.8min) fps -10%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 5
41.4 (37.7min) fps -16%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
19 (15.5min) fps -61%
Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
17.1 (8.6min) fps -65%
lowmed.highultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 90.4 59.1 30.5 15.1
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 83.1 67.5 49.1 46.4
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 76.8 47.3 24 16.4
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 58.1 43.6 38.3
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 60 23

Emissions - Noise and temperature not entirely optimal

System Noise

In idle operation, the fans stand still, which is why the system is absolutely silent when typing or browsing the web. However, under load the fans get quite loud, which is why the ExpertBook produces more fan noise than the competition. All in all, this is not surprising, given the fact that it is quite powerful and thin. Under load, it is 25% louder than the ThinkPad X1 Nano which offers 20% less performance in 3D applications. 

In the MyAsus utility, users can select different fan modes. Hitherto we were talking about the amount of fan noise that the ExpertBook produces in performance mode. However, there are also two other modes: standard and quiet. In these modes, the laptop produces less noise but does not offer as much performance. The chart below shows how loud the ExpertBook gets in each mode.

Usage scenario Quiet mode Standard mode Performance mode
Load avg 30.8 dB(A) 37 dB(A) 41,2 - 47.5 dB(A)
Witcher 3 32.2 dB(A) 37 dB(A) 41.2 - 47.5 dB(A)
Stress test 32.2 dB(A) 34.2 - 37 dB(A) 41.2 - 47.5 dB(A)

Noise Level

Idle
24 / 24 / 24 dB(A)
Load
47.5 / 47.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
  
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 24 dB(A)
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR		Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)		Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI		LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ		Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G		Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
Noise
-7%
7%
-1%
4%
-8%
off / environment *
24
30.1
-25%
25
-4%
28.6
-19%
24.9
-4%
30.3
-26%
Idle Minimum *
24
30.1
-25%
25
-4%
28.6
-19%
24.9
-4%
30.3
-26%
Idle Average *
24
30.1
-25%
25
-4%
29.2
-22%
26.3
-10%
30.3
-26%
Idle Maximum *
24
30.1
-25%
25
-4%
29.2
-22%
31.8
-33%
30.3
-26%
Load Average *
47.5
30.1
37%
34.7
27%
29.2
39%
34.3
28%
32.6
31%
Witcher 3 ultra *
47.5
34.3
28%
Load Maximum *
47.5
38.6
19%
34
28%
29.5
38%
37.5
21%
35.6
25%

* ... smaller is better

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2030.53231.131.729.934.233.22527.927.129.125.724.225.528.63131.131.730.331.935.53334.94031.629.929.529.53133.732.65027.62825.123.625.526.325.86321.720.922.22322.320.523.38019.822.220.7202021.420.410022.324.525.424.227.927.126.312521.92331.723.622.22531.516023.323.725.726.524.122.526.220022.62227.923.822.72325.525020.32227.121.522.521.62531520.820.725.720.1221624.140018.119.525.817.621.813.32550018.421.428.418.324.41328.663017.822.931.117.725.811.430.480019.424.533.219.128.710.533.5100018.424.933.818.128.910.734.1125018.425.635.217.629.19.934.9160020.827.637.12031.79.238.4200020.626.334.919.5309.636.3250020.826.534.419.230.21036.231501925.233.717.729.210.434.7400019.926.635.618.131.110.736.6500015.726.737.314.531.81138.4630013.62135.11328.811.236.6800011.915.532.41221.211.332.81000011.612.220.811.714.111.121.31250011.311.51711.412.611.118.3160001110.914.811.411.210.414.5SPL30.83746.53041.22447.5N1.42.55.51.33.60.65.7median 19median 23median 31.7median 18.1median 25.8median 11.1median 31.5Delta2.83.24.83.53.93.65hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAsus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R

Temperature

Positive: The wrist rest area never gets hot. What is not positive is that the surface temperatures reach up to 57 °C (134.6 °F) on the underside (right in the centre). The ThinkPad X1 Nano is less powerful, but it is 10 °C (18 °F) cooler despite its smaller 13-inch form-factor! Nevertheless, these temperatures are not extreme.

Max. Load
 38.3 °C
101 F		45.9 °C
115 F		44.6 °C
112 F		 
 37.7 °C
100 F		40 °C
104 F		38.6 °C
101 F		 
 28.3 °C
83 F		27 °C
81 F		26.4 °C
80 F		 
Maximum: 45.9 °C = 115 F
Average: 36.3 °C = 97 F
51.5 °C
125 F		57 °C
135 F		45.2 °C
113 F
38.3 °C
101 F		39.2 °C
103 F		36.7 °C
98 F
29.4 °C
85 F		31.2 °C
88 F		30.1 °C
86 F
Maximum: 57 °C = 135 F
Average: 39.8 °C = 104 F
Power Supply (max.)  34.5 °C = 94 F | Room Temperature 20.2 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.3 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 30.8 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 45.9 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 57 °C / 135 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 28.3 °C / 82.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (0 °C / 0 F).
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR		Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0)		Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI		LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ		Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1160G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G		Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
Vega 5, R3 4300U, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0
Heat
5%
18%
4%
7%
8%
Maximum Upper Side *
45.9
42
8%
34.5
25%
41
11%
42.2
8%
36.2
21%
Maximum Bottom *
57
43.1
24%
35.4
38%
40.2
29%
47.5
17%
39.7
30%
Idle Upper Side *
24.5
26.4
-8%
23.8
3%
27.8
-13%
24.3
1%
26.8
-9%
Idle Bottom *
25.9
26.8
-3%
24
7%
29
-12%
25.3
2%
28.2
-9%

* ... smaller is better

In our stress test (FurMark and Prime95 running for an hour), the CPU initially runs at 2.9 GHz, which is far from the theoretically possible 4.1 GHz all-core frequency. Moreover, the processor starts to throttle down quite hard after the CPU temperatures exceed 90 °C (194 °F). The clock rates eventually stabilise at about 1.5 GHz and the CPU temperatures at 81 °C (177.8 °F).

The GPU runs at 1.3 GHz at the beginning of the stress test. By the end of the test, the core clock fluctuates between 1000 and 1100 MHz.

The post-stress test 3DMark 11 benchmark run shows that the system recovers very quickly, because the score is not affected.

Stress: 0 minutes
Stress: 0 minutes
Stress: 1 minute
Stress: 1 minute
Stress: 60 minutes
Stress: 60 minutes
Heat distribution: top
Heat distribution: top
Heat distribution: bottom
Heat distribution: bottom

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.231.22525.527.7313332.24033.732.95026.328.96320.527.98021.42910027.128.51252533.516022.5462002357.825021.660.53151662.140013.3595001360.763011.460.580010.563.3100010.765.912509.967.216009.268.320009.667.225001068.3315010.466400010.763.550001164.3630011.266.2800011.363.51000011.162.21250011.158.91600010.450.9SPL2477.7N0.642.1median 11.1median 62.2Delta3.66.934.33234.331.233.431.231.13131.127.52927.531.631.531.627.129.627.126.425.126.425.525.425.531.425.131.439.923.539.941.622.241.651.122.651.156.321.456.358.720.458.759.920.259.957.118.657.156.217.956.261.517.561.561.616.861.662.51762.561.816.961.863.91763.961.917.461.959.817.459.860.81860.857.818.257.858.218.558.260.118.660.15218.85248.219.148.272.930.272.931.41.431.4median 58.2median 18.6median 58.26.81.66.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166RAsus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 70% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (62.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 61% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 48% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Predecessor lasted a little longer

Energy Consumption

The ExpertBook draws more power than the predecessor, but offers 60 to 100% more performance. The power draw peaks at 66.6 W. However, under high load, the power consumption amounted to about 39 W in performance mode and to 29 W in standard mode.

When idle, the energy consumption amounts to 5.7 W without the backlight. With it enabled, the power draw increases slightly to 5.9 W.

The small 65-W power adapter provides enough energy to charge the device. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.38 / 0.57 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 4.9 / 5.9 Watt
Load midlight 38.8 / 66.6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, 2x Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR (RAID 0), IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Acer Swift 5 SF514-55T-58DN
i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, SK Hynix BC511 HFM512GDJTNI, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		LG Gram 14Z90N
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
i7-1160G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G, IPS, 2160x1350, 13"		Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
R3 4300U, Vega 5, SK hynix BC511 HFM256GDJTNI-82A0, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"		Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
 		Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
35%
5%
9%
0%
6%
-46%
-34%
Idle Minimum *
3.4
1.5
56%
2.4
29%
2.6
24%
3.3
3%
3.7
-9%
5.34 ?(2.2 - 46.5, n=193)
-57%
4.47 ?(1.3 - 9.3, n=59, last 2 years)
-31%
Idle Average *
4.9
2.8
43%
3.5
29%
5.9
-20%
5.7
-16%
5.6
-14%
8.55 ?(3.8 - 63, n=193)
-74%
7.63 ?(2.5 - 16, n=59, last 2 years)
-56%
Idle Maximum *
5.9
6.5
-10%
6.6
-12%
8
-36%
9.1
-54%
7.8
-32%
10.8 ?(5.8 - 68.9, n=193)
-83%
9.57 ?(4.1 - 16.8, n=59, last 2 years)
-62%
Load Average *
38.8
27
30%
47
-21%
29.8
23%
29.6
24%
26.4
32%
45.3 ?(12.5 - 87.3, n=193)
-17%
46.5 ?(19.1 - 78.6, n=57, last 2 years)
-20%
Witcher 3 ultra *
38.7
30.9
20%
27.7
28%
Load Maximum *
66.6
29
56%
67.2
-1%
39.5
41%
55.1
17%
31.4
53%
67.5 ?(30.1 - 123.3, n=193)
-1%
68.5 ?(24.2 - 121.2, n=59, last 2 years)
-3%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our Wi-Fi test, the 66-Wh battery lasted 10 hours with the brightness maxed out and 12.5 hours with the brightness set to 150 cd/m². In our video test, the ExpertBook lasted for 13 hours. The battery runtimes depend on the energy profile used. All of our battery tests were conducted using the standard power mode.

The predecessor lasted longer than the current ExpertBook in every equivalent mode. However, the Asus laptop still offers decent battery runtimes when compared to the rest of the competition. For instance, the LG Gram, which has a 72-Wh battery, lasts only 12% longer.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
12h 25min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness
10h 9min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
13h 10min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 08min
Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R
i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 66 Wh		Asus ExpertBook B9450FA, i7-10510U
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, 66 Wh		LG Gram 14Z90N
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 72 Wh		Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano-20UN002UGE
i7-1160G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 48.2 Wh		Acer Swift 3 SF314-42-R27B
R3 4300U, Vega 5, 48.85 Wh		Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
33%
12%
-17%
-3%
-8%
H.264
790
925
17%
911 ?(527 - 1298, n=27, last 2 years)
15%
WiFi v1.3
745
991
33%
838
12%
596
-20%
724
-3%
727 ?(389 - 1585, n=61, last 2 years)
-2%
Load
188
211
12%
98
-48%
115.7 ?(57 - 197, n=47, last 2 years)
-38%
Reader / Idle
2735
1750 ?(581 - 3407, n=12, last 2 years)

Pros

+ robust and very light metal housing
+ fast Wi-Fi
+ easily accessible storage devices
+ two Thunderbolt 4 ports
+ USB-A 3.2 Gen2
+ power adapter box doubles as a stand
+ good, bright display without PWM
+ CPU performance
+ good iGPU performance
+ significantly faster than the predecessor
+ fast SSD
+ good battery life

Cons

- no SD card reader
- soldered-in RAM
- the included adapter has to be used to connect to a LAN
- louder than the competition in performance mode
- hotter than the competition under load
- frequencies drop below the base clock during the stress test

Verdict - Good performance update

The Asus ExpertBook review. Device provided courtesy of: Cyberport
The Asus ExpertBook review. Device provided courtesy of: Cyberport

The ultra-light and ultra-thin ExpertBook from Asus gets a very decent performance boost thanks to a Tiger Lake CPU. This year’s ExpertBook achieves a much higher level of CPU and GPU performance, has two Thunderbolt 4 ports (last year’s model had two Thunderbolt 3 ports) and features a brighter screen with a lower contrast ratio.

The ExpertBook has its strengths and weaknesses: It is super-mobile thanks to its light weight and good battery runtimes, but Asus also decided not to include an SD card reader and WWAN functionality. The increase in performance has led to higher temperatures, louder fan noise and shorter battery life.

The Asus ExpertBook is feather-light, slim and portable. The brighter display improves outdoor usability. This year’s model is also much faster thanks to a Tiger Lake chip. However, it is hotter and louder.

Price and Availability

The Asus ExpertBook B9 is available on bestbuy.com for $1699.99.

Asus ExpertBook B9 B9400CE-KC0166R - 03/11/2021 v7 (old)
Christian Hintze

Chassis
85 / 98 → 87%
Keyboard
78%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
64 / 75 → 85%
Weight
75 / 20-75 → 100%
Battery
89%
Display
91%
Games Performance
70 / 78 → 90%
Application Performance
90 / 85 → 100%
Temperature
88%
Noise
84%
Audio
81 / 91 → 89%
Camera
38 / 85 → 45%
Average
79%
87%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus ExpertBook B9 Laptop Review: Tiger Lake offers a decent boost in performance for the ultra-mobile flyweight
Christian Hintze, 2021-03-12 (Update: 2021-03-13)