Review of Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable (B3000): silent & slow with ARM processor
The education segment is an important part of the PC business. After all, school and university students, teachers and professors all need computers for work. One such device is the Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable (B3000), a compact tablet with an attachable keyboard similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro, even though the Asus tablet is meant more for students than the other two groups. The pre-installed version of Windows makes it clear who this device is intended for: Windows 11 Pro Education - in this case the ARM variant.
Comparison with possible competitors
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77.3 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 SD 7c Gen 2, Adreno 618 | 616 g | 9 mm | 10.50" | 1920x1200 | |
| 85.3 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2021 | Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 i3-10100Y, UHD Graphics 615 | 783 g | 8.3 mm | 10.50" | 1920x1280 | |
| 84.4 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2021 | Microsoft Surface Pro X SQ1, Adreno 685 | 1 kg | 7.3 mm | 13.00" | 2880x1920 | |
| 87.5 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2022 | Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE i3-1110G4, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.1 kg | 14.5 mm | 12.30" | 1920x1280 |
Chassis & features: ExpertBook B3 comes with many accessories
Once the device is turned on, the user is greeted with a thick bezel around the screen. Asus didn't follow the trend towards thin bezels and larger displays. However, the ExpertBook is relatively compact and the tablet alone is also quite slim without its accessories. The body is made of aluminium and the display is covered by a glass panel. The strip connecting the screen and the back is made of plastic, as is a small section of the rear. The tablet is sturdy and has good build quality, though not perfect.
The accessories are made of other materials: the stand and keyboard cover each have a layer of dark-blue fabric on the back and can both be magnetically attached to the tablet. The stand also has a clever feature that allows the tablet to be used in vertical mode. The wrist rest on the keyboard cover is made of plastic. Besides these two accessories, the Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable also comes with a digitiser pen that is integrated in the chassis.
Whilst many practical items are included, the selection of ports is rather sparse and minimal, featuring just one USB-C port and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Having said that, you at least still have the option of connecting the device to a hub or a docking station via USB-C.
The tablet alone weighs 616 g (1.36 lb), the keyboard 251 g (0.55 lb), and the stand 175 g (0.39 lb). With all accessories attached, the 2-in-1 laptop weighs a total of 1,030 g (2.27 lb).
Input devices: Asus laptop with cramped keyboard
At 15 mm by 13 mm (0.6" by 0.5"), the keys on the included keyboard are markedly smaller than those on other laptops. It is noticeably uncomfortable to use for those with larger hands. The target customers of this device – school students – could probably live with it as well as the tiny arrow keys. The keyboard is not backlit and feels all right to type on, albeit not comparable with those on larger laptops. The keys have low travel and are relatively comfortable to press, but have a rather hollow feel when typing due to the inherent instability of the keyboard cover.
Much like the keyboard, the size of the touchpad is also rather modest at 9.5 cm by 5 cm (3.7" by 2.0"). Although the touchpad is usable, it is very evidently not of the highest quality. The surface is made of a plastic material that fingers sometime can't slide smoothly across. The click mechanism is also quite loud. That said, there is nothing to complain about the software implementation.
The small, integrated digitiser pen with battery (charges inside the chassis) serves as an alternative method to use the touchscreen. It is a typical Wacom AES pen that is pressure-sensitive, which is ideal for drawing and writing. The pen has two buttons, but they are difficult to press. Moreover, the pen had to be very thin to fit inside the chassis, thus making it more difficult to use.
Display: small IPS panel in the ExpertBook B3000
The small IPS display measures just 10.5" diagonally and has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200. This means Asus opted to give the ExpertBook B3000 a 16:10 screen. According to Asus, the screen is able to reach brightness levels of 320 cd/m², but we couldn't confirm this based on our measurements, which showed an average value of 276 cd/m². Even the highest value measured (295 cd/m²) was lower than the advertised max brightness level.
In terms of brightness, the ExpertBook B3000 lags significantly behind other 2-in-1 laptops. This is apparently where Asus has cut some corners. Furthermore, the display uses PWM for brightness control, meaning it alters its backlight frequency to adjust brightness. The 60 Hz frequency at maximum brightness is already very low and may cause headaches in some people.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 285 cd/m²
Contrast: 770:1 (Black: 0.37 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.9
ΔE Greyscale 4.7 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 BOE0942, IPS LED, 1920x1200, 10.5" | Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 NV105WAM-N31, IPS , 1920x1280, 10.5" | Microsoft Surface Pro X LP129WT112684, IPS, 2880x1920, 13" | Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE N123NCA-GS1, IPS LED, 1920x1280, 12.3" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 69 | 64.1 | ||
| sRGB Coverage | 99.1 | 95.4 | ||
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 69.8 | 66.2 | ||
| Response Times | 506% | 63% | -2% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38 ? | 37.2 ? 2% | 49.6 ? -31% | 45.1 ? -19% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 26 ? | 22.8 ? 12% | 30.4 ? -17% | 22 ? 15% |
| PWM Frequency | 60 ? | 962 ? 1503% | 201.6 ? 236% | |
| Screen | 52% | 37% | 54% | |
| Brightness middle | 285 | 418 47% | 466 64% | 334 17% |
| Brightness | 276 | 415 50% | 470 70% | 324 17% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 90 1% | 92 3% | 88 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.37 | 0.28 24% | 0.44 -19% | 0.18 51% |
| Contrast | 770 | 1493 94% | 1059 38% | 1856 141% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.8 | 1.2 68% | 2.1 45% | 1.4 63% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.1 | 2.6 68% | 4 51% | 2.6 68% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.7 | 1.8 62% | 2.8 40% | 1.3 72% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.21 100% | 2.05 107% | 2.04 108% |
| CCT | 6951 94% | 6225 104% | 6589 99% | 6473 100% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1 | 0.9 | ||
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 72.1 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 96.8 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 279% /
176% | 50% /
44% | 26% /
42% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 60 Hz | ≤ 100 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 60 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 100 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 60 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8684 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Unfortunately, it was not possible to properly measure the colour accuracy of this Asus laptop because we couldn't calibrate the screen. As an alternative, we used CalMAN and X-Rite i1Pro 2 to measure the screen output with respect to the sRGB colour space. However, do note that the 99% overlap in 2D space isn't comparable with the usual overlap values in 3D space. The coverage is typically lower in 3D space.
The screen is not bright enough for outdoor use. The glossy surface also makes viewing the screen more difficult. But the display should be adequate for the classroom.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 14 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 12 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. » 59 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 20 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18 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. » 52 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Performance: Windows 11 on ARM & Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2
Customers aren't exactly spoilt for choice when it comes to configuring the Asus ExpertBook B3000. The only processor option is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, which always comes with the same integrated GPU. Moreover, Asus only offers the device with 128 GB of eMMC storage, without any option to upgrade to an SSD. The only thing you can choose is whether you want 4 GB or 8 GB of soldered LPDDR4X-4266 RAM in the laptop.
Test conditions
Due to its low power consumption and thus low TDP, the more interesting question about the ExpertBook is what runs and what doesn't on the device. The ARM version of Windows 11 has significantly better compatibility through improved emulation. For instance, it now supports 64-bit programs as well. This is, however, not the case for all applications. That is why we had to leave out a few benchmarks in our review, such as LatencyMon and the Cinebench loop.
Processor
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 is an ARM processor that is made specifically for Windows devices and Chromebooks. It has a total of eight cores, consisting of two high-performance cores and six efficiency cores. The high-speed cores each have a maximum clock speed of 2.55 GHz. You can refer to our CPU list for a more in-depth comparison with other processors.
The Asus ExpertBook B3 can't keep up with the competitors in terms of performance. But the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 isn't really intended for this purpose. The processor is only designed for delivering enough performance for everyday computing tasks. For comparison, the Intel Core i3 (which itself isn't a performance powerhouse either) in the ThinkPad X12 is around 85 per cent faster. On the flip side, the ThinkPad also has a fan inside.
We didn't notice any further drop in performance whilst the laptop is running on battery.
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Convertible | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X -10! | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Average of class Convertible (2949 - 18698, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Average of class Convertible (914 - 1980, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Convertible (1124 - 7303, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Convertible (348 - 781, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Average of class Convertible (175 - 1051, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Convertible (12977 - 72400, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Convertible (3672 - 6493, n=58, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Convertible (2188 - 14016, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (1630 - 5337, n=2) | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Convertible (806 - 2062, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (556 - 1537, n=2) | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Convertible (3.43 - 22.4, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Average of class Convertible (42.7 - 84.3, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Average of class Convertible (0.4102 - 0.84, n=57, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Convertible | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 -9! | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Convertible (2179 - 29594, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Average of class Convertible (11392 - 114033, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average of class Convertible (797 - 4841, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Average of class Convertible (22413 - 120368, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Average of class Convertible (1120 - 16315, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Average of class Convertible (5749 - 61249, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Average of class Convertible (21774 - 169089, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average of class Convertible (218 - 1243, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Convertible (1169 - 16065, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Average of class Convertible (13761 - 53406, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
System performance
The system has low performance. Patience is one thing you'll definitely need when using the Asus ExpertBook B3000, as the laptop will sometimes pause for a moment to think.
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Average of class Convertible (524 - 1912, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 618 () | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Average of class Convertible (554 - 1790, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 618 () | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Average of class Convertible (550 - 2183, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 618 () | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Average of class Convertible (381 - 1868, n=60, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 618 () | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Average of class Convertible (29473 - 108544, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Average of class Convertible (28905 - 126517, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Average of class Convertible (30110 - 117920, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 () | |
| Average of class Convertible (7.4 - 173, n=59, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
The device only has 128 GB of storage, which is also very slow because it is an eMMC from SanDisk. Given that the system already has rather low performance, the slow storage makes matters even worse. Devices with an SSD are significantly faster at copying files.
| Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Average of class Convertible | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X -8! | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 -1! | |
| Average Sandisk DA4128 -1! | |
* ... smaller is better
Sustained read speed: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The Asus ExpertBook B3000 is only available with one integrated GPU option – the Qualcomm Adreno 618. The performance of this GPU is adequate for very simple tasks such as playing videos and running mobile games from the Microsoft Store. The Asus ExpertBook B3000 is not the right device for everything else, especially considering many games won't even run at all on the ARM processor in spite of emulation.
| 3DMark Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Average of class Convertible | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE | |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X -3! | |
| Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 -3! | |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 | |
| Average Qualcomm Adreno 618 | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 624 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 2900 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 494 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 129 points | |
Help | ||
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 27.6 | 19.7 | 9.6 | 8.7 |
Emissions & power: the ExpertBook is fanless and silent
Noise levels
The Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable doesn't produce any fan noise due to the lack of active cooling. We also didn't notice any other noises, such as coil whine.
Temperature
Regardless of whether it is under load or in idle state, the Asus ExpertBook B3 only gets moderately warm. The absolute highest temperature that we measured on the back of the device was just 37.8 °C (100.4 °F). Consequently, it is very suitable for use as a tablet, i.e. as a handheld device.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.8 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 60 °C for the class Convertible.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.8 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.5 °C / 86.9 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28 °C / 82.4 F (-2.5 °C / -4.5 F).
| Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, Qualcomm Adreno 618 | Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 Intel Core i3-10100Y, Intel UHD Graphics 615 | Microsoft Surface Pro X Microsoft SQ1, Qualcomm Adreno 685 | Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable 20UW000KGE Intel Core i3-1110G4, Intel UHD Graphics 620 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -1% | -2% | 7% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 35.8 | 46.1 -29% | 41.8 -17% | 36.1 -1% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 37.8 | 42.7 -13% | 45.7 -21% | 39.8 -5% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 30.5 | 25 18% | 26.3 14% | 25.1 18% |
| Idle Bottom * | 30.8 | 25 19% | 25.8 16% | 26.5 14% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
The stereo speakers fulfil what they presumably are meant to do in everyday use: play music and shorter videos at volume levels loud enough for people to hear. That said, they are too soft and have too little bass to offer a truly enjoyable listening experience.
Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (71.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 73% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 73% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 22% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Microsoft Surface Go 3 Core i3 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 44% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 44% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power consumption
The Asus tablet has a low power consumption of just 10.5 watts at maximum load. It uses a minimum of 1.6 watts when it is switched on.
| Off / Standby |   0.36 / 1.44 Watt |
| Idle |  1.6 / 3.8 / 4.7 Watt |
| Load |
7.6 / 10.5 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
Battery life
One advantage of the Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable is its great battery life. In our Wi-Fi test, the device was able to run for 10 hours on its modest 38 Wh battery. This puts it significantly ahead of the likewise ARM-based Microsoft Surface Pro X.
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable is made only for a certain niche in the education segment
The strengths and weaknesses of the Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable go hand in hand. On the one hand, the ARM processor doesn't deliver much performance, much like the GPU and the eMMC storage. On the other hand, it offers long battery life, low temperatures and completely silent operation. When buying an ARM-based Windows computer, you have to knowingly accept its shortcomings in order to reap the benefits – at least for now. If nothing else, a future where the ARM platform could become actually competitive in the Windows space seems to be in sight.
Apart from the processor, there are still a few things we don't like about the Asus laptop, such as the small, uncomfortable keyboard and the sparse connection options. However, it does come with many accessories, including a pen that can be stored in the device itself. Then there is also the question: are these criticisms really important for the target audience of this laptop?
The Asus ExpertBook B3000 is good for education purposes that are less demanding, but not great for everything else.
Probably not. The Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable might be a good choice for school students, provided they are aware that the device is not ideal for multitasking and can't run certain applications. Everyone else would be better off with the Microsoft Surface Go 3 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 because they simply offer more performance and are able to run a significantly wider range of software (for now).
Price and availability
The configuration that we tested costs around 700 euros (US$710) and includes all the accessories mentioned.
Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000
- 07/25/2022 v7 (old)
Benjamin Herzig
More articles related to this device
Asus ExpertBook B3 Detachable B3000 (ExpertBook B3 Detachable Series)Related Articles
Price comparison
