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MagyarThe GeForce MX450 is falling behind: Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U convertible review
The Asus Zenbook series is home to the manufacturer's higher-end consumer laptop models in contrast to the lower-end to midrange Vivobook series. The maker was one of the first to make available the Intel Arc A370M GPU through its ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD last year, for example.
Our review unit here is the 2022 ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U which is a completely different model from the aforementioned 2022 ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD. There are only one or two SKUs available with our specific configuration sporting the Zen 2 AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU, GeForce MX450 GPU, 8 GB RAM, and 1080p IPS display for approximately $850 USD retail. It is notable for being one of the few 15.6-inch convertible laptops powered by AMD + Nvidia hardware.
Competitors in this space include other upper midrange to high-end 15.6-inch convertibles like the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15, HP Envy x360 15 or Spectre x360 15 series, or the Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1.
More Asus reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81.1 % | 01/2023 | Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U R7 5700U, GeForce MX450 | 1.9 kg | 19.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 88 % | 06/2022 | Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD i7-12700H, A370M | 1.8 kg | 18.9 mm | 15.60" | 2880x1620 | |
| 86.8 % | 09/2022 | HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx R7 5825U, Vega 8 | 1.9 kg | 18.6 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.6 % | 03/2022 | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.4 kg | 11 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81.2 % | 12/2020 | Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.8 kg | 17.94 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.5 % | 08/2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 R5 5500U, Vega 7 | 1.7 kg | 19.1 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case — Dull For A ZenBook
The matte gray design is uninspiring when compared to the chrome-cut blue design of the recent ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD, but chassis rigidity remains excellent from top to bottom. Both the lid and base exhibit minimal twisting and bending and the hinges feel stiff at all angles as well. There is a bit of warping when applying pressure down the center of the keyboard or outer lid, but it is of no major concern.
Perhaps our biggest criticism about the chassis relates to the shiny chrome hinges and rear corners. They look nice at first because they contrast the matte look of the rest of the skeleton, but they scratch and scuff very easily against most surfaces especially since they make contact with the table whenever the lid is opened.
The system is slightly heavier and thicker than most other 15.6-inch convertibles in the market due in part to its discrete Nvidia GPU. An extreme case is the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 which is half a kilogram lighter and 9 mm thinner to be significantly more portable. Even Asus' own ZenBook Flip 15 Q539, which comes with faster CPU and GPU options, is still lighter and thinner than our Q508U.
Connectivity — No DisplayPort or Power Delivery
Port options are similar to the Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 but with a few caveats that don't favor our Asus. Firstly, its USB-C port does not support Thunderbolt, Power Delivery, or even DisplayPort. Secondly, the HDMI port is 1.4 only meaning there is no support for 4K external monitors at 60 Hz. Most budget to midrange convertibles support DP over USB in comparison.
SD Card Reader
The integrated MicroSD card reader is much slower than the one on the ZenBook Flip 15 Q539Z. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes over 30 seconds compared to less than half that on the Q539 model.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication
There is no support for Wi-Fi 6E likely to save on costs. Performance on Wi-Fi 6 could have been faster as average transmit rates are slower than expected at 618 Mb/s compared to almost twice that on the Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
Webcam
The webcam is the typical low-end 1 MP or 720p sensor commonly found on many budget to midrange laptops. There is unfortunately no camera shutter, but IR is present for Hello support.
Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by ten Philips screws with four of them hidden underneath the rubber feet. Other makers like HP have been moving away from hidden screws to make servicing easier and so it's frustrating to see Asus stick to such a user-unfriendly design.
Once inside, users can only upgrade the M.2 2280 PCIe SSD as the RAM and WLAN modules are soldered. In comparison, both the Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 and HP Envy x360 15 have removable RAM.
Accessories and Warranty
There are no extras in the retail box other than the AC adapter and paperwork. The usual one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies if purchased in the US.
Input Devices — Decent Keyboard, Spongy Clickpad
Keyboard
QWERTY key feedback is almost as sharp as on a Spectre x360 16 for a satisfying typing experience. Clatter is consequently loud, however, especially on the Space key. Key layout is otherwise identical to the ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD with just minor differences in labeling.
Touchpad
The clickpad is smaller than the one on the Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 (10.5 x 7.5 cm vs. 11.5 x 8 cm). Gliding is smooth and reliable with only a bit of sticking at slower speeds for more accurate clicks and drag-and-drop actions. Feedback when clicking, however, is shallow and spongy for an unsatisfying feel. This trait is unfortunately shared between the Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 and Envy x360 15 and so it is not unique to Asus.
Display — Budget IPS Only
The model utilizes a budget-grade BOE IPS panel with no other options to choose from. The dead giveaway that this is not a high-end panel is its narrow color space of just 59 percent of sRGB. In comparison, the displays on the Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 or HP Spectre x360 15 series target full sRGB coverage or greater.
Aside from the disappointing colors, other attributes like response times, refresh rate, and brightness are average at best and nothing special for the category. We would love to see a 90 Hz option in the future for a smoother user experience. Asus already offers them on certain Vivobook models, after all.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 328.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1095:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.05 | 0.59-29.43 Ø5.2, calibrated: 2.23
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.5
41.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.13
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U BOE CQ NV156FHM-N4L, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD Samsung ATNA56AC01-0, OLED, 2880x1620, 15.60 | HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx BOE08A8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE SDC4159, OLED, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F LG Philips 156WFF, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 Lenovo LEN156FHD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 119% | -1% | 119% | 67% | -4% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 40.1 | 99.8 149% | 39.6 -1% | 99.9 149% | 67.4 68% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 58.5 | 100 71% | 58.5 0% | 100 71% | 97.2 66% | 59 1% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 41.3 | 97.5 136% | 40.9 -1% | 97.6 136% | 68.7 66% | 38 -8% |
| Response Times | 98% | 19% | 96% | -5% | 45% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 45.2 ? | 0.8 ? 98% | 43.6 ? 4% | 2 ? 96% | 52.4 ? -16% | 29 ? 36% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 38.4 ? | 1.1 ? 97% | 25.2 ? 34% | 2 ? 95% | 36 ? 6% | 18 ? 53% |
| PWM Frequency | 240.4 ? | 60 | ||||
| Screen | 26% | -10% | 74% | -10% | -42% | |
| Brightness middle | 328.4 | 340.1 4% | 297.8 -9% | 290 -12% | 289.8 -12% | 376 14% |
| Brightness | 307 | 344 12% | 271 -12% | 290 -6% | 274 -11% | 341 11% |
| Brightness Distribution | 85 | 97 14% | 81 -5% | 99 16% | 92 8% | 78 -8% |
| Black Level * | 0.3 | 0.35 -17% | 0.05 83% | 0.31 -3% | 0.66 -120% | |
| Contrast | 1095 | 851 -22% | 5800 430% | 935 -15% | 570 -48% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.05 | 2.47 51% | 5.16 -2% | 1.84 64% | 3.75 26% | 6.4 -27% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 18.33 | 5.96 67% | 19.76 -8% | 3.83 79% | 7.01 62% | 20.45 -12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 2.23 | 2.28 -2% | 2.69 -21% | 1.52 32% | ||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.9 | 1.8 5% | 2.2 -16% | 1.24 35% | 5.3 -179% | 4.59 -142% |
| Gamma | 2.13 103% | 2.2 100% | 2.27 97% | 2.2 100% | 2.35 94% | 2.26 97% |
| CCT | 6588 99% | 6346 102% | 6678 97% | 6686 97% | 5810 112% | 6819 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 62.9 | 38 | ||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 97 | 59 | ||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 81% /
64% | 3% /
-4% | 96% /
87% | 17% /
7% | -0% /
-21% |
* ... smaller is better
Grayscale and color temperature are actually pretty good out of the box while the colors themselves are inaccurate. Calibrating with our X-Rite colorimeter would improve colors at lower saturation levels as shown by our CalMAN results below, but the limited color space mentioned above means that colors are higher saturation levels must remain inaccurate. Blue in particular is the least accurate color tested as it appears closer to blue-green instead of true blue.
We recommend applying our calibrated ICM profile above for a more color accurate display.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 38.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.4 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 96 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.6 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 45.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 22.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 22.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 72 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| 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 19409 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The 300-nit display is not bright enough for comfortable viewing in most daytime outdoor conditions. Glare is prevalent and colors look washed out as a result. Most 15.6-inch laptops share this same disadvantage including the pricier LG Gram 15 series or the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15.
Performance — AMD Zen 2 With GeForce MX
Testing Conditions
We set our test unit to Performance mode via Windows and the MyAsus software prior to running the benchmarks below. We also made sure to set the GPU to the GeForce MX450 via the Nvidia Control Panel. It's recommended to become accustomed to the pre-installed MyAsus app as it is the hub for toggling specific features like blue light intensity, battery health charging, fan profile, colors, and more.
Processor
The Ryzen 7 5700U in our Asus unit is performing 5 to 10 percent faster than the average laptop in our database equipped with the same processor. Multi-thread performance is significantly faster than any Intel 12th gen or older Core U-series CPU while being on par with the 12th gen Core P-series. As is tradition for AMD, however, single-core performance is lacking.
Performance sustainability is good could but could have been better. When running CineBench R15 xT in a loop, for example, the initial score of 1613 points would drop by roughly 20 percent over time.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... 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
System Performance
PCMark results are comparable to systems running on 11th gen Intel Core U-series CPUs like the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 or Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 while being far behind the Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD and its Arc A370M GPU. Its PCMark 10 Essentials subscore is particularly low likely due to its slow SSD write speeds and single-core performance.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (4583 - 5964, n=11) | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (976 - 1129, n=4) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (1048 - 1187, n=4) | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (941 - 1066, n=4) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (872 - 1159, n=4) | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5105 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (11554 - 44158, n=15) | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs of our homepage. Furthermore, we're able to record 24 frame skips during our minute-long 4k 60 FPS test video to suggest poor hardware acceleration and optimization.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 15 NP950QDB-KC3DE | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 7506 2-in-1 P97F | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q508U | |
| HP Envy x360 15-ey0023dx | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Asus ZenBook Flip 15 Q539ZD | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices — Up To One Drive Only
Our test unit ships with the uncommon 256 GB Kingston OM8PDP3256B M.2 NVMe SSD whereas most other laptops commonly come with Samsung, Micron, or Toshiba drives. The Kingston model here is unfortunately a budget drive with slow write rates of just ~450 MB/s compared to 2x or faster on most PCIe3 drives. Higher capacity SKUs will likely ship with faster drives, however.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance — Losing Ground To Integrated Intel and AMD Options
Graphics performance can be up to 30 percent faster than the Intel Iris Xe 96 EUs depending on the game. Though the advantages between GeForce MX and integrated options are not insignificant, they have been growing increasingly narrow now that the integrated GPUs from Intel and AMD have had time to mature. The latest integrated Radeon 680M, for example, can match the discrete GeForce MX450 or even outperform it in many titles. The Nvidia GPU is still a significant boost over the old integrated Radeon RX Vega series in the Ryzen 7 5700U CPU nonetheless.
