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Creator laptops today are trying to do
it all, be thin, powerful, and
versatile, but very few actually balance
those three aspects well. Some lean too
heavily into gaming, while others
sacrifice performance in favor of
portability. The ASUS ProArt P16 aims to
sit right in the middle. A creator-first
machine that delivers workstation-level
performance in a slim and
travel-friendly form factor. After using
it for about a month across editing,
design work, and even some gaming on the
side, it’s clear that ASUS had a very
specific type of user in mind, and for
the most part
they nailed it. So, without further ado,
let’s
get into it.
The 2026 ProArt P16 keeps things clean
and professional, which immediately sets
it apart from more aggressive-looking
performance machines like the ROG
Zephyrus G16, for example. It’s a good
example cuz they practically have the
same chassis. Only available in nano
black, this laptop has a stealthy,
minimalist aesthetic that works just as
well in a studio environment as it does
in a meeting or cafes. It doesn’t try
too hard to stand out, and we think that
adds to its class. The smudge-resistant
coating does a good job of keeping
fingerprints under control even after
long hours of use. Obviously, those with
sweatier palms can give the finish a run
for its money, but nothing that can’t be
solved with a good microfiber towel.
Despite housing high-end components, the
laptop remains relatively portable at
around 1.95 kg and under 15 mm thin,
making it easy to bring along for shoots
or editing sessions outside the house,
even with the included 6.7 kg 240 W DC
charger. Build quality is excellent
throughout. The chassis feels solid and
well put together, while the hinge
offers good stability with minimal
wobble. It’s a device that feels
dependable, whether it’s sitting on a
desk or being carried around daily. The
ASUS ProArt P16 offers a well-rounded
selection of ports that pretty much
eliminates the need for use of a dongle.
We get two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports
rated for up to 10 gigabit per second
transfer speeds, a USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type C
port with power delivery and display
out, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C rated for
the same transfer speeds and also gets
power delivery, as well as display out.
There’s also an HDMI 2.1 port for
external displays, a 3.5 mm combo audio
jack, and a full-sized SD card reader.
One of the standout inclusions here is
the SD Express 7.0 card reader, which
made transferring files from our cameras
fast and convenient. We were able to
achieve 100 MB per second write speeds
when transferring 4K videos from a 64 GB
V30 card, and we are pleasantly
impressed. Wireless connectivity is just
as up-to-date with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth
5.4, ensuring fast and stable
connections. In day-to-day use,
everything from file transfers to cloud
uploads worked reliably without any
hiccups. Overall, for IO, ASUS clearly
understands the needs of creators, but I
still wish it had an RJ45, but maybe I’m
just too old-fashioned. The display is
easily one of the highlights of the
ProArt P16, and it’s immediately
noticeable the moment you open the lid.
It sports a 16-in 4K ASUS Lumina Pro
OLED panel, which is amazing. It
features a 16×10 aspect ratio and
delivers excellent color accuracy with
100% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage, and is
Pantone validated. The OLED panel also
provides an amazing 1 million to 1
contrast ratio with its VESA Certified
DisplayHDR True Black 1000
certification, and impressive HDR peak
brightness levels of 16,000 nits, making
it ideal for both creative work and
media consumption. It’s also worth
noting that the display also has touch
and pen support, if you’re into that.
And in real-world use, this translates
to a highly reliable canvas for editing
photos and videos. Colors appear
accurate and consistent, which is
crucial for tasks like color grading and
retouching. Beyond work, the display is
simply enjoyable to use, whether
creating content, watching videos, or
gaming, the OLED panel delivers a level
of depth and clarity that’s hard to go
back from once you’ve experienced it.
OLED supremacy. Doubling down on media
consumption and creation, audio
performance on the ProArt P16 is
amazing. The built-in speaker system
sounds phenomenal and produces clear,
full-bodied sound with enough volume for
casual listening, viewing, and
previewing edits, making external
speakers optional for most situations.
We rarely passed 26% in volume when
working late nights, and of course, just
like most modern high-end ASUS laptops,
there’s Dolby Access on here to tune the
EQ or select preset profiles for Dolby
Atmos, and like always, we settled on
dynamic. Typing on the ProArt P16 feels
natural and comfortable, with
well-spaced keys and enough travel to
support long writing or editing
sessions. It’s not overly flashy, but it
gets the job done reliably. It is
backlit, single zone, and it’s just
white, so no RGB on here, but I’m not
really complaining. Below the keyboard
is the glass trackpad, which is large
and responsive, offering precise control
for users who prefer working without a
mouse. Windows trackpad gestures
register accurately, and overall
navigation feels smooth. This laptop
also features a more muted iteration of
the ASUS dial pad, which adds a unique
layer of functionality to our workflows
or the trackpad itself. Integrated into
the trackpad, it allows for quick
adjustments in supported creative
applications such as scrubbing through
timelines in Premiere and adjusting
brush sizes or zooming in and out in
Photoshop. Basic uses are for adjusting
display brightness and volume. Unlike
many experimental features, this one
actually does prove genuinely useful
once you incorporate it into your
workflow, but again,
if you don’t really use it, I don’t
think it would wreck the whole
experience at all. The ProArt P16 is
equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
processor paired with an AMD Radeon 890M
integrated GPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX
5080 laptop dedicated GPU. Paired with
fast 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory, which is
soldered, by the way, and a 1 TB PCIe
Gen 4 M.2 SSD with an extra slot to add
storage. On paper alone, that
configuration and spec already positions
the ProArt P16 as a serious contender in
the creative laptop space. Over the past
month, the laptop handled applications
like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects,
Media Encoder, Photoshop, and Lightroom
Classic without breaking a sweat.
Timeline scrubbing does remain smooth
even on heavier projects, while applying
effects and switching between apps feels
very responsive. Exporting 6 to
10-minute 4K at 30p videos never lasted
more than 15 minutes, give or take,
depending on how heavy the projects
were. And even when juggling multiple
applications, the system maintains
stability. For quicker workflows, apps
like CapCut also run flawlessly, making
it easy to switch between long-form
editing and short-form content creation.
Gaming on the ProArt P16 is more of a
secondary feature than a primary focus.
Titles like Tekken 8 and Helldivers 2
run well and are perfectly playable, but
the experience isn’t quite as seamless
as what you’d expect from a gaming
laptop. During testing, a minor issue
came up when waking the laptop from
sleep or hibernation while unplugged.
And it is worth noting that I did put
the laptop to sleep or hibernation while
the charger was plugged in. So, in some
cases, after waking the ProArt P16 and
just wanting to hop in some competitive
matches on Tekken 8, the game would run
as if the system was still in a lower
power mode even after reconnecting the
DC charger and switching performance
profiles. A quick restart resolves the
issue completely, and it doesn’t affect
creative workloads, but I do think it’s
still worth noting for users who
frequently switch between unplugged use
and gaming sessions. Again, this really
wasn’t that big of a deal in everyday
use, but it is worth noting, and the bug
will probably get fixed in a future
update. Thermal performance is well
managed even under sustained workloads.
Fan noise is present under load, as
expected, but it remains at a reasonable
level and doesn’t become overly
distracting for us. I mean, obviously,
if I’m playing a game and the fans are
maxed out, I obviously don’t really care
cuz I’m zoned in to the game. But, if it
does bother you guys that much, for
lighter tasks, whisper mode helps keep
things more subdued, making it suitable
for shared workspaces like a library,
especially when used unplugged. This is
a video sample using the front-facing
camera of the ASUS ProArt P16 2026.
Might be smudged.
All right, it’s a little bit better. I
think it’s got a little bit more crispy.
Overall, the ProArt P16 delivers
excellent workflow consistency. It
doesn’t just perform well in short
bursts, it sustains that performance
across longer sessions, which is exactly
what we’d expect from a powerful
portable workstation. Battery life is
respectable for a laptop in this
category with its 90 watt hour capacity.
The ProArt P16 can last around 5 to 8
hours screen on under lighter workloads
such as browsing, writing, and light
editing. Heavier tasks like video
editing with all the effects and motion
graphics you can add and rendering will
naturally drain the battery much faster.
It’s not designed to be an all-day
unplugged workstation, but it does offer
enough flexibility for mobile
productivity when needed. And for those
of you wondering, we can access
performance mode even when it is
unplugged. So, another interesting thing
about this laptop is it’s a Copilot Plus
PC. This means the ProArt P16 includes
Microsoft Copilot, ASUS StoryCube, and
ASUS Muse Tree all pre-installed when
you buy this computer. These features
are useful, especially for organizing
files and experimenting with AI-assisted
creation, but they’re more of a bonus
rather than a core reason to buy this
device in my
personal opinion. Our review unit
shipped with Windows 11 Home, and we
don’t really have much of anything to
complain about. Those more familiar with
Armory Crate from ROG laptops should
feel right at home with ProArt Creator
Hub, which is the app that gives us
access to performance modes and display
color control. Wrapping this video up,
the ASUS
ProArt P16 succeeds at what it sets out
to do. It’s a creator-focused laptop
that delivers strong and consistent
performance where it matters most, all
while maintaining a sleek and portable
design. The gorgeous OLED display stands
out as one of the best in its class. The
dial pad adds meaningful functionality
once you’re used to it, and the overall
experience feels tailored for creative
professionals. While it isn’t optimized
for gaming, it’s definitely a non-issue
running most modern AAA and competitive
games. If your workflow revolves around
editing, designing, and producing
content, this is a machine that can keep
up without compromise. Now, for the
price.
So, what do you guys think of the ASUS
ProArt P16? Is this your next mobile
workstation? Let us know in the comments
section.
And if you enjoyed this video or found
it informative or educational, be sure
to smack that like button, subscribe to
our YouTube channel, and hit that bell
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uploads. Be sure to visit
digitaltrends.com and follow us on all
our social media platforms, Facebook,
Instagram, X, and TikTok for the latest
tech news and reviews. Once again, the
ASUS ProArt P16.
Miguel T, and I’ll see you in the next
video. Cheers.
⚠️ This transcription is auto-generated from YouTube captions. Some text may not be 100% accurate.
Ever feel like creator laptops are trying to do everything at once, but end up falling short in some way? Some prioritize power but are too bulky, while others focus on portability but compromise performance. The ASUS ProArt P16 (2026) aims to be the perfect middle ground. We got our hands on this slim powerhouse and used it for a month straight. From video editing and graphic design to even a bit of gaming on the side, we put it through its paces. In this video, we explore whether ASUS truly nailed the balance between workstation-level performance and a travel-friendly form factor. Watch as we test its limits and see if it’s worth the premium price tag for Filipino creators.
What You’ll See in This Video
- The 2026 ProArt P16 features a clean, professional design that stands out from gaming laptops like the ROG Zephyrus G16.
- It’s available in a stealthy nano black finish with a smudge-resistant coating, keeping fingerprints at bay.
- Despite high-end components, it remains portable at around 1.95 kg and under 15 mm thin.
- The included 240W DC charger adds some weight (6.7 kg), but the laptop itself is easy to bring to shoots or cafes.
- Build quality is excellent with a solid chassis and a stable hinge that minimizes wobble.
Want to see if this creator laptop lives up to the hype? Hit play on the video above for our full review!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ASUS ProArt P16 (2026) available in the Philippines?
Yes, it is expected to hit local stores soon, but availability may vary by retailer.
How much does the ASUS ProArt P16 cost?
Pricing starts at PHP 289,995 (introductory price).
Can I game on the ASUS ProArt P16?
Yes, it can handle gaming on the side thanks to its powerful components, but it’s primarily designed for creative work.
What ports does the ASUS ProArt P16 have?
It includes USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack, but we recommend watching the video for the full list.
Is the ASUS ProArt P16 good for video editing?
Absolutely. Its high-end CPU and GPU make it a strong choice for 4K video editing and rendering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of user is the ASUS ProArt P16 designed for?
The ASUS ProArt P16 is designed for creators who need workstation-level performance in a slim, travel-friendly form factor.
What color options are available for the ProArt P16?
The ProArt P16 is only available in nano black, giving it a stealthy, minimalist aesthetic.
Does the ProArt P16 have a smudge-resistant coating?
Yes, the smudge-resistant coating helps keep fingerprints under control even after long hours of use.
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