Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED review

The Asus ExpertBook B9 is a stylish, ultra-light laptop that still manages to hold its own. The biggest problem: you don’t always feel if something is in your bag or not.

Asus proudly claims that the Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED (€1,487 ex VAT) is the world’s lightest 14-inch OLED business laptop. This is a world record with a lot of nuances, but the truth is that this ExpertBook weighs impressively little. Asus itself claims that the device is available in a weight of 990 grams. Our configuration clocks in at 1006 grams on our scales, so we don’t question the manufacturer’s words.

The weight of the laptop remains low thanks, among other things, to the magnesium and aluminum alloy from which the laptop is made. Other manufacturers also use this material, which sometimes seems less durable than it actually is. However, Asus states that the ExpertBook can handle various MIL tests.

Beautiful screen

Fortunately, you can get some laptops for lower weight. As the name suggests, you can open the device to a 14-inch OLED display. It has a 16:10 screen ratio and is equipped with a resolution of 2880 x 2000 pixels. This display has a wide color gamut in sRGB (174.2 percent) and DCI-P3 (116.8 percent). It’s also well-tuned for a desktop laptop, with an average chromatic aberration of DeltaE of 4.8 and a maximum of DeltaE of 9.4.

This means that the colors are not as true as a graphics professional might want, but they are good enough for those who want a beautiful display. We mainly see deviations in the red values ​​and the greens are not completely accurate consistently, while the Asus adjusts the blues perfectly. The panel is on par with direct competitors Acer with the Swift Edge 16 and HP with the Dragonfly G4, although Samsung shows with the Galaxy Book 3 Pro that a 14-inch Ultrabook with OLED can also have a slightly lower DeltaE, which is on average. Close to the magic of two massages (anything less than two is at the graphics pro level).

Asus ships the ExpertBook B9 with several apps, including MyAsus through which you can control some OLED-related settings. You can adjust white balance, color over-saturation and manage the (very flashy) screen saver. MyAsus is also full of ads, but doesn’t include the features of the Asus ExpertWidget (which allows you to customize keyboard shortcuts) or the Asus BusinessManager, which closes itself every time we try to open it. The Oled panel is good, we can do without the Asus software soup.

Numeric keypad clogged

Below the screen is an excellent keyboard, with wide keys that provide great resistance. The keyboard is a pleasure to type with, and we also have no complaints about the roomy touchpad, although it’s perhaps a little looser on the bottom than we’d like in a premium device. However, this is annoying for those looking for defects with a magnifying glass.

What’s even more interesting and intriguing is the small button at the top right of the touchpad with which you can bring up the numeric keypad via the touch buttons. Asus has been incorporating this useful technology for a while and it remains useful, if you have difficulty integrating a numeric keypad into your daily routine.

performance

The Asus ExpertBook B9 has powerful internals. In our test configuration we find the following components:

• Intel Core i7-1355U
• RAM 16 GB
• 1 TB SSD

The CPU and RAM are identical to the HP Dragonfly G4. The Intel Core i7-1355U has two P cores (dual thread, 5GHz turbo), supported by eight E cores (single thread, 3.7GHz). In the ExpertBook B9, we see the CPU peak at 3.4GHz for a few seconds, and then we see the frequency drop very quickly to 2.2GHz. HP’s DragonFly constantly runs the same CPU at a slightly higher frequency, but that’s not reflected in the results.

As you can see, the two devices are evenly matched. Despite the HP’s higher frequencies, the P and E cores seem to work better together in the ExpertBook B9, making it a bit more powerful. The Samsung Galaxy Book has a slightly more powerful processor and performs better, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is the champion in this comparison. However, this makes sense, since this is a sturdier 16-inch device.

When we look at more practical office work, we see similar results. For light work loads (basics) The Asus ExpertBook B9 is pretty much the absolute champion, even above the 16-inch laptop. Have your workloads become heavier?extended), including photo and video editing), the results are again in line with expectations.

In any case, rest assured: the Asus ExpertBook B9 is a high-performance laptop that, despite its thin profile and light weight, offers the most competitive performance in its class. If you’re looking for a highly portable desktop laptop, you’ve come to the right place.

Moreover, you can do without a socket for a while. When you’re not editing photos or videos, this laptop will last you a day at work. Only the HP DragonFly G4 is better (significantly), but it also has a slightly larger battery (68 Wh for the Dragonfly, 63 Wh for the ExpertBook). Here Asus chooses low weight rather than additional autonomy, without sacrificing much.

If you need to top up your balance, you can do so at a fast pace. We fill an empty laptop half full every half hour, and eighty percent full every hour. You can work several extra hours if you plug in the ExpertBook B9 during your lunch break.

The Asus ExpertBook B9 has two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt ports on the left side, through which you can also charge. A portal on each side would have been more convenient. You also get an HDMI port and a USB Type-A port on the right side. Asus is kind enough to include an RJ45 adapter in the box.

Finally, Asus opts for an FHD webcam (with Windows Hello) and a microphone array with several electronic gadgets that compete with ambient noise during a call. The result is a device with which you can hold professional virtual meetings.

Choose to edit or not?

The Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED is a great laptop. We think the capitalized ‘OLED’ is a bit of an overstatement from Asus, since almost all competitors use the same screen technology in this segment, and we don’t think the associated bloatware-enhanced software is a plus either. Finally, we could talk a little about the silly screensaver and discuss whether it has a place on a work laptop, but the fireworks display is actually stopped with just a few mouse clicks.

With these small details we mentioned the main negatives. The Asus ExpertBook B9 is a stylish, high-quality laptop with a very low weight, despite its competitive performance and decent battery life. The keyboard is above average, the touchpad is also excellent and can be converted into a numeric keypad and the most important connections are present.

This is a premium device at a fair price of €1,487 excluding VAT. Is it now also our editor’s pick? The battle with the HP Dragonfly G4 is tough. The slightly better battery life and more professional-looking software on the HP pushes us further in this direction, along with the ExpertBook’s missing fingerprint sensor. On the other hand, the ExpertBook B9 is much cheaper. To be honest, the only thing stopping us from putting down an Editor’s Choice sticker is the unreliability of its predecessor. Without a stress test, we’re a bit afraid, but with that caveat we absolutely recommend the Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED.

Configuration tested: Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED B9403CV – Intel Core i7-1355U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 14-inch Glossy OLED (2880 x 1800), Windows 11 Pro – 1487 Euros excluding VAT.