ASUS ProArt P16 costs $7,000 for 128GB RAM

ASUS has priced its first laptop with NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip at a premium.

The ProArt P16 starts at $2,800, but the review unit equipped with 128GB of RAM costs $7,000. This machine is designed for creators who need to run large local AI models. The hardware departs from the Intel and AMD processors found in previous ProArt models. Instead, it uses a system-on-a-chip that combines a 20-core Arm CPU with a Blackwell GPU. This design mirrors the unified memory approach seen in Apple's M-series chips.

The platform allows the laptop to handle heavy workloads efficiently. It ran the Qwen3.8 27B model, which requires 42GB of RAM, with plenty of memory remaining. In benchmark testing, the P16 outperformed a MacBook Pro with an M5 Max in graphics tasks. It scored 4,700 points higher in Geekbench 6 GPU tests. In Procyon's AI Image Generation test, the ASUS device posted a score of 1,519 compared to Apple's 3,267. The laptop also handled Cyberpunk 2077 and Control: Resonant at high settings, though fans were loud during operation.

Performance in general computing tasks was mixed. The P16 scored approximately 3,000 points lower than ASUS's A16 with a Snapdragon X2 Elite chip in PCMark 10 Applications tests. It also trailed slightly in Geekbench 6 single-threaded CPU testing. Battery life measured at ten hours and 51 minutes in the same PCMark 10 test. This figure falls short of the 15-plus hours typical of many premium laptops. Performance did not drop when the laptop was unplugged from its charger.

The physical build offers several advantages for professionals. The aluminum chassis is sturdy and weighs 3.9 pounds, making it lighter than Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro. The 16-inch OLED display reaches a brightness of 1,600 nits. The laptop includes three USB-C ports, USB Type A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. An Ethernet port is absent from the design. The black finish on the chassis attracts fingerprints easily.

Software compatibility remains a hurdle for potential buyers. Most games rely on Microsoft's Prism emulator to run on the Arm CPU, which can reduce performance and cause issues. Native Arm64 builds exist for titles like Fortnite and DOTA 2. Adobe has supported the platform with its major applications, but support from other multimedia software is less certain. NVIDIA states that the graphics hardware performs similarly to the RTX 5070 mobile GPU while using less power.

For gamers, the value proposition is weaker than dedicated gaming machines. An ASUS Zephyrus G16 with an RTX 5070 and a 240Hz OLED screen is available at Best Buy for $2,124. That model offers better gaming performance and full compatibility without the need for emulation. The review suggests that general users and gamers wait at least a year before adopting the RTX Spark platform. AI professionals are the primary target audience who can justify the current cost structure.