Sleek. Powerful. Lightweight.
These are things that I thought when I first laid eyes on the ASUS ExpertBook P5. With a stylishly modern chassis, it looked like a laptop that could cater to all my working demands, and then some.
But did it live up to my first impressions?
For the working pros
Marketed as a professional device designed for employees in small or medium-sized enterprises, the ExpertBook P5 is said to offer AI-powered computing technology for entrepreneurs, prosumers, and small businesses.
Clocking in at just 1.29 kg with a width of 1.49 cm, the laptop utilises a silver aluminum body that’s lightweight and durable, making it excellent for on-the-go performance.
The ExpertBook P5 is also fitted with the Intel Core Ultra (which sports the pretty cool codename ‘Lunar Lake’) processors, making it powerful for all your work needs.
But perhaps the most important spec in a tech device to me is the battery life. I’m the kind of person who often forgets to bring my charger (or chooses not to bring it because… it’s heavy), so this is integral.
Thankfully, the ExpertBook P5 laptop also features all-day battery life and fast charge support. Specifically, its large-capacity battery is said to support all-day battery life of up to 28 hours, plus fast charging technology that charges the battery from 5% to 60% in under 40 minutes.
With this, I can rest easy when I leave home with this laptop without my charger. Laziness for the win!
Another key factor for work laptops, especially if they’re company-issued, is security.
The P5 comes fitted with a discrete TPM2.0 chip and advanced BIOS security such as Fused Root of Trust, Downgrade Protection, and ‘Last Known Good’ recovery. The laptop also promises five years of BIOS/firmware security updates and ASUS driver updates.
Having undergone a comprehensive MIL-STD 810H military-grade testing, the laptop is also described to be “purposefully built for demanding users.” I myself don’t demand much, but I have to admit that I’m a clumsy person, so that’s a huge plus point to me.
The ExpertBook P5 features a beautiful 14-inch 2.5K IPS display with very high PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) which is then converted to DC-mode.
If none of that means anything to you, this basically means the brightness control is with a high frequency, perfect for those who are sensitive to flickering, lower set displays.
The 400-nits brightness ensures clear readability even in brighter ambient lighting conditions plus the anti-glare panel with 144Hz refresh rate ensures eye comfort when sitting long sessions in front of the laptop.
If you’re someone who has to work a desk job, you’ll know that ergonomics are not something to joke about. The ExpertBook P5 supposedly takes that into consideration, such as with its huge touchpad.
While I like using a mouse when working, the P5’s 110cm² extra large touchpad is great for those on the go. This extra real estate also allows users to comfortably use touchpad gestures (AKA shortcuts).
AI this, AI that
I’ll admit. At this point in time, AI features are already starting to get boring to me. But it’s a key feature in the ASUS ExpertBook P5, so of course, I had to give it a test.
And well, I’m glad I did. The ASUS ExpertMeet AI tools are pretty relevant to most professional employees, offering online meetings with advanced features such as AI translation, automated meeting summaries, and smart prioritisation of discussion points.
It can even generate a professional business card as an on-screen watermark. This is useful if you have to join any webinars, or if you’re calling a third party that might not know who you are.
As someone who sits in on a lot of meetings as well as conduct interview calls, its built-in transcription product is amazing as well. No more making new accounts on various online transcription platforms!
In terms of accuracy, though, I must say that it’s not very good at understanding the Malaysian accent just yet.
And of course, the ExpertBook is also a Copilot+ PC, and will be capable of Copilot+ PC experiences when experiences become available in the future.
Another AI feature on the laptop is the AI noise-canceling & AI Voiceprint. ASUS’ Two-Way AI Noise-Canceling Audio technology ensures that users can hear and be heard clearly in any scenario, allowing remote conferences to be with efficiency and clear communication.
The verdict
For single-user businesses, small businesses, and demanding power users alike, the ExpertBook P5 is definitely one to consider.
However, its price tag of RM6,859 can be quite steep for most workers.
That said, though, you should keep in mind that compared to your regular consumer-grade laptops, the ExpertBook P5 offers more durability, security, and work-ergonomics. And of course, there’s the AI capabilities that makes it a future-proof device.
I’ve been using the laptop for about a month, and I have to say, there’s nothing I can complain about it. It’s just really reliable and can power through just about anything I need it to do.
The audio is bright and sonorous, making it great for virtual calls, and the microphone seems to be omnidirectional and can pick up on the whole team’s chatter when we do group calls.
And the battery life really makes me feel at ease, knowing I can head out and work without having to find a plug point immediately.
I believe these productivity tools and features make the laptop a worthwhile investment, especially if it aligns with the kind of work that you do.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| AI tools are actually useful for business professionals | Not the most affordable at RM6,859 |
| Great battery life with fast charging | AI transcription not the most accurate |
| Sleek build with a huge trackpad | |
| Decent number of ports for a laptop in this day and age |
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion to our Facebook page!