ASUS ProArt StudioBook 17 Review

The ASUS ProArt StudioBook 17 is a bit of a puzzle. It's packing an older Intel i7-9750H CPU, which lands it in the 3rd percentile for processor performance. That's a tough starting point in 2024. But then it pairs that with 32GB of RAM and an RTX 2060 GPU, which is still decent for creative tasks. The real story here is the 17-inch Pantone-validated display with 97% DCI-P3 coverage. It's a fantastic screen for color work, even if the overall package feels a bit dated.

At a listed price of $3000, you're paying a premium for that screen and the ProArt branding. The specs tell a tale of two halves: a workstation-class display and memory setup, held back by a CPU that was mid-range five years ago. It's built for creators who need color accuracy above all else, but you have to be okay with some serious compromises elsewhere.

Let's be blunt: the CPU is this machine's biggest weakness. That i7-9750H is in the 3rd percentile. For a $3000 laptop in 2024, that's hard to justify. It'll handle daily tasks and moderate creative workloads, but don't expect it to blaze through 8K video renders or complex simulations. The saving grace is the GPU. The RTX 2060 sits in the 71st percentile, which means it's still quite capable for GPU-accelerated tasks in apps like DaVinci Resolve or Blender. The 32GB of RAM is also solid, landing in the 65th percentile, giving you plenty of headroom for large files and multitasking.

The dual 512GB SSDs in RAID 0 give you a fast 1TB pool, though the storage score is only in the 34th percentile. It's fast, but capacity is limited for serious video work. In benchmarks, this machine will feel fast in GPU-heavy scenarios but will definitely bottleneck on CPU-intensive projects. It's a very specific performance profile.

The value proposition here is tough. At $3000, you're paying a massive premium for the ProArt screen and brand. You can find modern laptops with faster CPUs, better GPUs, and similar color-accurate displays for the same money or less. The RTX 2060 and 32GB of RAM are good, but they're dragged down by that 3rd-percentile CPU. This feels like a machine that's been on the shelf for a while and hasn't seen a price adjustment to match its aging core components. If this were $1800, it might be a interesting niche option. At three grand, it's a hard sell unless that specific screen is your absolute non-negotiable requirement.

Stack this up against its competitors and the age shows. The Apple MacBook Pro 14" with an M4 Max will run circles around it in CPU performance, battery life, and likely screen quality, though you lose the NVIDIA GPU for some 3D apps. The Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 offers modern Intel or AMD CPUs, professional NVIDIA RTX A-series GPUs, and likely better portability for similar money. Even the ASUS Zenbook Duo offers a more modern, versatile dual-screen design. The MSI Vector 16 HX or Gigabyte AORUS MASTER 16 will demolish it in both CPU and GPU performance for gaming and creation. The ProArt 17's only clear win is its large, color-accurate 17-inch panel. In every other metric—CPU, portability, modern features—it falls behind.

Here's the data-backed take: only buy this if the 17-inch Pantone screen is your single most important feature. The RTX 2060 and 32GB of RAM are good, but the ancient i7-9750H CPU is a deal-breaker for a $3000 machine in 2024. It lands in the 3rd percentile. That's not just bad, it's unacceptable at this price. You're paying for a brilliant display wrapped in a chassis with a five-year-old processor. For everyone else, look at a modern MacBook Pro, a ThinkPad workstation, or even a high-end gaming laptop. They'll give you better performance, better portability, and better value. This ProArt feels like a relic.