So, what’s not to like? Well, early compatibility problems slowed the initial uptake of Snapdragon X, and the CPU’s integrated graphics performance turned out to be pretty terrible. And to date, powerful onboard AI features just haven’t proven important, as most AI workloads are still being done in the cloud. With the second-generation X2, Qualcomm set out to deliver on the original promise of faster performance.

But what exactly does “faster” mean? As with most claims in the PC computing space, it’s all about the benchmarks. On the Zenbook A16, the tests I ran indeed showcased exemplary performance from the X2 Elite Extreme, in some of the most widely used benchmarking tools, namely Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024. (I don’t have enough competitive Cinebench 2026 results to make wide comparisons yet on that benchmark.)

The performance boost on Geekbench is particularly striking, with the A16 scoring 50 to 100 percent faster than competing systems from AMD and Intel. It’s even faster than the Apple MacBook M4 Pro, the last Mac for which I have comparable benchmark scores. However, that Mac did beat the Asus on the Cinebench benchmark, but not by much, and the Asus now stands solidly in second place in my testing archive.

Graphics performance is much better than in previous generations of Snapdragon X chips, with frame rates quadrupling on average, depending on the test. That’s a dramatic and much-needed improvement for the CPU, and while no one will accuse the A16 of being a gaming rig, it does at least make for a workable experience with less taxing games and graphics-heavy workloads.

Beige Belies Performance

I’m happy enough with how the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme performs to sign off on its performance claims, but there’s a lot more to the Zenbook A16 than its CPU.

Under the hood, the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme X2E94100 CPU is complemented by 48 GB of RAM and a 1-TB SSD. The 16-inch touchscreen offers a solid resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels, and it’s incredibly bright. A weight of 2.9 pounds is impressive (if not unheard of) for the 16-inch category, and at 0.65 inches (at its thickest), it has a svelte, quite portable carrying experience. Asus’s Ceraluminum technology (now with added magnesium) is used in the machine’s lid, base, and keyboard frame. That helps keep it thin and light, though when adjusted or touched, the screen shimmied more than I expected.

Compare Top 6 Travel Totes

More Travel Totes I Recommend

Longchamp Large Le Pliage Tote for $180: This bestseller is the equivalent of a classic white tee: timeless, versatile, and built to be passed down for generations. Inspired by origami, Le Pliage folds down small when you need to pack it, but it’s also roomy enough to double as your personal item. I can fit all the essentials in here—laptop, Kindle, my airport toiletries, snacks, and then some. With its minimalist design and zipper closure for valuables, it’s also the ideal work bag for business trips. My one gripe with this travel tote bag is the lack of internal compartments (besides two impractical flat pockets), but if you’re someone who has little pouches and tech organizers for your gear, you might not miss it.

Cincha the Vegan Leather Go-Tote for $130: This vegan leather bag is deceptively huge. The base is 7.5 inches deep, so while it doesn’t look that big in pictures, it holds an astonishing amount of stuff. I’ve packed enough clothes in it for a full weekend trip. I usually have concerns about vegan leather cracking and breaking with use, but Cincha’s soft pebbled fabric does not look or feel obviously plastic. This is the tote bag I took on a multi-week trip to the Philippines, and the leather stood up to rain and being kicked around airport lounges, ferries, and train depots. However, it is more than 2 pounds heavier than a Longchamp Le Pliage, so this is strictly for when you can sling it on top of your carry-on. —Adrienne So

Mission Workshop Drift Laptop Tote for $345: The Drift is my favorite travel tote. It’s burly but with styling that’s refined and classy, and the rolled handles and removable strap make it comfortable to carry by hand or over the shoulder. But the best thing about it is the smartly organized storage pockets inside and out. It feels designed especially for people like me who always carry an army of gadgets. The Drift is kind of a beast, though. It’s too huge to slide under the seat in front of you on an airplane, but it fits into the overhead baggage compartment. —Michael Calore

Vera Bradley Original Duffel for $105: If there were ever a product I would refer to as “ol’ reliable,” it’s undoubtedly the Vera Bradley bag. The bright pattern, durable materials, and washable cotton structure have held up remarkably well for over a decade’s worth of travels. Even when I’ve completely overpacked and lugged it with me on planes, trains, and car travels, I don’t detect strain on the handle stitching. There are no internal pockets, but you do have four exterior ones located around the sides of the bag for easy access (or last-minute additions to your planned outfits). —Julia Forbes

BaubleBar Large Custom Icon Tote for $98: What sets BaubleBar apart is its playful personalization. Your chosen icons (up to six, depending on the size) are embroidered directly onto the canvas tote. The process is super user-friendly, with predesignated spots to help you visualize your picks. Choose from zodiac signs, cutesy foods, initials, and more. Just note that it’s a final sale, so be sure of your design before ordering. The large size fits everything you need for a beach day trip, and the medium and small options are better for light shopping or city exploring. It closes with just a snap button, which isn’t the most secure for crowded areas.

Aer Simple Tote for $139: Have you ever hefted a nylon or leather tote in your hand and realized that slinging it over your shoulder would give you immediate scoliosis? Then you want Aer’s ultra-lightweight, simple sailcloth tote, which weighs less than a pound. Its 15 liters felt surprisingly capacious. I fit two jackets inside on a walk with my kids, and the 3-inch-wide bag tucked neatly under my arm. The two exterior drop pockets fit my Nalgene and Kinto mug, and my phone fits neatly in the exterior zipper pocket. This is a great upgrade if you are getting tired of carrying everything in your canvas tote from Umami Mart and want a bag that’s not going to get soaked in something questionable if you put it down in the wrong place on the subway. It is a little more expensive, though. —Adrienne So

Cuyana System Tote 16-Inch for $378: The Cuyana System Tote is a modular gear-hauler that shape-shifts with your itinerary. Designed to outlast the churn of fast fashion, this travel tote starts minimal, but the genius lies in its add-ons. A laptop sleeve or insert organizer creates a structure on the go, with dedicated slots for your computer, water bottle, and other work essentials. A System Flap Bag insert doubles as a clutch or in-bag organizer, and a detachable, adjustable crossbody strap (also available in a wide model) converts the tote, perfect for hands-free airport sprints if you’re unintentionally trying out airport theory. Instead of stitched-on straps prone to failure, the System Tote’s handles are cut directly from its leather body, minimizing points of wear. The main compartment snaps shut rather than zips, something to know if you’re the spill-averse type.

Avoid This Tote

Calpak Diaper Tote Bag with Laptop Sleeve for $195: This bag was really puffy, but felt bulky, and space was lost to give the puffiness to the bag’s layers. It was somehow too big for everyday use, but not big enough when I needed a lot of stuff brought along for a day trip or long outings. It also didn’t really feel that diaper bag-centric; the only thing “diaper” about it was the baby wipe compartment on the outside, but I would have preferred an exterior pocket to store actual diapers along with it. You could stuff a couple of diapers in the flat front pocket, but it’s not as ideal as other designs I’ve tried. The insulated bottle pockets are handy if you travel with bottles, but feel useless after your baby graduates from bottles (which they graduate much earlier than diapers!) It’s not a bad bag, but I’d recommend a different design for parents and travelers alike. —Nena Farrell

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.

A garlic-herb salmon with risotto was probably the best among the family meals I tried. The chopped asparagus was less than visually appealing when drizzled in garlic butter, but still tasty and a bit crisp. The salmon was tender and flaky. And the sweet pea risotto had no choice but to be delicious. There was so much cheese, butter, and lemon it was pretty much a concert of fats and acid.

That chicken parm was likewise a mountain of cheese and salt. It reminded me, pleasantly, of countless family meals I had as a child in the 1980s: cheese-topped chicken, garlic bread, shells stuffed with ricotta and topped with even more cheese. The big difference is that there is simply no way my mother would have cooked this meal without a vegetable.

And nutrition is where Toval runs aground a little. The nutritional notes on that chicken parm meal betray 2,300 milligrams of sodium per serving, pretty much the entire daily allowance for an adult human. This is also on par with comparable servings of Stouffer’s meat lasagna. The Tovala meal also carried about 10 times the cholesterol as Stouffer’s.

Many other meals followed a similar pattern, loading up on fats and salt in order to make meals tasty. The net effect is that it’s a lot more like rich restaurant food than what most people prepare at home. Whether this is a good or a bad quality is up to you.

Only one meal of the seven I tried failed utterly: I flagged a teriyaki chicken dinner to my editor as a possible cultural crime against Japan. The meal was sweet soy drenching pale and steaming chicken, with an implausible side of thick egg rolls and some loose, unseasoned broccoli. It felt like the “Japanese” food you’d get at a mall food court in the ’90s. But again, this was a rare major misstep.

A more pernicious issue, in meals designed for the whole family, is the near-universal high-fat, cholesterol, and sodium content. Many with the income and inclination to eat hearty, low-effort meals like the ones from Tovala are either parents with children, or people in the retirement bracket. Each has their own reason to desire a little more nutrition, and less fat and salt.

By the end of a couple of weeks of testing recipes, I’ll admit I felt a little relieved. I was grateful to feel my arteries slowly reopen. Tovala’s culinary model makes a lot of sense to me, as a smart way of splitting the difference between prepared meals and fresh food. And the company has proven it can cook well. It might be nice if they’d also cook a diet that felt more sustainable.

Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.