Asus Transformer 3 Pro review: Takes aim at Surface Pro 4

Asus Transformer 3 Pro review: Performance and battery life

As with many modern ultraportables, the Transformer 3 Pro comes in multiple specifications. The unit I was sent for review was powered by a dual-core 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-6200U processor and 8GB of RAM, but models go all the way up to a Core i7 with 16GB of RAM.

Even so, my review unit more than held its own against other ultraportables, and was perfectly capable of handling everyday tasks. That said, this particular version of the Transformer 3 Pro has a slightly slower chipset than the Surface Pro 4, and it showed in our 4K multimedia benchmarks. While the Transformer 3 Pro managed a respectable score of 31 overall, the Surface Pro 4’s dual-core 2.4GHz Core i5-6300U chip managed a much more impressive score of 44, putting it quite some way ahead of its Asus rival.

Looking at the results in more detail, not to mention listening to the racket made by the internal fans, it was the Transformer 3 Pro’s multitasking performance that took the greatest hit, so I wouldn’t recommend overloading it with lots of demanding applications simultaneously. For basic web browsing and word processing, however, you should be fine.

You might even be able to squeeze in a little bit of light gaming on the Transformer 3 Pro, as it ran simple games such as Minecraft without kicking up too much fuss. However, 3D games are out of the question, as even the likes of Dirt: Showdown slowed to a crawl on anything more than Low quality settings at a resolution of 1,280 x 720.

The most disappointing part of the Transformer 3 Pro, though, is its battery life. Lasting just 4hrs 20mins in our continuous video-playback test, where the screen brightness is set to our predefined measurement of 170cd/m2, this isn’t a device that’s built for long periods away from the mains. It’s definitely not the worst battery score I’ve seen, but compared to the Surface Pro 4, which lasted 5hrs 56mins under the same conditions, it’s not exactly great.

Asus Transformer 3 Pro review: Verdict

It’s unfortunate the Transformer 3 Pro can’t match the Surface Pro 4’s battery life. If it had just a bit more stamina, Asus would have given Microsoft real cause for concern. However, as much as the Transformer 3 Pro looks the part of a high-end hybrid, I’d still choose the Surface Pro 4 even though I’d have to spend more getting a keyboard in the process.

This is a real shame, as Asus’ stunning display and flexible range of ports really should put the Transformer 3 Pro at the top of its class. I really want to love Asus’ lovely little 2-in-1, but unless you’re prepared to carry around its charger all day, the Surface Pro 4 remains a much better buy.