The Asus ExpertBook B9 is a stylish and very light notebook that can still hold its own. The biggest problem: You can’t always feel whether the thing is in your bag or not.

Asus proudly claims that the Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED (1,487 euros excl. VAT) is the world’s lightest 14-inch business OLED laptop. This is a world record with many nuances, but the fact is that this ExpertBook weighs impressively little. Asus itself states that the device is available starting at 990 grams. Our configuration weighs in at 1,006 grams on our scales, so we don’t question the manufacturer’s claims.

The weight of the laptop remains low thanks, among other things, to the magnesium-aluminum alloy from which the laptop is made. Other manufacturers also use this material, which sometimes feels less robust than it actually is. In any case, Asus states that the ExpertBook can handle various MIL tests.

Nice screen

Fortunately, you get a laptop for its low weight. As the name suggests, the device has a 14-inch OLED screen. It has a screen ratio of 16:10 and is equipped with 2,880 x 2,000 pixels. This screen has an extensive color range in sRGB (174.2 percent) and DCI-P3 (116.8 percent). With an average color deviation of DeltaE 4.8 and a maximum of DeltaE 9.4, it is also well suited to an office laptop.

This means the colors aren’t as accurate as a graphics professional would want, but good enough for those who want a nice screen. We see deviations especially in the red values ​​and the green tones are not entirely accurate, while Asus adjusts the blue tones perfectly. The panel corresponds to that of its direct competitors Acer with the Swift Edge 16 and HP with the Dragonfly G4, but Samsung with the Galaxy Book 3 Pro shows that even a 14-inch Ultrabook with OLED can have a slightly lower DeltaE, which is average almost magical two frictions (anything less than two corresponds to the level of graphics professionals).

Asus provides the ExpertBook B9 with several applications, including MyAsus, which allows you to control some OLED-related settings. You can adjust the white balance, oversaturate the colors and manage the (very bright) screen saver. MyAsus is also full of advertising, but does not contain the features of Asus ExpertWidget (which allows you to customize keyboard shortcuts) or Asus BusinessManager, which closes every time we try to open it. The Oled panel is good, but we can do without Asus’ software soup.

Clogged numeric keypad

Under the screen there is an excellent keyboard with spacious keys that offer wonderful resistance. The keyboard is comfortable to type on and we can hardly complain about the spacious touchpad, although it is perhaps a little looser on the bottom than we would like on a premium device. However, this is a small matter for those who look for imperfections with a magnifying glass.

Much more noticeable and interesting is the small button at the top right of the touchpad, which you can use to call up a number pad using touch buttons. Asus has been incorporating this handy technology for some time, and it remains useful if you make the effort to incorporate the digital numeric keypad into your everyday life.

Performance

The Asus ExpertBook B9 has a robust interior. In our test configuration we find the following components:

• Intel Core i7-1355U
• 16GB RAM
• 1TB SSD

CPU and RAM are identical to the HP Dragonfly G4. The Intel Core i7-1355U has two P-cores (dual-threading, 5 GHz Turbo), supported by eight E-cores (single-threading, 3.7 GHz). With the ExpertBook B9 we see that the CPU peaks at 3.4 GHz for a few seconds, after which the frequency drops quite quickly to 2.2 GHz. HP’s DragonFly runs the same CPU with a slightly higher clock speed throughout, but this is not reflected in the results.

As you can see, the two devices are equivalent. Despite the higher frequencies in the HP device, P and E cores in the ExpertBook B9 seem to work better together, making it slightly more powerful. The Samsung Galaxy Book has a slightly more powerful processor on board and performs better, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is the champion in this comparison. However, that makes sense since it’s a more robust 16-inch device.

If we look at more practical office work, we see similar results. For light workloads (Essentials) Somewhat surprisingly, the Asus ExpertBook B9 is the absolute champion, even above the 16-inch laptop. The workload is getting bigger and bigger (Advanced), including photo and video editing), then the results will meet expectations again.

In any case, rest assured: the Asus ExpertBook B9 is a high-performance laptop that, despite its thin profile and light weight, is more than competitive in its class. If you’re looking for a highly portable office laptop, you’ve come to the right place.

On the go without a power outlet

In addition, you can do without a power outlet for a while. When you’re not doing photo or video editing, this laptop is enough for a full day of work. Only the HP DragonFly G4 performs (significantly) better, but it also has a slightly larger battery (68 Wh for the Dragonfly, 63 Wh for the ExpertBook). Asus relies on low weight instead of additional autonomy, without making any major compromises.

If you need to refill, you can do it quickly. We fill the empty laptop half every half hour and eighty percent every hour. If you plug in the ExpertBook B9 during your lunch break, you can work for a few hours longer.

The Asus ExpertBook B9 has two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt ports on the left side, which can also be used for charging. A goal on each side would have been a little more practical. There is also an HDMI and a USB Type-A port on the right side. Asus is kind enough to include an RJ45 adapter in the packaging.

Finally, Asus opts for an FHD webcam (with Windows Hello) and a microphone array with several electronic gadgets that compete with ambient noise when making calls. The result is a device that allows you to hold professional virtual meetings.

Editorial choice or not?

The Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED is a fantastic laptop. We think Asus’s “OLED” in print is a bit exaggerated, as almost all competitors in this segment use the same screen technology and the associated bloatware-enriched software is not a plus point in our opinion. Finally, we can talk a bit about the ridiculous screensaver and whether it has a place on a business laptop, but the fireworks can actually be turned off with a few clicks of the mouse.

With these small details, we have actually mentioned the main disadvantages. The Asus ExpertBook B9 is a slim and high-quality laptop with very low weight, despite competitive performance and decent battery life. The keyboard is above average, the touchpad is also excellent and can be converted into a numeric keypad and the most important ports are there.

This is a top-of-the-range device whose price is fair at 1,487 euros excluding VAT. Is it now also our choice of this editor? The battle with the HP Dragonfly G4 is difficult. The HP’s slightly better battery life and more professional-looking software push us more in that direction, along with the fingerprint sensor, which is missing from the ExpertBook. The ExpertBook B9 is significantly cheaper. To be honest, the only thing stopping us from slapping the Editor’s Choice sticker is the lack of reliability of its predecessor. We’re a little worried without a long-term test, but with this reservation we can fully recommend the Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED.

Tested configuration: Asus ExpertBook B9 OLED B9403CV – Intel Core i7-1355U, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 14 inch glossy OLED screen (2,880 x 1,800), Windows 11 Pro – 1,487 euros plus VAT.