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skardem 16.7K Views
Sep 21, 2026 5:00 PM

Zenbook A16 16" 3K OLED Touchscreen Laptop - Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme 2026 - 48GB Open Box $1,241

$1,241

$1,500

17% off
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Community Reviews

This Zenbook A16 stands out as a light 16 inch 3K OLED Snapdragon laptop with unusually high 48GB memory and strong on device AI performance for the money. The open box pricing is repeatedly framed as exceptional, especially compared with other Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme and 1TB open box options. Real world use looks best for small to midsize local models, native ARM apps, and improved Windows on ARM support. The main cautions are software compatibility, especially VPNs and Linux support, and slower performance on larger models that can also keep it tethered to a charger. A compelling pick if the ARM software fit is right.

Common Questions (4)

  • Yes. The 48GB OLED Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme configuration is described as unusually strong value, with 1TB open-box units reportedly around $1,000 and even one 1TB open-box good listing seen at $879. A buyer also reported receiving the unit in perfect condition.

  • It can work if the VPN has native ARM support, such as NordVPN or Windows built-in VPN. VPNs without ARM support may not run on this Snapdragon/Windows on ARM setup, so compatibility depends on the specific app.

  • It runs Qualcomm-optimized small models well, but larger models can be very slow and may not use the NPU unless they are optimized for it. One report cites Quen 26B dense at about 4 TPS, while MOE variants run faster; the workload may also require staying plugged in.

  • Not yet in a practical sense for buyers who need it now. Ubuntu has announced official Snapdragon X2 series support targeted for sometime in 2027, which may improve adoption later.

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23 Comments

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Sep 26, 2026 2:48 AM
1.2K Comments
Joined Jul 2013
buy_now_think_laterSep 26, 2026 2:48 AM
1.2K Comments
Quote from skardem View quoted comment :
Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme (X2E-96-100): Hits 80 TOPS on its dedicated Hexagon NPU, providing superior on-device local AI processing speeds.Intel Flagship / Panther Lake Chips: Feature around 50 TOPS on their NPUs, trailing Qualcomm's local vision and LLM execution benchmarks by roughly a 2x margin.AMD Ryzen AI Competitors: Deliver roughly 50 TOPS, with independent tests (such as Procyon AI Computer Vision) showing the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme operating at up to 2.4x to 2.6x the performance per dollar or absolute throughput. Apple M-Series AI Performance (TOPS)Base M5: 42 TOPS (16-core NPU)
80 tops is good but can you actually run lm studio or llama on it?
Sep 28, 2026 12:52 AM
160 Comments
Joined Jan 2013
dontouchSep 28, 2026 12:52 AM
160 Comments
Quote from buy_now_think_later View quoted comment :
80 tops is good but can you actually run lm studio or llama on it?
This runs Qualcomm's small optimized models well but larger models will be very slow. It ran quen 26b dense at 4 tps. But MOE variant runs pretty fast. Don't get fooled by 80 tops or npu etc marketing hype. This does not use or cannot use npu on non optimized models and qualcomm hasn't optimized anything 12b or larger. TPS will depend on bandwidth and it is not class leading. Dont get this thinking you will rival dual 3090 setup, M5 with similar 48gb or even amd strix. Gemma 26b MOE will fit pretty nicely with somewhat ok context size. Given that the marketing is around long battery life I dont think Qualcomm is much interested in making this run models that eat up power. That'd drain the battery in just few hours and overheat the unit. Thus the x2 only has small models optimized. It also requires you being connected to a charger and that takes the beauty out of this machine. You dont want to be tethered to a brick with thus ultea portable. Bottom line: can it run small to midsize llms? Yes. Does it produce respectful results comparable to macs in the similar ram range? Not at the moment. Can it run some small models and MOE well? Yes.

The huge 16 inch screen with over 10 hours of battery life and at least being able to load up some local models? It's also amazingly light. It's definitely not cheap. But with 18 cores, gpu, npu, 48gb, oled, inflation, I guess we can't expect laptops to be sub 1000 anymore
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Sep 28, 2026 4:07 PM
11.5K Comments
Joined Feb 2013
Hat-TrickSep 28, 2026 4:07 PM
11.5K Comments
Somewhere, there is a 1TB version Open Box Good for $879. At least that is what I see when I look at open box choices of the 1TB version linked in the OP.

$879 for a 48GB RAM Snapdragon laptop with 3K OLED. Crazy.
Oct 12, 2026 2:13 AM
57 Comments
Joined Jun 2015
OwaisUlhaqOct 12, 2026 2:13 AM
57 Comments
Quote from Hat-Trick View quoted comment :
Somewhere, there is a 1TB version Open Box Good for $879. At least that is what I see when I look at open box choices of the 1TB version linked in the OP.

$879 for a 48GB RAM Snapdragon laptop with 3K OLED. Crazy.
I got it lol. It's great ended up being perfect condition
Oct 12, 2026 11:27 AM
11.5K Comments
Joined Feb 2013
Hat-TrickOct 12, 2026 11:27 AM
11.5K Comments
Quote from OwaisUlhaq View quoted comment :
I got it lol. It's great ended up being perfect condition
That's literally the deal of the year! Where was it, out of curiosity? I see they're back up to almost $1300 for open box now.
Oct 12, 2026 1:16 PM
57 Comments
Joined Jun 2015
OwaisUlhaqOct 12, 2026 1:16 PM
57 Comments
Quote from Hat-Trick View quoted comment :
That's literally the deal of the year! Where was it, out of curiosity? I see they're back up to almost $1300 for open box now.
Got it Fort Worth area in Texas
Oct 12, 2026 1:16 PM
57 Comments
Joined Jun 2015
OwaisUlhaqOct 12, 2026 1:16 PM
57 Comments
Quote from Hat-Trick View quoted comment :
That's literally the deal of the year! Where was it, out of curiosity? I see they're back up to almost $1300 for open box now.
Got it Fort Worth area in Texas. Thanks!

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Oct 12, 2026 1:22 PM
11.5K Comments
Joined Feb 2013
Hat-TrickOct 12, 2026 1:22 PM
11.5K Comments
Quote from OwaisUlhaq View quoted comment :
Got it Fort Worth area in Texas. Thanks!
Dammit! I should have checked that area as I have a friend in Prosper that could have picked it up! Congrats!

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