ASUS Zenbook UX301LA Review

Despite the abundance of offers of all kinds of tablets, laptops do not want to give up. Some time ago, ASUS introduced a new model of ultrabooks Zenbook series. Today we bring to your attention a review of the older model, UX301LA.

Specifications and equipment

The table below highlights the characteristics of the sample that participated in the review.
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Processor :
• Intel® Core ™ i7 4558U, 2.8 GHz
• Intel® Core ™ i7 4500U ~ Core ™ i7 Processor
• Intel® Core ™ i5 4200U ~ Core ™ i7 Processor
OS : Windows 8 Pro; Windows 8
RAM :
• 8 GB DDR3L 1600 MHz SDRAM
• 4 GB DDR3L 1600 MHz SDRAM
Screen : 13.3 "16: 9
• WQHD (2560x1440), IPS, touch;
• Full HD (1920x1080), IPS, touch
Graphics :
• Integrated Intel® Iris ™ 5100
• Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 4400
Hard Drive : 2x SATA III SSD RAID 0 total capacity:
• 512 GB
• 256 GB
Optical drive : no
Card reader : SD
Camera : HD Web Camera
Network :
• WLAN 802.11a / b / g / n / ac
• Bluetooth 4.0
Connectors :
• 1 x 2-in-1 audio
• 2 x USB 3.0
• 1 x micro HDMI
• 1 x mini Display Port
Sound :
• Bang & Olufsen ICEpower® audio system
• SonicMaster technology support
Battery : six-cell, Li-Po, 50.6 W * hour
Dimensions : 325 x 226 x 15.5 mm (Width x Height x Thickness)
Weight : 1.4 kg (with battery)













The ultrabook comes with a case folder, a charger and two adapters: from RJ-45 to USB and from VGA to Mini Display Port.

Appearance

Unlike the previous series of Ultrabooks, the hero of this review has an iridescent concentric texture of dark blue metallic (or white, depending on the model). On top of it is covered with glass Gorilla Glass 3. In the center there is the ASUS logo. It looks very beautiful and rich, but the glass surface is instantly covered with fingerprints. While the ultrabook is running, the logo glows with a beautiful white light.





The body is made of aluminum and has a dark blue, almost black color (the white version will also be available for sale). The most interesting thing is that all the surfaces of the case, with the exception of the bottom, are covered with a layer of protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. However, do not let this mislead you, the laptop does not look like a glass box at all.

Visually it seems that the body is wedge-shaped. However, this is only an illusion created by smooth transitions from the bottom to the edges of the case. The build quality and operation of the hinges of the lid are not satisfactory, no squeaks and no dangles.



On the bottom side there are only air vents and rubber feet.
On the left side are:
Power connector
• USB 3.0 port
• microHDMI connector
• Audio jack



On the right side:
• Card reader
• USB 3.0 port
• Mini Display Port connector



Raise the cover: inside the design is strict and ascetic. The cover is securely fixed at all angles of disclosure. The screen and the surrounding frame are covered with glass. A thin protruding border runs along the perimeter to prevent the glass from contacting the keyboard. Above the screen is a webcam lens, a light sensor and two microphones on the edges.



The keyboard has a slightly rough texture, and the surrounding panel is covered with Gorilla Glass 3. In this version of the laptop, the panel has a slightly matte surface, and in the version with a white body, it is glossy. The key stroke is short, quiet. Not too soft, moderately tight. When you press the key does not warp, the panel does not push through. Under the keyboard is a large comfortable touch-pad, about a millimeter recessed into the case. By the way, the touchpad is also covered with Gorilla Glass 3.





The F2, Caps Lock and Power button are equipped with small white LEDs. In F2, it burns when Wi-Fi is on. Also, the keyboard is equipped with a white backlight, which facilitates work with a low level of illumination. The brightness of the backlight is adjusted automatically and manually, all available three levels of brightness.

Screen

The ultrabook is equipped with a screen on an IPS matrix with good color rendition (in general, somewhat cold) and large viewing angles. The resolution of 2560x1440 makes the image perfectly smooth: even if you put your nose on the screen, the image pixeliness is not noticeable. But resolution is also the main drawback - with a diagonal of 13.3 inches, the size of the interface elements and objects is too small. If you are uncomfortable, then there is a modification with a screen of 1920 * 1080.

Touch control with support for up to 10 simultaneous touches makes it easier to work in Windows 8. Despite the glossy protective glass, the oleophobic and anti-reflective coating slows down the appearance of fingerprints and significantly reduces the number of parasitic reflections.

Performance

Of course, ultrabooks are not designed for use as gaming machines. For games, ASUS offers a variety of other laptops. Therefore, you can play this ultrabook only in solitaire. Otherwise, it is a good working machine that copes well with various daily tasks, including office applications.

3DMark 11:



3DMark 06:



Cinebench:





Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0:
• FPS: 2.0
• Score: 49
• Min FPS: 1.4
• Max FPS: 2.9

Features and benchmark RAID 0 of SSDs:

Duration of work

Watching FullHD movies (1920x1080) with an average screen brightness: 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Surfing the Internet via Wi-Fi, with clicks on the links about every 10-20 seconds, the average screen brightness: 5 hours and 40 minutes.
Full battery charging time was 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Conclusion

ASUS Zenbook UX301LA is a fast and stylish ultrabook, compact and lightweight. Stylish and expensive design, high-performance stuffing and a very quiet cooling system rightly allow you to assign this Zenbook UX301LA to the top line. The disadvantages include the margins of the glass surface of the lid, which is a kind of price for beauty and singularity, and the low performance of the graphics subsystem in games. On the other hand, image ultrabooks are not bought for gaming.

Recommended retail price: from 64 thousand rubles.