Asus Zenbook Ultrabook Review (U301XL)

We prepared a review made after we received for testing the elegant and surprising ultrabook da Asus, Zenbook (U301XL). Check out below the complete review containing the specifications and personal impressions of this excellent notebook from the company.

Specifications

Design, finishing and construction

Lately Asus has been standing out when we talk about design and finish. O ultrabook It has a really thin and light body. The finishing details are really worthy of the adjective Premium. measuring only 325 x 226 x 15.5 mm (Length x Width x Thickness), and weighing only 1,4kg,  Zenbook It has excellent portability. It is very light compared to some netbooks they can weigh up to 1.2kg, with much smaller screens.

These lean measures are largely due to the absence of a HD (hard drive). In its place, there are 2 SSDs de 256GB each, which are configured on a single volume RAID 0. The absences of a tape recorder DVD, video output VGA and built-in network connection (RJ45), also contribute to making the Zenbook really slim.

On the left side we have the power connector, a port USB 3.0, the exit micro HDMI and the audio output. On the right side we have another USB 3.0, an outlet Mini DisplayPort, which also becomes an output VGA via an adapter (included) and the card slot SD. The audio outputs are on the sides, and the fan vent is located at the base of the screen, an unusual but efficient placement.

ports and connectors

The general structure of Asus Zenbook It is all made of metal, which gives it both a sophisticated look and greater strength and durability. This reinforced structure is very welcome, mainly due to the low thickness of the ultrabook, preventing structural breaks, as in the screen hinges, very common in some models.

The top cover is coated in glass Gorilla Glass 3, and under the glass there is the finish “hairline” already traditional of Asus, with very fine concentric circles. Combined with the polished glass, the effect is really beautiful. The screen is also very thin, measuring approx. 5 mm.

Surprisingly, the keyboard cover is also coated with glass, but this one has a matte finish, similar to etched glass. This coating is also repeated in the touchpad, which is made in one piece. The touch feels like a rubberized finish, and is fingerprint-proof. The keyboard has great spacing and size, and the keys are the same color as the ultrabook.

Until then touch is also protected by Gorilla Glass 3, and has relatively wide bezels, which leads us to think that there could be better use of space.

It is worth noting about the placement of the button Power, which occupies the space normally destined for the Delete. This can cause some confusion and some accidental shutdowns at first, but it can be a good option not only for aesthetics, but also for functionality. The trigger key is usually the "Achilles heel" on some notebooks, due to easy breakage or sinking. This will hardly happen to Zenbook, as it is an integral part of the keyboard. The only weak point is that the keys easily accumulate fingerprints, due to the smooth texture.

The keys follow the chiclet pattern, and have adjustable backlighting, a great choice for those who need to type comfortably and without errors in dark environments. type in Asus Zenbook it is very comfortable and silent, ideal attributes for those who need to do this for hours on end.

O touchpad proved to be very accurate, both in the touches and in the clicks. The click needs a little power, and it's a little noisy, but nothing too much of an annoyance. Produced in a single piece, it does not present gaps, as happens in some touchpads of that kind. Both the keyboard and the touchpad, provide an optimal positioning when using the ultrathin.

Check out the video below for more details on the design of the Asus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkGmgTKVfc8&w=560&h=315

Performance

Equipped with a powerful set formed by the processor Intel Core i7-4558U de 2.8Ghz, 8GB of RAM DDR3 and 2 drives SSD (Solid state disk) from 256GB (512GB of total storage), the Zenbook makes beautiful. All everyday tasks are performed with great speed and fluidity. Heavier applications won't be a problem either.

O Asus Zenbook it's so fast, it just takes 8 seconds to start and even less to shut down, surprising 5 seconds! The return from hibernation is practically instantaneous. Of course, much of this is due to the set Windows 8.1+UEFI BIOS. the 2 drives SSD configured in RAID 0 (2 disk drives in a single volume) that also contribute a lot to this startup and shutdown speed.

This agility is also evident in more everyday tasks, but no less important. O Asus Zenbook it took 1 minute and 15 seconds to copy 4GB of data for a USB 3.0 external hard drive, average of 56MB per second. The same time was spent doing the reverse operation, recording the same 4GB of information for the External HD. In the duplication of these 4GB data to the disk itself. ultrabook, it took nothing more than 20 seconds, Or 200MB per second.

We can say that the Asus hit the nail on the head when replacing the already veteran and slow HD (hard drive) by 2 SSD drives. In addition to considerably increasing the operating system's read and write speed, it also guarantees greater data security, a factor that is still the weak point of hard drives, since the SSD It has no mechanisms or moving parts.

But since not everything is flowers…

The graphics performance of Intel Iris HD5100 GPU, which is integrated into the processor, performed only satisfactorily. When viewing videos from 720p or more in Youtube, using the Google Chrome, the dreaded and irritating lagging (choking, or delays), causing almost the crash in the execution of the videos. The problem can be partially worked around by reducing the monitor's very high native resolution. (2560 1440 ×) and also to Full HD (1920 × 1080) or less. This can be frustrating, as we expect to be able to enjoy the screen's high resolution at all times. Fortunately, the lagging do not repeat when viewing stored videos.

Clearly, the ultrabook it was developed for the job, where it did very well. Due to the absence of a GPU dedicated, it becomes unfeasible to use it in tasks that require a lot of graphic resources, such as advanced games.

Fabric

Here we see a real show! Asus has spared no effort to provide users with an excellent visual experience. are nothing less than 2560 × 1440 pixels of resolution (WQHD), that is, numbers much higher than the Full HD. In practice, on a screen of 13.3 inches, we have a result similar to those seen on the screens Retina da Apple .

The screen proved to be excellent for reading, browsing and watching videos in HD. The luminosity is very good, as well as the colors and the contrast. The viewing angle is excellent (178º), and has very little color distortion. 

Despite being a not very useful resource in a notebook, we still have on the screen the option to multi-touch up to 10 points. Touch is quite sensitive and responsive. It is worth remembering that this is not a hybrid device, that is, there is no possibility of rotating the screen and using the Asus Zenbook , the tablets. Another positive point is that despite touch screen, the thickness of the screen is only 5 mm, measures that are among the smallest that we can find in the market.

For these reasons, the Zenbook it has a screen that will do very well for both entertainment and work.

Battery

CAs is already common in ultrathin, in Asus Zenbook battery is also not removable. It is also customary in ultrabooks good battery life, and that's the case here. With moderate use, it was possible to spend more than a whole day away from the outlet. Already in more intense use, such as watching videos in high definition, or playing games, this autonomy can drop to about 5 hours.

We can say that technology Intel, present in the latest generation of processors Core contributes a lot to energy efficiency, all without losing firepower. In tasks that demand less processing, the speed is reduced for greater energy savings. This economy reaches 25%According to Asus. The adoption of drives SSD, instead of a HD, provides even lower energy consumption.

Another interesting and very useful feature is the charging of devices through the ports USB, even if the ultrabook be off.

Multimedia

A Asus used the well-known technology Sonicmaster, which processes the audio signal, for better quality. The speakers are signed by Bang & Olufsen and are well located on the sides. The high-resolution screen and audio system set HD, is very well adjusted. The sound is very clear and undistorted, even at high volumes. Bass reproduction is good, but not very discreet. A webcam capture video with resolution 720p to 30fps, with enough quality for video calls. Overall, the multimedia experience is great.

Connectivity, accessories and features

In this aspect we have a good package. Board Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac, network card RJ45, Bluetooth 4.0, video outputs Micro HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and VGA, card reader SD, 2 doors USB 3.0, and standard audio output 3.5 mm.

Remembering that the connection VGA works through an adapter, through the mini Display port, and the network card RJ45 has interface USB 3.0, which allows its use in other laptops, or Desktops.

the connections Wi-Fi e Bluetooth proved to be very stable and fast. Unfortunately, there was no network Wi-Fi pattern AC at the time of testing. We miss at least one more door USB, especially if the user needs to use the cable network, which ends up occupying one of the only 2 ports available.

What comes in the box:

Here we perceive the care that the Asus had with the presentation of the product. Starting with the box, very beautiful and with a matte finish. Inside it, in addition to Zenbook, we find:

• Charger;
• Mini Display Port-VGA Adapter;
• RJ45-USB 3.0 network adapter;
• Case (glove) envelope type, velvety and with magnetic closure;
• Cable organizer clamp, in Velcro;
• Manuals and inserts.

Conclusion

A Asus did an excellent job. Among the highlights are refined design, great size and weight, respectable performance and screen touch of very high resolution. the storage 512GB SSD it's a big differentiator. In addition to contributing to the speed, and reduction of measures, breaking still guarantees great security for the user's data. 

Game aficionados, or professionals who need high graphics performance, may experience difficulties with the limitation of Intel GPU integrated. But if you are looking for a quality product Premium, plenty of portability and good performance for work and entertainment, the ultra-thin Asus Zenbook will be an excellent choice.

Availability and Price

O Asus Zenbook is sold in the country under the model names UX301XL e UX301LA. With hardware features of a premium model, rarely achieved in a notebook/ultrabook, it is worth the price paid, but this one is quite expensive in Brazil. Look:

• R$8.999,10 (via Submarino);
• R$6.159,12 (via American stores);
• R$6.229,10 (via shoptime);

For those who want a version as powerful or even better than some of the Macbooks available in the market, it is the right choice.