ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: At First Glance
Since the introduction of the ZenBook series in 2011, ASUS has been relentless in producing slim lightweight notebooks with impressive performance. The ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is nothing short of this legacy.
To give more details, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is an impressively slim lightweight laptop with outstanding hardware and performance. Moreover, this laptop is so slim that as of the time of its release, it came out as one of the slimmest laptops ever.
However, this ASUS laptop is quite expensive, which is something expected from a laptop of its caliber. Focusing on the price, as of January 2022, this laptop had a starting price of $1,294.23.
With its expensive price tag, can the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA deliver the performance that users actually need? Well, there is only one way to find out – read on!
ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: Design, Dimension and Weight
In terms of design, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA features a simple yet elegant design. Specifically, this laptop features a magnesium alloy chassis painted in stunning icicle gold color that screams “elegance”.
Furthermore, the chassis of this laptop features a glossy finish that sends off a hint of extravagance. Honestly, on seeing this beauty, I said to myself “this is something I would love to flaunt among my friends”.
However, due to the glossy finish of the chassis, this laptop tends to pick up fingerprints and smudges quickly. Therefore, I advise when flaunting this ASUS laptop among your friends, you should have a wipe or towel with you just in case.
That said, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA features a beautiful “ASUS” logo just on the center of its lid. Interestingly, this logo comes with a silver mirror-like finish that adds to the laptop’s appealing look.
Moving on to the interior, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA features a 13.3-inch display with an FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution. Impressively, this 13.3-inch display is made with an IPS panel that allows for wide viewing angles.
In addition to that, this IPS 13.3-inch display is surrounded by somewhat slim bezels. Moreover, at the center of the bottom bezel, there is an “ASUS” logo boldly inscribed in stainless steel.
The top bezel, on the other hand, features an HD webcam finely placed in the center. Although this HD webcam isn’t adequate for taking banging pictures, it does well for casual video conference calls.
Moving on to the keyboard, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA features a chiclet-style keyboard. This keyboard is one of the major highlights of the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA.
This is because the keys are spacious to support different sizes of fingers. Moreover, in terms of performance, the keyboard should offer a comfortable and incredible typing experience.
This is because the keys on the keyboard are very responsive and makes minimal sounds when typing. Seated below this keyboard is the laptop’s touchpad.
This touchpad is quite large and offers integrated click buttons. However, the touchpad isn’t responsive enough and its surface isn’t smooth enough.
Therefore, performing multitouch gestures on the touchpad might be stressful sometimes.
For the port, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA offers just a little number of ports. To be more specific, this laptop features a USB 3.1 port, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack on its right side.
The left side, on the other hand, features another USB 3.1 port, an HDMI port, and a USB Type-C port.
Measuring 309.8 x 63.5 x 12.7 mm (W x D x H) and weighing just 1120 g, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is one of the lightest laptops available. In fact, this laptop is lighter than most of its competitors.
For example, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin measures 315.7 x 215.3 x 18.5 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 1450 g. Another example is the Lenovo Flex 6 14 which measures 327.7 x 228.6 x 17.8 mm (W x D x H) and weighs 1660 g.
Overall, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA design is really exceptional and appealing. Also, this laptop is very slim and lightweight.
However, the chassis of the laptop picks up smudges easily. Nevertheless, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA deserves an eight out of ten in this design review section.
ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: Processor (CPU) Performance
The ASUS ZenBook UX331UA features the 8th generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor. This processor offers a base frequency of 1.80 GHz as well as a maximum frequency of 4.0 GHz.
Furthermore, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA’s CPU is a quad-core processor with 8 MB cache memory. In terms of performance, this processor should be able to handle any computing task you throw at it.
The reason for this is because of the laptop’s high clock speed of 4.0 GHz. Also, considering its quad-core, this laptop’s processor can perform up to eight tasks simultaneously thanks to hyperthreading.
Therefore, multitasking and any other basic computing tasks should be swift and lag-free on this laptop.
To further prove the performance of this laptop with this processor, I will be discussing the laptop’s Cinebench R15 benchmark test results. Cinebench R15 is a benchmark tool that measures the overall performance of a computer’s processor by testing its cores.
Therefore, this benchmark test offers two test results – single-core test and multi-core test results. Moreover, the higher the score on both test results, the better the performance of the computer’s processor.
So, according to the Cinebench R15 test results, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA recorded 142 points in the single-core test. Meanwhile, in the multi-core test, the laptop recorded 601 points.
In comparison, despite using the same processors, this ASUS laptop performed better than the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin on the Cinebench R15 test. Specifically, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin recorded 137 points and 504 points in the Cinebench R15’s single-core and multi-core tests respectively.
As a result, I will be rating the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA a nine out of ten in this processor review section.
ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: Memory (RAM) Performance
For memory, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA offers only a single memory slot and a standard memory of 8 GB. Unfortunately, due to the fact that 8 GB is also the max memory that this laptop support, upgradability is impossible.
Notwithstanding, I believe 8 GB RAM should be enough for this laptop to handle most computing tasks. In fact, with this amount of memory, this laptop will be adequate for multitasking.
Speaking of multitasking, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA should be able to run 15 Chrome tabs smoothly without slowing down. Moreover, switching between these tabs should be seamless on this laptop.
Moving on, to further prove the performance of this laptop with 8 GB RAM, I will briefly discuss its PCMark 8 benchmark test result. PCMark 8 is a benchmark tool that tests the memory performance of a computer by simulating everyday productivity tasks.
Hence, the higher the score on this test, the better the memory performance of the computer. Impressively, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA recorded a score of 3303 points on this PCMark 8 test.
This score is about 100 points higher than the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin‘s 3220 points.
In conclusion, although the laptop’s memory isn’t upgradable, its 8 GB standard memory is enough for performing tasks and multitasking. Therefore, I will be rating the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA an eight out of ten in this memory review section.
ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: Storage Options and Performance
For storing files, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA comes with 256 GB SSD storage. Although SSDs are very fast, I doubt if 256 GB of storage space will be enough for most people.
Therefore, just in case you feel 256 GB storage isn’t enough, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA offers a micro SD card slot. This micro SD card slot enables you to expand the laptop’s storage to an extent.
That said, to measures the ability of the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA’s storage, we will now discuss the laptop’s performance on a file transfer test. As a laptop with an SSD storage type, one would expect a brilliant performance from this ASUS laptop on the file transfer test.
Well, the laptop actually delivered a good performance, but it isn’t just enough to compete with other laptops. To be more specific, on the file transfer test, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA was able to transfer 4.97GB of mix-media files at a transfer rate of 203.6 MBps
This transfer rate is a little bit slower than the HP Envy 13‘s 212 MBps, which the laptop achieved when transferring the same 4.97GB files. Likewise, the Dell XPS 13 9310 recorded an even higher transfer rate of 339.2 MBps on the file transfer test.
In my opinion, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA offers an average storage performance. Hence, I will be rating the laptop a seven out of ten in this review section.
ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: Graphics Card Performance
The ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is equipped with an Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card. In terms of speed, this GPU offers a base frequency of 300 MHz and a maximum frequency of 1150 MHz.
Furthermore, this Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU is an integrated graphics card that is embedded into the processor. Moreover, unlike dedicated GPUs, this graphics card lacks dedicated VRAM.
Therefore, the graphics card depends solely on the laptop’s memory to carry out graphics-related tasks. As a result, with this graphics card, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA might not be powerful enough to run graphics-demanding applications or games.
Notwithstanding, this laptop should be able to play simple games like Candy Crush. In fact, with its graphics card, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA should be able to run most games on the Microsoft Store including Asphalt 8.
That said, let us quickly look at the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA’s performance on the 3DMark test. 3DMark is a benchmark test that measures the graphics rendering abilities of a computer.
Moreover, a high score on this test equates to a better GPU performance. According to the 3DMark test, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA recorded 4764 points.
When compared with one of its competitors, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin, this ASUS laptop performed better. To give more details, on the 3DMark test, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin recorded a score of 4346 points.
In conclusion, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA might feature an integrated GPU, but it performed better than most of its competitors. Hence, this ASUS laptop deserves a seven out of ten in this graphics review section.
ASUS ZenBook UX331UA: Battery Life and Performance
In terms of battery, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA comes with a 3-cell 50 Wh lithium-polymer battery. Based on ASUS claims, this laptop should be able to last up to 14 with this battery.
To validate ASUS claims, I will highlight the laptop’s results on a video playback test. Just to be clear, this test involves looping 4K videos on the laptop till its battery dies.
That said, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA lasted 10 hours and 50 minutes on this video playback test. In comparison, this ASUS laptop outperformed most of its competitors.
For example, the Samsung Notebook 7 Spin lasted 7 hours and 8 minutes on the video playback test. Also, the Lenovo Flex 6 14 was only able to last for 6 hours on the same test.
In conclusion, the battery performance of the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is indeed remarkable. Although the laptop did not last up to ASUS’s 14 hours claims, its 10+ hours battery life on a video playback test is impressive.
Therefore, I will rate the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA a nine out of ten in this battery review section.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA does not have a Thunderbolt port.
As of the time I published this article in January 2022, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA had a starting price of $1,294.23.
No, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is not a touchscreen laptop.
The ASUS ZenBook UX331UA comes with a single memory slot that houses 8 GB RAM. However, 8 GB RAM is also the maximum memory capacity that the laptop supports.
Yes, the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA features a micro SD card slot for storage expansion.
Conclusion
The ASUS ZenBook UX331UA is a sleek lightweight laptop that offers adequate performance. To give more details, this laptop comes with a powerful processor that can handle most computing tasks.
However, the chassis of this laptop tends to pick up fingerprints and smudges easily. Also, this laptop comes with a little number of ports.
Nevertheless, the battery life of the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA battery sets it way above some of its competitors. Therefore, if you need a powerful laptop with a long-lasting battery, I recommend you consider the ASUS ZenBook UX331UA.
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