ASUS ZenBook UX430UA Ultrabook Review

1. Introduction2. ASUS ZenBook UX430UA3. Testing Methodology4. Testing: CPU and Memory5. Testing: PC Mark 86. Testing: Graphics7. Testing: SSD and USB Interfaces8. Testing: Thermal Dynamics and Power Consumption9. Testing: Battery10. Closing Thoughts11. View All Pages

For some years, PC manufacturers have been competing to make a Windows notebook that is better-looking and more useful than a MacBook Air. One of the clear contenders has been ASUS with its ZenBooks. Each generation has provided tempting design, lightness and features, with the UX390UA coming it at under a kilogram. The UX430UA, being a 14in model, isn't quite that featherweight, but it still has plenty to entice.

The ASUS ZenBook UX430UA looks as great as previous models, with a brushed metal-look to the lid and (in the case of our sample), a stylish contrast between the dark blue of the chassis and black keyboard. But the internals are a pretty standard configuration for an ultrabook in this class. There's an Intel Core i7 7500U, 8GB of DDR4 memory, integrated Intel graphics, and a 256GB SSD.

This makes it very similar to the Dell XPS 13. But the price at time of writing was also quite a bit lower than the XPS 13. Could this be the perfect 14in portable?

Specification

• Processor: Intel Core i7-7500U 2.7GHz, Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR4 2133MHz
• Hard drive: 256GB SSD
• Operating System: Windows 10 Home
• Display: 14in (16:9) 1920 x 1080 LED backlit 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 72% NTSC
• Graphics: Integrated Intel® HD 620 Graphics
• Audio: 3W speakers
• Networking: Integrated 802.11 AC
• Power Supply: 3 Cells 50 Whrs Polymer Battery, 45W power brick
• Dimensions: Width 324 mm, Depth 225 mm, Height 15.9 mm
• Weight: 1.25 g with Battery
• Interfaces: 1 x combined headphone/microphone audio jack, 1 x USB 3.1 Type C, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x Micro HDMI, 1 x SD card reader
• Adapters included: USB 3 to Ethernet; Micro HDMI to HDMI

Price: £899.97

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