Asus Zenbook S13 Review: A Notch, a Bump, a Clever Little Laptop

When Ifirst saw the ZenBook S13 , I was n’t quite sure what to make of it . For starters , putting a snick on a laptop computer just seemed like a weirdholdover from Asus ’ headphone business , and its bluish Ag and atomic number 29 orange color scheme sometimes made it surd to see the letter on its keys . But the more time I spend with the ZenBook S13 , my feelings started to modify . It ’s a clever bit that takes some time to appreciate , and all told , it ’s a suitable alternative to the systems like theDell XPS 13andHuawei MateBook X Pro .

Asus ZenBook S13

What is it ?

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

A 14 - inch ultraportable notebook computer with a pass

Price

Starts at $ 1,400

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

cunning design , diminutive bezel , lots of ports , comfortable keyboard

Do n’t Like

Photo: Sam Rutherford

Photo: Sam Rutherford (Gizmodo)

Battery liveliness is just OK , not a muckle of config selection , awkward fingerprint sensor placement , no Thunderbolt 3

Practically everywhere you look , there ’s a constituent on the ZenBook S13 that ’s pulling dual duty . plain there ’s the notch , which not only provides room to hold the laptop ’s HD webcam , it ’s also a handy tab that take a crap it easier to enter the Zenbook one - handed . And unlike a smartphone notch , the ZenBook ’s small cutout does n’t intrude on to the notebook ’s screen , so you still get all of Asus ’ 13.9 - inch full HD display to play with .

Next comes the hinge , which sport Asus ’ Ergolift design that mechanically lifts up the back of the laptop when you open up the lid . It give the ZenBook S13 a more comfortable typewriting posture , and improves cooling thanks to the increased airflow underneath its physique . But the really smart thing about the ZenBook ’s design , is that in combination with that Ergolift hinge , Asus is capable to hide the bottom part of the display behind the keyboard deck , which get the ZeBook S13 ’s already tiny bezels appear even small .

All told , Asus is claiming a filmdom - to - body proportion of 97 percent , which beats the 80.7 percent figure you get on a new Dell XPS 13 , and the 91 percent you get on the Huawei MateBook X Pro . However , if you look closer at that hinge , you ’ll see how Asus fudged the identification number a bit , because it ’s clear Asus is n’t factor the part of the ZenBook ’s screen that extends below the deck of cards .

Even the ZenBook S13 ’s touchpad performs multiple roles , serving as a path to move your shiner around , but also log into the system thanks to the fingerprint lector lay away in the top right quoin . That said , this is probably the one time Asus would have been better off keeping these two functions separate , as the fingermark lector guide aside from the touchpad ’s overall Earth’s surface area , and for a touchpad that ’s just mediocre in size , there is n’t really that much room to spare . or else , I wish Asus had last with a combo power button / digit reader like you get on competing system of rules from Dell and Huawei .

at bottom , the ZenBook comes well fit out with your alternative of a quad - effect Intel Core i5 - 8265U CPU , or a Core i7 - 8565U C.P.U. like the one in our review unit . That said , after browsing online , the Core i5 model is concentrated to find . In fact , the ZenBook S13 lags behind in configuration choices overall . Unlike theXPS 13which offers both a 4 K soupcon and 1080p non - touch display options .

https://gizmodo.com/dell-xps-13-review-this-time-its-practically-perfect-1832992988

As for nontextual matter , the ZenBook ’s Nvidia MX 150 GPU comes touchstone , and while it ’s a genesis behind the optional MX 250 GPU in theMatebook X Pro , it ’s still more than enough to bet Overwatch at Full HD on medium to high setting , or less tax game like Dota Underlords . In scant , the ZenBook S13 was n’t made to be your primary gaming machine , but if you need to relax with a quick frag session after employment , the ZenBook has you covered .

That means your only real selection when it comes to configure the ZenBook S13 is figuring out if you desire 8 GB of random access memory for $ 1,400 , or 16 GB of RAM for an extra Benjamin . Technically , Asus offer various sizes for the ZenBook ’s SSD computer memory as well , but like the ZenBook ’s option of CPUs , it ’s hard to discover those configs online . Asus ’ ownWhere to Buypage does n’t even show Core i5 CPU or other SSD sizes as available option .

Thankfully , for such a portable arrangement ( the S13 weighs less than 2.5 lb and measures half an inch boneheaded ) , the ZenBook does fare with a adequate amount of ports , include a two USB 3.1 Type - C ports and a microSD card reader on the left , along with a USB 3.1 eccentric - A port and a earphone jackass on the right . That selection of ports is enough to let most people travel and oeuvre without needing to carry any dongles around , though if you do need more connectivity , Asus does offer an optional $ 70 Mini Dock that comes with an extra USB - C , HDMI , and USB - A ports . unluckily , none of these porthole plump for Thunderbolt 3 .

In some ways , the ZenBook S13 ’s biggest disappointment is it battery life . On our video summation test , ZenBook lasted just 8 hour and 57 minutes , which is half an hour less than what we got from the XPS 13 ( 9:26 ) , and more than an hour and a one-half less than MateBook X Pro ( 10:36 ) , which has a slightly buirdly GPU . Even theRazer Blade Stealth(10:11 ) tender an extra hour of battery life , though when specced out likewise to our Core i7 ZenBook S13 , the Razer costs $ 200 more .

Starting at $ 1,400 , Asus is need a lot more than many competitors just to get you into ZenBook S13 , though once you ’re there , it ’s accommodation are quite choice . It ’s battery life is fine , spec are solid , and it follow with a flock of smart design pick that enhance its most important feature article . But choosing between the ZenBook S13 and its competitors ai n’t well-fixed .

The XPS 13 has a much lower start damage at $ 900 ( though that model comes with less telling component ) , while the MateBook X Pro ’s newer GPU makes it a undecomposed choice for mobile creatives . But with Huawei ’s recent governmental consequence , it ’s intemperate to detect . And despite being more expensive , the Razer Blade Stealth is easy the most fashionable of the crowd , especiallyif you like pink . But as a system that boast a good portmanteau of toll for performance along with a nifty design , the ZenBook S13 feel like it will strike the good counterbalance for a lot of sept .

README

The ZenBook S13 ’s bezels are super sparse , but its 97 percent projection screen - to - torso proportion only create sentience if you do n’t count the part of the screen that protract below the deck .

Nvidia ’s MX 150 GPU is standard element , and while it wo n’t turn the ZenBook S13 into a in writing ball of fire , it ’s proficient for everyday play or idle exposure / video editing .

The ZenBook S13 ’s notch is ripe , but if you do n’t like it , the ZenBook 14 does n’t have one .