Specifications
Processor: Dual-Core Intel Core M-5Y10c, RAM: 8GB, Size: 324x226x12mm, Weight: 1.2kg, Screen size: 13.3in, Screen resolution: 1,920x1,080, Graphics adaptor: Intel HD 5300, Total storage: 128GB SSD
Price when reviewed : £ 650
Intel's Core M mobile processors are revolutionising what we expect
from an ultra-portable laptop. The new chip is at the core of the
much-hyped new 12in MacBook.
However, Apple isn't the first to market, with a number of
Windows-based laptops coming out. Better still, the chips aren’t
exclusive to top-end devices and can be found in laptops under £700.
Enter Asus with the 1.2kg Zenbook UX305 - which at £650 is almost half
the price of the new top-end MacBook.
This stunningly thin laptop takes full advantage of the low power consumption and low thermal footprint of its 0.8GHz Intel Core M-5Y10c processor. 800MHz may sound pathetically slow, but keep in mind that it can Turbo Boost to an impressive 2GHz when thermal conditions allow. If we didn't know what processor was inside the laptop, we'd have guessed it was a Core i3.
The
advantages of such a low-power processor are clear. First, the
laptop has a fanless design meaning it's completely silent no matter how
heavy a load it's under. As a result, it's thin (just 12.3mm) and
extremely light thanks to the lack of a heavy cooling system. The thin
design means you're left with just a single micro HDMI output, SD card
reader and no Ethernet port alongside the 3 USB3 ports and 3.5mm audio
jack, although that’s a heck of a lot more than you’ll get in the new
MacBook. Asus also supplies a USB 10/100 Ethernet adapter in the box for
when you want to connect to a wired network.
Despite the low price, Asus hasn't skimped too much on build quality. The brushed metal chassis looks the part and although it picks up greasy marks fairly easily and has a little flex to it, it doesn't feel flimsy by any means. This means we're happy to pick it up and throw it into a bag without worrying too much about it getting damaged. Its weight is so inconsequential that you'd barely notice it even in a small bag, so you can take it anywhere even if you're not sure you're even going to need it. It's this effortless practicality than so many laptops miss and the Asus Zenbook UX305 manages perfectly.
The keyboard is comfortable to use with grippy island keys leaving
plenty of space for your fingers. We had no problems with missed
keystrokes and were able to type consistently and quickly whether on the
bus, sitting at work or with our feet up on the sofa. The only downside
is a lack of backlighting, making typing late into the night a possible
pain. We wouldn't neccesarily expect it on a laptop at this price, but
we still miss it.
The touchpad is relatively good, too, and is massively improved by Asus' excellent Gesture Control software. You can switch various two- and three-fingered gestures on and off using this program, and also deactivate the often tiresome Windows 8 gestures that activate if you accidentally swipe your finger from the edge of the touchpad. Our favourite gesture is the three-fingered down swipe gesture that shows the desktop and the three-fingered left and right gestures that take you back and forward in the browser. This brings the UX305 in line with the Apple MacBook Air, which is equally easy to use thanks to similar gesture controls.
This stunningly thin laptop takes full advantage of the low power consumption and low thermal footprint of its 0.8GHz Intel Core M-5Y10c processor. 800MHz may sound pathetically slow, but keep in mind that it can Turbo Boost to an impressive 2GHz when thermal conditions allow. If we didn't know what processor was inside the laptop, we'd have guessed it was a Core i3.
Despite the low price, Asus hasn't skimped too much on build quality. The brushed metal chassis looks the part and although it picks up greasy marks fairly easily and has a little flex to it, it doesn't feel flimsy by any means. This means we're happy to pick it up and throw it into a bag without worrying too much about it getting damaged. Its weight is so inconsequential that you'd barely notice it even in a small bag, so you can take it anywhere even if you're not sure you're even going to need it. It's this effortless practicality than so many laptops miss and the Asus Zenbook UX305 manages perfectly.
The touchpad is relatively good, too, and is massively improved by Asus' excellent Gesture Control software. You can switch various two- and three-fingered gestures on and off using this program, and also deactivate the often tiresome Windows 8 gestures that activate if you accidentally swipe your finger from the edge of the touchpad. Our favourite gesture is the three-fingered down swipe gesture that shows the desktop and the three-fingered left and right gestures that take you back and forward in the browser. This brings the UX305 in line with the Apple MacBook Air, which is equally easy to use thanks to similar gesture controls.
Display, Benchmarks and Conclusion
The screen is one area where a couple of build deficiencies come into
focus. There's a small amount of backlight bleed at the bottom of the
display where the panel looks to have warped slightly. It's not terrible
by any means but it is the sort of build quality issue you'd find on a
cheaper laptop.
The 13.3in screen uses a Full HD panel, although it's not particularly stunning. While sRGB colour gamut coverage isn't great at 85.2%, the 1368:1 contrast ratio means images still have a pleasing quality to the and fine details, while not colour-accurate, are visible. The matt screen has a 271cd/m2 backlight and easily visible even in brightly lit conditions, but this comes at the cost of a little fidelity; there's a slightly messy grain over the screen coating that is sometimes noticeable when looking at light greys and whites.
You should also be aware that Full HD screens on small laptops make some programs and text extremely small. If you have problems seeing tiny objects you may want to adjust the resolution down in order to increase the physical size of items on-screen.
Performance isn't startling but it's more than a match for your spreadsheets, documents, family photos and favourite websites. The UX305 scored competitively in our multimedia benchmarks, managing 42 in the image rendering test. The results from the video compression and multitasking tests brought its overall score down to a less exciting 20, but considering you shouldn't be buying a tiny ultrabook for editing high-resolution video, these results should be taken with a pinch of salt.
This is about as far from a gaming laptop as you can get, but we ran our Dirt Showdown 720p graphics benchmark anyway, just to stretch the integrated Intel HD Graphics 5300. It managed 14.7fps at High settings and 4x anti-aliasing, so while it's not at all suited to extreme gaming, you may get away with a few light 3D games.
There's 8GB of RAM, too, so you're unlikely to run out of memory unless you open programs and browser tabs with reckless abandon. The laptop is pretty tightly sealed, so you won't be able to replace the RAM, 120GB SSD or battery without risking damage.
Battery life should be another strength of Core M-powered laptops, and while the 7h 24m the machine lasted in our laptop battery benchmark doesn't sound like much, you'll probably get through a full day's work if you're conservative with screen brightness and switch on a few power-saving options.
In the processor department, the MacBook has a Dual-core 1.1GHz Intel Core M-5Y31, which can Turbo Boost to 2.4GHz. The Asus' M-5Y10c, meanwhile, starts at 800MHz and can boost to 2GHz.
Both machines have 8GB of RAM. The MacBook managed an overall score of 26, while the Asus could only manage 22, losing a lot of points in the multitasking test, where the MacBook scored 20 and it only managed 7.
Battery life on the MacBook is also stellar at 12 hours 30 mins. The Asus' 7h 24m is more than five hours off the mark, although this is still a decent result for such a small Windows laptop. Elsewhere, the MacBook's 2,304x1,440 screen is incredible, although the Full HD panel in the Zenbook UX305 isn't bad either The MacBook also comes with 256GB of storage where Asus has only supplied 128GB.
In other words, it's clear to see where the money has gone in producing the MacBook, but when you get to laptops that cost in excess of £1,000, you start to see diminishing returns. Pound for pound, the Zenbook UX305 will be better value for most, while the MacBook is a lovely but expensive luxury.
The 13.3in screen uses a Full HD panel, although it's not particularly stunning. While sRGB colour gamut coverage isn't great at 85.2%, the 1368:1 contrast ratio means images still have a pleasing quality to the and fine details, while not colour-accurate, are visible. The matt screen has a 271cd/m2 backlight and easily visible even in brightly lit conditions, but this comes at the cost of a little fidelity; there's a slightly messy grain over the screen coating that is sometimes noticeable when looking at light greys and whites.
You should also be aware that Full HD screens on small laptops make some programs and text extremely small. If you have problems seeing tiny objects you may want to adjust the resolution down in order to increase the physical size of items on-screen.
Performance isn't startling but it's more than a match for your spreadsheets, documents, family photos and favourite websites. The UX305 scored competitively in our multimedia benchmarks, managing 42 in the image rendering test. The results from the video compression and multitasking tests brought its overall score down to a less exciting 20, but considering you shouldn't be buying a tiny ultrabook for editing high-resolution video, these results should be taken with a pinch of salt.
This is about as far from a gaming laptop as you can get, but we ran our Dirt Showdown 720p graphics benchmark anyway, just to stretch the integrated Intel HD Graphics 5300. It managed 14.7fps at High settings and 4x anti-aliasing, so while it's not at all suited to extreme gaming, you may get away with a few light 3D games.
There's 8GB of RAM, too, so you're unlikely to run out of memory unless you open programs and browser tabs with reckless abandon. The laptop is pretty tightly sealed, so you won't be able to replace the RAM, 120GB SSD or battery without risking damage.
Battery life should be another strength of Core M-powered laptops, and while the 7h 24m the machine lasted in our laptop battery benchmark doesn't sound like much, you'll probably get through a full day's work if you're conservative with screen brightness and switch on a few power-saving options.
Asus Zenbook UX305 versus MacBook
Spec for spec, the 12in MacBook is a more impressive beast than the Zenbook UX305. It also performed significantly better in our tough multimedia and battery benchmarks. Let's start with the specifications.In the processor department, the MacBook has a Dual-core 1.1GHz Intel Core M-5Y31, which can Turbo Boost to 2.4GHz. The Asus' M-5Y10c, meanwhile, starts at 800MHz and can boost to 2GHz.
Both machines have 8GB of RAM. The MacBook managed an overall score of 26, while the Asus could only manage 22, losing a lot of points in the multitasking test, where the MacBook scored 20 and it only managed 7.
Battery life on the MacBook is also stellar at 12 hours 30 mins. The Asus' 7h 24m is more than five hours off the mark, although this is still a decent result for such a small Windows laptop. Elsewhere, the MacBook's 2,304x1,440 screen is incredible, although the Full HD panel in the Zenbook UX305 isn't bad either The MacBook also comes with 256GB of storage where Asus has only supplied 128GB.
In other words, it's clear to see where the money has gone in producing the MacBook, but when you get to laptops that cost in excess of £1,000, you start to see diminishing returns. Pound for pound, the Zenbook UX305 will be better value for most, while the MacBook is a lovely but expensive luxury.
CONCLUSION
The premium feeling yet reasonably-priced Zenbook UX305 is a great success. It doesn't tick every box - the screen isn't perfect and there are a couple of rough edges, but if you're looking for a nippy laptop for under £700, it’s a great choice. It's cheaper than the current MacBook Air, has more RAM and a thinner design, and it also has a higher resolution screen. With that said, it still comes with Windows 8.1, which might be enough to put a few buyers off. Still, in terms of sheer value-for-money, the Zenbook UX305 is superb. If the Asus Zenbook UX305 isn't for you, take a look at our Best Laptops 2015 guide to find a better fit for your needs.| Core specs | |
|---|---|
| Processor | Dual-Core Intel Core M-5Y10c |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Memory slots (free) | 2 (0) |
| Max memory | 8GB |
| Size | 324x226x12mm |
| Weight | 1.2kg |
| Sound | Realtek HD Audio (3.5mm headset port) |
| Pointing device | Touchpad |
| Display | |
| Screen size | 13.3in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Touchscreen | No |
| Graphics adaptor | Intel HD 5300 |
| Graphics outputs | micro HDMI |
| Graphics memory | Shared |
| Storage | |
| Total storage | 128GB SSD |
| Optical drive type | None |
| Ports and expansion | |
| USB ports | 3x USB3 |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Networking | 802.11ac Wi-Fi |
| Memory card reader | SDXC |
| Other ports | None |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Operating system | Windows 8.1 |
| Operating system restore option | Windows 8.1 restore |
| Buying information | |
| Parts and labour warranty | One year collect and return |
| Price inc VAT | £650 |
| Details | www.asus.com |
| Supplier | www.currys.co.uk |
| Part number | UX303FA(MS)-FC061N |
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