ASUS ZenBook 3 review: When Windows 10 meets the MacBook

Note: This article was first published on 18th October 2016, but we've republished it again as it's now widely available in retail.

The Windows laptop to take on the MacBook

They say imitation is the best form of flattery. If that’s the case, then Apple must be feeling exceedingly flattered because the ASUS ZenBook 3 is as close to a MacBook look-alike as we’ve seen. And we don’t even mean to say that in a disparaging manner as we’ll happily welcome other brands to challenge Apple’s design lead.

After all, the recently announced Google Pixel and Pixel XL do look a lot like iPhones, but no one is holding that against them.

When we first saw the ZenBook 3 earlier this year at  Computex, we were immediately struck by its good looks. The tech media wasted no time in touting it as a MacBook killer, and with good reason given its leading specifications wrapped in a sleek aerospace-grade aluminum alloy package.

There’s even quite an interesting story behind the ZenBook 3’s design. ASUS tells us that it was inspired by a slightly incongruous pair – a handcrafted Swiss watch and a Japanese Zen garden. The tapering edges of the ZenBook 3 are intended to evoke the slender hands of a mechanical watch, while the pattern of concentric circles on the lid mimics the raked gravel circles of a Zen garden. Of course, it’s perfectly within your rights to beg to differ.

That said, this is ASUS’ fifth ZenBook laptop, but it feels like a breath of fresh air. ASUS paid an unprecedented amount of attention to detail this time, and the ZenBook 3 feels like a brand new start to the ZenBook series.

Hardware

The exact hardware specifications vary from region to region. Here’s an overview of what you’re getting locally:

• 12.5-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel display
• Intel Core i7-7500U (2.7GHz, 4MB cache)
• 16GB LPDDR3 2,133MHz RAM
• Samsung SM961 512GB PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD
• 2x2 Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
• Windows 10 64-bit

The above specifications will cost you S$2,598, but there is also a cheaper version that will set you back by only S$1,998. That’s S$600 cheaper, and it shares the same specifications as the top-end model, save for the Intel Core i5-7200U processor (2.5GHz, 3MB cache) and 8GB of DDR3 2,133MHz memory.

The 12.5-inch FHD display isn’t the highest resolution panel around, but certain trade-offs have had to be made to preserve battery life on a notebook that is only 11.9mm thick (higher resolution displays consume more battery). Still, it is plenty bright and texts and images appear crisp and sharp, so we’re hardly complaining. The small screen also helps that you don't really need an ultra high resolution display and you can instead enjoy better battery life with a Full HD screen.

Our review unit was the Core i7 model, but it differs slightly from the local configuration in that it comes with a 256GB SSD instead of a 512GB drive. But other than that, performance should be representative of what you can expect from the top-configured unit locally.

The ZenBook 3 is also equipped with the latest Kaby Lake processors, and the biggest change coming from the sixth-generation Skylake chips is the greatly improved 4K graphics support and battery life when playing multimedia content. To be specific, a new video block on the graphics engine provides hardware-accelerated support for encoding and decoding HEVC 10-bit 4K video, which is what most 4K content is encoded in, as well as decoding Google’s VP9 format for 4K YouTube videos.

This means that the CPU cores don’t have to take over the task of processing video and are freed up to do other things. And because the GPU uses just a fraction of the power that the CPU would have to complete the same task, you get significant power savings.

And because Kaby Lake represents a refinement over the Skylake architecture and does not bring anything fundamentally new to the table, you shouldn’t be expecting drastic performance leaps. Instead, an approximately 10 per cent boost is reasonable, brought about mainly by clock speed improvements.

Nevertheless, there are also certain architectural tweaks to increase transistor performance, such as an increased fin height and wider gate pitch, which accounts for the better performance as well.

Design

We’ve already covered most of the main points of the design – such as the available ports – in our hands-on session at Computex, and you get head to that article to find out more.

To sum up, the ZenBook 3 features just one USB 3.1 Type-C port and a single 3.5mm audio jack. That’s in line with what the MacBook is offering, but a little wanting when compared to notebooks like the HP Spectre and Acer Swift 7 (the Spectre has three USB Type-C ports while the Swift 7 has two), which are even thinner. The most glaring limitation of this is that you won’t be able to both charge and connect the ZenBook 3 to an external drive, which could definitely be a problem for power users. There is also no Thunderbolt 3 support, but the USB 3.1 port still enables maximum transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps and display output.

Fortunately, there are accessories to help with that, such as the ASUS Mini and Universal Dock. The Universal Dock is the more fully featured of the two docks, and add an extra USB 3.1 Type-C port, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a full-sized HDMI port, an Ethernet connector, and an SD card reader, among other things. On the other hand, the Mini (bundled with all purchases of the ZenBook 3) focuses on the bare essentials, and provides only an extra USB 3.1 Type-C port, one USB 3.0 Type-A port, and a full-sized HDMI connector.

According to ASUS, it went back to the drawing board to design the ZenBook 3. Because it uses a 15 watt Core i7-7500U (2.7GHz, 4MB cache) chip instead of a lower-powered 4.5 watt one like the Core i7-7Y75 (1.3GHz, 4MB cache), ASUS had to find new ways to accommodate the higher processing power while also keeping the notebook thin, light, and cool.

To cut down the weight – it weighs only 910g – ASUS went with 6013 aerospace-grade aluminum, but its svelte dimensions can largely be credited to the cooling system design and battery layout. For starters, the entire cooling apparatus is only 3mm thin, and the fan is made from a liquid crystal polymer that enables its blades to be a mere 0.3mm thick.

The heatpipes also have walls that are just 0.1mm thick, and the system channels warm air away through hidden vents in the hinge. This represents quite an efficient use of the available space, allowing for quiet and effective cooling in such a slim design.

In addition, the 40Wh battery is a multi-cell unit that spreads across the majority of the laptop base, allowing ASUS to build in a large enough battery without adding too much bulk. This is similar to what Apple and HP did with their MacBook and Spectre laptops, where the battery occupies every available nook and cranny.

Other touches of luxury include a set of four surround sound speakers (two of which are bass-driving speakers) tuned by Harman/Kardon, a rarity in any notebook, let alone a 12.5-inch ultraportable like the ZenBook 3. When we tested it, the loud sound belied its diminutive frame, and we came away quite impressed (considering typical audio expectations from a notebook). Bassheads will still find it wanting, but it’s a lot better than what you’d expect of a laptop this size.

And as we noted in our hands-on article, the display is quite gorgeous to look at despite the 1080p resolution that may not seem as impressive on paper. It is covered by a thin 0.4mm sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and the narrow 7.6mm thick bezel is a welcome departure from the thicker bezels on past models like the ZenBook UX305. Reflections may be a problem under bright overhead lighting, but cranking up the level on the bright 300-nit display should be enough to overcome that. Take note though, it's not a touchscreen display, nor is there an option for it. The ZenBook 3 is more of a classic ultrabook device that has been given a design overhaul.

Finally, for the two most important aspects of a notebook experience – the keyboard and trackpad. There’s just a meager 0.8mm key travel distance on the keyboard. Overall, the typing experience is just what you’d expect from a notebook this thin – lackluster and not very impressive. Having said that, it still feels a tad bit better than typing on a MacBook (your mileage may vary as this is strictly a matter of personal preference).

The trackpad could use some improvement as well. While it is relatively large, and quite smooth thanks to its glass coating, usage could be a little inconsistent at times. For instance, while taps are recognized easily enough, pressing down on it can feel mushy. Furthermore, while the fingerprint sensor in the top right corner of the trackpad is responsive and accurate, it does render that portion of the trackpad a no-go zone.

Performance Benchmarking

We ran the ASUS ZenBook 3 through our usual suite of benchmarks. For comparisons, we included results from Skylake-equipped ultrabooks from various brands, like the Dell XPS 13 and HP Envy. We included the HP Spectre as well because it is the only notebook available right now that even exceeds the ZenBook 3 in thinness. The ZenBook 3 is also the first Intel Kaby Lake notebook we’re reviewing, so these figures will serve as a gauge of how much more performance you can expect from Intel’s new seventh-generation processors. In addition, in order to better flesh out the comparisons, we’ve included older figures from the ASUS ZenBook UX305, which comes equipped with a fifth-generation Broadwell processor.

Here’s a list of all the benchmarks we used:

• PCMark 8
• 3DMark (2013)
• Tomb Raider
• Far Cry 2

We’ve included a specifications table with all our compared systems for easier reference:

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PCMark 8

PCMark 8 tests a system’s performance by putting it through different tasks that reflect the workloads typical of various kinds of users, for instance the casual home user or the working creative professional.

As we mentioned earlier, Kaby Lake represents a refinement of the Skylake architecture and doesn’t serve up any groundbreaking, fundamental changes. As a result, it isn’t expected to deliver a huge performance boost – perhaps around 10 per cent.

Still, performance tended to vary quite a bit (like due to differences in driver optimizations). In PCMark 8 Home, the ZenBook 3 was between 5 and 23 per cent faster than the tested Skylake notebooks. However, the performance jump over the Broadwell processors was far more significant, with the Kaby Lake notebook coming in at roughly 28 per cent quicker than the ASUS ZenBook UX305.

It’s also worth pointing out that the ZenBook 3 absolutely outstrips the 2016 Apple MacBook by a whopping 68 per cent. Granted, that’s because of the lower-powered Intel Core M processor in the MacBook. But ASUS is touting the ZenBook 3 as a better and faster Windows-powered MacBook, and it’s safe to say that it has succeeded.

That said, it did fall behind in the Storage benchmark, although this isn’t something you’re likely to notice in day-to-day use.

3DMark (2013)

The Intel Core i7-7500U relies on the integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 for graphics processing. This has a 300MHz base frequency and 1.05GHz maximum dynamic frequency, the same as the HD Graphics 520 on equivalent Skylake chips. That said, the main improvement coming from the previous generation is still better support for 4K content, but Intel says you can still expect an 8 to 10 per cent increase in performance due to the processor running faster than the previous generation.

As it turns out, results varied quite widely across our test systems. In 3DMark Cloud Gate, the ZenBook 3 was anywhere between 4 and 13 per cent faster than the equivalent Skylake notebooks. Unsurprisingly, it was also significantly faster – 157 per cent to be exact – than the Core m3-equipped MacBook.

Tomb Raider

The results in Tomb Raider reflected what we observed in 3DMark. The ASUS ZenBook 3 took the lead once again, and it was up to 23 per cent faster on High settings than comparable Skylake notebooks at best. Again, this varied from notebook to notebook, with the HP Envy coming closest to inching out the ZenBook 3.

Compared to a Broadwell-equipped notebook from two generations ago, the ZenBook 3 was also around 45 per cent faster. Clearly, an upgrade is far more worthwhile only if you are coming from a Broadwell notebook or older.

Far Cry 2

Performance was a mixed bag on Far Cry 2. The ZenBook 3 actually fell behind some of the other Skylake notebooks, although it once again quite handily outstripped the older ASUS UX305.

Things like driver optimizations and the impact of built-in manufacturer bloatware may have played a role here, but it only serves to highlight the fact that graphics performance isn’t the key upgrade when moving from Skylake to Kaby Lake. Instead, it is users who frequently consume a lot of 4K content that will benefit the most from the increased battery life derived from hardware support for 10-bit HEVC and VP9.

Battery Life & Power Consumption

At first glance, the battery life on the ZenBook 3 doesn’t seem all that impressive compared to the older Skylake models, but that’s only because few of them are quite as thin (and so have considerably larger batteries). Things become clearer when you consider the HP Spectre, which is even thinner at 10.4mm. The Spectre has a bigger 46Wh battery compared to the 40Wh pack on the ZenBook 3, yet it still has worse battery life than the latter.

There’s no beating the power-sipping Core m3 processor on the MacBook, but the ZenBook 3 otherwise outstrips all the other notebooks in terms of power efficiency. That’s impressive, and it’s clear that Intel’s optimizations – taller fins and wider gate pitch for instance – on the updated 14nm+ process haven’t been for naught.

Portability

Our portability index takes into account battery life, weight, and volume to provide a measure of how easy a notebook is to carry around relative to other compared systems.

Unsurprisingly, the ZenBook 3 did very well here, losing out only to the 2016 MacBook because of its stellar battery life. At 11.9mm thick and weighing just 910g, this is an exceedingly compact and light notebook that you’ll barely notice is in your bag. It is no doubt helped along by the improved efficiency of the Kaby Lake chip, which translates into lower heat output, less need for a heavy duty cooling system, and consequently thinner and lighter laptops.

A MacBook challenger, but with the same limitations

The ASUS ZenBook 3 is just one of a growing line of ultra-slim notebooks. This means laptops that hover at just around, or are less than, a centimeter thick, while still managing to pack more powerful 15 watt U-series mobile processors.

The signs of progress are unmistakeable. While we lauded the Dell XPS 13 for its compact design and relatively slim build, that notebook still weighed 1.29kg and measured 15mm at its thickest. That’s not bad by any standards, but we’re now seeing a wave of even thinner notebooks that continue to push the centimeter mark.

This arguably started with the 10.4mm thin HP Spectre, which was soon overtaken by the Acer Swift 7, which was just 9.98mm thick. You can be sure that other manufacturers will be looking to one-up this, especially given how the more power efficient Kaby Lake processors can enable thinner and lighter designs.

But back to the ZenBook 3. ASUS’ notebook bears more than a passing resemblance to the MacBook, but it trumps it in almost every conceivable way, from faster hardware to a lighter and thinner design. Of course, the MacBook wins out in terms of battery life, but it is still a vastly underpowered compared to the ZenBook 3.

Unfortunately, the ZenBook 3 may have been a too faithful model of the MacBook. It carries over the same compromises Apple made, including the less-than noteworthy typing experience and single USB-C port. The latter is a huge limitation for anyone hoping to hook the ZenBook 3 up to an external monitor. ASUS does bundle it with the Mini Dock to allow for multiple connections, but you’ll really still have to get the beefier Universal Dock if you’re going to be using it in an external monitor setup for any extended period of time.

However, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the ZenBook 3 doesn’t come cheap. At S$2,598 for the Core i7 model, it’s quite a bit more expensive than what consumers are used to for a Core i7 equipped notebook. For that price, you’ll get a premium portable notebook with decent horsepower and an attractive design, if you can stomach the single USB-C port that is.

There is also a Core i5 model available at S$1,998. That’s a more palatable price, but it is also above the price bracket that Core i5 notebooks have traditionally retailed in.

Ultimately, you’re going to have to get your priorities straight when deciding whether or not to get the ZenBook 3. Is sheer portability and looks everything to you? Then the ZenBook 3 is probably a good fit. But if you prefer function over form, you’ll be just as happy with a cheaper notebook from a different brand.

That being said, this is the first Kaby Lake notebook to be available locally, so if you’re looking to jump onboard with Intel’s seventh-generation processors, this is still your only option for now. And if you’re upgrading from a three-year-old laptop, the ZenBook 3 will net you a decent performance boost and battery life improvements.

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