Review: Zenbook 3 UX390A

The Zenbook 3 is a gorgeous laptop. Packed within the blue aluminium body is a speedy i7 Kaby Lake and 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The svelte chassis which might be judged to be a 11 inch laptop, packs a 12.5″ screen with tiny bezels. Is it an excellent choice for a bring it anywhere road warrior?

Specifications

Zenbook 3 UX390A
2.7 GHz Intel Core i7-7500U Dual-Core
16GB of LPDDR3 RAM + 512GB SSD
12.5″ 1920 x 1080 Glossy Display
Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620
802.11ac Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.0
USB Type-C / Webcam / Backlit Keyboard
Windows 10 Home

In terms of specifications and performance, the Zenbook 3 UX390A doesn’t disappoint. The NVME SSD is crazy fast and has more than enough computing juice provided by the i7 and 16GB RAM for your needs. The full HD display is bright enough in outdoor conditions and comes with Gorilla Glass 4 protection.

The backlit keyboard is well-appreciated. For an ultra portable, it adds an extra dimension to the notebook versatility and ASUS inclusion of it is appreciated. The Intel HD Graphics 620 suffices for most computing tasks, and more than capable of playing hi-definition content, NETFLIX, 4K movies (if you output to a 4K screen), but gaming on it is not it’s forte.

At 1.1kg, it isn’t the lightest, but close enough to not really affect your mobility.

One thing that’s missing is ports. There’s only a USB-C and a 3.5mm jack on the notebook, although ASUS does include a USB-C dongle. That helps to provide a HDMI output and 2 USB A ports. But dongles are often not carried around especially when you need them the most.

Design

This thing is a beauty. The blue has enough character to add class to the laptop, and the added gold trim complements rather than making it look tacky. Some notebook manufacturers tend to go overkill with the gold option. The included laptop sleeve also looks good too.

The market for ultraportables is an attractive pool, with many competing in this segment. Comparisons would be drawn to the Macbook, but the Zenbook does trump it in terms of specifications and critical areas like weight. There are certain compromises, such as the lack of ports, but beyond which, ASUS shows that when it comes to designing a beautiful notebook, they do have what it takes.