Tech Specs

Hardware

Software

Display (base)

Display (max)

Keyboard

Mouse

Processor (base)

Processor (max)

GPU (base)

Memory

Storage

Audio

Webcam

Sensors

Port options

Connectivity

Security

Battery

Bundled Accessories

Benchmarks

• 8.0

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  Reviewed by nklenchik (Currently owns)

  November 3, 2012 05:40 am

  Since Windows 8

  Since I've upgraded to Windows 8, I can't really complain about the little things. This is a great laptop, even without the touch screen capability. I'm a grad student, and in a normal day's use with it, it lasts me throughout my classes and then some; 6 solid hours most likely. I torrented Microsoft Office 13, since I have the Pro version of Windows 8, and it works just fine with the new software. However, I did have to manually update some drivers throughout this process.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 9
  • Keyboard 7
  • Touchpad 6
  • Display 10
  • Performance 8
  • Heat / noise 8
  • Battery life 8
  • Software 9

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• 10.0

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  Reviewed by TheAshaman (Currently owns)

  August 14, 2012 04:44 am

  This Ultrabook is everything I wanted in a laptop.

  The display of course is the biggest selling point of the laptop. The alternative for me was a new Air but after seeing the display it had to be the Zenbook Prime.

  I do not understand the trouble TheVerge editor had with the touchpad. It works flawlessly for me.

  For me this Ultrabook is a 10/10.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Keyboard 10
  • Touchpad 10
  • Display 10
  • Performance 10
  • Heat / noise 10
  • Battery life 10
  • Software 10

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• 10.0

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  Reviewed by Sorr (Currently owns)

  August 13, 2012 04:25 pm

  +
  Display Display Display
  Design, size and weight
  Backlit keyboard, and touchpad (it is really good, just update to the software)
  Power USB3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI
  Charger weight and size
  Sleeve that comes with it

  =
  Battery time
  Webcam
  Speakers
  Software

  -
  VGA port (Really?)
  Only 4GB RAM

  Conclusion: The best Ultrabook in the market today

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Keyboard 10
  • Touchpad 10
  • Display 10
  • Performance 10
  • Heat / noise 10
  • Battery life 10
  • Software 10

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• 10.0

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  Reviewed by robbieelias (Currently owns)

  August 5, 2012 04:36 pm

  The review on this site is harsh...

  This ultrabook is amazing. I am loving just about everything about it. The design is beautiful and incredibly lick. The screen is wonderful in every way. Amazing viewing angles, perfect colors, high resolution, etc. The keyboard is the best I've ever used personally as it feels very good and there is more than enough cushion. The trackpad started off weird, but I updated the driver and adjusted the settings to my preferences and it works great now. Only issue is palm rejection which is decent but not great, although it is not a problem for me because my hands float around it. Yes there is some bloatware, but most of it can be useful for some, I uninstalled about half of it though. The speakers are more than loud enough of this category of device and the quality is actually pretty good. As for performance, it is faster than I expected for the specs. After lowering the resolution to 1600x900, not only is the display more comfortable for my eyes, but everything runs smoother, especially web browsing which is now a very pleasant experience. I haven't done much gaming, but I did try Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 and it worked great, which was expected. Battery life seems awesome so far. On low brightness I managed to get over 8 hours of web browsing done.

  Overall, this is my favorite machine that I've ever used. On the hardware side, it equals the MacBook Air and it can be found for 200$ cheaper (bhphotovideo). Also, the display makes Windows look a lot better and I'm actually excited to see Windows 8 on this thing. Still no major flaws to be found and hopefully none to be found!

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Keyboard 10
  • Touchpad 9
  • Display 10
  • Performance 9
  • Heat / noise 10
  • Battery life 10
  • Software 8

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• 9.0

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  Reviewed by schroederrock (Currently owns)

  July 28, 2012 03:03 am

  The Zenbook Prime UX31A is a piece of art. There isn't a better designed ultrabook on the market, and it rivals the similarly designed Macbook Air. For some, it may even trump it. The raised keyboard keys, backlit keys, 1920x1080 resolution screen with IPS and a soft matte finish, Ivy Bridge i7, and 256GB SSD make it a feature-rich computer. It's on the pricier side, but that's to be expected with an i7 and double the standard ultrabook storage capacity. Once manufacturers can push this hardware out to retailer to be sold for $1299 and under, the battle for light & portable will be over in the PC's favor. But for now, it remains a close race. If the trackpad didn't ship with a quirk or two (which have been patched already) and Windows 7/8 did more with trackpad gesturing, and the battery could challenge the mighty Folio 13 this would be a perfect 10 computer.

  But since it's so close, it's worth buying. Well, if you are looking for a premium experience @ $1499. Otherwise a Samsung Series 9 13" is a nice option if you're looking to get decent specs for a couple hundred dollars less.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Keyboard 9
  • Touchpad 8
  • Display 10
  • Performance 9
  • Heat / noise 8
  • Battery life 8
  • Software 9

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• 8.0

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  Reviewed by shawngee (Currently owns)

  July 15, 2012 08:48 pm

  I have recently purchased a Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A - R150 from Best Buy. I really like this laptop, but it has both positives and negatives. I personally feel that the positives completely outweigh the negatives, but ASUS does need better quality control.

  Pro:
  1. Amazing quality of the screen. (I do have a small amount of light bleeding when in pitch dark).
  2. Nice processor.
  3. Increased speed of Sandisk SSD from a 5.9 windows experience in the UX31E to a 7.5 on this new UX31A.
  4. Keyboard is much better and back light nicely.
  5. No more sound distortion at high levels, but look at 6 in the Cons section.
  6. Trackpad is Elan and works fine.

  Con:
  1. Small amount of light bleeding when completely dark and in a dark room.
  2. Slower bootup time.
  3. Battery life doesn't seem as good, but it might still be calibrating.... so not sure yet.
  4. Does not seem to trickle charge while constantly plugged in like the UX31E.
  5. Space is an issue on this model. Out of the box with my UX31E I had around 80 and this one is about 65....
  6. The sound is flat and lifeless.

  Overall this is a good computer. I am trying to decide if I will return this one for another because of the light bleeding, but I am not sure due to the fact that it doesn't bother me that much. In addition, I have seen reviews of people returning the item, only to get a worse bleed.

  The Breakdown

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  • Design 10
  • Keyboard 10
  • Touchpad 10
  • Display 6
  • Performance 6
  • Heat / noise 7
  • Battery life 7
  • Software 8

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