Introduced earlier this year, the Asus ZenBook 3 is one of those devices that seem to have the MacBook in their crosshairs, more or less like the HP Spectre.
However, it's more than just Asus' attempt to "imitate" and take down Apple's offering, as the manufacturer appears to have aimed at making a powerhouse, not to mention that it crammed impressive components in an even slimmer package than the MacBook.
Performance: How Fast Can The ZenBook 3 Go?
To start things off, the top-of-the-line model houses a seventh-generation Kaby Lake Core i7-7500U processor along with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, running on Windows 10 Pro out of the box. In terms of performance, it dwarfs the other contenders in the market on this front.
"What's truly impressive about the ZenBook 3 is that Asus has managed to fit in seventh-generation Intel Core processors and gobs of memory in such a tiny case ... Asus says it worked with Intel to achieve that memory speed, which is faster than any other ultraportable on the market," Devindra Hardawar of Engadget says.
For the record, the base variant is powered by a Core i5 chip and had its RAM and storage cut by half.
Audio: Sounding Out The Details
In the audio side of things, the ZenBook 3 has four speakers to blast music and whatnot, but since it's a super-thin device, no one really expected it to deliver much. However, Asus may have surprised audiophiles — and everybody else, for that matter.
"The Zenbook 3's four speakers — two at the front edge, and two near the display — are excellent. They face towards the user, which bolsters their modest output, and do an excellent job of resisting distortion. Surprisingly, they even produced a tinny version of bass," Matt Smith of Digital Trends writes.
Graphics: What Component Powers Media Content
To no one's surprise, the graphics department won't be that much. Behind the scenes, an integrated 128 MB Intel HD Graphics 620 is running the show, and it's not exactly a beast to reckon with.
However, Intel says that it's enough for the hottest games today, including running Overwatch at an average of 30 fps in medium settings. However, it's worth pointing out that those results were achieved on a Dell laptop.
Battery: How Long Can The ZenBook 3 Last On A Single Charge?
Arguably one of the most important factors in deciding whether or not a laptop is good is the battery life, and the ZenBook 3 manages to keep the lights on for a pretty long time, even though the Core i7-7500U is one ravenous processor.
"Asus also does a nice job with battery life on the ZenBook 3. Despite the more power-hungry CPU, this laptop lasted just over eight hours in our video rundown test, which involves running a 4K movie file on loop in Windows 10's native Movies & TV app," says PCWorld's Alaina Yee.
Display: How High Can The Resolution Go?
While similar-sized laptops can go up to 2,560 x 1,440, the ZenBook 3 only supports 1,920 x 1,080 with its 12.5-inch screen. Needless to say, that comes across as quite a disappointment to many consumers.
Weight And Form Factor: How Big And How Heavy Is It?
A quick word on the ZenBook 3's dimensions, it measures at 11.65 x 7.53 x 0.47 inches and weighs only 2.09 pounds. That's slightly lighter than the MacBook, but it's a little wider in comparison.
Usage: The Shallow Keyboard And The Trackpad With The Built-In Fingerprint Sensor
First off, one of the downsides that many reviewers all agree on is how mediocre and shallow the keyboard of the ZenBook 3 is. Of course, everyone has differing opinions regarding this, but it all boils down to one thing: terrible feedback.
According to Hardawar, the keys do have more travel compared with the MacBook, but that's apparently not enough to forgive the — in his own words — "wonky feedback."
As a consolation prize of sorts, the trackpad is responsive, and to make things even better, the fingerprint sensor underneath it does do its job pretty well.
Last but not least, another letdown of the ZenBook 3 is that it only sports one USB-C port and a headphone jack, but it does come with a USB-C mini-dock to ease up the limitation in connection options.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth the buy? Short answer is yes, but the high-end model does cost a pretty penny at $1,600 and the entry-level version at $1,100.
Now, is it a MacBook killer? Not exactly. While the ZenBook 3 does come out on top in some ways, the 2016 MacBook in turn beats the Asus-branded device in other ways too.
"For anyone longing for the extreme portability and ease of use of Apple's 12-inch MacBook, but in a Windows-friendly version, the Asus ZenBook 3 is essentially that. It has a faster processor, and the included mini-dock is a generous extra, at least compared to Apple's $79 version," Dan Ackerman of CNET says, summing things up nicely.
