The Zenbook UX303LA-DS51T is a thin, lightweight and powerful ultrabook from ASUS. This is a premium laptop that’s built on the premise of functionality and portability, weighing just 3.2 pounds, a solid choice for any traveling businessman or anyone who wants to take a laptop in a shoulder bag and not feel weighed down by it.
October 2019 Update:
This laptop has been discontinued.
There’s a newer model available, the ASUS Zenbook 13 UX331FA.
Read full review here.
The ASUS features a powerful computing unit, the all new Intel Core i5-5200U, with 14 nanometer lithography, good memory specs (8 GB of DDR3L RAM with the possibility to upgrade it up to 16 GB), lightning fast Solid State Drive and an IPS screen with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. These specs alone are enough to guarantee a superior user experience, but add in the backlit keyboard, a stylish finish and Bang & Olufsen audio technology and you’ve got a great laptop that you can use anywhere, anytime.
However, it’s good to mention this laptop also has some drawbacks, like the smallish storage capacity: you can manage 128GB of storage space just fine if you don’t have tons of photos or don’t like to store all your music there. The storage space limitations will force you to use cloud-based solutions such as Dropbox or Google Drive, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing itself if you use it for work-related tasks. Also, the air vents are positioned above the F keys, which may irk you a bit if you’re already in a humid, hot environment to begin with, otherwise this shouldn’t be an issue.
Technical Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i5-5200U 2 cores, 2.2 GHz, 3MB cache |
| RAM | 8GB DDR3L-1600 SDRAM, max 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB SSD |
| Display | 13.3″ FHD IPS touchscreen |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 5500 |
| Audio | ASUS Sonic Master, 2 built-in speakers |
| Connectivity | 802.11 ac WLAN Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Interface | 3x USB 3.0 mini Displayport micro HDMI SDXC slot Headphone – Microphone combo |
| Built-in Devices | 720p Webcam |
| OS | Windows 8.1 |
| Battery | 3-cell Li-Ion Polymer, 50 Whr Up to 7 hours |
| Weight | 3.2 lbs. |
Conclusion
The main pros of this laptop are:
- Thin, light and portable
- Good specs all around
- Backlit Keyboard
The main drawbacks are, as follows:
- Average battery life for this type of laptop
- Small storage capacity
- Not so ergonomic in certain aspects
All in all, a very good choice for improved mobility and stylish functionality at a fair price.