If you were in the market for a small thin-and-light laptop with some sort of dedicated graphics over the last few years, chances are you ended up with one of the Asus ZenBooks released during that time.
This article is a review of the latest iteration in the series as of late 2018 and the first half of 2019, the Asus ZenBook UX433FN, an ultra-compact 14-inch laptop with modern specs and very few compromises. It’s built on the latest hardware platforms available at this time, with Whiskey Lake processors and Nvidia MX150 Max-Q graphics, bundled alongside a good screen, fast keyboard and fair-sized battery, all tucked in a small and light chassis.
A lot has changed since the release of the previous ZenBook UX430 series though and there are now many contenders in the niche, so the new ZenBook is up to a serious challenge.
We’ve spent the last few weeks with an early sample of the Zenbook UX433FN, and gathered all our impressions below, with the positive sides and the quirks you’ll have to be aware of if interested in this computer. Read on to find out who is this for, where it shines and what can still be improved.
Disclaimer: Our test unit is an early-production sample offered by Asus for the purpose of this review, and was returned to them afterwards. That’s standard procedure and has absolutely no impact on the contents of the article.
Specs as reviewed
| Asus ZenBook UX433FN
|
| Screen | 14.0 inch, 1920 x 1080 px, IPS, non-touch, glossy |
| Processor | Intel Whiskey Lake Core i7-8565U CPU |
| Video | Intel UHD 620 + Nvidia MX150 2GB DDR5 Max-Q |
| Memory | 16 GB LPDDR3 (soldered) |
| Storage | 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD (80 mm) |
| Connectivity | Wireless AC (Intel AC 9560), Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ports | 1x USB-A 3.1, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 3.1 gen2, HDMI, microSD card-reader, mic/headphone |
| Battery | 50 Wh, 65W charger |
| Size | 320 mm or 12.56” (w) x 200 mm or 7.83” (d) x 15.9 mm or 0.63” (h) |
| Weight | 2.71 lbs (1.23 kg)+ .44 lbs (.2 kg) charger, US version |
| Extras | backlit keyboard, HD webcam, IR Hello camera and near-field mics, available in Royal Blue or Icicle Silver |
Our review unit is a top specked configuration, but Asus offers the ZenBook UX433FN in other versions as well, with either the Core i3-8145U, Core i5-8265U or the i7-8565U Whiskey Lake processors, 8-16 GB of RAM and 256 GB to 1 TB of storage. The Core i5 models are paired with only 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSDs, and you’ll have to upgrade to the i7 CPU for the extra memory and storage space.
That aside, a Zenbook UX433FA series is also available in some regions, identical to the UX433FN model tested here, but without the Nvidia MX150 graphics. Most of the aspects covered in this article apply to the FA variants as well, in case you’re interested in one of those.
Design and construction
The form-factor is perhaps this laptop’s main selling point, as it’s significantly more compact and even lighter than most of the alternatives with similar specs and features.
As you can tell from the pictures, the bezels around the screen are minuscule, and we’re not just talking about the side bezels, but also about the top and especially the chin, at least its visible part, as there’s more of it hiding behind the main body as part of what Asus calls the Ergolift hinge mechanism.
We’ve seen it on the ZenBook S line in the past, and it’s a system designed to lift-up the computer on the back of its screen, thus creating a slightly inclined typing position and extra space underneath, for improved airflow. The downsides are the fact that the laptop no longer rests on its four rubber feet placed on the underbelly, but on two of those and two extra tiny feet placed at the bottom of the screen, as well as the fact that the display is only able to lean back to about 150 degrees. Of course, we could also consider the long term-reliability of this mechanism, but there’s no way to tell how will it age and if it will become loose or unstable with time. As it is right now, it seems well made and reliable, and Asus mentions that the laptop is MIL-STD-810G military standard compliant, for what that’s worth.
I can also tell you that the ZenBook UX433 feels sturdier built that the older UX430 models. The construction still relies on a plastic inner frame encased in sheets of aluminum, but the metal is thicker and doesn’t bend as easily. The lid is especially tough, almost on par with the hood of my XPS 13, and there’s only a slight amount of warping in the keyboard deck, mostly when pressing hard on the surface and not necessarily something you’ll notice with actual use.
It’s worth mentioning that Asus offers the UX433F series with either a glass covered screen or a matte variant. We have the former here, and the glass reinforces the screen’s frame, thus I’d expect the matte versions to feel a bit flimsier. The glass also adds to the weight and overall thickness, as our test model weighs about 1.23 kg (2.7 lbs), while the anti-glare version weighs only 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs) according to the official specs sheet.
As far as materials go, metal is used for the main body, lid and exterior, with just a single piece of plastic that wraps around the back edge and integrates cooling grills, as well as the ZenBook branding on the inside, above the keyboard. The design left no room for the branding beneath the screen, like on most laptops, thus Asus moved the logo over here. Seeing this grill’s design, I was hopping they’ve put the speakers beneath, but that’s not the case, the grill is merely decorative and the speakers are still firing to the bottom of the laptop.
The design is clean and for the most part, simple, without aggressive branding elements or stickers, and the status LEDs were placed on the side. There’s still an always-lit LED integrated within the power key though, and you’ll have to learn to ignore it when watching movies in a dark room.
Asus offers the laptop in either Royal Blue or Icicle Silver, both with Rose Gold elements: that aforementioned plastic piece and the Asus logo on the hood. The Blue is the more unique of the two, but at the same time the silver variant, the one we have here, does a better job at hiding smudges. We’ve included pictures of the blue version of the smaller ZenBook UX333 next the the silver UX433, for comparison.
These aside, The UX433FN is highly portable, sits well anchored on any desk even when resting on those small rear feet, and its screen can be operated with a single hand. The interior edges are a tad sharp though and they will dig into your wrists when using the device on a cramped desk, without proper arm support, yet they shouldn’t bother you much otherwise.
The IO can be a potential deal-breaker. On one hand you do get two USB-A slots, one USB-C port and an HDMI 1.4 connector, but on the other there’s no Thunderbolt 3 support and no full-size card reader, just a microSD reader. The lack of Thunderbolt 3 is hard to accept in this day and age, especially when all the major rivals offer one, and the USB-C port doesn’t support charging. I can’t tell for sure if it supports DP, as this would be the only way to hook up a 4K 60Hz screen. As a side note, an USB-A to LAN adapter is included in the packs, as well as a protection sleeve, but not on all markets.
Keyboard and trackpad
Asus uses a bunch of different keyboards on their laptops, and some are better than the others. After typing several thousands of words on this one, I can conclude it’s pretty good, yet not my favorite.
The layout is standard, with softly finished full-size keys, short arrows and miniaturized Function keys at the top, as well as the Power button integrated in the top-right corner, which I’d advise you to disable from Windows in order to prevent putting the computer to sleep when looking for Delete.
This is also a fairly short-travel keyboard, with 1.4 mm key strokes, but the keys require a rather firm press to properly actuate, which for me translated in a fair bit of errors while typing fast, especially when capitalizing letters with the left Shift key. I am used to slightly shallower keyboards, like the one on the XPS 13, that’s why I’d expect most users to actually find this one quite good, especially those of you coming from older devices. This is also fairly quiet, thus appropriate for library use or other low-noise environments.
The keys are backlit, with three intensity levels to choose from, and the light doesn’t creep from underneath. They don’t light up when swiping fingers over the touchpad, at least not on my test unit, you actually have to physically press a key to do it.
This particular color scheme also uses silver writing on silver keys, which makes the writing difficult to see from a normal angle when the illumination is switched off. That shouldn’t bother you if you’re a power user and don’t look at the keys while typing, but the average user might find it a little annoying.
You can of course surpass this quirk by keeping the lights on all the time, but that’s not going to be ideal when trying to squeeze out long runtimes. Of course, that’s also not going to be a problem if you opt for the blue version of this laptop, with the more visible gold writing on blue keys.
A proper-sized touchpad sits beneath the keyboard, centered on the chassis, albeit it’s shorter than on the older Zenbook UX430s, due to the reduced sized of the new generation. It’s both visually and physically indented from the palm-rest around, and it’s a glass-made Synaptics surface with Precision drivers, thus it comes to no surprise that it’s a solid performer, handling swipes, gestures and taps well. There’s also very little to complain about the physical clicks, which are smooth and quiet.
Keep in mind that our early-sample unit did not get the exact touchpad you’ll find on the retail units, which is what Asus calls a NumberPad. It’s a similar glass surface, but which doubles as a Numeric pad with the press of a dedicated zone in its top-right corner.
I like how Asus are adding extra functionality to their touchpads, but from the impressions I’ve seen online, those who normally use NumPads to quickly enter numeric data might find the experience a little lacking, as there’s no haptic feedback and touch is not as responsive or precise as a physical key, so I wouldn’t get over-hyped about this feature. Like I said though, I haven’t personally tried it , so take this with a grain of salt. It would also be interesting to see if this supports Alt codes, but I couldn’t find anything about it.
There’s no finger-sensor on the Zenbook UX433, unlike on the older models that integrated one within the clickpad. I doubt that’s going to be missed though, as the IR Hello camera is a smoother alternative for quickly loging into Windows. Our test-model did not include the set of IR cameras at the top of the screen, but you’ll get it as standard with the retail versions.
Screen
Speaking of the screen, there’s a 14-inch display on the Zenbook UX433 series, like the name suggests, with a choice of either a matte or a glass finishing, both without touch.
We have the latter implementation here, with the layer of glass on top of the panel, which on one hand translates in plenty of glare in bright environments, and on the other improves colors, reduces the graininess you’ll get with the anti-glare version and improves the screen’s overall rigidity. I’d personally take the matte finishing over the glossy alternative, especially when there’s no touch, but that might not actually be an option for you, because as far as I can tell Asus will mostly offer this laptop with the glossy screen variants in most regions.
For the panel Asus went with a mid-range option, an AU Optronics B140HAN03.2 we’ve seen on other 14-inch laptops in the past. It’s fairly bright, at around 300 nits, but not as bright as the options on the Dell XPS 13 or the HP Spectre, for instance, and arguably bright enough for outdoor or strong-light use. Contrast and colors are also pretty good, but calibration is fairly poor out the box, with skewed gamma, White Point and gray levels, so you’ll want to use this color-profile to address those, or better yet calibrated the monitor yourselves. Our sample also suffered from some serious brightness variation towards the corners, even if light-bleeding was not noticeable with the naked eye.
More details below, recorded with a Spyder 4 sensor.
- Panel HardwareID: AU Optronics AUO323D (B140HAN03.2);
- Coverage: 97% sRGB, 71% NTSC, 75% AdobeRGB;
- Measured gamma: 2.3;
- Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 291 cd/m2 on power;
- Contrast at max brightness: 840:1;
- White point: 8400 K;
- Black on max brightness: 0.35 cd/m2;
- PWM: No.
You can also read more about this screen in Notebookcheck’s review, as they use more advanced tools for their display tests.
Hardware, performance and upgrade options
Our test model is a highly-specked version of the Zenbook UX433FN, with the Whiskey Lake Core i7 processor, 16 GB of LPDDR3 RAM, a 1 TB Samsung PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR SSD and the Max-Q variant of the Nvidia MX150 dedicated graphics chip.
Retail versions will be available with either a 256 GB or 512 GB SSDs, and from what I can tell the supplier varies from region to region, as in the US the 512 GB version of the Zenbook UX433FA ships with a Western Digital SN520 SDAPNUW-512G drive. As far as I can tell, the included 256 and 512 GB drives included in some regions are limited to PCIe x2 speeds, thus not nearly as fast as the 1 TB version we had on our sample, but that should vary from region to region.
The storage is the only upgradeable component on this laptop, as the CPU, RAM and even Wi-Fi chip are soldered on the motherboard. In order to get to it you have to remove the entire back panel, which is a fairly simple task, but keep in mind that the screws around the sides are of different sizes, and there are also two extra screws hidden beneath the rear rubber feet. Replacing the storage yourselves might however void warranty, as for some reason Asus placed a warranty sticker on the screw, both on our sample and on the retail versions I’ve seen online. Contact Asus and ask them about this before proceeding.
As far as the choice in CPU and RAM goes, if you want 16 GB of memory you’ll pretty much have to upgrade to the i7 processor, even if the i5 is perfectly adequate for everyday use. Whiskey Lake CPUs are meant to run at higher Turbo clock speeds than their Kaby Lake-R counterparts, but that’s only possible as long as the cooling can keep temperatures at bay, which can be problematic on ultra-portables. We’ll get to that in a second.
First, I’ll tel you that this laptop handles everyday use smoothly, while running cool and quiet. The logs below we’ll show you what to expect in terms of performance and internal temperatures, while in the next section we’ll talk about the fan’s behavior and outer-shell temperatures.
Like already mentioned earlier, if browsing, movies and text-editing is what you’ll ask from this laptop, the Core i5 version is probably the one to get, even if it only comes with 8 GB of RAM. You can however step-up to the i7 UX433FA models for the slight performance boost and the future-proofness of those 16 GB of RAM.
In the next part we’ll talk about this Zenbook’s performance in demanding CPU loads, as well as in combined CPU+GPU chores, like gaming. After all, gaming is the whole point of going for the UX433FN models with the dedicated Nvidia chip. Before we proceed, you should keep in mind that we’re dealing with an early-production sample here, and I’d expect the behavior to improve with updated drivers by the time this is available in stores.
We test the CPU’s performance by running the Cinebench R15 test for 10+ times in the row, with 3 seconds delay between each run. Out of the box, the initial runs return results of around 630 points, which further drop and stabilize to around 530 points for concurrent runs, which is equivalent to Turbo Speed frequencies between 2.3 and 2.6 GHz, a TDP of 14-18 W and temperatures of around 80 degrees Celsius. Details below.
We also undervolted our unit (you’ll find more about Undervolting and how it’s performed in this article), which was stable at -90 mV, and reran the Cinebench loop test. In this case the CPU is able to maintain higher frequencies for the first runs, which translates in results of around 700 points, but settles for scores of around 600 points after several runs, which is equivalent to speeds of 2.7 GHz, a TDP of 18 W and temperatures of around 80 degrees Celsius. Details below.
As expected, undervolting the CPU greatly improves the performance in CPU-heavy tasks, and will benefit those of you who plan to run demanding software on this computer. Our test unit performs very well once undervolted, and undervolting also helps with everyday use, allowing the components to run cooler and more efficient.
Those interested in benchmarks results will find a handful of them below, on the default voltage profile:
- 3DMark 11: P3792 (Graphics: 3544, Physics: 5997);
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 2546 (Graphics – 2869, Physics – 5516);
- 3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 935 (Graphics – 847, CPU – 2277);
- PCMark 08: Home Conventional – 3616;
- PCMark 10: 4137;
- PassMark: Rating: 4440, CPU mark: 9830, 3D Graphics Mark: 2400;
- GeekBench 3.4.2 32-bit: Single-Core: 4219, Multi-core: 13781;
- GeekBench 4.1.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 5169, Multi-core: 15089;
- CineBench R15 (best run): OpenGL 93.77 fps, CPU 632 cb, CPU Single Core 182 cb;
- x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 153.94 fps, Pass 2 – 35.04 fps.
We also ran some of the test on the -90 mV undervolted profile, and here’s what that lead to:
- 3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 2586 (Graphics – 2867, Physics – 7108);
- GeekBench 4.1.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 5165, Multi-core: 16158;
- CineBench R15 (best run): OpenGL 88.49 fps, CPU 705 cb, CPU Single Core 189 cb;
- x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 179.19 fps, Pass 2 – 42.85 fps.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the gaming experience. Asus puts a Max-Q variant of the MX150 chip inside this laptop, unlike with the older Zenbook UX430 that got the full-voltage MX150. However, as you’ll see below, performance is pretty much on par, due to the fact that the GPU throttled badly inside the UX430.
I’m not going to get indepth here, because we didn’t get to test a retail version and the results might be skewed, but will update this section in the future.
We ran a couple of games on our test-unit, and I’ve compiled the results in the following table. All the games were tested at FHD resolution and High graphics settings, on the default voltage profile, and I’ve also added the following gaming ultrabooks as reference points: the Asus ZenBook UX430 (MX150 GPU), the Asus Zebook UX331(MX150 Max-Q) and the Acer Swift 3 (MX150 Max-Q). Here’s what we got.
| Zenbook UX433 | Zenbook UX430 | Zenbook UX331 | Swift 3 |
| Bioshock Infinite | 48 fps | 45 fps | 46 fps | 46 fps |
| Far Cry 4 | 22 fps | 24 fps | 28 fps | 26 fps |
| Far Cry 5 | 17 fps | – | – | – |
| Shadow of Mordor | 29 fps | 29 fps | 29 fps | 29 fps |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | 21 fps | – | – | 22 fps |
| Tomb Raider | 45 fps | 45 fps | 46 fps | 45 fps |
Based on these results, the ZenBook UX433 FN is a competitive option in its niche.
However, both the CPU and GPU were not able to maintain high Turbo frequencies for very long while running games on our sample, especially in the more CPU demanding titles like FarCry 4, so the performance drops after a while. Undervolting the CPU helps, but it doesn’t have an impact on the GPU’s performance.
Once more, I must warn you to take these findings with a lump of salt, our unit is pre-production and keeps both the CPU and GPU at low maximum temperatures while running games. I’d expect this behavior to be further tweaked with updated drivers, and I’ll update this section once I get to test a more mature version of this laptop.
Emissions (noise, heat), Connectivity and speakers
The implemented cooling is very similar to the solution used on the past generation of the Zenbook UX430, with a single fan and single heatpipe, but a larger GPU plate that also covers what looks to be the VRM.
Given the gaming experience with the UX430UN, I was expecting something else, especially when other OEMs now implement dual-fan cooling with a more complex system of heatpipes on this kind of thin-and-light laptops with MX150 graphics.
It’s hard to say if the cooling is a bottleneck based on our experience with this test unit, so I’ll refrain that for further contact with a retail sample. Of course, performance is demanding CPU+GPU loads is the only potential issue, as otherwise this cooling is perfectly adequate for everyday use.
In fact, the fan remains mostly inactive with daily tasks and multitasking, and only kicks on when the laptop is plugged in and switched to the High Performance power mode. I did notice a faint electronic creaking coming from the inside, yet only audible at very short distances and not at normal head level, so it’s not something that should bother anyone with regular use. Coil whine has been however problematic with modern laptops, and there’s a good chance you’ll get it to some degree on your device, so make sure to test for it.
The fan spins faster with games, but it’s never annoyingly noisy, topping at about 40 dB at head-level according to our sound meter, with the ambient noise level measured at 33 dB in a perfectly quiet room.
As far as outer shell temperatures go, out test unit runs merely warm with everyday use, and while the bottom does reach temperatures in the mid 40s with games, it actually ran cooler than the older Zenbook UX430. However, keep in mind the performance issues of our sample, mentioned in the previous section, I’d expect retail units to run hotter if the components are also allowed to reach higher temperatures in order to provide the long-term gaming experience expected from such a device.
*Daily Use – running a Netflix video in EDGE for 30+ minutes
*Load – running Far Cry 4 for 30+ minutes
Fort connectivity there’s an Intel 9560 wireless module inside this laptop, with Bluetooth 5.0, pretty much the go-to solution for any up-to-date ultraportable these days. It performed great with our setup, both near the router and at 30 feet with obstacles in between, and didn’t run into any drops or other issues.
As far as the speakers go, there’s a set of them firing through fairly large cuts on the front side of the belly, and they’re quite good. We measured maximum volumes of about 80 dB at head level, without any distortions and a limited amount of vibration on the palm-rest, and the sound comes out fairly rich, with good mids and decent lows, given the class, of course.
Peaking inside you’ll actually notice that Asus dedicated a fair bit of space to the speakers in this ottherwise space-constrained design, so no wonder they sound better than the average bunch you’ll find on current ultraportables. Just be careful not to cover them when using the laptop on the lap, which can unfortunately happen easily due to their positioning.
A 720p camera and a set of IR Hello cameras are available on the retail versions of the ZenBook UX433F, both placed at the top of the screen and flanked by an array of near-field microphones that work with Cortana and Amazon Alexa. The standard webcam is fairly mediocre, much like on most existing ultraportables, but the IR camera is going to prove very useful for logging into Windows, especially since there’s no finger sensor. It wasn’t included with our test-unit, but as far as I can tell it’s going to be a standard feature on all retail ZenBook UX433F versions.
Battery life
There’s a 50 Wh battery inside both the UX433FA and the UX433FN models. Given the fact that there’s Optimus on the FN which disables the Nvidia chip when not needed, both lines will offer similar battery-life with everyday tasks, with differences only in games and other demanding loads that would use the MX150 GPU.
Here what we got in our tests, with the screen set at 30% brightness, which is around 120 nits. Keep in mind our unit is pre-production and we tested battery life on the default voltage profile. Retail units could squeeze slightly longer run-times with better optimized drivers and if you decide to undervolt the CPU or dim the screen more, but don’t expect to get the 13 hours Asus mentions in their ads, it’s not going to happen.
- 6.3 W (~8 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Better Battery Mode, screen at 30%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 5.6 W (~9 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Better Battery Mode, screen at 30%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 5.4 W (~ 9 h 15 min of use) – 4K fullscreen .mkv video in the Movie app, Better Battery Mode, screen at 30%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 5.9 W (~8 h 25 min of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Better Battery Mode, screen at 30%, Wi-Fi ON;
- 12.5 W (~4 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Better Performance Mode, screen at 30%, Wi-Fi ON.
Our test unit came with a compact and light 65 W charger, the standard design we’ve seen on ZenBooks in the last years, with the prongs attached to the power-brick. A full charge takes around two hours.
The UX433FA variants are bundled with an even smaller 45 W charger and a full-charge should take a little longer. As far as I can tell, neither include fast-charging technology, which is surprising given that Asus bundles fast chargers with some of their other laptops, like the Zenbook S UX391 or the ZenBook Flip UX362 lines.
As a side note, despite the fact that all the UX433s offer an USB-C gen2 port, they also lack to required circuitry to charge via USB-C, so you’ll have to always rely on the included barrel plug charger.
Price and availability
The Zenbook UX433 series is already available in some parts of the world as of mid-November 2018, and more configurations should be released in the weeks to come.
In the US, the UX433FA model starts at $999 for a Core i5-8265U CPU, 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB PCIe x2 SSD configuration, while for $1199 you can find the Core i7-8565U version with 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB PCIe x4 SSD. The base-level configuration also starts at 999 EUR in Europe, but over here you’ll have to pay around 1350 EUR for the higher specked model, yet most stores offer a couple of other configurations in between.
You’ll also find Core i3-8145U models in some regions, and these should start at around 900 EUR and are not that bad performance-wise, able to surpass a late-2016 i7 as you’ll see from this dedicated article.
The UX433FN series with dedicated MX150 Max-Q graphics is not yet available on the North American market, but it should demand a $50 to $100 premium over a similarly specked FA configuration if Asus decides to actually offer it over there. The top-specked UX433FN is already listed at 1399 EUR in Europe, with the i7 CPU, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
Follow this link for updated configurations and prices at the time you’re reading.
Final thoughts
I can’t draw final conclusions based on this sample of the ZenBook UX433FN, due to the fact that I can’t tell if our early-production sample was performance-wise on par with the final retail units in games and other CPU+GPU heavy applications. And that’s in fact the main reason you’ll want one of these laptops.
I can however draw conclusions on the UX433FA variants, ignoring the dedicated Nvidia chip for a bit.
As an ultra-compact daily driver, this checks many of the right boxes. It’s tiny and light, in fact smaller than most of the competitors, it looks nice and is built well. It also packs a fast keyboard, a fairly good screen, punchy speakers, modern hardware and a fair-sized battery.
The hardware might seem like a significant selling point here, and this laptop does nonetheless perform great once undervolted, but Whiskey Lake is only a minor update of the Kaby Lake-R platform that you’ll find inside most existing ultraportables these days, so not a must have. On top of that, you should consider that the screen is only averagely-bright and not ideal for outdoor use, and you will get better autonomy with some of the competitors that pack a larger battery. And then there are also the lack of Thunderbolt 3, the lack of a finger-sensor and the inability to charge via USB-C, features some of you might want on your device and available with the competition.
For the most part though the ZenBook UX433F compensates its lacks with an aggressive pricing, not necessarily for the base-level models, but especially for the higher specked Core i7 / 16 GB / 512 GB SSD variants, available in the US for $1100 at the time of this update, with a $100 discount from the list price.
But that’s not all, if an all-round ultraportable is in fact what you’re after, don’t forget that Asus also offers a slightly smaller variant of this laptop, the ZenBook UX333FA series with a 13-inch screen, as well as the lighter Zenbook S UX391 series, both closer competitors for the current heavyweights in the ultraportable niche: the Dell XPS 13, the HP Spectre 13 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop. The UX391 is already available in stores, while the UX333 is expected at the beginning of 2019. These are all 13-inch laptops though, while the UX433 gets the larger 14-inch screen.
Back to the UX433FN variant with dedicated MX150 Max-Q graphics, I’d advise you to further look into how it actually performs with games, once it becomes available. If it does perform well, then it’s going to be a competitive offer, but this niche includes many other options you should at least check out, like the Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G, the Huawei MateBook X Pro, the HP Envy 13 or the Asus ZenBook UX331FN, but also the more powerful MSI Prestige P42 and Lenovo IdeaPad 720s bundled with the full-power variant of the MX150 graphics chip. It’s a tough choice between all these, as each have their share of strong points and quirks, but we’ere here to help.
Anyway, that’s about it for our review of the Asus ZenBook UX433 FN series, but the comments section below is open for your feedback and questions, and look further for updates in the weeks to come as we hopefully get to test a final version of the UX433FN series.
Andrei Girbea, Editor-in-Chief of Ultrabookreview.com. I've been covering mobile computers since the 2000s and you'll mostly find reviews and thorough guides written by me here on the site.
Paige
November 21, 2018 at 4:12 am
In the US right now, the price for ZenBook S UX391UA (i7-8550U, 8GB, 256GB SSD) is roughly the same as that of UX433FA (i7-8565U, 16GB, 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD). Which one would you recommend getting? I'm leaning towards UX433FA because of the better specs. Plus, I don't need thunderbolts ports. However, I'm still not sure which I should go for due to its build quality and power supply (Zenbook S through USB-C 60W vs cable 45W). Also, Zenbook S seems to be advertized as something more premium in general. I don't play games. I normally use my laptop for doing research (a lot of typing, statistical analyses of big data, running experiments, etc.) and entertainment. I would really appreciate your advice! Thank you!
Andrei Girbea
November 21, 2018 at 1:46 pm
Tough call, I like them both. Here's the review of the UX391, if interested: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/19213-asus-zenbook-ux391ua-review/ .
Couple of things I'd consider:
1. The UX391 is smaller, thinner and lighter. Build quality is about on par, both are well made.
2. I personally liked the keyboard on the UX391 better
3. Screens are about the same quality, but the UX391 gets a matte finishing, while the UX433 gets glossy, without touch.
3.1 There's a slightly bigger screen on the UX433
4. Better performance for the UX433 in demanding loads, also a faster included SSD as far as I can tell. Performance with everyday use should be the same.
5. The UX391 runs hotter while performing demanding loads, as it's thinner
6. You only get USB-C connectivity on the UX391, so you'll need adapters, but it gets Thunderbolt 3 which gives you more options when it comes to hooking up a fast external drive or multiple high-res screens, if needed.
7. You get good speakers on both, faster wireless on the UX433, crappy webcam on both
It's up to you what you want. With the UX391 you'll favor portability and the matte screen, while with the UX433 you'll get a slightly bigger device with full-size ports and faster performance in demanding tasks.
One more thing to keep in mind is that the UX433 is brand new and there's limited info about it from actual buyers, while the UX391 has been available for a while, so you can find more reviews and opinions about its potential hidden flaws that I and other reviewers might have not ran into with our samples. No matter what you end up going with, I'd buy from a place that allows returns without a restocking fee, as quality control is problematic these days with most manufacturers.
Hope this helps
Paige
November 21, 2018 at 8:46 pm
Thank you very much for your detailed reply! The UX391 versions sold in the US are both with glossy screen, unfortunately. I'll think about it a little more. I'm glad to hear that their build qualities are on par. Thank you very much again!
JAYson
November 21, 2018 at 10:55 pm
I'm trying to decide between the XPS15 and the 533. Assuming the 533 will be roughly the same, only larger, and without the lighted numpad?
So all things being equal, would you go with the 533 or the XPS15? Both have comparable specs (ASUS: i7-8565U WL/16GB DDR4/512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen3x2 SSD/GTX 1050 Max-Q) vs (XPS: i7-8750H, 16GB DDR4, 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe SSD, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti), and are within $50 of each other via black friday pricing.
What would you go with for a great all-rounder, no gaming?
Andrei Girbea
November 21, 2018 at 11:31 pm
The XPS is the safer bet at this point imo, considering it's been available for a while and all of this flaws are well documented. Just make sure you know what to expect and you can accept the issues.
The Zenbook could be a nice pick, but there are no reviews out there and it's a brand new platform, thus there are a lot of questions that would need answers before we could tell if it's good product or not, with the screen quality, performance and fan behavior just the important ones. Getting one right now would be a gamble, it might be great, but at the same time it might have flaws.
JAYson
November 22, 2018 at 2:08 am
Thank you! Went with the XPS on a great Black Friday deal. Keep up the great work!
Bud
November 28, 2018 at 4:15 am
The UX433 is about $1099, while DELL XPS 15 is about $1399 after holiday discounts, how are they on the same price par? are you saying you found the XPS for $1099 as well? can you share where?
Rayben
November 22, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Do you know if the anti-glare FHD screen is a glossy display with slight anti-glare coating or a full matte display? Because Asus website states it as only anti-glare. Also any idea on the pricing of the 16GB MX150 model? These seem very expensive compared to other MX150, Vega 10 laptops. How is the durability compared to premium laptops like XPS 13 and X1 Carbon?
Andrei Girbea
November 22, 2018 at 1:40 pm
I've been told it's completely matte, which is also backed up by the fact that those versions are lighter, and that's made possible by removing the sheet of glass. I'd reckon same finishing as on other matte laptops.
i7 /16 GB /512 GB SSD + MX150 will ship for 1400 EUR over here in Europe. I'd reckon 1200-1300 USD if/when available in the US.
The build is pretty good, but the XPS has a stronger inner deck. The lid is tough on this glass-covered variant, about on par with my XPS 13, but I'd expect the matte versions to flex a bit more without the extra reinforcement of the glass. So all in all the XPS is the better built of the bunch, with the X1 coming in second imo and this Zenbook a close third. They're all well made though, I don't think that should be a decisive factor.
Ocean
November 25, 2018 at 3:37 am
Do you know if the UX433FN will be released in the UK?
If not, what would you recommend for a ultrabook at roughly 14" with i7,16Gb,256Gb SSD and MX150. I'm currently looking at the UX433FN and the HP Envy 13.
Cheers
Andrei Girbea
November 25, 2018 at 1:50 pm
I don't know, you should ask Asus on social media, they might give you an answer.
There are a bunch of such devices, they're listed here: Not sure which are available there: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/16104-laptops-nvidia-mx150/ , you should check which are available over there.. Careful there are two MX150 versions, MAx-Q and full-voltage, consider which one you'd rather get.
DimTm
November 25, 2018 at 2:23 pm
Hi
"Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 291 cd/m2 on power;"
I saw on the site notebookcheck.net brightness is Maximum: 332.8 cd/m² (Asus ZenBook 14 UX433F)
Why such a difference between your site and notebookcheck.net ?
Andrei Girbea
November 26, 2018 at 2:09 pm
Different tools and screen testing methodologies. Our software measures brightness and contrast at the same time, by switching between a white and black image at about 5 seconds. As far as I know, they test the maximum brightness after keeping a white image on the screen for several minutes, then a black image for several minutes for the black levels, and get the contrast based on these numbers. They're result are thus more accurate, but I think ours make more sense in real life, where the content changes on the screen all the time.
Bud
November 28, 2018 at 4:18 am
Is there any contender for a 14" notebook, which comes with 500GB SSD and 16GB RAM, even if for a bit higher price? I Can't find any worthy contender.. someone suggested Dell Latitude 7490, but it seems a bit anachronistic, also, I it weighs more.
Andrei Girbea
November 28, 2018 at 1:26 pm
That Latitude is a nice laptop, but rather expensive, heavy and gets a small battery.
I'd reckon you're not interested in the dGPU, in which case I can't think of better options for $1100. Perhaps this, the 55 version with the dGPU, but it's not yet available https://www.ultrabookreview.com/22174-acer-swift-3-2018-review/ , or the Lenovo 720s 14, but that's also heavier.
The Huawei MateBook X Pro is the only better option in the 14-inch class, but also much more expensive at around $1500 (perhaps you could find it cheaper these days)
Bud
December 2, 2018 at 4:30 pm
That Lenovo is already discontinued, I suppose a new replacement will come out soon, do you happen to know what is replacing it? and is it worth the wait?
Andrei Girbea
December 3, 2018 at 1:56 pm
I'd reckon some sort of 14-inch IdeaPad 730s might be launched in the near future, although for now only a 13-inch model was announced. Can't tell what to expect though, I don't have any inside information, so it would be just speculation.
Thrandine
November 29, 2018 at 5:44 am
Which one is better, the Zenbook or Ideapad 720s 14 with MX150?
Andrei Girbea
November 29, 2018 at 12:06 pm
Each has its pros, but I incline towards the Zenbook. You should take pricing and your particular needs into considerations, you'll find reviews for both that talk abut their strong points and quirks.
Bud
December 4, 2018 at 3:33 pm
The Asus website says this model has better venting due to the design – when the lid is open.
I usually connect the notebook to an external screen so I keep the lid closed. does it mean it would heat up and make more noise?
Andrei Girbea
December 5, 2018 at 4:18 pm
Should do fine for the most part, as the output grills are not covered in any way. See this pic: https://www.ultrabookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sides-back-3.jpg
Two things to consider, though:
1. you might want to raise the bottom in some way to allow better airflow underneath.
2. The interior will get fairly hot, and that means the screen will get hot as well, as it's in direct contact to the interior in this situation. That might cause issues over time, but it's something you'll have to accept with every laptop and should only be problematic while running games, which I'd reckon you might not do that often.
KC
December 5, 2018 at 8:16 am
What would you say about the Lenovo C930 (4K display with soundbar hinge)? Would that be a better option? I know there the x1 ThinkPad line don’t know how that contends…Or jus go MacBook Air?
Andrei Girbea
December 5, 2018 at 4:23 pm
I haven't personally reviewed it yet, but it should be a solid option. More expensive though. Look into reviews that go in depth on performance and typing experience, I had some nits with those on the previous Yoga 920, not sure if/how they were addressed on the update.
the X1 Carbon is another good option, but beware of the various quality control quirks. You'll find a review here on the site, and plenty of info on the topic online.
Don't go for the MacBook Air if you're interested in performance, that's a Core Y laptop with a butterfly keyboard and an obnoxiously high price tag. Rather go for a base MacBook Pro 13 if you absolutely must go that route, but there are better value options on Windows's side imo.
DimTm
December 8, 2018 at 2:17 pm
Hi
I read on the French site "www.lesnumeriques.com", here is the translation, such remarks:
The Zenbook speakers are placed under the chassis, all the way to the front; the sound sent back to the user strongly depends on the surface on which the PC is placed. Also, the perceived location of the sound source is also very far from the screen, making it unnatural to watch a video.
"Les haut-parleurs du Zenbook sont placés sous le châssis, tout à l'avant ; une disposition peu judicieuse. Non seulement le son renvoyé vers l'utilisateur dépend fortement de la surface sur laquelle le PC est posé (réfléchissante comme un bureau en PVC, absorbante comme une nappe…), mais la localisation perçue de la source sonore est en plus très éloignée de l'écran, d'où un rendu peu naturel lors du visionnage d'une vidéo."
What do you think of thèse problems with thé speakers?
Thank
Andrei Girbea
December 9, 2018 at 4:35 pm
They comment on the positioning of the speakers, which is not that bad imo. I don't think you'll notice anything unusual when watching movies, the only problem is that you can easily cover them when using the laptop on the lap.