Asus is a company that has long been making laptops for consumers and gamers. One of its most famous series is the Zenbook series. Their recent launch of Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U came to us to play with, and this is our review of the nifty little device, which falls in the ultra-thin category.
Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U Design and Display
Let us quickly talk about the Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U design first. The construct of the laptop demands that you fall in love with it. Even though we have seen similar lines and aesthetics in the past Zenbooks, this one still looks fresh and modern. The notebook weighs just 1.14 KG and is very portable. The body is made of plastic and metal, to keep the weight low.
Users get a 13.3-inch FHD OLED display with 400 nits’ peak brightness. The screen to body ratio is 88 percent, which means you get very slim bezels. Users get 1 USB Type-A, 2 USB Type-C and 1 HDMI 2.1 ports along with one microSD card reader on the Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U laptop. An HD IR Webcam is also placed right above the screen for video meetings and for face recognition.
The concept of ergo-lift hinge also comes back with the Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U laptop. This means as soon as you open the laptop it raises a couple of degrees from the ground for better airflow and to keep the laptop cool. The backlit keyboard on this Zenbook lappy is quite big and comfortable to use. Users also get a fully functional NUM pad, which also doubles up as the trackpad. Yes, like other ZenBook’s in the segment, the trackpad can be used at the NUM pad as well.
The display is a treat to work with and you do not see any flicker. We watched quite a few movies and Netflix shows on it during the lockdown and not once did it give us a chance to bicker. We attended Zoom meetings and video chatted with family. The experience was very good. Over that, the AI-powered noise-cancelling MIC on the system made sure the other side only heard our voice and not the bells and whistles of the household. Overall, we were quite happy with the display of the Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U.
Also read: Asus ROG Phone 3 review: Perfect for gaming
Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U Performance
Coming to the performance of the Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U, it comes in two CPU variations. One with AMD Ryzen 5 and the other with Ryzen 7. We are reviewing the Ryzen 7 variant. This is coupled with AMD Radeon onboard graphics unit and 16 GB RAM, which makes the laptop super quick. Another reason why it is so darn quick is the 1 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD. The combo starts the laptop in under 12 seconds and apps open in a blink of an eye.
We played games like Counter Strike: GO, DOTA 2 and PUBG. While the first two ran well at 60 FPS, PUBG could not run on the highest graphic settings, but on the medium it was fine. There is not much bloatware on the device, and we liked the minimal look. Though Windows 10 home comes on board as the native OS, we would have preferred the Pro version. Wi-Fi 6 is also on board, which means you end up getting a good internet connection with compatible routers, without interruptions.
The company says the battery will last for 16 hours, but during our time with the machine, it lasted for 14.5 hours. This did include an hour or two of gaming and a couple of hours of Netflix. The battery can be fast-charged to 60% with the supplied charger in under 50 minutes, which is not bad by laptop standards.
Verdict
Overall, the Asus Zenbook 13 UM325U is made for business and casual users. It serves the purpose for both. If you are a designer who wants to work on the go or an office user sitting at home working, this laptop will serve your purpose. The price on the box is Rs 1,09,990, but in the market, you can get it for a couple of thousands cheaper. If you are looking for a very luggable machine that has a neat form factor and the latest brain on offer, your search ends here.
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