Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA (i5-8265U) Laptop Review
Unveiled at IFA 2018, the 13.3-inch ZenBook UX333 is part of Asus’ new narrow-bezel Ultrabook family consisting of the UX333, 14-inch UX433, and 15.6-inch UX533. Unlike competing narrow-bezel laptops, however, these new ZenBooks have narrow bezels on all four sides of the screen instead of just two or three. The screen-to-body ratio is thus one of the highest in the market with a unique hinge design to further distinguish the series from competitors.
The ZenBook UX333 starts at $850 USD with a Whiskey Lake-U Core i5-8265U CPU and 8 GB of RAM or users can configure up to the higher-end Core i7-8565U with 16 GB of RAM and a dedicated GeForce MX150 GPU. The 1080p resolution remains fixed across all options. Our test unit today is the lower-end SKU.
Direct competitors include the Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre 13, Lenovo Yoga C930, Huawei MateBook X Pro, Acer Swift 7, and the Razer Blade Stealth. The UX333 is a direct successor to the last generation ZenBook UX331 series.
We recommend checking out our existing review on the ZenBook UX433 as all models in the UX333/433/533 family share similar designs and features.
More Asus ZenBook reviews:
Case
Our comments about the UX433 chassis apply here for the UX333. Asus has managed to design an Ultrabook that stands out from the crowded market by introducing a narrow bezel “chin” and a hooked “ErgoLift” hinge. The result is a laptop with reduced width and an extra-wide 18:9-like appearance instead of the usual 16:9. The main disadvantage to this approach is that the hinge limits maximum angle to 143 degrees compared to 180 degrees on the competing Samsung Notebook 9.
Chassis rigidity is excellent and even slightly tougher than the UX433 since the UX333 is the smaller variant. The narrow-bezel lid in particular is more unyielding than we were anticipating as it is quite thick relative to the base. Resistance to side-to-side twisting feels superior to the UX430 and on par with the XPS 13 for a strong first impression.
The one notable weak spot of the chassis is its keyboard center where applied pressure by a finger can flex the surface slightly. The flexing is not of any day-to-day concern, but it’s a step below competitors like the aforementioned Dell and the Razer Blade Stealth. The hinge also becomes less taut when near its maximum angle.
Construction quality is otherwise excellent on our test unit with no unintended gaps or crevices between materials. The dark blue and gold matte surfaces are better at hiding fingerprints than the surfaces of the Blade Stealth or XPS.
Chassis footprint is even smaller than the XPS 13 since the Zenbook UX333 is 10 mm shorter in length. The major drawback is its increased thickness of 16.9 mm to be thicker than the outgoing UX331 and most other Ultrabooks in the market. We suspect that the thicker profile was necessary because of the "ErgoLift" hinge design of the lid. On the plus side, the thicker lid improves rigidity especially when compared to the more flexible lids of the Samsung Notebook 9 or LG Gram 13.
Connectivity
Connectivity options remain identical to the 14-inch UX433. We appreciate that the system includes HDMI and two USB Type-A ports compared to zero on the Dell XPS 13 9370 or HP Spectre 13. The major drawback is its lack of Thunderbolt 3 support and the continued reliance on a proprietary AC adapter port instead of the more versatile USB Type-C.
SD Card Reader
While the spring-loaded MicroSD card reader has returned from the UX433, it performs much more slowly on the UX333. Transferring 1 GB worth of images from card to desktop takes 43 seconds compared to just 15 seconds on the larger UX433.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Communication
Wireless has been upgraded from the Intel 8265 in the last generation UX331 to the newer Intel 8560 in the UX333. Theoretical transfer rates top out at 1.73 Gbps compared to half that on the Intel 8265. Bluetooth 5 is supported.
Average Transmit speed is abnormally slow for an Intel 9560 at almost half that of the UX331 even when connected to an 802.11ac network. We're unsure of the cause, but performance is at least stable.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN | |
| Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA | |
| Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN | |
Maintenance
Serviceability is made troublesome by the nine T5 Torx screws and two additional Philips screws hidden underneath the rear rubber footing. There is nothing to upgrade once inside aside from storage. Layout is almost identical to the UX433 motherboard.
Note that there is space underneath the heat pipe reserved for a dedicated GPU and its VRAM modules.
Accessories and Warranty
A USB Type-A to RJ-45 adapter and carrying sleeve is included in the box. The standard one-year limited warranty applies. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.
Input Devices
Keyboard
Key layout is slightly different and perhaps even better than on the larger UX433. The Arrow keys are much larger this time around and are more comfortable to use as a result. The trade-off, however, is that the right Shift key is now smaller.
Feedback from the main QWERTY keys is otherwise identical to the UX433. The keys are more satisfying to type on when compared to the recent Razer Blade Stealth, but the HP Spectre series still offers crisper feedback.
Touchpad
The clickpad is decent in size (10 x 5.5 cm) albeit smaller than the clickpads on the XPS 13 (10.5 x 6 cm) and Blade Stealth. Glide is consistent and reliable on the smooth surface no matter the cursor speed.
An annoying behavior of the clickpad is that its upper surface is not always responsive to double-tapping and so users must remember to double-tap towards the bottom half of the clickpad instead. We’re unsure if this is a bug or a feature, but it’s undesirable nonetheless.
The integrated mouse clicks are shallow in travel with weak feedback when pressed. We find the clickpads of the XPS 13 or Spectre 13 to be easier to press.
The virtual NumPad as found on the UX433 can also be found here on the UX333. While useful for the occasional data input, it suffers from the same drawbacks including the lack of haptic feedback and brightness control options. The lit numbers appear much brighter than the keyboard backlight which can become unfavorable in dimly lit conditions.
Display
There are no resolution options other than the default 1080p IPS screen. However, users can still choose between matte or glossy glass with the former being slightly lighter overall. Note that the glass overlay does not offer any touchscreen features.
Contrast and colors are excellent and comparable to competing flagships as shown by the comparison table below. Its biggest drawback lies in the backlight as screen brightness is not any brighter than on the last generation Zenbook UX331. Its average brightness of just 262 nits is noticeably dimmer than the displays of the XPS 13 or MateBook X Pro. The AU Optronics B133HAN05.C IPS panel on our test unit can be found on no other 13-inch laptop in our database.
Black-white and gray-gray response times are slower when compared to the Spectre 13 or Zenbook UX331. This isn't a huge concern for video playback or word processing, but users considering the discrete GeForce MX150 SKU for gaming purposes may want to keep in mind that there will be more noticeable ghosting.
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Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 276 cd/m²
Contrast: 1314:1 (Black: 0.21 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.85 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.89, calibrated: 1.6
ΔE Greyscale 5.7 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
98% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
63% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.08
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA AU Optronics B133HAN05.C, IPS, 13.3", 1920x1080 | Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN AU Optronics B133HAN04.9, IPS, 13.3", 1920x1080 | Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD ID: Sharp SHP148B, Name: LQ133D1, Dell P/N: 8XDHY, IPS, 13.3", 3840x2160 | Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 Tianma XM, IPS, 13.9", 3000x2000 | HP Spectre 13-af033ng AU Optronics AUO422D, IPS, 13.3", 1920x1080 | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 AUO B139HAN03_0, IPS, 13.9", 1920x1080 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -9% | 1% | -2% | -6% | -7% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 67.9 | 63.3 -7% | 68.9 1% | 65.9 -3% | 64 -6% | 62.7 -8% |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.4 | 86.7 -11% | 98.4 1% | 95.2 -2% | 90.7 -7% | 92.6 -5% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 69.2 | 63.4 -8% | 69.5 0% | 67.6 -2% | 65.1 -6% | 64.7 -7% |
| Response Times | 28% | -18% | 29% | 43% | 35% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 54.4 ? | 44 ? 19% | 67.2 ? -24% | 40.4 ? 26% | 27 ? 50% | 34.4 ? 37% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 37.6 ? | 24 ? 36% | 41.6 ? -11% | 25.6 ? 32% | 24 ? 36% | 25.6 ? 32% |
| PWM Frequency | 2500 ? | |||||
| Screen | 3% | 10% | 9% | 10% | -32% | |
| Brightness middle | 276 | 329 19% | 496.4 80% | 442.7 60% | 304 10% | 312 13% |
| Brightness | 263 | 306 16% | 469 78% | 428 63% | 287 9% | 295 12% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 86 -3% | 84 -6% | 84 -6% | 80 -10% | 87 -2% |
| Black Level * | 0.21 | 0.3 -43% | 0.5 -138% | 0.31 -48% | 0.21 -0% | 0.43 -105% |
| Contrast | 1314 | 1097 -17% | 993 -24% | 1428 9% | 1448 10% | 726 -45% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.85 | 4.07 16% | 2.9 40% | 2.24 54% | 3.66 25% | 7.6 -57% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.24 | 7.05 14% | 5.26 36% | 7.19 13% | 5.66 31% | 15.06 -83% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.6 | 1.11 31% | 1.96 -23% | |||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.7 | 2.76 52% | 3.9 32% | 9.7 -70% | 3.51 38% | 8.8 -54% |
| Gamma | 2.08 106% | 2.56 86% | 2.066 106% | 1.42 155% | 2.55 86% | 2.01 109% |
| CCT | 7424 88% | 6915 94% | 7169 91% | 6227 104% | 6955 93% | 6874 95% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 63 | 56 -11% | 63.9 1% | 61.6 -2% | 59 -6% | 59.1 -6% |
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 98 | 86 -12% | 98.2 0% | 95 -3% | 91 -7% | 92.3 -6% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 7% /
4% | -2% /
4% | 12% /
10% | 16% /
11% | -1% /
-19% |
* ... smaller is better
Color space covers almost all of sRGB and approximately 63 percent of the AdobeRGB standard. Results are similar to the Sharp 4K UHD panel found on the XPS 13 and slightly better than the AU Optronics on the older UX331. Artists who want an even wider gamut should consider the ZenBook UX580 where 100 percent AdobeRGB coverage is available.
Color temperature is much too cool out of the box with poor RGB balance as a result. Our calibration attempt addresses this directly for significantly improved colors across all saturation levels. We recommend an end-user calibration if possible especially since this panel is capable of very accurate colors.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 37.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18.8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 95 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 54.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 30 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 90 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8619 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility is average at best on our glossy test unit. The matte SKU will likely fare better, but it will still be limited by the relatively dim backlight. Users who intend to use the notebook frequently in outdoor conditions may want to consider alternatives with significantly brighter displays like the Samsung Notebook 9 or MacBook Pro 13. Viewing angles are otherwise excellent as expected from an IPS panel. However, viewing slightly off-centered will cause apparent brightness to drop.
Performance
The Whiskey Lake-U Core i5-8265U in our Zenbook directly succeeds the last generation Kaby Lake-R Core i5-8250U. Ultrabooks of 2019 are expected to carry the same Core i5 and i7 CPU options as our Zenbook UX333. The biggest advantage for Asus is that the UX333 includes optional GeForce MX150 discrete graphics with 2 GB GDDR5 VRAM whereas most competitors like the XPS 13, Spectre 13, or Lenovo Yoga C930 are stuck with integrated UHD Graphics 620 only.
Heavy multi-taskers may want to consider the 16 GB RAM SKU as memory is not expandable.
Processor
When we tested our first Core i7-8565U a few weeks ago, it proved to be just marginally better than the Core i7-8550U in raw CPU horsepower. The same can be said for the new Core i5-8265U as it is only about 15 percent faster than the last generation i5-8250U as found on the MateBook X Pro and VivoBook Flip 14. While not necessarily bad, users shouldn't be expecting any huge performance gains a la the jump from Kaby Lake to Kaby Lake-R.
The UX333 CPU has just average performance sustainability. By running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, we can see that the initial score of 595 points drops by 15 percent to 508 points after just the first loop. The larger Lenovo Yoga C930 with its older Core i7-8550U has slightly better performance sustainability than our Zenbook.
See our dedicated page on the Core i5-8265U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.
| Cinebench R10 | |
| Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8265U (16318 - 22962, n=9) | |
| Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 | |
| HP x2 210 G2 | |
| Rendering Single 32Bit | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8265U (5841 - 6209, n=9) | |
| Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 | |
| HP x2 210 G2 | |
| wPrime 2.10 - 1024m | |
| Average Intel Core i5-8265U (371 - 433, n=2) | |
| Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
PCMark benchmarks are consistently higher than the last generation ZenBook UX331 to be very similar to the XPS 13 9370. We experienced no software or hardware hiccups during our time with the test unit aside from the possible trackpad bug as mentioned in an earlier section.
| PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3150 points | |
| PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4341 points | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 3787 points | |
Help | ||
Storage Devices
The Western Digital M.2 NVMe drive is over twice as fast in sequential read and write rates as the SK Hynix drive in the older UX331. When compared to other NVMe SSDs, however, performance is on the slower side. As an example, the pricier Samsung PM981 as found on the HP Elite x2 has almost double the sequential read and write performance of our WD drive. Asus likely went with the middle-ground solution to save on costs while providing faster performance than the typical SATA III SSD.
See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G | Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A | Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G | Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | HP Elite x2 1013 G3 LTE i7 Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -44% | 21% | 23% | 12% | 72% | |
| Write 4K | 113.7 | 78.4 -31% | 121.4 7% | 116.5 2% | 108.7 -4% | 100 -12% |
| Read 4K | 43.18 | 30.77 -29% | 33.42 -23% | 42.18 -2% | 40.91 -5% | 40.23 -7% |
| Write Seq | 970 | 264.5 -73% | 385.3 -60% | 1079 11% | 798 -18% | 1839 90% |
| Read Seq | 1085 | 465.7 -57% | 1958 80% | 1030 -5% | 1610 48% | 2024 87% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 396.8 | 262.8 -34% | 375.7 -5% | 225.7 -43% | 385.1 -3% | 314.9 -21% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 317.8 | 283.8 -11% | 364.1 15% | 302.9 -5% | 305.8 -4% | 269.8 -15% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 518 | 262.7 -49% | 1069 106% | 1174 127% | 779 50% | 2402 364% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 1741 | 559 -68% | 2564 47% | 3394 95% | 2359 35% | 3306 90% |
GPU Performance
The UHD Graphics 620 is the same integrated GPU as found on last generation Kaby Lake-R CPUs. Performance is almost exactly where we expect it to be and so there are no notable performance boosts over older Ultrabooks with the Core i5-8250U, i7-8550U, or even i5-7200U.
Users who want the UX333 SKU with dedicated GeForce MX150 graphics should see a raw power boost of about 100 percent over the UHD Graphics 620. It's very likely that the MX150 GPU will be the slower '1D12' variant since the UX331 uses this version as well.
See our dedicated page on the UHD Graphics 620 for more technical information and benchmarks.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 1941 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 9235 points | |
Help | ||
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BioShock Infinite (2013) | 63.4 | 35.8 | 31 | 9.6 |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) | 21.5 | 13.7 | 7.3 | 6.2 |
| Rocket League (2017) | 73.9 | 36.4 | 22.5 |
Emissions
System Noise
The cooling solution consists of just a single 50 mm fan and a heat pipe. Nonetheless, the system is silent during low to medium loads including web browsing or video playback. In fact, the fan remains idle throughout the entire first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06 whereas the fans in most other Ultrabooks begin revving within the first 10 or 30 seconds. Of course, we suspect that SKUs with the GeForce MX150 will be louder when subjected to the same test.
Maximum load with Prime95 or prolonged gaming will induce a slow rise in RPM until the fan reaches a steady 40 to 42.4 dB(A) range. In this case, results are comparable to the UX331 and XPS 13.
We can notice absolutely no coil whine or electronic noise on our test unit.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 28.6 / 28.6 / 28.6 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 28.6 / 42.4 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 28.6 dB(A) | ||
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G | Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A | Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G | Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP | HP Spectre 13-af033ng UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -9% | -2% | -4% | -2% | -0% | |
| off / environment * | 28.6 | 30.13 -5% | 29 -1% | 27.9 2% | 30.13 -5% | 27.9 2% |
| Idle Minimum * | 28.6 | 30.13 -5% | 29 -1% | 27.9 2% | 30.13 -5% | 27.9 2% |
| Idle Average * | 28.6 | 30.3 -6% | 29 -1% | 27.9 2% | 30.13 -5% | 27.9 2% |
| Idle Maximum * | 28.6 | 30.3 -6% | 29 -1% | 27.9 2% | 30.13 -5% | 29.3 -2% |
| Load Average * | 28.6 | 39.2 -37% | 32 -12% | 36.2 -27% | 31.5 -10% | 32 -12% |
| Load Maximum * | 42.4 | 41 3% | 40.1 5% | 45.2 -7% | 33.5 21% | 39.3 7% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 45 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Surface temperatures when idling are warmest towards the center of the keyboard due to the positioning of the cooling solution underneath. When under very high loads, surfaces closes to the processor become warmest at up to 36 C and 44 C on the top and bottom, respectively. These hot spots are thankfully towards the rear of the unit and so the palm rests or main QWERTY keys are never uncomfortable to use.
We suspect that SKUs with the dedicated GeForce MX150 GPU can become much warmer than what we've recorded here. The keyboard on the last generation UX331 with MX150 graphics, for example, can be as warm as 43 C when gaming.
It's interesting to note that the design of the UX333 includes no traditional rear or side ventilation grilles. Instead, waste heat exits upwards from grilles hidden towards the bottom right of the screen. While not uncommon on low-power laptops, it's more rare on systems with dedicated GPU options.
We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When subjected to Prime95 load to stress the processor, we are able to record a maximum clock rate and temperature of 3.7 GHz and 95 C respectiely, during the first few seconds of the test. Clock rates eventually fall and stabilize between 2.2 and 2.8 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature in the 70 to 80 C range. While the processor is not technically throttling relative to its base clock rate of 1.6 GHz, a steadier and narrower clock rate range would have been preferable.
Running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously will throttle the CPU to the 1.1 GHz and 1.4 GHz range.
Running on battery power will not significantly impact performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 6303 and 1752 points, respectively, compared to 6593 and 1732 points when on mains.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 42 |
| Prime95 Stress | 2.2 - 2.8 | -- | 70 - 80 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 0.8 - 1.4 | 667 - 1047 | 81 |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.4 °C / 81.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (+0.8 °C / 1.5 F).
Speakers
The Harman Kardon-certified stereo speakers are loud for the size with no static, chassis reverberations, or major imbalances. Bass is underwhelming as we'd expect.
Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (66 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 70% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 56% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The laptop is very power efficient when idling on desktop which likely contributes to its long battery life in our next section. Consumption jumps to the high 30 W to 40 W range as is typical from a 13-inch Ultrabook with an Intel ULV processor. Expect higher power consumption from SKUs with the dedicated GeForce MX150 GPU.
The competing AMD Ryzen 7 2700U in the HP EliteBook 735 is less power efficient during low loads, but it offers about 50 percent faster GPU performance than our configuration in return.
We are able to record a maximum temporary draw of 45 W from the very small (5.2 x 5.2 x 2.8 cm) 45 W AC adapter. Thankfully, SKUs with the dedicated Nvidia graphics chip ship with a more capable 65 W AC adapter instead.
| Off / Standby | 0.27 / 0.38 Watt |
| Idle | 1.6 / 4.6 / 7.3 Watt |
| Load |
37.9 / 44.8 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3" | Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3" | Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV256G, IPS, 3840x2160, 13.3" | Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 3000x2000, 13.9" | HP Spectre 13-af033ng i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3" | HP EliteBook 735 G5 3UN62EA R7 2700U, Vega 10, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.3" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -11% | -58% | -68% | -21% | -82% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.6 | 2.2 -38% | 4.3 -169% | 3.5 -119% | 2.8 -75% | 5.5 -244% |
| Idle Average * | 4.6 | 5 -9% | 8 -74% | 8.9 -93% | 6.2 -35% | 9.4 -104% |
| Idle Maximum * | 7.3 | 8 -10% | 8.1 -11% | 12.3 -68% | 9.4 -29% | 11.6 -59% |
| Load Average * | 37.9 | 33 13% | 46.6 -23% | 54.2 -43% | 32.2 15% | 39 -3% |
| Load Maximum * | 44.8 | 49.4 -10% | 49.8 -11% | 52.1 -16% | 36.6 18% | 45.6 -2% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 42.4 |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
Battery capacity remains identical to the UX331 at 50 Wh. Even so, runtimes are slightly longer by about one hour on the newer model when subjected to similar WLAN loads. Users can expect almost 10 hours of real-world WLAN use compared to ~7 hours on the XPS 13 or Spectre 13.
Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 1.5 hours.
| Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh | Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 50 Wh | Dell XPS 13 9370 i5 UHD i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh | Huawei Matebook X Pro i5 i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 57.4 Wh | HP Spectre 13-af033ng i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 43 Wh | Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -18% | -33% | -10% | -31% | 12% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1668 | 1240 -26% | 869 -48% | 1243 -25% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 593 | 538 -9% | 408 -31% | 557 -6% | 352 -41% | 664 12% |
| Load | 132 | 105 -20% | 106 -20% | 133 1% | 104 -21% |
Verdict
Pros
Cons
Design-wise, the new chassis is a step forward over the last generation ZenBook UX331. The UX333 dares to be thicker to improve rigidity while shaving off even more from the bezels for a compact impression. The gen-to-gen visual leap and reasonable starting price are perhaps the biggest reasons to own a ZenBook UX333 rather than the jump from Intel 8th gen Core Kaby Lake-R to Whiskey Lake-U.
Most users in the market for a 13-inch Ultrabook will likely compare this laptop to a Dell XPS 13 9370. From this perspective, the UX333 has a few advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind. Its smaller footprint, integrated USB Type-A and HDMI ports, faster GeForce MX150 GPU option, and cheaper price for the same Core i5 CPU are all in Asus' favor. On the other hand, the Dell system has the brighter display, optional touchscreen, ThunderBolt 3, more versatile USB Type-C charging, faster MicroSD reader, and larger trackpad. The choice is largely down to user preference.
The ZenBook UX333 makes the older UX331 look dated in comparison. It brings the series up to par with flagship alternatives like the XPS 13 and Spectre 13 while costing a few hundred dollars less in the process. The absence of Thunderbolt 3, USB Type-C AC charging, and touchscreen features may be hard to swallow for enthusiasts and travelers.
Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA
- 12/28/2018 v6 (old)
Allen Ngo
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