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Asus ZenBook 14 UX433F (i7-8565U) Laptop Review

All screen. The new ZenBook 14 has a mind-boggling 92 percent screen-to-body ratio to best even the XPS 13. How did Asus manage to achieve such narrow bezels on all four sides of the display while still offering 100 percent sRGB and Whiskey Lake-U?

Asus has been doubling down on narrow bezels at a quicker pace than many of its competitors. After launching the first 17-inch gaming laptop with narrow bezels a couple of months ago, the OEM is now ready to introduce a new ultrathin Zenbook series with narrow bezels on all four sides of the display. In contrast, the Spectre x360 13 and XPS 13 have narrow bezels on only two and threes sides of the display, respectively.

The new Zenbook family consists of 13.3-inch (UX333), 14.0-inch (UX433), and 15.6-inch (UX533) offerings that all share similar design features. We recommend checking out the original announcement here for a quick comparison between the UX333, UX433, and UX533.

Our unit under review today is the Zenbook UX433FA equipped with 8 GB of LPDDR3 RAM, a 1080p IPS display, 512 GB NVMe SSD, and the new Whiskey Lake Core i7-8565U CPU for $1200 USD. The CPU and display resolution are fixed while RAM can go up to 16 GB and storage can start at 128 GB. A GeForce MX150 GPU option is planned but not yet available at the time of writing. The Zenbook UX433 is a successor to the Zenbook UX430 and it's set to compete directly with alternatives like the 13.9-inch Huawei MateBook X Pro, 13.9-inch Lenovo Yoga C930, 14-inch Acer Swift 5, and 14-inch HP Pavilion 14.

More Asus Zenbook reviews:

Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA (ZenBook 14 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, 24.20.100.6195
Memory
16 GB 
, LPDDR3, 1200 MHz, 10-10-10-28, Dual-Channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, AU Optronics B140HAN03.2, IPS, AUO323D, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ Intel Cannon Point-LP PCH - cAVS (Audio, Video, Speech)
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 15.9 x 319 x 199 ( = 0.63 x 12.56 x 7.83 in)
Battery
50 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 3-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 3D 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo Harman Kardon w/ Alexa voice recognition support, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, USB to RJ-45 adapter, Asus Hello, Keyboard Hotkeys, E-Service, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.19 kg ( = 41.98 oz / 2.62 pounds), Power Supply: 132 g ( = 4.66 oz / 0.29 pounds)
Price
1200 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The UX433 chassis is visually striking and distinct when compared to other Ultrabooks because of the angled rear lid and narrow bezels along the bottom of the screen. The screen is narrow on all four sides without needing to alter the position of the webcam unlike on the XPS 13. Asus is claiming a very high 92 percent screen-to-body ratio compared to "only" 80.7 percent on the Dell.

In fairness, however, the angled rear lid is not new as it can also be found on the older HP Pavilion 15 Power. Furthermore, Asus managed to make the bottom bezel look narrower than it actually is by hiding a large portion of it behind the base when the lid is opened. Our screenshot below shows why Asus couldn't have used regular hinges for this particular design as it would have exposed more of the bottom bezel. It's a clever approach because users see a bottom bezel that's just 3.3 mm thick when the lid is opened.

Chassis quality is an improvement over the UX430. The relatively thick lid is more rigid than the flexible lids of the UX430, Yoga 920, LG Gram 15, or Samsung Notebook 9 while coming very close to the lid of the XPS 13 9360. Pushing down on the outer lid, palm rests, or keyboard center results in minor warping but no audible creaking. The base isn't quite as sturdy as a HP Spectre, but it's the closest we've seen yet from an ultrathin Zenbook.

The hinges are rigid enough to prevent teetering when typing. However, it could have been stiffer for improved longevity as we're unsure how the hinges will hold over time. The HP Spectre has the advantage yet again with its stronger hinges.

The narrow bezels on both the top and bottom edges of the display have an interesting side effect. The notebook appears wider than other 16:9 laptops since the chassis can afford to be shorter in depth. In fact, the length of the UX433 is exactly the same as on the XPS 13 despite the fact that the Asus has a larger 14-inch screen. Asus managed to shave off over 2.5 cm in length when compared to the last generation UX430 largely due to the trimmed bottom bezel.

The system still weighs about the same as many of its competitors since it is slightly thicker (15.9 mm) than the XPS 13 (11.6 mm), MacBook Air (15.6 mm), and Yoga C930 (14.9 mm). In other words, the UX433 has one of the smallest footprints for its size class even though it's not necessarily the thinnest.

Asus "cheats" by hiding the thick bottom bezel behind the base
Asus "cheats" by hiding the thick bottom bezel behind the base
MIL-STD-810G compliant chassis and matte metal palm rests
MIL-STD-810G compliant chassis and matte metal palm rests
Thickness has not changed from the last generation UX430
Thickness has not changed from the last generation UX430
Lid opened to maximum angle of ~150 degrees. The base becomes lifted by 3 degrees
Lid opened to maximum angle of ~150 degrees. The base becomes lifted by 3 degrees
324 mm / 12.8 inch 225 mm / 8.86 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.3 kg2.91 lbs322 mm / 12.7 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.04 lbs319 mm / 12.6 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs304.1 mm / 12 inch 212.4 mm / 8.36 inch 15.6 mm / 0.614 inch 1.2 kg2.73 lbs304 mm / 12 inch 217 mm / 8.54 inch 14.6 mm / 0.575 inch 1.3 kg2.93 lbs302 mm / 11.9 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 11.6 mm / 0.4567 inch 1.2 kg2.68 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port selection has changed when compared to the UX430. The full-size SD reader on the last generation model has been replaced by a smaller MicroSD reader while the smaller Micro HDMI port on the UX430 has been replaced by a full-size HDMI port. USB Type-C returns albeit still with no Thunderbolt 3 support. 

We're disappointed to see a proprietary charging port yet again as a combo USB Type-C charger would have been more convenient. Competitors like the HP Spectre 13, Dell XPS 13, and Lenovo Yoga C930 have already moved on to USB Type-C charging.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: 3.5 mm combo audio, USB Type-A 2.0, MicroSD reader
Right: 3.5 mm combo audio, USB Type-A 2.0, MicroSD reader
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, HDMI, USB Type-A 3.1 (10 Gbps), USB Type-C Gen. 2
Left: AC adapter, HDMI, USB Type-A 3.1 (10 Gbps), USB Type-C Gen. 2

SD Card Reader

The spring-loaded MicroSD reader is just as slow as the full-size reader on the UX430. Transferring 1 GB of images from our UHS-II MicroSD card takes 33 seconds compared to less than 7 seconds on the XPS 13 MicroSD reader.

A fully inserted MicroSD card protrudes by about 1 mm for easy ejecting and safe carrying.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
157.2 MB/s +404%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS-II)
156.4 MB/s +401%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.61 MB/s +14%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC)
31.2 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro UHS-II)
207.2 MB/s +474%
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
206.9 MB/s +473%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.8 MB/s +2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC)
36.1 MB/s

Communication

The Intel 9560 provides Bluetooth 5 and WLAN transfer rates of up to 1.73 Gbps. Our results below are much slower than this since our server is limited to a 1 Gbps line. We didn't experience any connectivity issues during our time with the unit.

Integrated Intel 9560 module with the antennae secured by tape
Integrated Intel 9560 module with the antennae secured by tape
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
563 MBit/s
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
513 MBit/s -9%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
504 MBit/s -10%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
478 MBit/s -15%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1435 Wireless Network Adapter
665 MBit/s +4%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
660 MBit/s +3%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
648 MBit/s +1%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
641 MBit/s

Maintenance

The bottom panel requires both a T5 Torx wrench and a Philips screwdriver for the two hidden screws underneath the rubber footing. Servicing is easy if not slightly annoying because the rubber feet can be difficult to remove.

Upgrades are limited to the M.2 SSD as the WLAN and RAM modules are soldered. An empty slot underneath the heat pipe is reserved for a potential dedicated GPU even though there are currently no other GPU options for the UX433 as of this writing.

Internals are largely similar to the UX430
Internals are largely similar to the UX430

Accessories and Warranty

Asus throws in a free USB Type-A to RJ-45 adapter alongside the usual Quick Start guide and warranty card. Older Zenbook models, such as the Zenbook 3, included a free carrying case that we're sad to see missing for the UX433.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The backlit keys have improved tactility over the UX430. The 1.4 mm travel is back compared to 1.3 mm on the HP Spectre 13 for a slightly deeper press. Feedback is uniform and slightly softer than on the Spectre or EliteBook x360 1030, but still firm enough for a satisfactory typing experience with relatively quiet clatter.

The Directional keys are unfortunately small and spongy and there is no fingerprint reader available. 

Touchpad

The Precision trackpad (10.5 x 6.2 cm) is actually narrower than the trackpad on the last generation UX430 (10.5 x 7.5 cm). Nonetheless, glide is smooth and responsive with no sticking when moving at slow speeds.

The integrated click keys are soft and shallow with quiet clatter due to their spongy press. The clickpad the job done if an external mouse is not available, but we find it easier to simply tap on the surface to input a click instead. The trackpad on the competing MateBook X Pro does a much better job in this regard.

A unique feature of the new UX333/433/533 series is the backlit NumPad inspired by the NumPad on the Zephyrus GX501 gaming laptop. By pressing the top right corner of the trackpad, the trackpad surface becomes a virtual touch-sensitive NumPad. It's a clever approach especially for smaller laptops where there is no room for a dedicated NumPad.

In practice, the virtual NumPad is simply not as reliable as a dedicated NumPad because it lacks tactile feedback when tapped. Attempting to tap the numbers quickly will inevitably lead to missed values. Additionally, the brightness of the lit NumPad cannot be controlled and it's far too bright when working on a plane or dark room. It's certainly better than nothing, but adding brightness control and haptic feedback would have gone a long way to making the virtual NumPad more comfortable to use.

The fingerprint reader on the UX430 has been replaced by a virtual NumPad toggle
The fingerprint reader on the UX430 has been replaced by a virtual NumPad toggle
Large key font with comfortable key feedback
Large key font with comfortable key feedback
Bright blue virtual NumPad is good for occasional use only
Bright blue virtual NumPad is good for occasional use only

Display

The UX433 uses the same AU Optronics B140HAN03.2 IPS panel as found on last year's Acer Swift 5 SF514 and Acer Spin 7 SP714. Consequently, our Zenbook shares the many of the same display characteristics as these 14-inch Acer laptops. Contrast is excellent at over 1000:1 and colors are deep with crisp text and no graininess issues. A lighter matte panel SKU is planned, but there will be no touchscreen or 4K UHD options across all SKUs. This is a high quality panel that looks even better because of the narrow bezels. 

The maximum backlight brightness of about 309 nits is standard for most Ultrabooks and gaming laptops. Although not dim by any means, we were hoping for a brighter display just to one up the competition even further. The MacBook Pro 13 and Samsung Notebook 9, for example, are each over 60 percent brighter when on their respective maximum settings.

When compared to the BOE panel on the original UX430, the UX433 has faster response times for reduced ghosting and it doesn't suffer from pulse-width modulation. Slight uneven backlight bleeding is present along the top edge of our screen.

Asus advertises a bezel of 2.9 mm, but our own measurements are closer to 4.8 mm
Asus advertises a bezel of 2.9 mm, but our own measurements are closer to 4.8 mm
A new meaning to "edge-to-edge" display
A new meaning to "edge-to-edge" display
Slight uneven backlight bleeding along top edge
Slight uneven backlight bleeding along top edge
Subpixel array (157 PPI)
Subpixel array (157 PPI)
293
cd/m²
310.6
cd/m²
312.3
cd/m²
296.9
cd/m²
332.8
cd/m²
328.9
cd/m²
288.3
cd/m²
314.4
cd/m²
310.8
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B140HAN03.2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 332.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 309.8 cd/m² Minimum: 18.75 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 332.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 1148:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.14 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 3.61
ΔE Greyscale 8.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
89.2% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
89.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.33
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
AU Optronics B140HAN03.2, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Apple MacBook Air 2018
APPA039, IPS, 13.30, 2560x1600
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
ID: Sharp SHP148B, Name: LQ133D1, Dell P/N: 8XDHY, IPS, 13.30, 3840x2160
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Tianma XM, IPS, 13.90, 3000x2000
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
AUO B139HAN03_0, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
NV140FHM-N62, BOE0718, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Display
6%
8%
4%
0%
-3%
Display P3 Coverage
64.3
67.8
5%
68.9
7%
65.9
2%
62.7
-2%
64.6
0%
sRGB Coverage
89.7
96.1
7%
98.4
10%
95.2
6%
92.6
3%
84.8
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.1
69.8
7%
69.5
7%
67.6
4%
64.7
-1%
62
-5%
Response Times
-9%
-80%
-5%
3%
-37%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
39.6 ?(21.2, 18.4)
39.6 ?(20.8, 18.8)
-0%
69.6 ?(32.4, 37.2)
-76%
40.4 ?(19.2, 21.2)
-2%
34.4 ?(18.8, 15.6)
13%
43.6 ?(24.4, 19.2)
-10%
Response Time Black / White *
24 ?(14.4, 9.6)
28 ?(15.6, 12.4)
-17%
44 ?(24.4, 19.6)
-83%
25.6 ?(11.6, 14)
-7%
25.6 ?(15.6, 10)
-7%
39.2 ?(22.8, 16.4)
-63%
PWM Frequency
113600 ?(75)
3759 ?(20)
200 ?(99)
Screen
31%
25%
23%
-11%
6%
Brightness middle
332.8
320
-4%
478.5
44%
442.7
33%
312
-6%
310.4
-7%
Brightness
310
315
2%
466
50%
428
38%
295
-5%
303
-2%
Brightness Distribution
87
95
9%
86
-1%
84
-3%
87
0%
89
2%
Black Level *
0.29
0.29
-0%
0.43
-48%
0.31
-7%
0.43
-48%
0.31
-7%
Contrast
1148
1103
-4%
1113
-3%
1428
24%
726
-37%
1001
-13%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.14
1.2
77%
3.09
40%
2.24
56%
7.6
-48%
4.07
21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
11.88
3.2
73%
5.94
50%
7.19
39%
15.06
-27%
8.33
30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
3.61
0.5
86%
2.06
43%
1.11
69%
1.96
46%
4.07
-13%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
8.8
0.8
91%
2.4
73%
9.7
-10%
8.8
-0%
2.8
68%
Gamma
2.33 94%
2.2 100%
2.063 107%
1.42 155%
2.01 109%
2.217 99%
CCT
8227 79%
6548 99%
6883 94%
6227 104%
6874 95%
7033 92%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
58.1
62.1
7%
69.47
20%
61.6
6%
59.1
2%
55.3
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
89.2
96
8%
98.36
10%
95
7%
92.3
3%
84.6
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
9% / 22%
-16% / 9%
7% / 16%
-3% / -7%
-11% / -1%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is approximately 89 percent and 58 percent of the sRGB and AdobeRGB standards, respectively, compared to Asus' claim of 100 percent sRGB. Results are similar to most mainstream Ultrabooks and just slightly better than on the UX430. Wider color coverage is available on the larger 15.6-inch Zenbook UX580 but not for the UX333/433/533 series.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Further measurements with a X-Rite spectrophotometer reveal an overly cool color temperature out-of-the-box with poor reproduction of Blue and Teal in particular. While this is to be expected from a cheap panel with limited color coverage, we're a bit surprised to see it here on a premier laptop. Our calibration addresses these issues and greatly improves color accuracy in the process. We highly recommend applying our ICC profile to get the most out of the display especially since the panel is capable of very accurate colors.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.4 ms rise
↘ 9.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 48 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
39.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21.2 ms rise
↘ 18.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 55 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The glossy display makes for poor outdoor visibility as the backlight is not powerful enough to overcome glare. Working under shade is still the best option if outdoor use is unavoidable. The MateBook X Pro and XPS 13 9370 are equipped with brighter displays if outdoor visibility is priority.

Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on cloudy day
Outdoors on cloudy day
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

The UX433 is one of the first notebooks to ship with a Whiskey Lake-U processor and while the new CPU series consists of i5-8265U and i7-8565U SKUs, the UX433 is currently only shipping with the i7-8565U. We suspect that future iterations will expand to include Core i5 and discrete GeForce options up to the MX150 GPU as well.

The 15 W Whiskey Lake-U targets the same Ultrabook audience as the preceding 15 W Kaby Lake-R series. Nonetheless, the base clock rates and L1/L2/L3 caches are exactly the same between the i7-8565U and older i7-8550U.

Monitoring programs like CPU-Z, GPU-Z, and HWiNFO are unable to fully recognize the new Whiskey Lake-U CPU as of this writing.

 

Processor

Is this new-fangled processor any faster than the Core i7-8550U that it replaces? CineBench benchmarks reveal the i7-8565U in our Asus to be just 6 percent faster than the i7-8550U in the last generation UX430 and slightly below that of the Core i5-8259U in the MacBook Pro 13. It's a minor performance upgrade at best especially when compared to the massive gen-to-gen performance boost that the Kaby Lake-R series brought to the table last year. Users upgrading from Kaby Lake or earlier processors will still see significant performance gains.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop shows relatively stable performance over time. The initial score of 624 points eventually drops to about 586 points for a dip of only about 6 percent. While marginally better than the i7-8550U in the UX430, we were hoping for a higher initial score to help boost the system even further over its Kaby Lake-R predecessors.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8565U for more technical information and benchmarks.

CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R10 32-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R11.5 64-bit
CineBench R15
CineBench R15
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø591 (579.19-624.27)
Asus Zenbook UX430UN GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø556 (529.72-624.09)
Huawei MateBook X Pro, i7 GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø485 (464.55-537.4)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
174 Points +3%
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
170 Points +1%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
169 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
165 Points -2%
Microsoft Surface Pro 6, Core i7, 512 GB
Intel Core i7-8650U
163 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-8259U
154 Points -9%
Dell XPS 13 9370 FHD i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points -15%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U
141 Points -17%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
135 Points -20%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel Core i5-8210Y
132 Points -22%
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
Intel Core i5-7200U
125 Points -26%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
746 Points +20%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-8259U
687 Points +10%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Core i5-8259U
608 Points -3%
Dell XPS 13 9370 FHD i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
669 Points +7%
Microsoft Surface Pro 6, Core i7, 512 GB
Intel Core i7-8650U
639 Points +2%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
624 Points 0%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
624 Points
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
609 Points -2%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
546 Points -12%
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
Intel Core i5-7200U
337 (265min - 337max) Points -46%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U
307 Points -51%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel Core i5-8210Y
285 Points -54%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
1.98 Points
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
1.97 Points -1%
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
1.72 Points -13%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.7 Points -14%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
7.65 Points +12%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
6.86 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
6.58 Points -4%
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
6.2 Points -10%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
23794 Points +21%
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
20061 Points +2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
19689 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
19550 Points -1%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
9812 Points -50%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
6760 Points
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
6482 Points -4%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
6478 Points -4%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
6436 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4379 Points -35%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
269.1 s * -2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel Core i7-8565U
263.3 s *
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H
252.1 s * +4%
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
Intel Core i7-8705G
197.6 s * +25%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
10106
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
19689
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6760
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
39.98 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
6.86 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.98 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
49.63 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
624 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
169 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our Asus within single-digit percentages of many of its competitors including the Yoga C930 and outgoing UX430. In other words, system performance is not significantly faster than last generation Kaby Lake-R options. The latest 2018 MacBook Air scores much lower than our UX433 due largely to its slower Core Y processor.

We didn't experience any software or hardware issues during testing.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +56%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
4072 Points +9%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
3858 Points +3%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3736 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3728 Points 0%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3445 Points -8%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
2174 Points -42%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +28%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
9291 Points +17%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7952 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
7798 Points -2%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7410 Points -7%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7083 Points -11%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
4504 Points -43%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +22%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
6505 Points +2%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
6487 Points +1%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6400 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5727 Points -11%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5475 Points -14%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
3902 Points -39%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +143%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
3082 Points +11%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3033 Points +9%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
2994 Points +8%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
2781 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2735 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
1609 Points -42%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +53%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
3792 Points +15%
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
3615 Points +10%
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
3605 Points +10%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3478 Points +6%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3371 Points +3%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3285 Points
Apple MacBook Air 2018
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
2484 Points -24%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
5110 Points +5%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4851 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
4732 Points -2%
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
4463 Points -8%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4339 Points -11%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4125 Points -15%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2972 - 5271, n=3, last 2 years)
3805 Points -22%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y, Apple SSD AP0256
3209 Points -34%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3285 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4851 points
PCMark 10 Score
3736 points
Help

Storage Devices

According to the official spec sheet for the 512 GB Western Digital SN520 SDAPMUW NVMe SSD, the drive offers a theoretical sequential read and write rate of up to 1700 MB/s and 1400 MB/s, respectively. Our own test with AS SSD returns read and write rates of only 1201 MB/s and 931 MB/s, respectively. Performance is nonetheless significantly faster than the SATA III SanDisk SSD in the UX430 while still trailing behind the Samsung PM961 and PM981.

Swapping out the sole M.2 SSD may void the manufacturer warranty as there is a warning sticker over the screw.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
A 'caution' sticker protects the M.2 SSD
A 'caution' sticker protects the M.2 SSD
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
AS SSD
-22%
-4%
-192%
-70%
-570%
Seq Read
1201
2205
84%
2416
101%
1228
2%
494.4
-59%
1574
31%
Seq Write
931
435.8
-53%
1170
26%
544
-42%
300.3
-68%
377.1
-59%
4K Read
40.25
29.36
-27%
48.33
20%
39.16
-3%
25.39
-37%
31.73
-21%
4K Write
111.5
107.4
-4%
103.1
-8%
106.5
-4%
47.88
-57%
1.73
-98%
4K-64 Read
916
678
-26%
1039
13%
466.4
-49%
366
-60%
115.6
-87%
4K-64 Write
871
444.8
-49%
399.6
-54%
305.1
-65%
183.5
-79%
2.09
-100%
Access Time Read *
0.05
0.059
-18%
0.058
-16%
0.46
-820%
0.089
-78%
0.044
12%
Access Time Write *
0.032
0.055
-72%
0.036
-13%
0.51
-1494%
0.088
-175%
2.391
-7372%
Score Read
1076
926
-14%
1329
24%
628
-42%
441
-59%
305
-72%
Score Write
1075
596
-45%
620
-42%
466
-57%
261
-76%
42
-96%
Score Total
2696
1911
-29%
2575
-4%
1394
-48%
926
-66%
455
-83%
Copy ISO MB/s
1153
585
-49%
739
-36%
628
-46%
467.6
-59%
1205
5%
Copy Program MB/s
415.1
570
37%
312.3
-25%
540
30%
270.5
-35%
281.8
-32%
Copy Game MB/s
930
503
-46%
486.3
-48%
533
-43%
225.1
-76%
856
-8%

* ... smaller is better

WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1727 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1455 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 339.2 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 510 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1336 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 753 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 43.28 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 123 MB/s

GPU Performance

The Whiskey Lake CPU may be new, but the integrated UHD Graphics 620 is the same ol' GPU with no performance surprises to speak of. 3DMark scores are about 18 to 28 percent higher than the average UHD Graphics 620 in our database. When compared to its direct Kaby Lake-R predecessors in the XPS 13 9370 or Surface Pro 6, however, graphics performance is essentially identical.

See our dedicated page on the UHD Graphics 620 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons. It is unknown if the MX150 option for the system is the slower 1D12 variant or the full-power 1D10 variant.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark 06
3DMark 06
3DMark Vantage
3DMark Vantage
Ice Storm
Ice Storm
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
10118 Points +411%
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7133 Points +260%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
4117 Points +108%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3867 Points +95%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
3044 Points +54%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2688 Points +36%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1979 Points
Microsoft Surface Pro 6, Core i7, 512 GB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
1977 Points 0%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1915 Points -3%
Dell XPS 13 9370 FHD i5
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1776 Points -10%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -12%
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1644 Points -17%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y
1572 Points -21%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
8633 Points +380%
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7025 Points +290%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
3955 Points +120%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3467 Points +93%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
2683 Points +49%
Microsoft Surface Pro 6, Core i7, 512 GB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
1858 Points +3%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1800 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1755 Points -2%
Dell XPS 13 9370 FHD i5
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1665 Points -7%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points -12%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y
1472 Points -18%
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1423 Points -21%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1157 Points -36%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
42351 Points +275%
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
38881 Points +244%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
18961 Points +68%
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
17469 Points +55%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
14343 Points +27%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
11294 Points
Microsoft Surface Pro 6, Core i7, 512 GB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8650U
10213 Points -10%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
9533 Points -16%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
9364 Points -17%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points -18%
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
8382 Points -26%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y
7231 Points -36%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
7348 Points
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
6356 Points
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
3293 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3122 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
2070 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
1567 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
1283 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 FHD i5
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1100 Points
Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe UX490UA
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U
1018 Points
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y
947 Points
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
200390 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U
47091 Points
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
46963 Points
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
45768 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (26409 - 59483, n=71)
42924 Points
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Dell XPS 15 9575 i7-8705G
AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL / 870, i7-8705G
2072 Points +415%
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
1597 Points +297%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2018 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i5-8259U
624 Points +55%
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
402 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points -3%
Apple MacBook Air 2018
Intel UHD Graphics 617, i5-8210Y
286 Points -29%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
11207 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
7761 points
3DMark 11 Performance
2201 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
64710 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
9469 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
461 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 78.5 38.1 31.8 9.7
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 22.8 13.7 7.2 5.7
Rocket League (2017) 71.4 32.9 21.1

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution is almost identical to its UX430 predecessor despite the vast changes to the rest of the chassis. The fan is active during low loads like browsing or streaming, but it is essentially inaudible when sitting at a normal distance. Higher medium loads will bump fan noise to 36 dB(A) compared to almost 42 dB(A) on the UX430 since the latter is equipped with dedicated GeForce graphics. Had our UX433 test unit included GeForce graphics, it would have been very likely to exhibit the same fan behavior as the UX430.

Fan noise is quiet overall if not a bit louder than many other iGPU-only Ultrabooks like the XPS 13 or Spectre 13 when under higher processing stress. Our unit suffers from slight-moderate electronic noise that can be heard when placing an ear near the keyboard.

Single 50 mm fan
Single 50 mm fan
Empty space reserved for dedicated graphics
Empty space reserved for dedicated graphics
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK
Noise
4%
1%
-4%
4%
2%
off / environment *
28.8
28
3%
27.9
3%
28.3
2%
27.9
3%
30.13
-5%
Idle Minimum *
28.8
28
3%
27.9
3%
28.9
-0%
27.9
3%
30.13
-5%
Idle Average *
28.8
28
3%
27.9
3%
30
-4%
27.9
3%
30
-4%
Idle Maximum *
29.1
28
4%
27.9
4%
30.2
-4%
29.3
-1%
30.13
-4%
Load Average *
36.1
32.5
10%
36.2
-0%
41.8
-16%
32
11%
33.4
7%
Load Maximum *
41.2
42.2
-2%
45.2
-10%
42
-2%
39.3
5%
33
20%
Witcher 3 ultra *
45
42

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.8 / 28.8 / 29.1 dB(A)
Load
36.1 / 41.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.8 dB(A)

Temperature

Exhaust is upwards across the screen
Exhaust is upwards across the screen

The left half of the notebook will always be warmer than the right half due to the positioning of the CPU and design of the cooling solution. In this case, surface temperature behavior hasn't change very much when compared to the older UX430.

Hot spots can reach over 43 C or 45 C on the WASD keys and bottom plate, respectively, while the palm rests remain cooler. Users can expect a warm notebook when browsing, word processing, or surfing. A more symmetrical temperature gradient like on the HP Spectre x360 13 would have been preferable.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (top)
Maximum load (bottom)
Maximum load (bottom)

We stress the notebook to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When subjected to Prime95 load, we can observe a CPU clock rate as high as 3.9 GHz while core temperature slowly rises to 89 C. Once this threshold is reached, the clock rate begins to alternate between 2.0 GHz and 2.7 GHz in order to keep temperatures in check. Since the base clock rate of the i7-8565U is 1.8 GHz, the CPU in our Asus is able to maintain at least a 200 MHz Turbo Boost at all times when under extreme CPU stress. Our screenshot below shows this in action including the alternating clock rate pattern.

Running Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously to stress both the CPU and iGPU will throttle clock rates even further as the system struggles to satisfy the processing demands.

Running on battery power will impact both CPU and GPU performance. A 3DMark 11 run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores 6211 and 1745 points, respectively, compared to 7617 and 1979 points when on mains.

Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
FurMark stress
FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 40
Prime95 Stress 2.0 - 2.7 -- 75 - 86
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 0.9 - 1.3 -- 68 - 73
Max. Load
 42.4 °C
108 F
36.4 °C
98 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 39.4 °C
103 F
36.2 °C
97 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
28 °C
82 F
27.6 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 42.4 °C = 108 F
Average: 34.1 °C = 93 F
38.6 °C
101 F
45 °C
113 F
40.2 °C
104 F
32.4 °C
90 F
37 °C
99 F
36.4 °C
98 F
29.2 °C
85 F
32.4 °C
90 F
33 °C
91 F
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 36 °C = 97 F
Power Supply (max.)  50.4 °C = 123 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.4 °C / 108 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 45 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 31 °C / 87.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-2.7 °C / -4.9 F).

Speakers

The integrated stereo speakers are louder than on the 2017 Spectre 13 but with average bass reproduction. Higher frequencies are emphasized for an overall "tinny" audio quality that's common amongst small laptops. Higher volume settings do not introduce any static and will reverberate the palm rests just slightly.

Speakers positioned along the front edge
Speakers positioned along the front edge
Pink noise
Pink noise
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.636.22533.535.33132.8314031.630.85028.632.26330.432.68029.834.610028.539.912527.545.916026.150.9200255625025.46231524.963.540024.963.450024.161.263022.459.780022.165.3100021.668125021.766.9160021.270.920002171250021.272.1315020.969.1400020.965.3500021.270.8630020.973.4800021.175.81000020.8751250020.772.21600020.668.8SPL33.882.7N2.155.1median 21.6median 66.9Delta1.25.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus ZenBook 14 UX433FAApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 63% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, 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
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Perhaps the closest system we can compare the UX433 to in terms of power consumption is the 14-inch VivoBook Flip 14 since have 15 W TDP CPUs and no discrete graphics. Even with these constants, however, the VivoBook Flip 14 still comes out to be more power efficient under all tested conditions. Running 3DMark 06 demands 42 W from our UX433 compared to just 33 W on our VivoBook. The new model may be a bit faster, but it also draws a tad bit more power in the process.

The highest consumption we can record is 44 W from the very small (~5.4 x 5.4 x 2.8 cm) 45 W AC adapter. This maximum draw is unsustainable over long periods of extreme stress because the system eventually throttles as shown by our graph below. The alternating power consumption behavior mirrors our clock rate observations during the stress test above.

Power consumption is steady when running 3DMark 06
Power consumption is steady when running 3DMark 06
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note that consumption plateaus at about 44 W before throttling and cycling between 32 W and 44 W
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Note that consumption plateaus at about 44 W before throttling and cycling between 32 W and 44 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.78 / 0.89 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.9 / 5.9 / 8.8 Watt
Load midlight 41.7 / 44 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G, IPS, 3840x2160, 13.30
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 3000x2000, 13.90
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, SanDisk SD8SN8U512G1002, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Toshiba NVMe THNSN51T02DUK, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Power Consumption
-18%
-26%
-21%
-1%
12%
Idle Minimum *
3.9
5
-28%
3.5
10%
3.4
13%
3
23%
3.2
18%
Idle Average *
5.9
8.3
-41%
8.9
-51%
7.5
-27%
5.8
2%
6
-2%
Idle Maximum *
8.8
8.8
-0%
12.3
-40%
11.8
-34%
6.2
30%
9.2
-5%
Load Average *
41.7
46.4
-11%
54.2
-30%
47.7
-14%
54.1
-30%
29.5
29%
Load Maximum *
44
48.6
-10%
52.1
-18%
63.2
-44%
56.4
-28%
35.6
19%
Witcher 3 ultra *
42.4
45.9

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery capacity remains unchanged from the UX430. Nonetheless, battery life is excellent at over 10 hours of constant WLAN use to be comparable to the MateBook X Pro. Charging from near empty to full capacity is slow at about 2 to 2.5 hours compared to 1.5 hours on most competing Ultrabooks.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
19h 06min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 30min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 16min
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
Apple MacBook Air 2018
i5-8210Y, UHD Graphics 617, 50.3 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 57.4 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Asus Zenbook UX430UN
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 50 Wh
HP Spectre x360 13-ae048ng
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Battery Runtime
-14%
-33%
-12%
5%
-23%
-16%
Reader / Idle
1146
819
-29%
1243
8%
1039
-9%
WiFi v1.3
630
668
6%
465
-26%
557
-12%
664
5%
560
-11%
527
-16%
Load
196
131
-33%
109
-44%
133
-32%
98
-50%
166
-15%

Verdict

Pros

+ very quiet when under low loads
+ discrete GeForce MX150 option
+ narrow bezels on all four sides
+ stronger chassis than UX430
+ original webcam positioning
+ no pulse-width modulation
+ matte and glossy options
+ good keyboard feedback
+ very small footprint
+ long battery life
+ virtual NumPad

Cons

- Whiskey Lake-U i7-8565U is just marginally faster than the i7-8550U
- still uses proprietary AC adapter charger instead of USB Type-C
- virtual NumPad has no haptic feedback or brightness control
- most of the bottom bezel is tucked behind the base
- inaccurate colors and grayscale out of the box
- upgrading the M.2 SSD may void warranty
- soldered, non-upgradeable RAM or WLAN
- smaller trackpad than on the UX430
- keyboard is not water resistant
- slow AC adapter charging
- no touchscreen options
- slow MicroSD reader
- no Thunderbolt 3
In review: Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA
In review: Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA

The Ultrabook market has been steadily growing in terms of options and it's becoming more challenging for OEMs to set themselves apart from one another. Even so, Asus is still managing to surprise us with unique features like the UX580 ScreenPad and now the four-sided NanoEdge bezels that give the UX433 a very small footprint for the 14-inch screen size. The new design is visually distinct and uniquely Zenbook while improving upon rigidity and connectivity from the last generation. It's an evolutionary upgrade that we've come to expect but with a defining characteristic that's both visually striking and ergonomic.

We especially appreciate that the UX433 includes anti-glare matte and glossy panel options and an eventual GeForce MX150 SKU. Most Ultrabooks have glossy displays only and are limited to slower integrated Intel graphics.

The weakest feature of the UX433 is CPU performance. It's not the speed that's disappointing, but it's how marginal of a boost Whiskey Lake-U provides over 8th gen Kaby Lake-R to the point where users will not likely notice any performance gains. Even Asus knows this as the official UX433 product page is comparing Whiskey Lake-U to 7th gen Kaby Lake instead of 8th gen Kaby Lake-R in order to advertise a larger jump in CPU power. We can't help but feel that the system could have been cheaper and just as fast had it shipped with the i7-8550U or i5-8250U instead.

For future iterations, we'd like to see Thunderbolt 3 and a brighter display to better compete against popular alternatives like the XPS 13, MateBook X Pro, MacBook Pro 13, Samsung NP900, and others that may be easier to see in an outdoor setting. Asus should move away from the proprietary AC adapter port and adopt the more versatile USB Type-C charging as well. Haptic feedback for the virtual NumPad, a fingerprint reader, and a spill-proof keyboard are just a handful of missing features the manufacturer could consider to make the  UX433 an even better value.

A visual and quality upgrade from the last generation UX430. The system feels strong for the size even though it omits some features commonly found on other ultrabooks in its price range. The boost in CPU power from Whiskey Lake-U will be much greater if users are upgrading from laptops that are at least two or three years old.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA - 11/20/2018 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
81 /  98 → 83%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
47 / 80 → 59%
Weight
73 / 35-78 → 88%
Battery
93%
Display
81%
Games Performance
59 / 68 → 86%
Application Performance
90 / 87 → 100%
Temperature
89 / 91 → 98%
Noise
93%
Audio
60 / 91 → 66%
Camera
45 / 85 → 53%
Average
74%
84%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus ZenBook 14 UX433F (i7-8565U) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2018-11-20 (Update: 2019-02-26)