Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD-E2029T

Specifications

Pricecompare

Reviews for the Asus ZenBook Flip 15 UX561UD-E2029T

80% Asus ZenBook Flip UX561UD-E2029T Review
Source: Tweakers NL→EN Archive.org version
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/04/2018
Rating: Total score: 80%

Comment

Model:

It looks like somebody told manufacturers to produce as many convertibles as possible this year. I can not think of any other reasonable explanation for this flood of convertibles. 13.3, 14, 15.6 inchers everywhere. If someone manufactures a 17.3-inch convertible, I will call it done.

Okay, let’s get back to the topic. The ZenBook Flip series is actually an entry series in Asus’ world of convertibles. While there are more elegant Zenbook Pro models out there, if you are looking for some budget-friendly yet performance-strong models, Asus has you covered.

Even though I am always trying to figure out why someone would ever need a 2kg convertible laptop and trying to imagine how long they can hold it in one hand while using the touch screen, here I am, testing one.

A 4K touch screen in a 15.6-inch convertible. If that does not sound interesting to you, try adding a GTX 1050 with an Intel Core i7-8550U to it. Combined with a 512GB SSD and a 2TB HDD, it feels to me that this laptop was intended to be a multimedia device on which you can store all your data, do some gaming, etc. But since the competition is too strong in that segment, Asus might have wanted to try something new and thus introduced the Flip 15 with an interesting combination of hardware.

The i7-8550U is a good processor, do not get me wrong. But is it suitable for gaming? That is debatable. While the GTX 1050 is not a great choice for gaming either, it is sufficient for multimedia.

Now, is this device for creative minds or media consumers? It depends on how long your work sessions are. I am saying this because the 8550U is a low-voltage CPU and can easily become hot. Having long sessions with, for example, some Adobe software can bring it to high temperatures pretty quickly. Therefore, I am not sure if it is going to be reliable for such work. I even slightly doubt that everyone could benefit from the touch screen.

I think this laptop could be a good companion to some artists who sketch. Combined with a pen (sold separately), it could be a good tool. But I do not see it becoming a good fit for regular users. With the given size and weight, I would aim for at least a regular-voltage CPU for better utilization.

Hands-on article by Umit Yilmaz Gunes

Series:

The Asus ZenBook Flip 15 is a 2-in-1 laptop with a powerful 8th-gen Intel Core i5 processor paired with NVIDIA’s GTX 1050 GPU. It gives users all the convenience and versatility of a 360°-rotatable 15.6” display in a stunning new design. It is thin and light, featuring the 8th-gen Intel® Core i5 processor, discrete graphics, an HDD with up to 2TB + a 512GB SATA SSD, USB-C ports, and a powerful Harman/Kardon audio system. The ZenBook Flip 15 is a timelessly elegant masterpiece, exquisitely crafted from solid aluminum, giving it a tough, scratch-resistant finish that has been designed to stay beautiful. The ZenBook Flip 15 uses incredibly tough and durable alloy steel in its any-position 360° hinge mechanism. It is available in two exclusive and elegant new colors with two different textures: Pure Silver and Smoky Gray. The Flip 15 uses a standard layout chiclet keyboard with white-colored keys and white backlighting. One thing that we noticed is that it does not have the last column after the NumPad, where the “-“, “+”, and “enter” keys are usually located. The touchpad, which also serves as a click pad, is smooth on the hands and does not have much resistance when gliding on it, which is good. The ultra-sharp screen has an amazing Full-HD resolution of 1920 by 1080 with wide, 178° viewing angles, so it is always easy and comfortable to view. With an incredible pixel density and 100% sRGB coverage, images and text are always pin sharp and ultra-detailed.  Furthermore, the screen has an ultra-narrow bezel. The result is a laptop with a 79% screen-to-body ratio that maximizes the screen area while minimizing overall size. To maximize the viewing comfort, the NanoEdge display also has a matte anti-glare coating which reduces annoying reflections. Asus ZenBooks have a history of having good color reproduction displays, which is always a plus for any user.

The audio quality is loud, clear, and crisp thanks to the Harman/Kardon loudspeakers. The highs, mids, and lows are more than decent enough. The AudioWizard app lets users choose which sound type they would prefer by picking from the presets or by customizing their preferred quality. The Flip 15 is a powerful 2-in-1 ultrabook, since it features an Intel Core i5-8250U, an NVIDIA GTX 1050 (2GB), a 512GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM that is expandable up to 16GB. This kind of setup is suitable for gaming as well as photo and video editing. Whether a designer, a developer or a gamer, every user will get the best possible graphics performance with the ZenBook Flip 15. The notebook features the revolutionary USB-3.1 Type-C port for any-way-up connections and super-fast data transfers, twice faster than USB 3.0. The USB-C™ port on the ZenBook Flip 15 incorporates the latest technology for versatile, ultra-fast transmission. The Flip 15 also comes with the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi, with speeds of up to 867 Mbps - it is three times faster than older Wi-Fi generations.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile: Mainstream graphics card based on Nvidia's Pascal architecture and successor to the GeForce GTX 960M. Is manufactured in a 14nm process at Samsung and the technical specifications are very similar to the desktop version.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

i5-8550U: Kaby-Lake-Refresh based low power quad-core processor. The four cores are clocked between 1.8 and 4 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading. The integrated GPU is clocked between 300 and 1,150 MHz. The SoC is manufactured in a 14nm+ FinFET process.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

15.60":

15-inch display variants are the standard and are used for more than half of all laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, often allows high resolutions and thus offers rich details on the screen, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact - simply the standard compromise.

Asus: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. is a major Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer based in Taipei, founded in 1989. Under the Asus brand name, the company manufactures a wide range of products, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, monitors, smartphones and networking equipment, complete systems and PC components for end users.

Under the ROG (Republic of Gamers) brand name, ASUS manufactures gaming laptops known by gamers for their powerful specifications, dedicated graphics cards, high refresh rate displays and advanced cooling systems.

Beyond gaming, a wide range of notebooks are offered for different needs and budgets, from ultra-slim and lightweight ultrabooks to versatile 2-in-1 convertibles and budget-friendly options. In 2023, Asus had a 7% global market share of the PC market.

Customer satisfaction with ASUS notebooks concerns performance, the features, and the good price-performance ratio of ASUS notebooks. However, as with any brand, there are occasional reports of problems such as overheating, driver compatibility, or build quality issues.

80%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Similar devices with the Same Specs

Similar devices from a different Manufacturer

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Devices with Same Screen Size and/or Weight