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Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN (i7-8565U, GeForce MX150) Laptop Review

It keeps getting better. The 13.9-inch ZenBook S13 UX392 is the closest thing you can get to a Dell XPS 14 with even faster graphics performance than what the XPS 13 currently has to offer. Aside from a couple of head-scratching omissions, there's very little to dislike about Asus' latest flagship Ultrabook.

Asus unveiled its ZenBook S13 UX392 series at CES 2019 as the successor to last year's UX391 series. The OEM is doubling down on even narrower bezels on all four sides of the screen while still managing to keep the dedicated GeForce MX150 GPU option.

The new UX392 Ultrabook is notable for several reasons when compared to the competition. First, its webcam notch is a unique approach to narrowing the bezels without impacting the original position of the camera. Second, the system offers a larger 13.9-inch screen in a form factor that's the size of most narrow-bezel 13.3-inch Ultrabooks. Lastly, its trademark ErgoLift hinges have a distinct visual style that further differentiate the ZenBook series from other Ultrabooks.

Our test unit today is the higher-end SKU equipped with the Core i7-8565U CPU, GeForce MX150 GPU, 512 GB SSD, and 8 GB of RAM for $1400 USD. Other SKUs with the i5-8265U CPU, integrated UHD Graphics 620 GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB/1 TB SSD are also available at different price points. Direct competitors to the ZenBook S13 UX392 include flagship Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 13, LG Gram 14, HP Spectre 13, Huawei MateBook X Pro and MateBook 14, Lenovo Yoga C930, Samsung Notebook 9, Razer Blade Stealth, and the Acer Swift 7. We'll be comparing the UX392 to these aforementioned alternatives as well as its UX391 predecessor to find how what improvements the latest model has brought to the table.

Editor's note: Our ZenBook S13 test unit is a retail unit and not a pre-production or pre-sale unit from Asus. Our findings are representative of what you will get from retailers.

More Asus ZenBook reviews:

Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN (ZenBook S13 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 937 MHz, Memory: 1253 MHz, GDDR5, 417.81, Optimus
Memory
8 GB 
, LPDDR3-2133 onboard
Display
13.90 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 158 PPI, Tianma XM, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-LP - cAVS
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5mm, Card Reader: microSD
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 12.9 x 316 x 195 ( = 0.51 x 12.44 x 7.68 in)
Battery
50 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD 720p
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.1 kg ( = 38.8 oz / 2.43 pounds), Power Supply: 209 g ( = 7.37 oz / 0.46 pounds)
Price
1200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Our biggest fear of having laptops with super narrow bezels and increasingly high screen-to-body ratios is chassis rigidity. A sleek and sexy design means nothing if it's as flexible and wobbly as a laminated piece of paper. The super-light LG Gram and Samsung Notebook 9 series, for example, have narrow bezels but they are are both significantly more flexible when compared to a MacBook Air or XPS 13. Fortunately, the ZenBook UX392 is surprisingly rigid from top to bottom despite its very small form factor. Both the lid and base exhibit no creaking and almost no flexing for a high quality first impression. The hinges and keyboard center are firm with no teetering and just minimal yielding with applied pressure, respectively.

Construction quality is excellent on our test unit with no uneven gaps or noticeable manufacturing defects.

If we are to nitpick, we still find the Spectre 13, Blade Stealth, and XPS 13 slightly more substantial in the hand because the skeletons of these alternatives feel thicker for potentially better longevity.

In terms of size and weight, the UX392 is slightly heavier and wider than last year's UX391 while being just as thick. In turn, the newer model is almost 20 mm shorter in length to make it feel even more compact than its predecessor. Many other 14-inch and even 13.3-inch Ultrabooks like the XPS 13 are heavier than the UX392 partly due to the ridiculously narrow bezels of the UX392 on all four sides of the display. Notable exceptions include the LG Gram 14 and Samsung Notebook 9, but these super-light alternatives lack discrete GPU options unlike on our Asus.

CNC aluminum chassis with the signature Asus spun-metal finish on the outer lid. The edge-to-edge glass improves lid rigidity
CNC aluminum chassis with the signature Asus spun-metal finish on the outer lid. The edge-to-edge glass improves lid rigidity
The ErgoLift hinge lifts the base by 4 degrees off the table for improved ergonomics and airflow
The ErgoLift hinge lifts the base by 4 degrees off the table for improved ergonomics and airflow
Sharp corners and edges all around the laptop. MIL-STD-810G certification for five different tests
Sharp corners and edges all around the laptop. MIL-STD-810G certification for five different tests
The protruding camera notch doubles as a convenient grip for opening the lid
The protruding camera notch doubles as a convenient grip for opening the lid
A USB Type-A port unlike on the XPS 13 9370 or 9380
A USB Type-A port unlike on the XPS 13 9370 or 9380
Lid opened to maximum angle of ~140 degrees. Surfaces are excellent at hiding fingerprints
Lid opened to maximum angle of ~140 degrees. Surfaces are excellent at hiding fingerprints
322 mm / 12.7 inch 227 mm / 8.94 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.4 kg3.1 lbs319 mm / 12.6 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs316 mm / 12.4 inch 195 mm / 7.68 inch 12.9 mm / 0.508 inch 1.1 kg2.43 lbs311 mm / 12.2 inch 213 mm / 8.39 inch 12.9 mm / 0.508 inch 1 kg2.24 lbs304.6 mm / 12 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.3 kg2.89 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 kg2.7 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port options have changed from the UX391 as the UX392 integrates both a MicroSD reader and a full-size USB Type-A port while dropping support for Thunderbolt 3. There is no integrated HDMI port either and so users will have to rely on the two USB Type-C gen. 2 ports for video output. Selection is limited as one would expect from a sub 14-inch Ultrabook.

Charging is accomplished via either of the two USB Type-C ports along the left edge. We would have preferred one USB Type-C port on each side of the laptop for charging convenience much like on the Huawei MateBook X Pro.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: 3.5 mm combo audio, USB 3.1 Type-A Gen. 2
Right: 3.5 mm combo audio, USB 3.1 Type-A Gen. 2
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2, MicroSD reader
Left: 2 x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen. 2, MicroSD reader

SD Card Reader

Fully inserted MicroSD card still protrudes
Fully inserted MicroSD card still protrudes

Transfer rates from the integrated MicroSD card reader are average at about 83 MB/s. Moving 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 14 seconds compared to half that on the XPS 13. While some users will inevitably complain about the lack of a full-size SD reader, most competing Ultrabooks and subnotebooks lack card readers completely including the Lenovo Yoga C930, Huawei MateBook X Pro, Razer Blade Stealth, and HP Spectre 13.

It's worth noting that the MicroSD reader is not spring-loaded and a fully inserted card still protrudes by about 2 to 3 millimeters. We recommend removing the card first before stowing or risk damaging the card during movement.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
184 MB/s +149%
Asus ROG G703GX
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
180 MB/s +143%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
74 MB/s
Chuwi HeroBook 14
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
21.1 MB/s -71%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus ROG G703GX
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
243 MB/s +194%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
192.6 MB/s +133%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
82.6 MB/s
Chuwi HeroBook 14
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
26.1 MB/s -68%

Communication

The Intel 9560 offers Bluetooth 5 and a theoretical WLAN transfer rate of up to 1.73 Gbps compared to half that on most last generation Ultrabooks including Asus' own ZenBook S UX391. We didn't experience any connectivity issues during our time with the test unit.

Non-removable WLAN module sits next to the soldered LPDDR3 RAM modules
Non-removable WLAN module sits next to the soldered LPDDR3 RAM modules
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
594 (579min - 616max) MBit/s +12%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
530 MBit/s
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
513 MBit/s -3%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
507 MBit/s -4%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
660 MBit/s 0%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
625 MBit/s -6%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
524 (459min - 576max) MBit/s -21%

Maintenance

The bottom panel is secured by eight T4 Torx screws. Aside from the relatively uncommon screw type, the panel is easy to remove and not tightly latched around the edges and corners.

Upgrade options are limited to the M.2 2280 slot as RAM and WLAN are soldered much like on the last generation ZenBook UX391.

Fans are positioned towards the center much like on the MateBook 13
Fans are positioned towards the center much like on the MateBook 13

Accessories and Warranty

Asus Mini Dock
Asus Mini Dock

The retail box includes a USB Type-C Mini Dock with USB Type-A, full-size HDMI, and USB Type-C and a protective sleeve for carrying the notebook. We appreciate these small extras especially since most other OEMs include only paper manuals with no other accessories.

The standard one-year limited warranty applies. Additional information on the manufacturer warranty can be found here.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Keyboard layout and tactility have not changed from the UX391. Key feedback and travel remain satisfactory with relatively quiet clatter overall except for the louder Space key. It's too bad that the Arrow keys are still half-sized and cramped. We still find the keyboard on the HP Spectre series to offer firmer feedback and deeper travel than on both the Asus UX392 and Dell XPS 13.

A three-level white backlight is included. We appreciate the fact that the printing on the keys are tan in color for a better contrast against the white keycaps. In comparison, the gray printing on white HP Spectre models is more difficult to see especially when the white backlight is active.

Touchpad

The clickpad is one of the more disappointing aspects of the UX392. While its small size is understandable and comparable to the trackpad on the XPS 13 (10.5 x 6.2 cm vs. 10.5 x 6.0 cm), feedback from the integrated mouse keys is weak and spongy. Travel is shallow to make the clicking experience unsatisfying. Furthermore, the trackpad surface tends to stick to the finger for an uneven glide. If there's one thing Asus could improve on, then it would definitely be the trackpad.

We're also somewhat disappointed that the trackpad does not feature a virtual NumPad as found on the ZenBook UX333/433/533 series. We're hopeful that Asus won't be phasing out the feature altogether.

Satisfactory key feedback with a soft and sticky clickpad
Satisfactory key feedback with a soft and sticky clickpad
The tan printing on the white keycaps improves contrast
The tan printing on the white keycaps improves contrast

Display

Asus offers no display options other than the default 1080p screen. Users expecting 4K UHD, touchscreen, matte, or native 120 Hz refresh rate may be disappointed. Even with this in mind, the narrow bezel display is easily the highlight of the UX392. It's bright at over 400 nits with both a high contrast ratio and wide gamut that are all indicative of a high quality panel at work. Since the screen is glossy, onscreen content appears crisp and free of any grains unlike on many matte displays. Response times are also much better than on the XPS 13 for noticeably less ghosting.

Interestingly, Asus has switched panel providers from AU Optronics on the UX391 to Tianma for the UX392. We definitely find the change worthwhile as this Tianma panel exhibits measurably better contrast, colors, response times, and color accuracy than on the UX391. The MateBook X Pro sports a Tianma XM panel as well albeit at a different resolution and aspect ratio.

Slight uneven backlight bleeding is present on our test unit that is thankfully minor enough to be unnoticeable.

The UX392 sports an insanely high 97 percent screen-to-body ratio - according to Asus, at least
The UX392 sports an insanely high 97 percent screen-to-body ratio - according to Asus, at least
Asus hides most of the bottom bezel behind the base when the lid is opened
Asus hides most of the bottom bezel behind the base when the lid is opened
Slight backlight bleeding around the top and right edges
Slight backlight bleeding around the top and right edges
Crisp subpixel array (158 PPI)
Crisp subpixel array (158 PPI)
Very narrow bezels measuring just 4 mm from the edge of the screen to the outer edge of the lid. Asus' marketing claims 2.5 to 3.5 mm and 5.9 mm for the camera notch
Very narrow bezels measuring just 4 mm from the edge of the screen to the outer edge of the lid. Asus' marketing claims 2.5 to 3.5 mm and 5.9 mm for the camera notch
438.6
cd/m²
473.6
cd/m²
472.1
cd/m²
434.3
cd/m²
466
cd/m²
477.6
cd/m²
450.2
cd/m²
469.5
cd/m²
480.1
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Tianma XM tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 480.1 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 462.4 cd/m² Minimum: 24.11 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 466 cd/m²
Contrast: 1412:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.93 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.99
ΔE Greyscale 1.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.7% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.5% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.15
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Tianma XM, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
ID: AUO 282B B133ZAN Dell: 90NTH, IPS, 13.30, 3840x2160
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
AUO B133HAN04.9, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Tianma XM, IPS, 13.90, 3000x2000
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
B139HAN03_0, IPS, 13.90, 1920x1080
HP Spectre x360 13t-ae000
LGD0588, IPS, 13.30, 3840x2160
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Sharp LQ133M1JW41, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Display
-4%
-6%
-2%
-3%
5%
-2%
Display P3 Coverage
67.5
64.7
-4%
64.4
-5%
65.9
-2%
64.3
-5%
71.9
7%
65.5
-3%
sRGB Coverage
95.8
93.1
-3%
90.5
-6%
95.2
-1%
94.6
-1%
98.1
2%
96.3
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
69
65.3
-5%
65.2
-6%
67.6
-2%
66.2
-4%
73.1
6%
66.3
-4%
Response Times
-34%
-7%
6%
2%
-20%
-30%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
47.2 ?(23.6, 23.6)
58 ?(26, 32)
-23%
44.8 ?(22.8, 22)
5%
40.4 ?(19.2, 21.2)
14%
40.8 ?(20.4, 20.4)
14%
51.6 ?(25.6, 26)
-9%
57.6 ?(29.2, 28.4)
-22%
Response Time Black / White *
24.8 ?(14, 10.8)
36 ?(20, 16)
-45%
29.2 ?(16, 13.2)
-18%
25.6 ?(11.6, 14)
-3%
27.6 ?(15.6, 12)
-11%
32.4 ?(16.4, 16)
-31%
34 ?(17.6, 16.4)
-37%
PWM Frequency
22730 ?(24)
Screen
-37%
-58%
-48%
-82%
-14%
8%
Brightness middle
466
404
-13%
299
-36%
442.7
-5%
316
-32%
329.8
-29%
429.8
-8%
Brightness
462
389
-16%
300
-35%
428
-7%
291
-37%
318
-31%
403
-13%
Brightness Distribution
90
85
-6%
92
2%
84
-7%
83
-8%
74
-18%
89
-1%
Black Level *
0.33
0.37
-12%
0.26
21%
0.31
6%
0.36
-9%
0.25
24%
0.32
3%
Contrast
1412
1092
-23%
1150
-19%
1428
1%
878
-38%
1319
-7%
1343
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.93
3.72
-93%
5.6
-190%
2.24
-16%
5.9
-206%
2.37
-23%
1.08
44%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.26
7.38
-73%
9.1
-114%
7.19
-69%
12.9
-203%
4.08
4%
3.96
7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.99
2.06
-4%
2.6
-31%
1.11
44%
1.3
35%
1.21
39%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.7
4.44
-161%
5.5
-224%
9.7
-471%
8.6
-406%
2.8
-65%
1.3
24%
Gamma
2.15 102%
2.34 94%
2.47 89%
1.42 155%
2.1 105%
2.145 103%
2.23 99%
CCT
6382 102%
7095 92%
7533 86%
6227 104%
6854 95%
6441 101%
6452 101%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62.2
60
-4%
58.9
-5%
61.6
-1%
60.7
-2%
67
8%
61.4
-1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
95.7
93
-3%
90.3
-6%
95
-1%
94.5
-1%
98
2%
96.3
1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-25% / -31%
-24% / -42%
-15% / -33%
-28% / -57%
-10% / -11%
-8% / 2%

* ... smaller is better

Color space covers sRGB almost entirely and 62 percent of the wider AdobeRGB standard. Results are a slight improvement over last year's UX391 and they are comparable to the displays of other flagship Ultrabooks including the HP Spectre x360 13 and Razer Blade Stealth. Graphic artists who demand an even wider color gamut may want to consider the larger ZenBook Pro UX580 series instead.

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

Further measurements with an X-Rite colorimeter reveal a surprisingly accurate display out of the box. Average Grayscale and color deltaE values sit at just 1.7 and 1.93, respectively, compared to over 5 on the last generation UX391. Our own attempts to calibrate the display improves both grayscale and gamma just barely. As such, an end-user calibration is not imperative since the display is already very accurate before any calibration.

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
24.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 10.8 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. » 52 % 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
47.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23.6 ms rise
↘ 23.6 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. » 79 % 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.

Outdoor visibility is good when under shade because of the bright backlight. Its very glossy screen, however, will become apparent. Be prepared to fight the inevitable glare and adjust the display angle frequently especially when under bright ambient conditions.

Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under sunlight
Outdoors under sunlight
Wide IPS viewing angles with no major changes to color or contrast
Wide IPS viewing angles with no major changes to color or contrast

Performance

Current SKUs are limited to the Core i5-8265U or Core i7-8565U with optional GeForce MX150 graphics. While its Whiskey Lake-U CPU options are newer than the Kaby Lake-R options on last year's UX391, raw processor performance is very similar between the two generations as our benchmarks below will show.

As suspected, the GeForce MX150 in the UX392 is the slower 10 W '1D12' variant compared to the faster 25 W '1D10' variant on the Razer Blade Stealth. VRAM has also been halved on the Asus from 4 GB GDDR5 on the Razer to just 2 GB. This isn't a surprise considering that previous generation ZenBooks are also equipped with the slower '1D12' GeForce MX150.

RAM is non-upgradeable and fixed at dual-channel 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR3 2133 MHz.

 

Processor

CineBench R15
CineBench R15

CineBench results are within 3 percent of the average Core i7-8565U in our database taken from a sample size of 23 other laptops. In truth, however, this is barely any faster than the last generation Kaby Lake-R Core i7-8550U that the i7-8565U directly replaces. The older Asus UX430 with the i7-8550U, for example, scores just 3 to 6 percent slower than our UX392 and even other laptops with the less expensive Core i5-8265U show similar results. We recommend going with the Core i5-8265U configuration if possible as the performance difference will be minuscule at best.

Performance over time is slightly below expectations. By running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop, we can observe that CPU performance dips more sharply than on other laptops equipped with a Core i7-class CPU like the Huawei MateBook 13 or Dell XPS 13. The initial score of 728 points drops to 495 points after two loops to represent a steep dip of 32 percent. In other words, Intel Turbo Boost starts out strong before it eventually fizzles after a minute or so. This is further explored in our Stress Test section below.

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

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720Tooltip
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø514 (487.58-728.05)
Huawei MateBook 13 i7 GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø581 (538.98-696.8)
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB 81C4 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø588 (570.26-651.27)
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø597 (581.49-636.79)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U
175 Points
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U
174 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (138.3 - 193, n=51)
172.5 Points -1%
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
Intel Core i7-8750H
168 Points -4%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
165 Points -6%
VAIO SX14
Intel Core i5-8265U
163 Points -7%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
150 Points -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
146 Points -17%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points -17%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 7300HQ 1050Ti
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
138 Points -21%
HP x2 210 G2
Intel Atom x5-Z8350
28 Points -84%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus Zephyrus S GX531GX
Intel Core i7-8750H
1122 Points +54%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U
728 Points
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U
677 Points -7%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
661 Points -9%
VAIO SX14
Intel Core i5-8265U
640 Points -12%
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
639 Points -12%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (452 - 815, n=52)
612 Points -16%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
538 Points -26%
Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop 7300HQ 1050Ti
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
510 (503.52min - 509.87max) Points -30%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
338 Points -54%
HP x2 210 G2
Intel Atom x5-Z8350
97 Points -87%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.9 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (0.65 - 2.16, n=11)
1.811 Points
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1.71 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.66 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
7.53 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
6.35 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (4.09 - 7.4, n=11)
6.31 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
5.8 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
20666 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (13806 - 23118, n=16)
17608 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
16904 Points
HP x2 210 G2
Intel Atom x5-Z8350
2994 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (2682 - 8906, n=16)
6571 Points
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
6345 Points
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
5552 Points
HP x2 210 G2
Intel Atom x5-Z8350
847 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel Core i7-7500U
490.2 s *
Dell XPS 13 9370 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8550U
372.4 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (263 - 420, n=7)
353 s *
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Intel Core i5-8250U
331.7 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
175 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
728 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
95.6 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our UX392 consistently ahead of the last generation UX391 and even the Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN equipped with the same CPU and GPU. In reality, however, the differences in scores are just a few percentage points on average and so users won't even notice any day-to-day performance benefits that Whiskey Lake-U can offer over Kaby Lake-R. The notable exception is the GeForce MX150 GPU which is significantly faster than the UHD Graphics 620 solution in the UX391 for digital content creation.

We experienced no software or hardware issues during our time with the UX392 test unit.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
4219 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3704 - 4344, n=6)
4022 Points +1%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3970 Points
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3704 Points -7%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3445 Points -13%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3321 Points -16%
Essentials
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
8373 Points +5%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7962 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (6763 - 8382, n=6)
7798 Points -2%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7117 Points -11%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
7087 Points -11%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7083 Points -11%
Productivity
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
6575 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (5994 - 7281, n=6)
6467 Points +1%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6398 Points
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
6111 Points -4%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
6072 Points -5%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5727 Points -10%
Digital Content Creation
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
3704 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3194 - 3722, n=6)
3508 Points +5%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3334 Points
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3194 Points -4%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2735 Points -18%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
2296 Points -31%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
3873 Points +4%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3712 Points
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3691 Points -1%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (3141 - 4092, n=6)
3688 Points -1%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3554 Points -4%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3478 Points -6%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5159 Points
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
5065 Points -2%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FN-A6023T
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4952 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (4240 - 5254, n=6)
4897 Points -5%
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4882 Points -5%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4339 Points -16%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3712 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5159 points
PCMark 10 Score
3970 points
Help

Storage Devices

Only a single M.2 storage slot is available with no internal secondary options. Our test unit ships with a 512 GB WDC PC SN520 NVMe SSD whereas our UX391 and UX433 were equipped with drives from Samsung and Intel, respectively. It appears that Asus sources from a wider pool of SSD providers for its ZenBook family. Note that this exact same Western Digital SSD can also be found on the MSI PS63.

Sequential read and write rates are about average for an NVMe drive. The Samsung PM961 can still outperform our WD drive by almost two times in terms of sequential read and write rates. Indeed, the WDC PC SN520 is only a PCIe x2 drive which is a bit disappointing to see on this pricey ZenBook.

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

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
M.2 SSD sits adjacent to the GDDR5 VRAM modules
M.2 SSD sits adjacent to the GDDR5 VRAM modules
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
AS SSD
-34%
-3%
-12%
-45%
Seq Read
1224
2035
66%
1907
56%
2416
97%
1850
51%
Seq Write
907
658
-27%
1031
14%
1170
29%
661
-27%
4K Read
41.46
39.74
-4%
43.64
5%
48.33
17%
38.04
-8%
4K Write
126.2
105.7
-16%
112.5
-11%
103.1
-18%
95
-25%
4K-64 Read
1021
461
-55%
703
-31%
1039
2%
434.3
-57%
4K-64 Write
1251
300.1
-76%
1037
-17%
399.6
-68%
266.3
-79%
Access Time Read *
0.053
0.061
-15%
0.036
32%
0.058
-9%
0.069
-30%
Access Time Write *
0.027
0.051
-89%
0.033
-22%
0.036
-33%
0.056
-107%
Score Read
1185
704
-41%
938
-21%
1329
12%
657
-45%
Score Write
1468
471
-68%
1252
-15%
620
-58%
427
-71%
Score Total
3250
1479
-54%
2637
-19%
2575
-21%
1373
-58%
Copy ISO MB/s
1404
893
-36%
739
-47%
539
-62%
Copy Program MB/s
402.4
287.9
-28%
312.3
-22%
209.7
-48%
Copy Game MB/s
902
618
-31%
486.3
-46%
340
-62%

* ... smaller is better

WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 1713 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1453 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 478.7 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 749 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1137 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 750 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 47.18 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 149.2 MB/s

GPU Performance

3DMark benchmarks rank our Asus 6 to 16 slower than the average GeForce MX150 GPU in our database taken from 43 other laptops. This is partly attributed to the slower 10 W GeForce MX150 in the Asus compared to the faster 25 W GeForce MX150 in laptops like the Razer Blade Stealth. The Razer, for example, is able to outscore our Asus by 18 to 40 percent. Nonetheless, users upgrading from the older GeForce 940MX or the UHD Graphics 620 will still see significant performance gains.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
38881 Points +111%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
25986 Points +41%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
21755 Points +18%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
21545 Points +17%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (16227 - 22183, n=43)
19512 Points +6%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
18961 Points +3%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
18423 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
15613 Points -15%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
10816 Points -41%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
10126 Points -45%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
7285 Points -60%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
6356 Points +123%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4133 Points +45%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3726 Points +31%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
3616 Points +27%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2323 - 3739, n=44)
3310 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
3293 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
2851 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2442 Points -14%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
2069 Points -27%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
842 Points -70%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7133 Points +101%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4905 Points +39%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4826 Points +36%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
4633 Points +31%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2796 - 4905, n=47)
4191 Points +18%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
4117 Points +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3728 Points +5%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3540 Points
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
2613 Points -26%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
1815 Points -49%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1489 Points -58%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Asus FX504GD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8300H
7025 Points +98%
Asus Zenbook UX510UW-CN044T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, 6500U
4466 Points +26%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
4394 Points +24%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, i7-8565U
4280 Points +20%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (2820 - 4421, n=46)
3957 Points +11%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, i7-7500U
3955 Points +11%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i7-8565U
3556 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2734 Points -23%
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8550U
2395 Points -33%
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
1795 Points -50%
Lenovo ThinkPad 13 20J1005TPB
Intel HD Graphics 620, i7-7500U
1193 Points -66%
3DMark 11 Performance
3896 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
12643 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2585 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
964 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Real-world gaming performance is about 10 percent slower than the old GTX 950M whereas the Razer Blade Stealth with the faster 25 W GeForce MX150 is much closer to the GTX 960M. Even so, the ability to play popular titles like Fortnite, DOTA 2, and Rocket League at native 1080p and Low settings is great to have on such a compact laptop. We can record no recurring frame dips or performance throttling when idling on Witcher 3 for close to an hour.

See our dedicated page on the GeForce MX150 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

The Witcher 3
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
72.2 fps +122%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
68.4 fps +110%
Asus GL552VW-DK725T
Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
48.4 fps +49%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
38.2 fps +18%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
37.9 fps +17%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
36.04 fps +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (24.4 - 43.2, n=26)
34.3 fps +6%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
32.5 fps
Asus VivoBook S410UQ-NH74
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
23 fps -29%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Asus FX504GD
Intel Core i5-8300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
40.9 fps +127%
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42-R6V0
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX 560X (Laptop)
33.2 fps +84%
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
22.6 fps +26%
Asus GL552VW-DK725T
Intel Core i7-6700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
21.3 fps +18%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
20.4 fps +13%
Asus ZenBook UX530UX-FY070T
Intel Core i7-7500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
20.02 fps +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX150
  (13.3 - 23.8, n=25)
19 fps +6%
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX150
18 fps
Dell Latitude 14 5495
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
10.7 fps -41%

analysis of witcher 3 framerate chart (gtx based laptops only, or similar performance class)

0510152025303540455055Tooltip
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø54.1 (48-58)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 147.1 95.7 81.6 30.5
The Witcher 3 (2015) 57.6 32.5 18 10
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 63.2 36.9 19.2 16.7

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of twin 40 mm fans and a single heat pipe shared between the CPU and GPU. The fans are positioned towards the center of the motherboard unlike on most other gaming laptops.

Fan noise is actually very similar to the Razer Blade Stealth with pitch being similar to other Ultrabooks. During low loads like browsing or video streaming, fan noise remains low at 29 dB(A) with no pulsing behavior. The system is essentially silent when sitting from a normal distance.

When running higher loads like gaming, however, fan noise will slowly pick up until it hits a constant 41.1 dB(A) to be louder than the XPS 13, Lenovo Yoga C930, and last generation UX391 all equipped with slower integrated graphics. While noticeable, it’s at least nowhere near as loud as some ultrathin gaming laptops including the Blade 15.

Our test unit exhibits very slight coil whine when placing an ear near the right half of the keyboard that we suspect may be from the M.2 SSD. Fortunately, it’s essentially unnoticeable in a typical classroom or workplace environment.

Twin fans positioned side by side
Twin fans positioned side by side
Soldered LPDDR3 RAM
Soldered LPDDR3 RAM
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
GeForce MX150, i7-8565U, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11
Noise
0%
-0%
0%
5%
-2%
off / environment *
28.1
30.4
-8%
29.7
-6%
27.9
1%
29.3
-4%
28.4
-1%
Idle Minimum *
28.1
30.4
-8%
29.7
-6%
27.9
1%
29.3
-4%
28.5
-1%
Idle Average *
28.1
30.4
-8%
29.7
-6%
27.9
1%
29.3
-4%
29
-3%
Idle Maximum *
29
30.4
-5%
30.1
-4%
27.9
4%
29.7
-2%
29.1
-0%
Load Average *
41.1
31.7
23%
36.8
10%
36.2
12%
31.8
23%
42.8
-4%
Witcher 3 ultra *
41.1
45
-9%
41.4
-1%
Load Maximum *
41.1
38.1
7%
36.8
10%
45.2
-10%
32.7
20%
41.6
-1%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.1 / 28.1 / 29 dB(A)
Load
41.1 / 41.1 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: 28.1 dB(A)

Temperature

Maximum stress
Maximum stress

Surface temperatures are warm even when idling on desktop. We're able to record an average surface temperature of 29 C against a room temperature of 20 C. When under heavier loads like gaming, the WASD keys and palm rests can become as warm as 38 C and 30 C, respectively. While not uncomfortably warm, the heat is certainly noticeable. Results are similar to what we've recorded on the 2018 Huawei MateBook X Pro equipped with the same 10 W GeForce MX150 GPU.

The ZenBook UX392 has no ventilation grilles along its left or right edges. Instead, the exhaust grilles are hidden along the back edge between the hinges to expel heat upwards towards the front of the screen. It's a clever approach to ensure that users can't impede the ventilation.

System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (top)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (top)
Maximum stress (bottom)
Maximum stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When subjected to Prime95 load, the CPU can be observed running as high as 3.4 GHz for the first few seconds before core temperature hits 90 C. Thereafter, clock rates steadily drop until reaching the 2.0 to 2.1 GHz range in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 60 C. Our Prime95 screenshot below shows this steady rise in core temperature before it inevitably falls back down. When considering that the base clock rate of the Core i7-8565U is 1.8 GHz, the UX392 can only sustain a Turbo Boost of 200 to 300 MHz for extended periods.

When running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously, core clock rate may periodically jump from 1.0 GHz to 2.5 GHz for short periods before throttling kicks in again.

When running Witcher 3 to represent real-world gaming loads, CPU and GPU temperatures become stable at 60 C and 68 C, respectively.

Running on battery power will limit CPU performance. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of 3349 and 3506 points, respectively, compared to 9006 and 3540 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 36 34
Prime95 Stress 2.0 - 2.1 -- 60 49
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.0 - 1.1 823 59 62
Witcher 3 Stress ~2.7 1380 60 68
Max. Load
 42.4 °C
108 F
36 °C
97 F
41.8 °C
107 F
 
 34.4 °C
94 F
34 °C
93 F
37 °C
99 F
 
 30.2 °C
86 F
26 °C
79 F
28.8 °C
84 F
 
Maximum: 42.4 °C = 108 F
Average: 34.5 °C = 94 F
42 °C
108 F
32.6 °C
91 F
48.6 °C
119 F
32 °C
90 F
30.4 °C
87 F
35.4 °C
96 F
28.2 °C
83 F
28.2 °C
83 F
30.2 °C
86 F
Maximum: 48.6 °C = 119 F
Average: 34.2 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  42 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.5 °C / 94 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 48.6 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.4 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 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 30.2 °C / 86.4 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 (-1.9 °C / -3.5 F).

Speakers

The Harman Kardon stereo speakers have poorer bass reproduction than on the HP Spectre x360 13. Our pink noise measurements show roll off at about 1.5 KHz whereas the HP has a smoother curve for a more balanced audio reproduction. The speakers are decent enough for video conferencing, but we recommend headphones for better multimedia playback.

Higher volume settings will vibrate the palm rests and base with thankfully no audible clattering.

Stereo speakers towards the front corners of the laptop
Stereo speakers towards the front corners of the laptop
Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.945.12540.940.53137.139.84036.238.75037.437.16335.436.5803635.510034.136.912534.438.816033.150.720032.7542503257.631531.757.140030.958.450030.26063029.561.980029.863.6100028.868.9125028.671.3160028.474.1200028.269.925002867.8315027.962.3400027.859.1500027.658.2630027.660.1800027.559.81000027.362.61250027.261.81600027.159.3SPL40.679.5N441.7median 28.6median 60Delta1.52.935.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAsus ZenBook S13 UX392FNApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 70% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 24% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 58% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 36% 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

Idling on desktop demands anywhere between 3 W and 10 W depending on the brightness setting and power profile to be similar to other Ultrabooks powered by U-class Core ix CPUs. When under higher loads like gaming, consumption jumps to the 39 W to 51 W range compared to only 39 W on the ZenBook UX391 equipped with slower integrated graphics. The Razer Blade Stealth consumes about 15 W more than the UX392 when gaming which, perhaps not coincidentally, is the TDP difference between the 10 W GeForce MX150 and 25 W GeForce MX150.

We're able to record a maximum consumption of a 62.7 W from the small (~6.4 x 6.4 x 2.8 cm) 65 W AC adapter when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously. As shown by our graph below, however, consumption falls after about 30 seconds due to throttling.

Power consumption when running Witcher 3 on Low settings. Consumption starts out at 46.7 W for the first minute before stabilizing at 39.7 W
Power consumption when running Witcher 3 on Low settings. Consumption starts out at 46.7 W for the first minute before stabilizing at 39.7 W
Power consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Power consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark. At the 2 minute mark, the system attempts to Turbo Boost before needing to throttle again
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 20s mark. At the 2 minute mark, the system attempts to Turbo Boost before needing to throttle again
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption behavior follows the Turbo Boost behavior we noted in the Stress Test section
Prime95 initiated at 20s mark. Consumption behavior follows the Turbo Boost behavior we noted in the Stress Test section
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.84 / 0.92 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 6.3 / 10.4 Watt
Load midlight 51 / 62.7 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 S13 UX392FN
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 3840x2160, 13.30
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 3000x2000, 13.90
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, SK hynix PC401 HFS256GD9TNG, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.90
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, Lite-On CA3-8D256-Q11, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Power Consumption
-6%
12%
-10%
7%
-36%
Idle Minimum *
3.4
4.8
-41%
3.24
5%
3.5
-3%
3.3
3%
6.7
-97%
Idle Average *
6.3
8.6
-37%
6.1
3%
8.9
-41%
6.8
-8%
8.6
-37%
Idle Maximum *
10.4
10.4
-0%
9.2
12%
12.3
-18%
9.5
9%
9.4
10%
Load Average *
51
37.9
26%
38.8
24%
54.2
-6%
40.8
20%
64.1
-26%
Witcher 3 ultra *
39
42.4
-9%
63.7
-63%
Load Maximum *
62.7
48.5
23%
52.6
16%
52.1
17%
57
9%
64.1
-2%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Battery capacity has not changed from the UX391 and battery life is subsequently similar gen-to-gen. Users can expect about 8.5 hours of real-world WLAN use to be in the same ballpark as the XPS 13 and ZenBook UX391.

Charging from empty to full capacity takes about 2 hours. The AC adapter can also be used to charge other USB Type-C devices including smartphones.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
28h 30min
WiFi Websurfing
8h 26min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 39min
Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 50 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9380 2019
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh
Asus ZenBook S UX391U
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 57.4 Wh
Lenovo Yoga C930-13IKB
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
HP Spectre x360 13t-ae000
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 60 Wh
Razer Blade Stealth i7-8565U
i7-8565U, GeForce MX150, 53.1 Wh
Battery Runtime
0%
-3%
6%
6%
3%
6%
Reader / Idle
1710
1032
-40%
1340
-22%
1243
-27%
1432
-16%
1230
-28%
WiFi v1.3
506
498
-2%
491
-3%
557
10%
550
9%
424
-16%
571
13%
Load
99
141
42%
115
16%
133
34%
124
25%
121
22%
131
32%

Pros

+ free USB Type-C mini dock and carrying sleeve in box
+ very narrow bezels and high screen-to-body ratio
+ high brightness and contrast ratio
+ accurate display out of the box
+ standard webcam positioning
+ discrete GeForce MX150 GPU
+ lightweight and portable
+ rigid base and lid

Cons

- slower 10 W GeForce MX150; no 25 W option
- MicroSD reader performance could be faster
- soldered, non-upgradeable RAM and WLAN
- ships with PCIe x2 SSD instead of PCIe x4
- no 4K UHD or touchscreen option
- no webcam privacy shutter
- no Thunderbolt 3 or HDMI
- poor bass reproduction

Verdict

In review: Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN
In review: Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN

The Asus ZenBook S13 UX392 holds a lot of promises. It's supposed to have the world's slimmest bezels, world's largest screen-to-body ratio, and the world's slimmest design with discrete Nvidia graphics. By aiming for these lofty goals, Asus has created a 13.9-inch that's lighter or smaller than many of the newest 13.3-inch Ultrabooks in the market including the Dell XPS 13 9380 or HP Spectre 13. The UX392 even manages to be more graphically capable as it is not limited to integrated UHD graphics unlike on most Ultrabooks. The fact that it offers a larger display with more GPU horsepower without being any bigger or heavier makes it an extremely compelling recommendation over the aforementioned alternatives.

There are a handful of drawbacks to keep in mind. The absence of Thunderbolt 3, for example, means users who wish to daisy-chain 4K UHD externals monitors or use eGPU docking stations will be out of luck. Meanwhile, the 10 W GeForce MX150 GPU is measurably slower than the 25 W version and CPU Turbo Boost sustainability is mediocre. Both the competing Huawei MateBook 13 and Razer Blade Stealth are each equipped with the same CPU and faster 25 W GPU to show that Asus can do better in the performance front. The sticky trackpad also makes cursor control less smooth than on the Dell and HP equivalents.

Finally, there are a couple of minor cut corners worth mentioning. The minimal upgrade options, average MicroSD performance, and PCIe x2 SSD instead of PCIe x4 are odd to see on a flagship Ultrabook. These fortunately don't impact day-to-day performance unless if you're a big proponent of Wi-Fi 6, touchscreen/WACOM features, WWAN, or expandable RAM. Otherwise, this is certainly a subnotebook that should be on the top of everyone's shopping list.

If you're about to buy a 13-inch Ultrabook, then stop and take a look at the Asus ZenBook S13 UX392. There is a good chance that it will offer what you are looking for but with a larger display and faster GPU while being just as small and lightweight.

Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN - 05/01/2019 v6(old)
Allen Ngo

Chassis
91 /  98 → 93%
Keyboard
85%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
42 / 80 → 52%
Weight
74 / 35-78 → 90%
Battery
91%
Display
88%
Games Performance
74 / 68 → 100%
Application Performance
94 / 87 → 100%
Temperature
88 / 91 → 96%
Noise
91%
Audio
50 / 91 → 55%
Camera
45 / 85 → 53%
Average
76%
87%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Asus ZenBook S13 UX392FN (i7-8565U, GeForce MX150) Laptop Review
Allen Ngo, 2019-05- 1 (Update: 2019-05- 5)