Dell XPS 13 vs. Asus ZenBook UX333FA: Kaby Lake-R can still outperform Whiskey Lake-U

Asus took the initiative last month to launch its 2019 13.3-inch ZenBook UX333 series complete with Whiskey Lake-U ahead of everyone else including Dell. Most competitors are expected to announce their own updated Ultrabooks with Whiskey Lake-U at CES 2019. How does Asus' new 13.3-inch ZenBook compare to the current Kaby Lake-R XPS 13 lineup?

In terms of raw CPU performance, both the older Core i5-8250U and i7-8550U in the XPS 13 series can still consistently outperform the newer i5-8265U in the ZenBook UX333FA. We are able to see the performance delta over time between the two models by looping CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop as shown by our graph below. The i5-8250U XPS 13 scores almost 14 percent higher even after accounting for Turbo Boost fluctuations after prolonged processing stress. Keep in mind that the i5-8265U in the Asus is supposed to directly succeed the i5-8250U.

The performance advantages come at the cost of core temperature. The i5-8250U in the Dell averages at around 89 C compared to just under 80 C on the Asus when subjected to similar stressful conditions. Furthermore, PCMark 10 scores are within single-digit percentages of one another to suggest just minor performance differences during day-to-day loads.

Outside of the processor, there are pros and cons to the connectivity of each model. XPS 13 9370 owners must deal with the lack of HDMI and full-size USB Type-A while ZenBook UX333 owners have no Thunderbolt 3 and are still reliant on a proprietary AC adapter. Additionally, the Dell display is much brighter albeit with more ghosting. Differences like these are arguably more impactful to most users when compared to the minor gap in processing power.

Price is also in Asus' favor. The UX333 retails for $850 USD with a Core i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB SSD whereas the XPS 13 9370 starts at $930 USD with just half the RAM and storage capacity. The UX333 will eventually have discrete GeForce MX150 options as well for much faster graphics potential and we can't forget about its superior webcam positioning, either.

We recommend checking out our dedicated reviews below for more information on the XPS 13 and ZenBook UX433.

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