The ASUS ZenPad S (Z580CA) Review
by Brandon Chester on August 31, 2015 8:00 AM ESTGPU Performance
Rather than using Intel’s HD series iGPUs, the Atom Z3530 and Z3580 SoCs in both versions of the ZenPad S use Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR G6430 GPU. Since this implementation is identical to the one in the ZenFone 2 it’s not likely we’ll see a large gap in absolute performance. However, the larger chassis of the ZenPad may allow it to dissipate heat more effectively, which could help performance in long-term sustained workloads. It’s also worth noting that the less expensive Atom Z3530 model of the ZenPad S will suffer from reduced performance in GPU heavy workloads due to the 1GHz reduction in max CPU clock compared to the $299 model, as well as the drop in GPU speed from 533MHz to 457MHz.
In 3DMark we actually see a noticeable gap between the ZenPad S and the ZenFone 2. The latter ends up scoring around 2000 points higher in both sub-tests, which leads to an overall score which is also around 2000 points higher. I would mostly attribute this to software differences rather than any issues with throttling, and the next tests will help to confirm that assumption.
The ZenPad S doesn’t perform as well as the ZenFone 2 in BaseMark X’s on screen tests, which isn’t surprising given that it’s pushing 1.6 million more pixels. In the off screen tests we see both devices perform roughly equally, and this is reflected in the overall score. In other reviews, such as my review of the Dell Venue 8 and Venue 10 I mentioned that G6430 is a bit slow compared to the competition at that price point. For a $299 it fits perfectly, and coincidentally a lower clocked version of it is what’s used in the iPad Mini 2 which is also $299.
In GFXBench we again see the ZenPad S performs worse than the ZenFone 2 at its native resolution, but the overall GPU power of the two devices is equal. Like the Venue 8 and Venue 10, the PowerVR G6430 implementation in Atom Z3580 outperforms Apple’s A7 by a significant degree in the T-Rex HD test, but not in any other.
It’s clear from our tests that the GPU performance of the ZenPad S Z580CA is roughly the same as Apple’s iPad Mini 2. Since both devices have the same price, the ZenPad S is right where it needs to be in this regard. Performance in programs running at a device’s native resolution will obviously be slower than the ZenFone 2 due to the ZenPad S’s higher resolution, but I think G6430 provides more than adequate performance to run the display, and is the best you’ll be able to find in a $299 device right now.
NAND Performance
The performance of a mobile device's internal storage can have a significant impact on performance. When any applications are performing reads or writes in the background, a low NAND solution can cause the tasks the user is currently performing to grind to a halt. On top of that, there are fairly obvious implications for the time it takes to move music, movies, pictures, and other media to and from the device.
Both random read and random write speeds on the ZenPad S are very good for a mobile device. In both cases it ends up being the fastest tablet on record.
The sequential read speed on the ZenPad S is good for a $299 device, and the sequential write speed is actually the fastest we've seen in an Android tablet. However, it's disappointing to see that Android devices can now adopt USB 3.0 without terrible connectors by using USB Type-C, yet they still have NAND that won't even saturate a USB 2.0 link in the best possible scenario. Relative to the NAND in other Android devices the ZenPad S performs well, but the speed of eMMC flash memory still leaves much to be desired.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
114 Comments
View All Comments
System Optimizer - Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - link
I contacted Asus to ask a few questions since I'm contemplating getting a ZenPad S (Z580CA).I asked if the wifi issue Brandon had reported, that he wrote in the article Asus said they were looking into, had been fixed. (I linked the article). The rep wrote back that they had no reports of any such issue. Don't know if that means they fixed it a while back and it can no longer be reproduced/no one is having the problem any longer, if the rep was clueless and the problem is still there and they didn't bother to read your article, or I wasn't taken seriously and the question wasn't passed down the line to the people in the know. Anyone with a Z580CA (or a C for that matter) able to confirm if the issue still exists?
I asked if the enhancement features Brandon mentioned as being annoyances (brightness adjustment, sharpness enhancement, etc) could be disabled, as I'd read a few other reviewers say they could (at least some of them). The rep replied back that they could all be disabled. Before I came home from work and saw that I had a message from the rep I had stopped by Best Buy and taken a look at the Z580C (not the CA) that they had on display, and I went exploring in the settings area. I can confirm that at least the CABC can be turned off in settings.
I asked if there were any plans for them to update the OS to Marshmallow at some point, or how long Asus (in general) tends to keep putting out patches and updates for their Android system (in other words what their company policy is). The rep said they contacted their Taiwan, and said they had no schedule for the next update. Don't know if that means they have an update in the works, and they have no idea when they are going to have it complete, or if it means they don't plan on working on or releasing any updates in the foreseeable future.
Sunburn74 - Thursday, November 26, 2015 - link
Just received a zenpad ca. Upgraded from a nexus 7 2013. Performance difference is night and day. You can install Google launcher to avoid the stupid zen launcher that comes with the tablet. This essentially makes the tablet feel like stock Android. Also whilst not all the bloat can be uninstalled it can all be disabled permanently. The performance really is very impressive. I received simultaneously a Google nexus 6p and the tablet seems to be smoother in performance overall despite the 6p having marshmallow. I think going with the Google stock launcher really makes this tablet much more pleasant to use. Also the side buttons are a little too firm for my taste and require you to use two hands to push the , one hand to hold the device stably and the other to actually push the button.jh20001 - Wednesday, December 2, 2015 - link
I was back in the market for shopping for a tablet as the one I just recently bought into (Lenovo) decided it needed a broken LCD by barely applying pressure to the screen (it was in my cargo pocket, screen facing my leg….and I leaned forward and it applied enough pressure to crack the glass and turn the LCD into all sorts of colors). So after TONS of research and reviews (ie, http://pocinc.net/blog/product-reviews/review-asus... ), I decided to give this one (ASUS) a chance. So far I love it. The screen looks nicer (they claim it is 2K resolution, but it doesn’t look much better than any other awesome tablet…it just simply looks awesome lol but not 4K like the TVs). It’s faster than my other one, has more space than it + has a card slot for more space and hasn’t given me any troubles yet.zero ozer - Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - link
I just bought my zenpad s last week.it was awesome but the only fall is the battery.3.5 to 4 hours in gaming,but I dont mind it for i am in my private practice.but what is odd is the 3 hours charging?why so long?I choose this because i think i was more practical than buying Samsung a with s pen.i wanted a tablet for gaming so I wont need a pen.I dont need a sim card.and choose this than ipad mini 2 cause the ipad mini 2 has may about just 2 more years before it will be outdated.I own iphone 4 thats why i have an idea about apple.with android you can just share it if your unit cannot download the latest apps.I think the unit can last upto 5 years or more with replacement of battery.it's a good tablet.it's just a little pricey for the battery issues.but in gaming and screen,awesome.