ASUS Zenbook Prime (UX21A) Review: The First of the 2nd Gen Ultrabooks
by Anand Lal Shimpi on May 22, 2012 2:46 PM EST- Posted in
- Laptops
- CPUs
- Asus
- Ivy Bridge
- Zenbook
- Zenbook Prime
- Ultrabook
- Notebooks
The Display in Pictures
The star of the show is obviously ASUS' 1920 x 1080 IPS display. Contrast ratio, viewing angles and color reproduction are all significantly improved compared to the original Zenbook. White is a bit warmer than I'd like by default (6014K) but otherwise I really have no complaints about this panel. It's easily the best display I've ever seen ASUS use and arguably one of the best displays ever deployed in a notebook, much less one as small as the UX21. Before we get to the actual numbers, here are some shots of the Zenbook Prime compared to the lackluster Zenbook display:
Zenbook Prime (front) vs. Zenbook (back)
Zenbook Prime (left) vs. Zenbook (right)
Zenbook Prime (left) vs. Zenbook (right)
Zenbook Prime (left) vs. Zenbook (right)
Note just how much better the viewing angles are compared to the old Zenbook panel. ASUS clearly got it right this time.
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sonelone - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
I really wish more manufacturers would do something similar to Sony's Vaio Z series, having a slim ultrabook but also giving it the capability of a dedicated GPU when plugged in. The UX31 would be the perfect laptop for me if it had that.Impulses - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Are you gonna be reviewing the larger model as well?JarredWalton - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - link
Yes, both of them is the plan. Stay tuned....nortexoid - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
They should seriously consider a Trinity option. Nobody will be doing heavy CPU lifting on an 11 inch ultra book so Trinity will be more than adequate in the CPU department. Imagine how awesome it would be to play games with decent frame rates on this thing.piroroadkill - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Have you checked HD 4000 performance? It's not stunning, but it's way better than I imagine you think..bleh0 - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
I've seen them and while they are close Trinity could be put in with lower costs, similar battery life, and in some cases better gaming performance.Since the models don't ship with Thunderbolt you aren't losing any ports either.
ananduser - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - link
HD4000 barely offers playable rates. And when it does the experience as a whole is choppy. So, if you're willing to spend top dollar on an ultrabook, you better not care about light gaming.JarredWalton - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - link
Define "light" gaming. For me, it means 1366x768 and low to medium detail levels, and for that the HD 4000 is certainly adequate. Now if you're wanting medium to high detail settings and a higher resolution -- never mind native 1080p! -- than no, HD 4000 isn't going to be remotely close.chrnochime - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Now that the display is finally not the cause of the whiner's reason for whining, I wonder how many are actually going to put the money where their mouth is and buy this laptop.Sunburn74 - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Nah they'll just find things to complain about like how 4gb of ram isn't enough and how it doesn't make them coffee in the morning and take the dog out for a walk. Its really sad actually, how when anyone who's not apple makes a marvelous machine that is darn close to perfect, the PC community (with its schizophrenic mindset) just criticizes it and eventually ignores it to death. Hopefully that won't happen here.