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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ananduser - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
DPI scaling is only an issue with 3rd party programs. Windows featuring the best DPI scaling currently for desktop OSes.Conficio - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 - link
... does the article not demonstrate that DPI scaling even in some popular MS programs does not work?is ti fair to conclude, that either it is an inherent problem with the Windows 7 OS or it is so complicated APi wise that even Microsofts in house programmers can't get it right?
piroroadkill - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
11.6 and 13.3" 1080p? Very nice. I'd rather it was an 8:5 ratio but still, very nice.GeorgeH - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
That screen is a thing of beauty - Asus laptops just went from a personal overall 'meh' to 'hell yes'. Here's hoping Asus also starts adding high DPI models to their desktop display line.MobiusStrip - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Only if it's matte, which isn't specified in the chart. Otherwise it doesn't matter what kind of panel is in there; you'll be looking at yourself and the stuff behind you, and not the images generated by the computer.mike8675309 - Thursday, May 24, 2012 - link
I nearly had to spend some alone time when I read the resolution of this thing in an 11" panel. My goodness, I love it. That's higher resolution than what is standard (and even available in some) in many 17" laptop displays. Curious who makes that panel and for what other applications. Must be made of some rare stuff.Cygni - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
This picture:http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/mobile/ASUS/Ze...
Goddamn REALLY asus? You are really going to release a picture with razerback aliasing, oval mic ports, and spellcheck underlines to the press? You have to be kidding me.
Also: lol mini-vga in 2012, jesus christ.
MobiusStrip - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Ha ha ha! You're right; that's pitifully unprofessional.Sunburn74 - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Geez people,Try and remember what the purpose of the machine is when filing complaints.
Kegetys - Tuesday, May 22, 2012 - link
Seems quite impressive, something I would have wished to see more detail on is the noise levels. My UL30VT with SSD keeps the fan completely off when its sitting idle on my desk and also on light desktop loads. Its awesome when it makes no noise at all*, that even a very slowly rotating fan inevitably does. I can leave it on during the night an sleep a meter away from it without being disturbed.* There's some slight electrical noises, but they arent audible from normal use distances.