Asus ZenBook UX32A review

In terms of performance, the UX32A is a fairly standard mid-range Ultrabook. Powered by an Intel Core i5-3317U processor running at 1.7GHz and paired with 4GB of RAM, it managed a very respectable 51 overall in our multimedia benchmarks. It was slightly hampered by the 500GB mechanical hard disk, which isn’t able to match an SSD for file transfer speeds, although the presence of a flash-based caching disk helps keep start-up and resume times well within the Ultrabook specification.

With the CPU also handling graphics duties, you shouldn’t expect stellar gaming performance from the UX32A. Intel’s HD 4000 can handle older games, but more modern titles such as Dirt 3 will struggle to achieve a playable frame rate. Even so, 19.8fps is one of the fastest results we’ve seen from an Ultrabook with integrated graphics.

Battery life at just under seven hours is pretty good, but it puts this laptop mid-table and you can get better battery life at the same price. The UX32 is a decent laptop, but the basic screen is a little disappointing. For £750 there are other equally impressive Ultrabooks, such as the HP Envy 6, that are better buys. While if you’re looking for slim and cheap try the Samsung Series 5 Ultrathin.