ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325E Review

Work-from-home is a common setup nowadays. To properly do that, we need capable laptops. However, that doesn’t mean you have to opt for big bulky gaming laptops, as there are models out there that are slim and light yet powerful enough to do the job. That’s what the ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325E is for with its 11th-gen Intel Core processor and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. Check out our full review below.

Design and Construction

ZenBooks are known for their beautiful design and a slim and compact body made from premium materials. Those qualities are still found in the new ZenBook 13 and more.

The all-metal body comes in two colors — Piney Grey and Lilac Mist. The lid features the signature ZenBook spun-metal finish. Depending on the angle, the chamfered edges also gleam when light hits it, making it more attractive.

Found on the left side are the full-size HDMI and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports that support fast charging, 4K UHD external displays, and up to 40Gbps data transfers.

On the right is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port and a microSD card reader. Yes, the ports are limited, but ASUS included a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter and a USB-A to RJ45 adapter.

Found underneath are the ASUS SonicMaster Speakers, a vent, and four rubber feet.

Lift the lid, and you will be greeted by the 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) NanoEdge display with an IPS panel and 300 nits of brightness. Above it is the HD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello and the built-in array microphone with support for Cortana and Alexa.

The ErgoLift hinge has already done its job at its point, lifting the top part of the base to improve airflow at the bottom and to adjust the keyboard to a more comfortable angle.

We have the edge-to-edge backlit (3 levels) chicklet keyboard made of high-quality plastics and a matte finish. The keys are a bit small than what we’re used to, but it is quiet and has good tactile feedback. Key travel is also decent at 1.4mm. Below the keyboard is a wide and smooth ASUS NumberPad 2.0 that integrates a full-size LED-illuminated numeric keypad into the touchpad for easy data entry.

The ZenBook 13 UX325E boasts a small footprint, weighs in at only 1.11 kg, and tested to meet the ultra-demanding MIL-STD-810G U.S. military standard for reliability and durability, which includes an altitude test, drop test, high-temperature test, low-temperature test, vibration test, and humidity test.

Display and Multimedia

The ZenBook 13, as the name suggests, has a 13.3-inch screen, which is small for some, but it’s one of the compromises if you want a laptop with a small footprint. However, that is not to say that the display is inadequate. The Full HD resolution is sharp. It has good color reproduction and decent viewing angles. The slim bezels make it immersive, so if you want to watch a movie on it, it will look great.

Speaking of movies, the loudspeakers are loud and clear, especially the vocals. Not a lot of bass, though, but good enough for casual viewing. It’s great, though, for Zoom meetings and if you need to do some presentation with audio. If you want to tweak the audio settings, there’s the DTS Audio Processing software, so you can choose between audio profiles and adjust the EQ.

OS and Features

For software, we have Windows 10 Home. Pre-installed software includes the Microsoft Office 365 trial, McAfee Personal Security, McAfee LifeSafe, Intel Thunderbolt Control Center, RealTek Audio Control, and MyASUS. For storage, we get a 512GB SSD with 475GB as usable. If you’re a photographer or just an ordinary user that uses a microSD card, there’s the microSD card reader on the right-hand side, so you can easily access and transfer files.

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the ZenBook 13 UX325E that we have on hand is an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. It performed well in productivity tasks that involve moderate Chrome browsing and Office applications, although 8GB is limited if you’re a heavy Chrome user with plenty of tabs running. Check out the benchmark scores below:

• PCMark 10 Extended – 3,498
• 3DMark – 2,227 (Fire Strike), 848 (Time Spy)
• Geekbench 5 – 1,381 (Single-Core), 5,121 (Multi-Core), 13,354 (OpenCL)
• Cinebench R20 – 1,636 (CPU), 418 (CPU Single-Core)
• CrystalDiskMark (SEQ1M Q8T1) – 1,554.29 MB/s (Read), 978.44 MB/s (Write)

The ZenBook 13 UX325E scored lower in most benchmarks than the VivoBook S14 with Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce MX350 graphics, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD. Still, it’s a competent laptop if you’re not going to use it for applications that do not require heavy lifting from a GPU.

Connectivity and Battery Life

The ZenBook 13 UX325E features WiFi 6 GIG+ and Bluetooth 5.0 for its wireless connectivity. We mentioned the ports earlier, but if you want to use a 3.5mm headphone jack or connect an RJ45 cable, good news, as ASUS included a USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter and a USB-A to RJ45 adapter in the package.

Providing juice to the ZenBook 13 UX325E is a 67Whr 4-cell lithium-polymer battery. ASUS claims that it can provide up to 18 hours of battery life, or equal to almost two workdays. We can say that we’re getting almost the same results. Our video loop test involves playing a 1080p video in Airplane mode at 50% brightness and volume in Better battery mode, and we got 15 hours worth of playback.

Conclusion

The ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325 is a great laptop for light to moderate users looking for a stylish machine that is light and has a small footprint. But it’s no lightweight in productivity, though, thanks to its decent performance, nice screen, comfortable and functional keyboard, and long battery life. If this is what you’re looking for, then put this laptop high on your list.

The ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325 is priced at PHP 54,995USD 937INR 79,446EUR 893CNY 6,825 and is now available on ASUS Concept Stores and ASUS Official Lazada Store.

ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX325) specs:
13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) NanoEdge display, 300 nits
Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
8GB 3200MHz LPDDR4X RAM
512GB PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe SSD
WiFi 6 GIG+
Bluetooth 5.0
2 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1 x Standard HDMI
1 x MicroSD card reader
Windows 10 Home
3D IR camera with Windows Hello
ASUS NumberPad 2.0
Built-in Array Microphones (with support to Cortana and Alexa)
Built-in ASUS SonicMaster Speakers
Harman Kardon certified audio
67Whr 4-cell lithium-polymer battery
30.4 x 20.3 x 1.39cm
1.11kg
Pine Grey, Lilac Mist