Asus ZenBook 13 OLED: Affordable ultrabook, outstanding display

Gaming tests – integrated graphics

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Basic information

Details

Compared to its predecessor, the novelty basically only brings new components and display, so the introductory part of the article will be shorter than usual. The package is practically identical to the previously tested laptops.

In addition to the laptop, the package includes an adapter from USB-C to audio jack and a protective cover, similar to what we saw in previous tests.

On the outside, the UM325U is identical to the UX325E, which is no surprise. The external dimensions and weight remained the same, it is still very compact and with a weight of 1.1 kg (2.43 lb), a very light laptop.

Improvements have taken place mainly below the surface, namely the change in display technology. We will talk about the display in a separate chapter. Briefly, it is worth mentioning that the laptop got an OLED instead of a classic IPS panel, which is unprecedented in this price category. ZenBook OLED refresh applies to several models, not just the tested 13.

The tested laptop is labeled UM325UA-KG022T and is the most affordable ticket to the world of OLED in this model line. Inside the laptop you will find the new Ryzen 5 5500U, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. There are also 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake models available, and we have already tested such a model. At that time, however, it still had an IPS display and not OLED. On the manufacturer’s website you will also find information about Ryzen 7 models, but these are less available here. In practice, you have a choice of Ryzen 5, Core i5 and i7.

The individual models are then distinguished by the size of the operating memory—8 or 16 GB and also the size of the SSD—512 GB or 1 TB. According to the manufacturer’s website, the Intel platform also offers 32 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage, but the availability of such a configuration is questionable in our country. Prices are around EUR 960 for a Ryzen 5 version, 1,050 for Ryzen 7, 1,080 for Core i5 and 1,200 for Core i7.

All other aspects remained unchanged. You will still find a metal body, premium build quality and relatively rich port selection. There are two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, a slot for microSD cards or full HDMI are a rarity for ultrabooks, so I always praise the port selection on ZenBooks. The 14-inch model also offers a separate 3.5 mm audio jack, with the 13-inch model you will have to do with an adapter. It is worth mentioning the fact that Intel configurations offer Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connectors, while AMD only common 10 Gb ports. In both cases, however, both charging and video output are supported.

Other features such as IR camera for Windows Hello, increased durability with MIL-STD 810G certification and an above-average battery have also been retained.

The front edge of the notebook without a cutout remains unchanged, however, the display lid can be easily touched and opened. You can also open the notebook with one hand, which is not a matter of course, especially with such light devices. The rear covers all ventilation openings and the cooling system.

The top view again shows the lid with the Asus logo and the concentric-circle theme of its surface. The lower part has four rubber feet and a ventilation grille in the upper part. After removing the bottom cover, you will get to the components. You’ll need a T5 screwdriver to remove it. Attention should be paid to a pair of screws hidden under the rubber feet.

The layout is not surprising, the deep blue motherboard is interesting, similar to the ZenBook 14 and 13. The whole lower part is occupied by a large battery and next to it we can see the speakers. The interior is practically identical to the last tested Intel version.

Cooling is provided by a large heatpipe run from the processor to the heatsink, through which the fan blows air. We will look at the efficiency of this cooling later in the tests.

Other aspects such as the keyboard, touchpad, camera, Ergo Lift hinge and so on remained unchanged, so we recommend that you look at previous reviews if you are interested in these areas.

The battery has the same 67 Wh capacity in the new model, which is still above average among 13-inch laptops. Charging takes place via the USB-C charger in the package, which charges the battery to approx. 75% in one hour and takes almost two hours to charge fully. The predecessor with the 11th generation Intel is the king of our YouTube battery test, the new OLED is 40 minutes behind, which is still a very good value with a total value of almost 9 hours.

Let us look at the test results.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Test methodology

We tested the notebook at home, not in a laboratory environment. Nevertheless, the effort was made for the most accurate results. These are therefore the average of the measured values from repeated tests.

The tests include synthetic benchmarks to compare the performance of both the processor and the graphics card. We also measure storage speed, battery life, charging speed and in-game performance. The goal is to test laptops and desktops in various scenarios and get a comprehensive overview of their performance and operating characteristics.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Gamut, brightness and color difference

We measured the image properties of the display using the Datacolor Spyder5Elite color analyzer. As it is an ultrabook and not a gaming notebook, you will not find a high refresh rate or image anti-tearing technology here. Therefore, we will be more interested in brightness and color reproduction.

The new ZenBook 13 impresses with the use of an OLED display, and this technology has so far only been available in a few top laptop models. It can therefore be said that this is the first laptop with an OLED display available for masses. How is OLED different from IPS? Every single pixel is able to emit light, so the display does not have the traditional backlight, as is customary with LED displays. As a result, OLED offers true black, high contrast and true colors. We have dedicated a separate article to the implementation of OLED technology in Asus products, where you can learn more about this solution.

According to the manufacturer’s website, the display should offer 100% DCI-P3 spectrum, brightness up to 400 nits and HDR support. It is a 13.3-inch Full HD panel with the classic 16:9 aspect ratio, while the side frames are relatively thin, thanks to which the display occupies up to 88% of the body. Unlike older IPS models, the OLED version is glossy and not matte.

The specifications given by the manufacturer have been confirmed in our tests. 100% DCI-P3 is also complemented by 100% sRGB and 99% AdobeRGB, gamma with a completely accurate value of 2.2 without any deviation, maximum brightness of 389 nits and a great average Delta-E color difference of 1.02. The uniformity of the display is also excellent. It can be said that this is the best tested display in a laptop that we have had here.

With the use of OLED, there are questions about the lifespan and burning of pixels, which, of course, the manufacturer thought of and offers various protection mechanisms, either directly in Windows or using the MyAsus application.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Rendering, Geekbench

The OLED version of the ZenBook 13 surprisingly got the new Ryzen 5500U. We will compare the recently tested ZenBook 13 UX325E with the 11th generation Intel and also the ZenBook 14 with the 10th generation. It is interesting to watch how Asus switches between Intel and AMD intergenerationally, it is quite unusual.

Let’s start traditionally with Cinebench R15 for a first glance at the raw performance of the processor. The single-core performance is dominated by Intel with both 11th and 10th generation ahead of Ryzen, which offers similar performance as the Acer Swift 3 with 4700U. Compared to ZenBook 13 with i7-1165G7, the 5500U loses by up to 24%. On the contrary, the multi-core performance is fully in the hands of Ryzen. It has a 36% lead over its predecessor with Intel and the ZenBook 14 with the 10th generation Intel gets whooped and loses by 75%. Interestingly, the 5500U with 6 cores has a higher performance than the 4700U with 8. The reason is the difference in threads, as the 5500U offers SMT and therefore 12 threads instead of only 8 in the 4700U without SMT.

Cinebench R20 shows a slight improvement in single-core performance, where the 5500U is just 19% behind the i7-1165G7 and 4% ahead of the i7-1065G7. On the contrary, the differences in multi-core have increased and the piece with OLED offers 41% higher performance than the Intel version and beat the older bigger brother by up to 94%.

In the new 10-minute R23 test we can see similar results as in the older versions, i.e. a 23% loss in single-core and a 41% lead in multi-core, we do not yet have enough data to draw conclusions.

Blender and POV-Ray hands-on tests were a piece of cake for the new ZenBook, and beat the older version with Intel by 64 and 60%. It also overtook the Swift 3 by 5 and 16% with the last generation Ryzen 7. Interestingly, thanks to 12 threads, it reached the level and even beat the 8th and 9th generation Intel 45 W processors.

Single-core results in Geekbench 3–5 also show the loss of the ZenBook 13 OLED over the Intel 13 (-18/-35/-37%), the old 14 (14/-17/-13%) and the relatively balanced values with Swift 3 (18/0/-3%). We also see differences in multi-core, although this time the novelty is beating the competition—Intel 13 by (30/4/7%), the old 14 by (52/22/32%) and Swift 3 by (6/14/14%).

Compute graphic test shows that the Intel version 13 is 15/8% faster, while last-generation ZenBook 14 lags behind by -22/-33% and the Swift 3 with 4700U by -2/-11% behind the OLED version of ZenBook with 5500U. We will see if these results will be confirmed in other graphic tests.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

3D/PC Mark and Unigine Heaven/Superposition

The combined PCMark test continues the trend we saw in rendering. The new ZenBook 13 with 5500U is 5% faster than the 11th generation Intel version, and Swift with Ryzen is only 1% slower.

The game changes in 3DMark Firestrike, Time Spy and Sky Diver, where Intel’s version of ZenBook 13 with Xe graphics beats the new 5500U by 50/44/13%, which are quite large differences.

New tests have been added to 3DMark, one of which is Wild Life, where I only have little data to this date. However, we see that the Intel version is almost twice as powerful as the new 5500U, and laptops and PCs with dedicated graphics are several times faster.

The Unigine Heaven game test shows Intel winning by 67%. The novelty with OLED was just behind the Swift 3, so we don’t see any increase in graphics performance between generations.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Gaming tests – integrated graphics

Let’s start with CS:GO, which is one of the most popular games ever. The assumptions from the synthetic tests have been fulfilled and the new 5500U offers performance at the level of the Swift 3 with 4700U and it significantly loses against the predecessor with Intel by 32–47%.

GTA V is one of the most popular games on the market and offers complex and demanding graphics. Therefore, we see slightly different results than in CS:GO. The new ZenBook is surprisingly 14% faster than the Intel version. It looks like the GTA suits the integrated Vega graphics more than the Iris, as the Swift 3 also achieves even better results than the tested novelty.

In contrast, Intel’s version of the ZenBook 13 is at the top again in Dirt Rally, and the new 5500U lags behind by 16%. So it really depends on the title whether the novelty can beat its sibling with Intel, which in general offers better graphics performance.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Encryption, encoding

In both encryption and decryption, the novelty offers significantly better values than the Intel version and also the compared Swift 3. Compared to the 11th generation Intel, we see a difference of 35–41%. Again, we can see that the 5500U can match an older 45 W Intel in gaming laptops or even desktops.

Video editing test is one of the longer ones and again we see similar results as in rendering. The 5500U offers significantly higher performance than the Intel laptops, and the Swift 3 with the 4700U is a few percent slower. A specific comparison with the UX325E shows a 45–47% lead of the UM325U. In practice, the difference is at the level of tens of seconds to minutes. Also, the novelty in this test can be compared to the 10th generation of gaming 45 W Intel processors, which is a small miracle.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Memory and storage tests

The novelty with Ryzen has traditionally been slightly slower in memory tests, which is again due to slower 3733 MHz memory compared to 4266 MHz on the Intel platform.

The area where I often criticize Asus is SSD speeds. The manufacturer tends to save costs in this area and uses cheaper and slower SSDs. However, it looks like Asus has already abandoned this trend, and the relatively affordable configuration of the new ZenBook 13 OLED offers speed at the level of the top Flip S model, i.e. over 3 GB/s in both read and write. This is a step in the right direction compared to the older ZenBook 14 and the recently tested ZenBook 13 UX325E.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Temperatures and battery life

Unfortunately, Intel’s 10th and 11th generations have not brought any temperature improvements, so we are still looking at values attacking 100 degrees Celsius. Ryzen is better off, the maximum temperatures are almost 10 degrees lower and usually in temperature tests it was somewhere around 75–85 °C depending on the test. In addition to the maximum temperatures, the performance and temperature curve in time is also important, which we will look at in the run charts, in which we also compare the effects of performance modes.

The ZenBook 13 UM325U performs slightly worse than its sibling with the 11th generation Intel processor in a 40-minute battery life test, which is not significant with nearly 9 hours of stamina, but definitely measurable. Due to the significantly better display, the decrease in battery life is more than acceptable.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Blender

Just as we started to monitor the progress of clock speed, power consumption and temperatures in Blender and 3DMark for gaming laptops, we will also address these areas for non-gaming laptops. In this case, we are mainly interested in the visualization of the performance trend for individual performance modes and CPU load, but also combined CPU + GPU load.

The Blender test is one of the long ones. It shows large differences between the clock speed of the individual modes. While Performance is hovering around 3.1 GHz, Standard drops to 2.7 GHz and Whisper is only around 1.5 GHz. We also see a big difference in the lengths of the test itself.

Power consumption shows even greater differences than with the clock speed, with an interesting difference between Performance and Standard, where both modes initially jump to 30 W and then Performance tries to stick to 25 W, while Standard drops to 15 W. Whisper stays under 10 W throughout the whole test.

The temperature trend during the test is similar to the power draw graph, where the difference between Standard and Performance is nicely demonstrated. The first mode decreases from 80 degrees to 65 after the initial jump, and conversely the second mode, due to higher power consumption, continues to grow until it reaches a maximum of 85 degrees and then begins to decline. Whisper slowly rises from 50 to 55 degrees during the test.

Performance modes work on the new ZenBook as well as is usual with Asus. Standard offers only 12% lower performance compared to Performance and will be the best choice for normal use. For hard work, it’s worth switching to Performance and thus getting a few percent higher performance at the cost of slightly higher cooling noise. On the contrary, Whisper will be optimal for saving battery as well as in quiet company, where the sound of cooling is undesirable.

Last year, Asus introduced new ZenBooks, which are gradually improving, and in addition to new gen CPUs, we have also seen a change in display technology, which we have written about in a separate article. We got the cheapest model with an OLED display for the test. In addition to the 13-inch body, it also has a revamped Ryzen 5500U. We have only recently tested a configuration with Intel, so an interesting comparison is awaiting us.

Conclusion

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA-KG022T is the second enhancement of the new generation of ZenBooks that Asus introduced last year. This time, the biggest change is the new OLED display, which offers great colors, high brightness, deep black and an enchanting experience with HDR content.

In addition, the tested configuration received the new Ryzen 5 5500U, which proved to be a great tool for computing tasks that literally whoop the 11th generation of Intel. However, it is slightly slower in single-core performance and the graphics performance is also higher on Intel with Iris Xe. Intel also has an advantage in the Thunderbolt 4 connectors, which are absent on the AMD version. However, you will pay extra for the additional features in the case of Intel versions. But I am very proud that Asus gives us a choice and offers both AMD and Intel versions, while the rest of the device is more or less the same.

In addition to the new display and AMD processor, it is as great a device as its previous versions. For me personally, it is definitely a GO-TO windows ultrabook, as the pricing policy is more than favorable, especially in the case of the AMD version.

Great build quality, large battery with a good battery life, convenient keyboard, large touchpad, number of ports and a 3D IR camera make this notebook a very good candidate for any customer looking for a light but capable ultrabook. Perhaps the only competition is the new MacBook Air, which does not offer as much flexibility as the ZenBook, but has other powerful weapons such as excellent battery life or passive cooling.

Due to the great results across the tests, lacking negatives and the favorable price, I’m giving the ZenBook 13 our ”Top Notch” award.

We’ve got games for our test from Jama levova

• Contents
• Specifications and details
• Test methodology
• Display tests
• Rendering and Geekbench
• 3D/PC Mark and Unigine Heaven/Superposition
• Gaming tests – integrated graphics
• Encryption, encoding
• Memory and storage tests
• Temperatures and battery life
• Analysis of clock rate, power consumption and temperatures
• Conclusion