Asus ZenBook 13 UX325E – Tiger with a smaller body

Heating and battery life

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Basic specs

Details

A gray cardboard carries the typical ZenBook visuals with concentric circles.

We received a pre-production sample, so we do not have an EU charger. The rest of the packaging is quite ample. Here you will find an adapter from USB-C to audio jack, as we saw with the last generation’s ZenBook 14 and also with the Flip S. In addition, there is also an Ethernet adapter, and more interestingly, a protective case.

It is a simple fabric case, which you will definitely appreciate when travelling, and it is definitely a useful accessory, for which I give a thumbs up.

The new generation of ZenBooks is actually an evolution of last year’s models, from which we tested the larger version of ZenBook 14. The review sample offers the same design, just in a smaller body and with even lower weight. While the ZenBook 14 weighed almost 1.2 kg (2.6 lb), the new 13 slightly exceeds the 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) mark. The difference is therefore relatively small and in practice hardly noticeable.

The main difference compared to the previous models is upgrading to the 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake, which we have already seen in Flip S UX371. The last generation ZenBook 14 had Ice Lake Core i7-1065G7, the novelty was given a direct successor of the Core i7-1165G7, as well as the Flip S. There is a new Intel Xe graphics, 16 GB 4267 MHz RAM and 1 TB SSD. Unlike the previous generation, AMD versions have disappeared from the ZenBook line, which is definitely a pity. Lower configurations offer 512 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM and Core i5-1135G7. Prices range from EUR 1,039 – 1,309/CZK 27,990 – 34990.

Unlike the premium Flip S, the “base” ZenBook 13 did not receive Intel Evo certification. Nevertheless, it is still a modern and fast ultrabook that offers everything essential – fast wake-up, fast charging, WiFi 6 and biometric security. It is therefore questionable in which area it did not actually meet the necessary certification requirements, or maybe it is purely a marketing and business move, when only the Flip S received Evo tag and lower models didn’t. There may also be a financial reason, as I assume that certification and verification of the required specifications is probably not for free. However, this is only my speculation and we will try to contact the manufacturer with this question.

The design of the novelty is practically identical to the predecessor. Metal body with brushed edges and the typical display lid with circles is probably no longer a surprise, but it should definitely be mentioned. Again, the dark body easily captures fingerprints, which means you’ll have to clean it fairly often.

I praised the last year’s ZenBook 14 for its above-average connectivity, and the new 13 follows in its footsteps. After all, it is only a smaller version of the same model. For recapitulation, on the right side we have a classic USB type A with 5 Gb speed, a microSD card reader that is absent on the Flip S. The left side is occupied by HDMI 2.0 with 4K support at 60 Hz and two USB-C ports. Thanks to the new 11th generation processors, these are already new Thunderbolt 4 ports, both of which support charging and video output.

The package also includes the two mentioned adapters – USB-C to 3.5 mm audio jack, as well as RJ-45 Ethernet for wired connection to the Internet and local area network. Their presence in the package is definitely welcome.

As with the ZenBook 14, the front edge of the notebook is without a cutout, yet the display lid is easy to touch and open. You can also open the notebook with one hand, which is not a matter of course with such light devices especially. The rear side hides all ventilation and cooling system openings.

The top view again shows us the lid with the Asus logo and a circular design. The lower part has four rubber feet and a ventilation grille in the upper part.

After removing the bottom cover you get to the components. You 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, interesting is the deep blue motherboard, similar to the ZenBook 14. The whole lower part is occupied by a large battery and next to it we can see the speakers.

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.

The review configuration has the 11th generation Intel processor, namely the Tiger Lake Core i7-1165G7. That is complemented by 16 GB LPDDR4X 4266 MHz RAM and 1 TB SSD. In this series, you can also reach for a lower model with the i5-1135G7, 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. You won’t find dedicated graphics or AMD processors in the new ZenBook 13. The 11th generation of Intel brings a change in the form of integrated Iris Xe graphics, with which Intel promises significantly higher performance compared to the 10th generation and at the same time dares to compete with Vega graphics in AMD Renoir. This comparison is going to be really interesting and we will look at it in a moment. It will also be interesting to see the difference between the ZenBook 13 and the Flip S, which offers the same processor. In the last generation, we saw relatively large differences between laptops with the same processors.

Only the SSD is replaceable, RAM and WiFi are part of the motherboard. Therefore, consider the choice of configuration according to your needs. Personally, I would welcome it if we took it a step higher and 16 GB of RAM would become the basis, with the possibility of expanding to 32 GB. For example, in the XPS 13, Dell also offers a 32 GB configuration, which I personally would certainly reach for rather than 16 GB. You can find the 32 GB configuration on the manufacturer’s website, but I did not find it in our offer. I will therefore check its availability and add this information later.

ErgoLift hinge is an iconic function, which tilts the keyboard a bit when you open the display to make it easier for you to type on it. The notebook then forms a 3-degree angle with the pad and the keyboard with the display opens up to a maximum of 150 degrees. Thanks to the lifting of the base, the notebook also benefits from better cooling and sound reproduction quality.

The keyboard offers basically the identical layout to the ZenBook 14. The manufacturer refers to it as Edge-to-edge, which fully captures how the keyboard fills the entire width of the base. However, as the 13″ model is 1.5 cm smaller in width, the left row of control keys is slightly narrower than in the larger sibling. In addition, the layout is practically identical with the Home, End, PgUp and PgDn buttons on the right side, separated by half-sized arrows, single-line (bar-shaped) Enter and the power button in the upper right corner next to Delete. As you may know, I would welcome a two-line (ISO) Enter and the power button elsewhere, as you may mistake it for Delete in its current position, which is often used. Plus, I did not feel any significant difference between the resistance of the two buttons, which would help at least a little in use.

Again, I praise the relatively large touchpad with a pleasant glass surface and integrated touchpad. We also saw the same on the ZenBook 14. There is also the NumberPad 2.0, i.e. a backlit numeric keypad integrated into the touchpad, which you activate by pressing the icon in the upper right corner.

Although you won’t find a fingerprint reader here, you won’t lose biometric security. Similarly to the ZenBook 14, there is a 3D IR camera with Windows Hello support. After capturing and saving your face, just open the notebook it unlocks immediately. Personally, I think it’s even faster and more convenient than a fingerprint reader. The webcam has a resolution of 720p, no surprises here.

Both the last-generation ZenBook 14 and the new Flip S have achieved excellent battery tests. This is mainly due to a 67 Wh battery, which is above average in such ultrabooks. The usual battery capacity is around 50–55 Wh. The same battery can be found in the smaller 13, and with the new processors, it has a potential to reach an equally good result. A smaller display can be an advantage in this case, and we are potentially looking at a new leader in battery life. But we will verify this in a moment.

Apart from the fact that we do not have the EU version of the charger in our test package, it is basically the same 65 W model with a USB-C connector as we saw with the ZenBook 14. Fast charging is included as well, which means 47% after half an hour, 76% after an hour and 95% after an hour and a half. A full charge takes the usual time, a little over 2 hours.

The previous king of this test was the Asus VivoBook S15 with a time of 9 hours and 26 minutes. But the king is dead, long live the king! The ZenBook 13 UX325E has set a new record in our demanding YouTube test with a time of 9 hours 37 minutes, beating the older sibling, the ZenBook 14 UX425, with a time of 9 hours and 5 minutes. Compared to the VivoBook, don’t forget the fact that 50% brightness on laptops is different, so if it matched the same level, the new ZenBook 13 would even have an advantage.

Let’s look at the test results.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Testing 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.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

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. According to the manufacturer’s website, the display should offer 100% sRGB spectrum. It is a 13.3-inch IPS Full HD panel in the classic 16:9 aspect ratio. The side frames are relatively thin, thanks to which the display occupies up to 88% of the body. You can choose from two models, differing only in maximum brightness, namely 300 or 450 nits.

The specs given by the manufacturer more or less add up. We managed to measure 100% sRGB and we see equally good results with 2.2 gamma value with a minimum deviation, a solid uniformity with a small deviation at the bottom right and a very good Delta-E color deviation of 1.18.

The maximum measured brightness was 391 nits, which most likely means that I have tested the model with a brighter, 450-nit panel. In our stores, however, I found mostly 300-nit versions, most likely the 450-nit versions are not even available here. We’ll check this information with the manufacturer.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Rendering, Geekbench

The 10th generation of Intel processors appeared in several devices, but as we were able to observe, the differences in the performance of the Core i7-1065G7 across the devices were quite large. We will see if the situation will be repeated with the new i7-1165G7, which we’re having here for the second time. We will therefore compare it with its direct predecessor, but we will not forget a representative from the Ryzen model portfolio.

Let’s start traditionally with Cinebench R15 for a first look at the raw performance of the processor. Single-core confirms the high performance we’ve seen with the Flip S, but the ZenBook 13 is even better. It beat the Flip S by 12% and the previous ZenBook 14 by 21%. The Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen and the XPS with the Ci7 lag behind by a few more percent. However, we have seen greater differences in multi-core tests in the past, which has been confirmed now. The ZenBook 14 with the 10th gen Intel lost by 22% to the XPS, while having the same processor. The new Flip S with the 11th generation was not enough for the XPS, by 8%. However, the new ZenBook 13 already beats the XPS by 6%. Nevertheless, the multi-core table is clearly dominated by the Swift 3 with an 8-core Ryzen with a lead of another 23%.

The Cinebench R20 shows basically identical results, i.e. a high score of the ZenBook 13 in single-core and a better result in multi-core than all other Intel models, but a loss in multi-core to the Swift 3.

We do not yet have enough data in the new R23 to draw any conclusions.

The Blender and POV-Ray hands-on tests were a daunting test for both the ZenBook 14 and the Flip S, as performance dropped dramatically in such long tests. The new ZenBook 13 is a bit better and it finished POV-Ray by 23 and 32% faster than the Flip S and the 14. However, it’s still slower than the XPS, and the Swift 3 shows high multi-core performance here as well. The situation is very similar in Blender.

Single-core results in Geekbench 3–5 also show the lead of ZenBook 13 over the Flip S (19/1/3%), the old 14 (14/16/21%) and the Swift 3 (18/35/33%). In multi-core we also see differences, although this time in a slightly different ratio – Flip S (30/8/16%), old 14 (17/17/23%) and Swift 3 (-24/9/7%). It is interesting that in the oldest Geekbench, the Swift with Ryzen is the fastest, but with newer versions, it already loses to ZenBook 13.

The Compute graphics test shows that the Flip S is 10/16% faster, while the last-generation ZenBook 14 lags behind by -40/-44 and the Swift 3 with Ryzen by -16/-21%. We will see if these results will be confirmed in other graphics tests.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

3D/PC Mark and Unigine Heaven/Superposition

A combined PCMark test continues the trend we saw in rendering. The new ZenBook 13 is faster than the 10th generation predecessors including the Flip S, but the Swift with Ryzen is still the leader.

The coin flips in 3DMark Firestrike, Time Spy and Sky Diver, where the ZenBook 13 with the new Intel Xe graphics beats not only the Flip S, but also the Swift and of course, older models. Particularly interesting is the lead over the Flip S, which has the same processor. It is at the level of 30%, which is again a relatively large number considering the same processor.

New tests have been added to 3DMark, which we will also use in the future. However, we do not yet have enough data for analysis, so commenting on the results is irrelevant.

The Unigine Heaven gaming test shows the 13’s victory in the test of integrated graphics with a relatively large lead. The Flip S lags behind by 23% and the ZenBook 14 by even more than a half.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

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 ZenBook 13 with the 11th generation Intel beats so far all tested integrated graphics models as well as the dedicated MX Nvidia GPUs. Compared to the previous generation of ZenBook 14, we see an increase of 80–90%. It is also interesting that the Flip S lags behind by 20–40%, while having the same processor and GPU.

GTA V is one of the most popular games on the market as well and offers complex and challenging graphics. Therefore, we see slightly different results than in CS:GO. The new ZenBook beats all other Intel models, but Ryzen in both the Swift 3 and G14 is faster, as is the MX250 in the Swift.

On the contrary, in Dirt Rally, the ZenBook 13 is again at the top, where it was beaten only by the G14, which has a processor with higher wattage, which makes it a not entirely fair comparison. On the contrary, higher performance than the MX250, Ryzen 4700U with Vega 7 and all other Intels is respectable.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Encryption, encoding

We do not see any surprises in encryption or decryption as in previous tests. The new 13 offers the same performance as the Flip S. This surpasses the last generation of laptops by 10–15%, but still lags 5% behind Ryzen in the Swift 3.

Working with videos is one of the longer tests and again shows similar results as with rendering. The ZenBook 13 lags slightly behind the XPS, but offers a better result than both the Flip S and the older ZenBook 14. However, the Swift 3 with Ryzen is a third faster, again demonstrating Ryzen’s multi-core performance.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Memory and storage tests

The new feature got a faster 4266 MHz memory as opposed to the 3200 MHz in the last generation ZenBook 14. The result has arrived and, together with the Flip S, the novelty is dominating the speed test. Latency is also better than on all models compared.

The area where I often criticize Asus is SSD speeds. Although the ZenBook 13 doesn’t offer the same speeds as the Flip S, these are still better numbers than we’ve seen in the previous 14, especially the write.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Heating and battery life

The 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake has not brought any temperature improvements, so we are still looking at values attacking 100 degrees Celsius. In addition to the maximum temperatures, the performance course and the development of temperatures over time are also important, which we will look at in the flow charts, in which we also compare the influence of performance modes.

The ZenBook 13 UX325E with the 11th generation Intel processor is the new king of our test on YouTube after beating the VivoBook S15 and the last generation ZenBook 14 with a value of 9 hours and 37 minutes.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Blender

Just as we started to monitor the course of clock speed, power draw and temperatures in Blender and 3DMark in gaming notebooks, we will also address these areas for non-gaming notebooks. In this case, we are mainly interested in the visualization of the performance course for individual performance modes and CPU load, but also the 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 the Performance is around 2.7 GHz and the Standard is slightly lower at 2.3 GHz, the Whisper is below 1 GHz with an average of around 600 MHz. We also see a big difference between the lengths of the test itself.

Power draw exactly copies the clock curve. Performance is around 18 W, Standard around 16 W, Whisper has only 6 W.

The temperature course during the test is again very similar to the clock and power draw, and after initial values of 90 degrees, it gradually decreases to 75 in Performance mode, Standard decreases to 70 and in the case of Whisper even below 50 degrees.

The difference in performance between Performance and Standard is only 6%, which was seen in similar performance curves. However, Whisper shows up to 4 times worse result than Performance, which is definitely not negligible.

3DMark

A similarly long stress test is the old familiar Fire Strike. The differences between the modes are also visible here. Both Performance and Standard have relatively the same curves, with the difference that Performance again has slightly higher clock speed in certain areas of the test. On the other hand, Whisper quite often sticks to the lower clock limit, which will definitely have a big impact on the overall score.

Power draw confirms the findings in the clock speed graph, namely the fact that Performance has in certain parts of the test about 3–4 W higher power draw and thus the clock itself. But the curves are more or less the same. This is not the case for Whisper, where we see significantly lower power draw across the entire test, only at the level of 7 W.

Given the differences in power draw and clock speed, it makes sense that Performance has a 3–4 degrees higher temperature, about 75 degrees Celsius. Whisper, on the other hand, is just fluctuating around 50.

Perhaps for the first time, the GPU load in 3D scenes varies among the modes. Whisper shows measurable performance drops of up to 40%. We also see that this mode has shifted curves of individual parts of the test, as they lasted longer than the other two.

We also see noticeable differences in the GPU power draw in individual modes. The Performance again shows 2–3 W higher power draw than the Standard, which will certainly affect the performance. On the contrary, Whisper is doing kind of miserable, power draw is only kept at the level of 1–2 W.

The temperature of the graphics chip is very similar to the temperature of the processor, as it is an integrated part. The measured values are only slightly lower.

The difference in the total score between Standard and Performance is bigger than with Blender, i.e. 11%. Also, the Whisper lags even further behind and is up to 4.8–5.4 times slower compared to the other two modes.

Summary

Graph analysis and test results suggest that for the vast majority of users, the Standard mode will be suitable and switching to Performance is important only when playing games, in case of demanding work such as video editing, etc. Just 6 and 11% difference is more or less negligible in practice and you will only notice the difference in specific scenarios. On the contrary, Whisper significantly affects the performance, up to 4–5 times, it will therefore really only be suitable for critical situations where you need the longest possible battery life.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

MyAsus

Asus also offers an application for controls and management of your laptop called MyAsus.

You will find the option to check the hardware, update the drivers and BIOS.

There are various settings such as changing the charging method, the already mentioned performance modes or various network or sound improvements.

You will also find recommended applications and the option to connect a smartphone here.

We have seen the MyAsus application several times and it is definitely one of the best on the market.

Intel brought the 11th generation of processors relatively quickly, which naturally means that most laptop manufacturers have updated their models. These include Asus, which in addition to the new Flip S also introduced a revamped ZenBook 13 and 14. We reviewed the last generation’s 14, now we will test the smaller 13-inch model. Expectations are high, as I considered the ZenBook 14 to be one of the best ultrabooks of the year.

Rating

Asus ZenBook 13 UX325E is an updated version of last year’s models with the 10th generation Intel. From the previous model series, we tested the ZenBook 14 UX425, which I liked and named as one of the best ultrabooks on the market. Clearly, the updated version with new processors can not be any worse, and everything I praised on the ZenBook 14 also applies to the new 13. In addition, we have significantly more powerful integrated graphics, thanks to which you can play relatively demanding 3D games, which was just until recently unthinkable on ultrabooks.

I praise the great battery life, good port selection, biometric security with a 3D camera, a pleasant keyboard with a large touchpad and a high build quality, which is already standard with ZenBooks. Negatives are hard to find, especially since the novelty achieves better test results than the more expensive Flip S, although they use the same processor and the ZenBook has a lower price tag. The only thing I consider a step back compared to the previous generation is the absence of AMD Ryzen versions. Therefore, I secretly hope that this year we will also see a model with Ryzen 5000 processors.

Perhaps the only question I can’t answer is whether the ZenBook 13 has a reason to exist at all, as the 14-inch version has very similar dimensions and weight, and I see no reason to reach for a smaller model when you can have a larger screen without significant compromises.

Due to the great results across the tests, absent negatives and the reasonably set price, I give the ZenBook 13 the Smart Buy! award.

You can buy this notebook at our partner’s website at czc.cz for CZK 34,999/EUR 1,340

Thank you to Spacebar for providing us with games for our tests.

• Contents
• Specifications and details
• Testing methodology
• Display tests
• Rendering and Geekbench
• 3D/PC Mark and Unigine Heaven/Superposition
• Gaming tests – integrated graphics
• Encryption, encoding
• Memory and storage tests
• Heating and battery life
• Analysis of clock, power draw and temperatures
• Utility app
• Rating