ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA: Kaby Lake, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, TB3, 14" FHD, 2.4 lbs
by Anton Shilov on January 18, 2017 11:00 AM ESTASUS has now launched the latest addition to its ZenBook family of ultra-thin laptops with 14” displays. The new ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA boasts with Intel’s latest Kaby Lake-U microprocessors, up to 16 GB of memory, up to 1 TB SSD along with an advanced audio sub-system, an updated keyboard and a fingerprint reader in a 12.9 mm-thick design that weighs around 1.1 kilograms (2.4 lbs).
ASUS’ ZenBook is among the most popular families of ultra-thin laptops on the market today that competes against the likes of Apple's MacBook, Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 as well as the HP Spectre. The PCs come with fully-fledged Intel Core processors along with a choice of high-capacity SSDs as well as a rather decent spec list in general. As it appears, ASUS decided to improve ZenBook’s design further by adding a larger 14” display, a high-capacity 46 Wh battery, an advanced audio sub-system co-designed with Harman Kardon, a trusted platform module as well as two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a USB 3.1 Type-C port. The Deluxe version of the ZenBook 3 laptop weds business features with multimedia capabilities, style and expandability options: a rather rare combination.
ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490A at Glance | |||||
UX390UA-XH74-BL | UX390UA-DH51-GR | ||||
Display | Resolution | 1920×1080 | |||
Panel | 14" IPS 178° viewing angles 100% sRGB Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
||||
SoC | Intel Core i7-7500U 2C/4T, 2.7-3.5 GHz, 15W, Intel HD 620 |
Intel Core i5-7200U 2C/4T, 2.5-3.1 GHz, 15W, Intel HD 620 |
|||
RAM | 16 GB LPDDR3-2133 | 8 GB LPDDR3-2133 | |||
Storage | 256 GB SATA SSD 512 GB NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD 1 TB NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD |
||||
Camera | VGA webcam | ||||
Wireless | 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.1 |
||||
I/O ports | 2 × Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 Type-C | ||||
Audio | 4 × Speakers (co-designed with Harman Kardon) 1 × TRRS 3.5-mm jack for headset |
||||
Dimensions | 329 × 216 × 12.9 mm | ||||
Weight | 1100 grams | ||||
Battery | 46 Wh | ||||
OS | Windows 10 Pro 64-bit | ||||
Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | ||||
Finish | Royal Blue Silver Gray |
||||
Availability | Available at ASUS Store and retailers ETA date unknown |
The ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA is based on the Intel Core i5/i7 processor with integrated HD Graphics 620 and Microsoft’s Windows 10 Pro operating system. Different versions of the ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA will be equipped with 8 or 16 GB of LPDDR3-2133 DRAM as well as up to 1 TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD. For connectivity, the laptop uses an 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.1 wireless module, has one USB 3.1 Type-C header (which is also used for charging) and is equipped with two Thunderbolt 3 ports that can work in DisplayPort 1.2 and USB 3.1 Gen 2 modes. The laptop can be connected to 4K displays, an external GPU and an external storage system, greatly expanding its capabilities. To ensure that the PC does not overheat or throttle, ASUS uses a new 3-mm thick cooling solution that it expects to be efficient enough for the CPU and the SSD.
Like other high-end ZenBook laptops, the UX490UA comes in unibody enclosure made of an aluminum alloy that is said to be stronger compared to a standard aluminum alloy. To protect the display, the ZenBook 3 Deluxe uses Gorilla Glass 5 from Corning. Meanwhile, depending on configuration, the new ZenBook will come in a blue or a gray finish. It is worth noting that unlike some other Zenbook high-end models (such as the Zenbook Infinity), as far as we can tell, this device will not be touch screen enabled.
ASUS did not announce pricing of its ZenBook 3 Deluxe UX490UA machines, but given that the PC will exist in multiple configurations, it will vary quite significantly. For example, ASUS’ ZenBook 3 non-Deluxe laptops are available for $1099 and $1599, depending on specs. Keep in mind that the Deluxe versions of ASUS products are naturally positioned above the rest, so expect the ZenBook 3 Deluxe to come at a premium.
Related Reading:
Source: ASUS
42 Comments
View All Comments
MrSpadge - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
Agreed - I'd definitely want an Iris Pro version, yet it wouldn't make much of a difference to my mobile usage. The regular GPU is enough for casual games and everything else, whereas the Iris Pro is about a factor of 2 faster and hecne still not enough for most non-casual games.I do like the boost to CPU performance which Crystal Well brings. But again that doesn't really matter in a mobile environment. The performance boost matters a lot more if one is pushing performance to its boundaries, be it in a highly clocked quad or 10-core chip.
fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I'm with you, I love the look of this thing. I'm not in the target market as I'm not about to drop $2k on a laptop but if I was going to buy a laptop with no dGpu this would certainly be tempting. Dongles be damned.lopri - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The blue one looks sensational. I like the minimal curvature in the design, making it look more business-like. Specs look very good. Battery life will make it or break it, I think.fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
It has a battery roughly 20% larger than the iPad Pro, but I am guessing this device would consume the juice significantly faster. I would guess maybe 7-8 hours of non-taxing use.mdw9604 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I have less than 2 year old ASUS laptop that is useless because of a defective hinge design that they refuse to fix after warranty that affected many. I will never buy another ASUS product. $1200 wasted.Shadowmaster625 - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The only good thing about kaby lake is that you can now buy a decent SSD + 1080p skylake i5 notebook for $400.Michael Bay - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
All this, and only VGA frontfacer?julien420 - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
All looks very fancy but only one big problem with any Intel chip , the Graphics are rubbish . Sooner we see Zen laptops the better, it will be worth the wait .Michael Bay - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
Not since Iris Pro came out, but don`t let facts stand in the way of your worship.TheBigSmooth - Saturday, January 21, 2017 - link
As much and i love these smaller computers i cant help but think why these are so damn expensive for how little is in them