ASUS ZenBook UX330UA-AH54 13.3-inch LCD Ultra-Slim Laptop (Core i5 Processor, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, Windows 10) w/ Harman Kardon Audio, Backlit keyboard, Fingerprint Reader

ASUS almost nailed it with this model... And yes, it is an excellent upgrade from the previous model: UX305UA. However, there is one major flaw, which resulted in the return of the system after a few days. Want to learn more? Please continue reading. I'll make this as brief and to the point as possible:Build quality: (4.9/5)Excellent build quality for the price. You will have an entirely aluminum body (except the bottom cover) which makes it very sturdy.Display: (4.2/5)The FHD display is a decent 1080p display. There seems to be less light-bleed and improved color contrast when compared to the previous model, which is good. The new profiles for switching display modes is quite nice, too. Overall, the display is much improved over the Skylake model and I am very happy with this laptop thus far.Keyboard, Trackpad, Fingerprint Reader: (4.8/5)The keyboard is very much improved over the previous model. It is even back-lit, which is a huge plus, in my opinion. The keys have a very nice feel to them and are no longer "rounded" but rather squared and feel more like a quality chiclet keyboard. The track pad is different than the previous model and will take some getting used to, but it is improved. And the fingerprint reader is responsive. This new model allows you to sign in using Windows Hello, a new authentication feature on Windows 10, which uses biometrics to login.Performance: (4.6/5)Boot time is about 5 seconds. However, the SSD read and write speeds are not much improved over the previous model. They are 520MB/s and 350MB/s, respectively. (Note: Windows 10 loves to throw processes in the startup, so disable these applications to make startup faster.) This laptop has the new Intel Core-i5 7200U processor, which is honestly a decent step up, considering the clock speed. I noticed about 22% improvement in Unigine Heaven Benchmark (due primarily to the new Intel HD 620 Graphics). HOWEVER, this is where things took me by surprise... I'm not sure if it's because of the CPU or Windows 10, but some processes made the CPU fan spins up quite often, which became quite annoying for a Zenbook (aka. Ultrabook). The CPU temperature reached nearly 55C at idle and the fan was very noticeable. The previous model (UX305UA) did not have this issue. My belief is that the unit I received was defective in this regard, so I returned it and have ordered another.Battery life: (4.3/5)The battery life of this new system is roughly 2.5 hours with extreme use (e.g. video editing, benchmarking, etc.). The battery life is right around 11 hours with light use (e.g. web browsing, homework, etc.). And the average battery life with day-to-day usage was around 9 hours. All in all, I believe this is very good. Actual battery life will vary depending on the user and what applications you're running.Speakers: (4.8/5)What an amazing improvement over the previous model... I am so impressed by this, I'm considering purchasing another (despite the CPU fan issue) as I believe the laptop I received may have just had a bad factory paste job.I/O (Input / Output): (4.5/5)The laptop has plenty of ports, including a USB-Type C port, which is compatible with the adapters to make this an additional USB 3.0 port. And most importantly, for all of you content developers out there (or photographers), it does have an SD card slot.Upgradeability:The system is not upgradeable. The M.2 SSD may be upgradeable, but do not take my word for this. I did attempt to remove the bottom panel but was unable to because I feared the pressure it took to get it off would result in cracking the plastic, so I decided it was not worth it, considering I wanted to return it due to the fan issues. My belief is that there are two screws hidden beneath the rubber feet (glued down).Conclusion: (32.1 / 35)Overall, this system is great. I would love to have given it a 4.5 star rating but this is not possible. If you are looking for a fairly powerful, quality, and lightweight laptop for less than $800, this is it. Let me just say once more, this system, the UX330UA, is a great improvement over the previous model. (I did not include "upgradeability" in the overall score because it is a Zenbook and they've never been upgradeable. But I thought it was worth mentioning, considering I did attempt to open it up to re-paste.)Would I recommend this laptop? Yes, it's a great alternative to a Macbook and offers you a great balance between performance and portability. It's wrapped in a nicely built chassis with minimal flex. The design is elegant and the system is a great improvement, overall. The speakers are great for a 13" laptop - not the best, but very good and much improved. For $750, this is a good deal, and I can almost guarantee you'll be happy with the system. It may not be perfect, but it's close.EDIT [Nov. 25th]: I have ordered another unit and plan to update this review, especially if the fan issue persists.EDIT [Nov. 27th]: The new system has arrived (a day early, I might add) and the fan seems to still spin up depending on what applications are running. However, it appears to be tamed down a bit on this unit. I'm assuming the previous unit I returned had some issue with the thermal compound on the CPU heat sink, which caused it to overheat more easily. But with that said, the fan is still noticeable and annoying from time to time. I'll be sure to update this post later.EDIT [Nov. 28th]: I've noticed that with the laptop in "Battery Saver" mode (enabled in power options, by clicking on the battery icon) the laptop fans do not spin up nearly as much and it is much quieter, as you'd expect from a Zenbook (or Ultrabook). The Windows 10 module updater is what is causing the system to spin up and make a lot of annoying noise... It's always trying to update.

Had this laptop for a few weeks now and it runs great.However, I found that the fan was making quite a lot of noise. I opened the laptop up and found that the noise was not the fan but a metal cable that runs over the fan causing the loud noise as it vibrates. After fastening the cable down, the noise no longer occurs.Removing the backplate is easy, just remove the visible screws and two screws under the rubber feet. You'll see the cable resting just above the fan.

This review is for the UX330UA (core i5-7200U version).Amazon, you really need to stop lumping multiple products in the same listing, its confusing and totally skews the overall rating system.ASUS, seriously guys, update your product specifications on your site and stop with the confusing model numbers. I couldn't find any additional info on this laptop, other than the amazon listing.I've had this laptop for the better part of a week now, I can answer any questions on it.PROS:The screen is IPS and looks fantastic, very little light bleed (the spectre x360 has a better display IMO, but is also more expensive). Colors and contrast look great.Build quality is great, solid aluminum typical zenbook construction (except the bezel is plastic). The size is pretty amazing too, despite the larger bezels. Its super light and thin. Keyboard is great, backlit with an auto-light sensor (sensor can be shutoff). The touch-pad is microsoft precision and feels really great. I should also mention the fingerprint scanner is a nice add-on. Didn't think I'd use it, but it has been really convenient for unlocking the pc. Anyone with a nexus 5x can attest to how awesome having a fingerprint scanner can be.It is a core-i5u (not a core-M) so it can run hot if you push it. Fan noise isn't that bad, quieter than others (such as the spectre x360). Fan only seems to run when the processor is under load, otherwise its silent. Honestly I'd rather have it this way and get the extra CPU performance when I need it vs a totally silent configuration that is slower.Battery life seems great so far. It comes with a Macbook style charger, which is nice and portable.CONS:Now for the negatives on this laptop. The SSD is pretty sub-standard. Its a sandisk Z400 m.2 drive. I wish they would have spent the extra $10 and put in a sandisk X400, would have been well worth the upgrade (google for benchmarks). Also, NVME support would be nice (asus tech support claims the m.2 port only supports SATA, I might pick up a NVME drive to confirm). In the end the SSD is fine, definitely way better than a hard drive, but it could have been much better. I plan on upgrading to a 500 gig drive at some point so its not a big deal to me.Another thing I've noticed is the occasional "coil whine" while idle. You can really only hear it in a dead silent room, and its not nearly as bad as the Dell XPS or HP envy's I've used in the past. For this price point I'm willing to look past this.The value in this laptop is amazing. Its truly a no-frills (lack of touchscreen/flip design) ultrabook for people who just want a solid built ultra-portable machine with plenty of power under the hood.

I am thrilled with this model. Sweethome reviewed the previous generation and rated it one of the best and I got this newer version instead. I really like the fingerprint reader - it is much more secure. I am amazed that this much power and battery life can fit in something this small and light with no active cooling.For anyone looking to add storage, Transcend makes a very short SD card that will fit in the shallow SD slot barely sticking out. Available in 64GB, 128GB or 256GB it can be used for backup (file History in Windows 10) or file storage. Transcend 64GB JetDrive Lite 330 Storage Expansion Card for 13-Inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (TS64GJDL330)

Great display and pretty lightweight, but the mouse pad jumps all the time making scrolling annoying and difficult.

This really is not a well made machine. Within months the hinge became very loose making it difficult to keep the screen up in one position, then the pieces around the screen...

Has a few quirks, certain programs would behave funny. Resolution would occasionally wig out, desktop shortcuts would jump around.

I got this laptop about a year and a half ago to use as my primary computer for a while for work and personal use.

I'm very picky with my laptops, and I often spend weeks trying to pick out the right one for me. This laptop has everything anyone could need.

work well

Terrible. Hard drive crashed just after 1 year. Had always been finicky.

Usually my go to laptop go to is Lenovo(Reliable, long lasting). I bought this for better weight and sound quality.The SSD on it failed in a year. In a year??!!!

The UX330UA started out as the best laptop I had ever owned; the aluminum build quality is great, the glass Precision Touchpad is awesome, the fingerprint reader is seamlessly...

Everything I need for work/school productivity, video streaming, etc. Solid battery life and unbeatable portability. Really happy.