In principle, very nice device, but with glaring weaknesses in detail

Video at Amazon.com View I bought the notebook to replace my UX-31A, which has given me more than two years very good services. The extended battery life seduced me. After setting I am admittedly a bit disillusioned. I try it so concisely as possible to:

PROCESSING
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The case is very well made, especially from the outside and provides a great visual and tactile Eindruck.Spaltmaße and fitting accuracy of the components are very good. The case still appears to be less "robust" than my old UX-31A, first, it feels a little easier, and secondly, "hollow", but that's whining at a high level. Compared to UX31A has actually done little. The unit is significantly thicker than the pre-predecessor and in particular front. This means that the hands are noticeably higher than in the old unit, which I personally find not so bad, but depending on the stature and Tip-technique can be unpleasant. For this, the edges (where the heel of the hand are) not as sharp as the UX31A, but could even more "rounded" tolerated anyway.

What is down sharply: on the right side to the middle of the aluminum frame around the keyboard keys around a) already pressed with light pressure and b) from left to right over the entire keyboard away slightly sloping (together with the keyboard). As I write pM with 500 attacks, which unfortunately makes itself felt, although there probably is less than 1mm difference. In addition, there were -despite welded pack- right on the aluminum next to the keyboard visible, but very small scratches, probably from the production. Another mini-minus point: with the fold display tilts the device front right easily. When the lid is closed, then not. The effect is really minimal, I fixed it with a small piece of gaffer tape, but you could have also be so.

At this point, a star deduction, because all the things are that I do not expect for a device for 1,100 EUR.

DISPLAY
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The brightest mode the screen is darker than that of my UX-31A. That really does not matter, because I had to anyway never maxed out because I do not work outside or in direct sunlight. The brilliance is felt slightly less well than the UX-31A, but still good and for me perfectly adequate (Office, Internet, here and there a little Photoshop).

BATTERY LIFE
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Am I a little disappointed: it is a net with about 6.5h at Office Working with wireless ON with occasional surfing and window viewing on the second darkest level significantly better than the UX-31A (about 5.5 hours), but worse, than I expected. The Dell XPS 13 (2014er model) my wife creates the much longer with> 8h. The new XPS 13 is apparently already the qHD display at 9h, the FHD display to more than 12. Since the hardware is very similar and the housing even much smaller, I wonder what makes Dell as correct.

INPUT DEVICES
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Without to turn it into a scientific treatise: the trackpad is ok, quite hard clicks in my opinion. The keyboard is at best "satisfactory". On the right side it is a bit spongy and what did not work (s processing.): Some of the letters on the right side (T, P, O, I, U, Z, Ä, Ö, L) trigger is not always when If the key is not in the center, but caught in the lower left or right corner. As I said, with many strokes per minute which is partly really annoying. This is combined with the sponginess also the reason why I'm considering to return the device. Second star deduction here!

SOUND
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The sound is good for a notebook, but not as good as the UX-31A. Slightly tinny and lack bass, which was pre-predecessor model better at.

Temperatures and fan
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Temperatures are as you would expect much better with Broadwell: about 40 ° C idle and up to max. 78 ° C under load (Prime). For Video Conversion means Intel QuickSync (FullHD, H.264) it comes in advance to 85 ° C up. But the fans are even very subtle, the sound is more or less free from high-frequency noises and sounds slightly "hollow", but is this also bearable. Without load the device is usually completely silently. (But I have the version without a dedicated graphics, therefore less heat.)

PERFORMANCE (SSD)
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Here are just a spotlight, a measurement of the SSD.

AS SSD Benchmark 1.7.4739.38088
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Sequential:
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Read: 431.57 MB / s
Letter: 209.84 MB / s
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4K:
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Read: 28.72 MB / s
Letter: 77.17 MB / s
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4K 64Threads:
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Read: 259.23 MB / s
Letter: 200.46 MB / s
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Access times:
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Read: 0.127 ms
Letter: 0.047 ms

CONCLUSION
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I have a feeling that ASUS has in the "optimization" of the product worked primarily on cost savings, resulting in the described limitations. I find that for a device in this price range on the border with unacceptable. I would rather pay 100 EUR more like my old UX31A and it not had all these points. I quarrel not know if I give myself the effort, all new set, or if I now just use the standard three years and then umsteige to another brand. Too bad, I had hoped for more.

If I come again I put some pictures to ...