Since I was looking for a small, lightweight, quiet but also play capable notebook with high-quality display, the range of possible devices today is unfortunately very limited. To 13.3 "remains a fact only the UX302 with dedicated Nvidia graphics card. Everything else is bigger, heavier and usually connected to other disadvantages (lousy display etc.)
After I had read some negative reviews for UX302 I am cautiously approached the purchase and have decided to test very carefully. In the negative comments it was almost always around the screen and occasionally also to housing deficiencies. Since the negative reviews were associated with considerable difficulties in delivery of the notebook, have postponed the purchase until the 2nd week of January 2014 in the hope that by then Asus has problems under control.
Now the chic Asus UX302 Ultrabook is there, then, and I have now tested it for several days. I rate quite critical, because I think for such a high price also to expect a little more!
The first impression is great, it has a sophisticated, the feel is great, any deficiencies are not visible at first glance.
Switched on and Windows 8 will be set up - that's right fix, you realize that the box has power.
Then in several passages unfortunately about 100 updates afterwards that lasted much longer.
Just why is actually not equal Windows 8.1 pre-installed? Instead, the notebook comes with a fairly old Windows 8 Image and partially outdated drivers, which does not fit the price range.
After all the bios in version 207 is currently. No matter, on we go, up a bit Windows and appreciate the rich colors and the bright display correctly!
However, the screen has now been adjusted 2 times vigorously and without my help, and the brightness is much too dark. I do not like so that automatic brightness adjustment is not mature, the very first thing I have been deactivated.
Apart from the fact you can hear at low load most nix! No fans, no hard drive - great!
Two hours later, 2 friends have looked at the machine and it is found that the display lid is now littered with fingerprints - not so nice. One must for cleaning but never take a soft paper towel, because then put lint into the lateral cracks (where the glass is fitted on the edge of the display frame) which hardly go out again.
Even stupid that the device is very easy and even then slipping away depending on the opening angle in a circular motion to the rear. Until about 100Grad opening angle of the display, the notebook is quite slippery on the rubber feet on the housing base. When you open the display a little further it goes back under the notebook and bucks on it. Now the notebook is quite slippery on the back 2 small plastic noses. Stupid is the first which has a plastic nose rear left ground contact when expanding. This has happened, unfortunately, exactly where to work favorite of mine opening angle of 110-120 degrees. Here, the notebook is very slippery and rotates while pushing from the front to the left rear plastic nose!
The work itself makes the UX302 just fun, everything goes smoothly and quickly equip that can be installed in the engine as well as expected. The CPU runs almost continuously in the Turbo clock implying an efficient cooling system. Nevertheless, it creates the pre-installed McAfee (30 days trial) daily the notebook unasked with intensive scanning for about 10 minutes each with 50-80% CPU load noticeably slow. After uninstalling and switch to the Kasperski that's no longer an issue.
For me, it is interesting in the selling point of the notebook, the discrete graphics card.
That with the integrated processor graphics play at least at a low level is possible to expect, so what exactly brings the dedicated GT 730M?
I tested Diablo3, Torchlight2, Command & Conquer (Kane's Wrath), Skyrim and Civilization5. Plus a variety of runs with the graphic test program Unigine Heaven 4.0. Except for Skyrim all games run in multiplayer, which in some cases considerably higher demands.
The notebook can be described thanks to the GT730M as reasonably suitable for gaming. Much graphics performance you can from the Nvidia card but do not expect Unigine Heaven supplies depending on the settings a score of around 240-470 points. My GTX 770 in the desktop PC on the other hand creates about 2000 points. The latest graphics firecrackers go so if at all probably only with greatly reduced settings, but the 5 games mentioned with your moderate requirements mastered the UX302 sometimes even in full HD with liquid frame rates and medium to high settings.
Of interest is the possible variation in the runtime on battery power. As a really positive I would like to stress here that the notebook brings full power and battery power! CPU, GPU and display brightness are (provided the right energy-saving options are set) not restricted even in battery mode. At idle, the notebook measured 7-11 watts draws from the battery and runs well for 5 hours. CPU full load draws about 28 watts at medium brightness. When the discrete graphics card takes the power consumption jumps directly more than 30 watts. When playing are CPU and ext. GPU is active, the power consumption then levels usually around 35 watts. Maximum I measured 45 Watts. The fully charged battery 50Wh (measured 48Wh) are playing sometimes so after less than 90 minutes. All measurements were carried out with enabled Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and a fully charged battery.
A Klopper is yet to come!
After installation of just 4 programs and 3 games, the C partition is almost full! Once I've found Windows 8 Disk Management quickly shows why - the SSD is unhappy patched with 5 partitions delivered (boot manager, recovery, operating system, data and again restore). So be on the C: \ total of just 95GB is available which is already well 50GB on delivery! Unfortunately, Windows 8 is not to shrink with standard tools capable of the D partition and slam the newly available space of the C partition. After the recommended update to Windows 8.1 are with yet another small recovery partition now even 6 partitions. Really great and with board funds can not be solved!
A division into 2 partitions (OS and data) may be useful for some people, yes, but in my view, not at such a small SSD. Here the risk is simply too great that the OS partition is too small. Thus, the whole concept then leads to absurdity.
Bottom line, I'm already satisfied with the device - it replaces a 2 year old Alienware M11x R3. It is slightly lighter and sleeker, and has a really much better display. The gaming performance and battery life under load, however, are only moderately better. Asus should make improvements in the software and on the price, on Win8 touch and in combination with a reflective display I had the benefit of Win7 love waived. Amazed me how quiet the notebook works even under full steam, that is, given the small housing and the necessary power truly exceptional! Here, unlike in many other current Ultrabooks, the cooling system has even more reserves. A Heruntertakten to or below the base clock of 1.8GHz is almost never observed, the CPU almost always runs with Turbo overclocking.
If you want to get a quick overview of my test results is right here:
Per
-Very Processed chic and high quality
-Powerful And not artificially throttled i7 CPU and GT730M graphics card thanks tidy design and cooling system also can almost always run at full clock.
-Vollgasfest ", Ie no thermal conditional Heruntertakten of CPU + GPU for a few seconds, as with many other current Ultrabooks. Thanks to the external graphics card you almost never run into TDP limit of the processor.
-NVIDIA Optimus (switching between internal and external graphics card) is functioning properly and automatically, but a manual assignment does not always work (which are likely to make better drivers later)
-Large Touchpad with very good sliding properties, unfortunately, the click of the left mouse button is on the far left edge of the touchpad running not always 100% accurate
-Fast Ram with dual channel operation
-Very Convenient Warranty Upgrade to 3 years for Asus
-Full Brightness and gaming performance and battery power (when the whole energy options are set correctly)
-For A 13 "Ultrabook amazing for gaming
-In Desktop operating mostly inaudible, even under load relatively quiet!
-Stufenlose Fan speeds which do not change abruptly
-Current Installed Bios Version
Neutral
-Bright Full HD display with rich colors. No dead pixels, but moderate bleeding Screen top left and bottom. On a very small area of dirt behind the cover glass
-Not Too overloaded with useless software, although about 1 dozen Asus programs are almost borderline. Plus trial versions of Mc Affee and Office 365th
Corrected -Small, lightweight 65-watt power supply (approx 200Gramm) that is not too hot, but unfortunately not PFC is (cos phi 0,5).
-Immerhin Not limited to, the base plate can be unscrewed with some effort and Torx T5 screwdriver. One can at least Ram and SDD upgrade makes sense, but is not easy (I changed the SSD)
-Durchschnittlich Quick Kingston SSD with 770 points Score measured with the AS SSD benchmark that built me 1TB Samsung 840 Evo has over 1200 points
Although -Brauchbare battery life, 5 hours at low load are not bad, compared to the competition in Haswell environment but relatively weak
Contra
-Nutzlose Automatic brightness adjustment
-No Non-slip stand for display open
-Windows 8 with old drivers, no operating system DVD, no Windows installation key!
Unfortunately criteria available -Thanks Intel Ultrabook with mirrored touch display and Windows 8
Join -Under load low battery life and no way a spare battery
-relative Expensive, especially when you see the selling prices of the UX302 in the US
-Schmutzempfindlicher Lid and cleaning with soft paper towels put the hardly go out again lint in the lateral cracks
SSD is unhappy patched with 5 partitions delivered. This means that on the operating system partition C in the delivered condition just good 40GB free! After updating to Windows 8.1, it is then even 6 partitions
Overall, I forgive benevolent 4 of 5 stars - among other things for the courage of the engineers here as only a 13er Ultrabook with faster graphics to put on your feet. The technical implementation has succeeded in many areas, it depends on details that would actually easy to fix by Asus.
