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 EST
ASUS 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Camera | VGA webcam | ||||
| Wireless | 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.1 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Availability | Available at ASUS Store and retailers ETA date unknown |
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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.
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Source: ASUS
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fanofanand - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I'm guessing the tray price is the issue. All non-Apple vendors struggle to sell an expensive laptop with no GPU. Most non-Apple laptops (not all, but most) that are in the "premium" category are "gamer" laptops. You can't sell a "gamer" laptop with an iGpu, is the thinking. With the race to the bottom none will take the risk of increasing the BOM by $200+ to get the Iris Pro when they can just slap a cheap dGpu in there and still market to all the 7EET gamerz.id4andrei - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
It's not that. Iris is not worth it, pure and simple. It's not worth the TDP expense. All Iris chipsets burn through the battery when in use without offering that much performance. It's a false "middle". Too expensive for nothing. In fact I would say it's a flaw. Either dgpu or base iGPU.fanofanand - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - link
That doesn't explain why they aren't ever used in desktops either though. I think my analysis was spot on, but feel free to disagree. :)ToTTenTranz - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The specs table mentions only 2 USB-C ports, but the pictures clearly show 1 port on the left and another 2 on the right.grant3 - Saturday, January 21, 2017 - link
1 of the ports might be nothing more than a charging port.TheinsanegamerN - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
The Donglebook for windows users.mooninite - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
No Iris? No sale! Ridiculous to not have Iris graphics on your high-end laptop, ASUS!julien420 - Thursday, January 19, 2017 - link
When will Intel ever get that their Graphics are pure and utter rubbish ?fanofanand - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 - link
Well if the speculation that Intel is going to license AMD iGPU's for their future processors, then they have already come to that conclusion. :)BrokenCrayons - Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - link
I feel better about having said "It's not just an Apple thing," earlier when commenting about a lack of expansion ports on laptops in the name of decreasing thickness.Anyhow, this is sort of eye catching. I'd like to poke at the keyboard and listen to the 4-speaker audio. It seems just about right as a nice little platform for playing a little music while writing. Unlike others, the lack of an eDRAM iGPU isn't a major drawback for me. Sure it'd be nice, but the 620 is probably enough for a few casual or older games and if I want dedicated entertainment, that's why I have a DSi.