Asus Zenbook UX510UW review – a portable 15-inch all-rounder

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Specs Sheet
Design and exterior
Keyboard and trackpad
Screen
Hardware and performance
Noise, heat and speakers
Battery life
Price and availability
Final thoughts
Comments

By Andrei GirbeaAsus Zenbook UX510UW, last updated on October 6, 2023

Asus Zenbook UX510UW

Summary: The Zenbook UX510UW offers premium build quality and sleek aesthetics for around $1000. It's also powerful enough to handle daily tasks at ease and even more demanding chores like games, plus offers decent battery life. On the other hand, if you're after the best specs for your buck you'll have to look elsewhere, as you are charged extra just for the looks and the construction here.

Our score: 3.75 / 5
Price when reviewed: $999 - $1099

THE GOOD

thin and light for a 15-incher; looks great and feels great in daily use; decent keyboard; great IO; good screen - the FHD IPS option; performs well while plugged in and runs cool evne under heavy load

THE BAD

poor color reproduction on the UHD panel (just stay away from it !); rather mediocre trackpad; lots of preinstalled bloatware; noisy fans, especially under load; poor Wi-Fi performance once you get further away from the router

Table of Contents

Specs as reviewed
Design and first look
Screen
Keyboard and trackpad
Hardware, performance and upgrade options
Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers and others
Battery life
Price and availability
Wrap up

Asus makes some popular mid-range 15-inch laptops, like the much appreciated K501UW or the ROG GL552, all offering excellent specs for the amount of money you’re leaving on the counter.

With the Zenbook UX510 series on the other hand they’re keeping the specs, but upping the game when it comes to build-quality and construction. The Zenbook UX510UW is the more powerful model in the series, with a Core i7 U processor, up to 24 GB of RAM, Nvidia GTX 960M graphics and hybrid storage, plus either a 4K or a 1080p matte display, all tucked inside a metallic body that weighs just a little over 4 lbs (or under 1.9 kilos). A Zenbook UX510UX is also available.

You will pay extra for the fancier aesthetics and build quality associated with the Zenbook brand, as the UX510UW is priced at launch (will get cheaper down the road) higher than the more powerful Asus ROG GL552VW and significantly higher than the K501UW, with similar specs but a more ordinary plastic chassis and bulkier construction.

In other words, the Zenbook UX510UW is a 15-incher for those who value aesthetics and good performance in daily use over pure processing power in demanding apps, and don’t mind paying a little extra for them. It swims in some murky waters filled with many solid competitors though, so you should read the below article to find out exactly where it shines and where it falls behind before taking the plunge.

Specs as reviewed

	Asus Zenbook UX510UW
Screen	15.6 inch, 3840 x 2160 px, IPS, non-touch, matte
Processor	Intel Skylake Core i7-6500U CPU
Video	Intel HD 520 + Nvidia GTX 960M 2 GB GDDR5
Memory	16 GB LPDDR4 2133 MHz (8 GB onboard+ 1xDIMM)
Storage	256 SSD (M.2 SATA 80 mm) + 1 TB HDD (2.5″)
Connectivity	Wireless AC (Qualcomm QCA6174), Bluetooth 4.1
Ports	2xUSB 3.0, 1xUSB2.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C gen 1, HDMI, card-reader, mic/headphone, RJ45 and LAN with adapters
Baterry	48 Wh
Operating system	Windows 10
Size	382 mm or 15.03” (w) x 255 mm or 10.03” (d) x 20 mm or 0.78” (h)
Weight	4.10 lbs (1.86 kg)
Extras	backlit keyboard, 720p webcam, sleeve and IO adapters included

Our test configuration is one of the many you’ll be able to find in stores. Other UX510UW options include a FHD matte screen, an Intel Kaby Lake Core i7-7500U processor, Nivida 960M graphics with 4 GB of video memory and various amounts of RAM and storage space.

Asus also offers a Zenbook UX510UX model, similar to the 510UW tested here, but with Nvidia GT 950M graphics and a Core i5 processor. We’ll talk about all these variants towards the end of the post, in the dedicated Prices and Availability section.

Design and first look

The UX510 feels and looks like a Zenbook, but what struck me from the moment I got it out of the box was how light it felt. Asus claims it weighs 4.4 lbs (2 kg), yet my scales measured only 4.1 lbs (1.86 kg) with the battery and the HDD inside, making it one of the lightest 15-inch notebooks available out there.

The build is solid as well. The entire case is made from sheets of aluminum, with a plastic inner chassis, so this does not get an unibody design. Regardless, the body is sturdy, with little to no flex at all in the lid or the keyboard. I’ve seen some people complaining about the lid cover flexing, but I don’t feel the same. Yes, this is not as strong as a Macbook Pro or a Dell XPS 15 and yes, there’s some flexing when you put significant pressure on the lid, but with no effect on the panel inside and not enough to actually bother me in daily use. And let’s not forget this Zenbook is a mid-range computer and not a high-end option like those two aforementioned.

Aesthetically, the UX510UW is a pretty standard Zenbook, with a gray color scheme, a shinny Asus logo in the middle of the lid with the familiar Zenbook pattern around, a matte interior with blunt sides and rounded corners, and a matte aluminum underbelly. I’ve nothing to complain about the choice in materials and overall finishing quality, as I’ve found no sharp edges or miss-aligned elements, but I should mention that the lid does show smudges easily and will probably scratch fairly easily too, so I’d be careful when carrying it around. Asus includes a padded sleeve in the pack which offers enough protection for daily use.

The screen is hold in place by a long hinge (well, actually two at each end of that long plastic strip), strong enough to keep it anchored as you set it up and also stiff enough that you will require both hands to open up the display. It goes back to about 135 degrees, which is OK for desk-use, but limiting for those of us who use computers on their laps or leaned on their thighs while lying back in bed or on the sofa.

I do have to mention that I took a close look at the hinges’ design and they look a little beefier than the ones on the Zenbook UX303 and UX501 series, which weren’t very reliable, so hopefully won’t break as easily as those did. Now, the hinges themselves have always been metallic on the Zenbooks, the issue is they are attached to plastic frames on the inner chassis and the screen, which might not handle the torque in the hinge and eventually crack. So the issue was never with the hinges, but with those plastic parts, but even so my suggestion is to open and adjust the screen gently, so you’re not putting excessive pressure on the ensemble.

On the practical side, the Zenbook UX510UW is grippy and easy to grab and use, doesn’t get any sharp edges and even the screen is easy to grab from the font and lift up, but the hinge doesn’t allow it to open single-handedly, like mentioned earlier.

The IO is lined on the laterals, with the most used connectors on the right, where you’ll also find the PSU, which can be a little annoying if you’re right handed and plan to use a mouse. Asus also includes USB 3.0 to RJ45 and HDMI to VGA dongles in the pack, so you’re pretty much getting anything you might need. Too bad that USB 3.1 port doesn’t support Thunderbolt 3 though.

Screen

Our test model came with a UHD matte panel, the same one Asus use on their Zenbook Pro UX501VW, which is a pretty solid option in terms of resolution, viewing angles, brightness and even contrast, but crappy in terms of color reproduction.

In fact this is one of those dreaded Samsung panels with mustardy yellows, which pretty much kills the laptop for professional use, as you can see from the pictures (next to my Dell XPS 13) and measurements below. These can’t be addressed with calibration in any way.

Panel HardwareID: Samsung SDC434B (LfFL156FL02-101);
Coverage: 98% sRGB, 73% NTSC, 77% AdobeRGB;
Measured gamma: 2.3;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 317 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 480:1;
White point: 6300 K;
Black on max brightness: 0.66 cd/m2;
Average DeltaE: 4.4 uncalibrated, 4.37 calibrated.

In fewer words, if you care about color accuracy, don’t get this display option. Otherwise, it’s not bad.

The good news is most configurations will be offered with a FHD IPS matte panel, probably similar to the one on the ROG GL552VW. However, the specs on the official site are a little confusing, as they mention two FHD IPS panel options, one covering 60% of NTSC and another covering 72%. I’d pick the latter, and you can read more about it in the GL552VW article linked before, but I’ll also update this section once I find out more exact details on any of the two options.

There’s also a FHD panel with 45% NTSC covarege mentioned on Asus’s page, that’s a TN panel, so definitely stay way from it.

Unfortunately there’s no way to easily tell which of these three options is present on a given configurations, but you can ask the shop to confirm there’s an IPS panel on the units they’re selling and that will probably get you the 72% NTSC variant. At least that’s the case with the configurations available in my region.

Oh, one more thing to mention here is that the UX510 comes with an ambient light sensor that’s going to adapt the screen’s brightness and keyboard illumination based on the lighting in your environment, and it doesn’t do a good job at it. Make sure to disable it by hitting FN +A or going through the Power Options and disabling Display Adaptive Brightness manually.

Keyboard and trackpad

I have mixed feelings about the keyboard on this laptop after typing several thousands of words on it. It’s fast and with the right amount of key drop (1.6 mm), but for me it wasn’t the most accurate and I believe that’s because the keys are just harder than what I’m used to. What I mean by that is they require quite some force to actuate (over 70 grams in my tests) and they have to be pressed all the way down to actually register a command, and I’m just not used to this kind of feedback after using shallower keyboards for the last years. This however might not be an issue for you if you’re coming from an older laptop or you’re not used to a modern ultraportable.

The UX510 gets a backlit full-size keyboard and a large trackpad

The layout is mostly alright when it comes to the main keys, yet the arrow keys and the entire Num Pad section is cramped, like on most Asus laptops, and the Power Button is integrated within the keyboard as the top-right key.

The keys are also backlit, with three intensity levels of choose from, and they are moderately loud, again due to their firmer feedback.

The trackpad is average at best, similar to what I’ve seen on most Asus notebooks lately. That means it feels nice and it has a aesthetic beveled edge around, but the performance is lacking at times, with the cursor skipping or jumping, single taps registered as double taps and precision swipes not always working as they should. I had not problems with gestures though and the physical clicks offer quite good feedback, but are noisy.

Hardware, performance and upgrade options

As mentioned earlier, our sample comes with an Intel Core i7-6500U processor, 16 GB of RAM, dual-storage with an M.2 SATA SSD and a 2.5″ 5400 rpm HDD, plus hybrid graphics with the Intel HD 520 integrated withing the Intel chip and an Nvidia GTX 960M dedicated solution, with 2 GB of VRAM.

Retail versions are available with either this Skylake or the newer Kaby Lake Core i7-7500U processor, with the later being slightly higher clocked and a little more efficient in some activities.

The good news is the RAM and the storage is upgradeable, and you can access them by removing the underbelly. It’s hold in place by 10 Torx T4 screws lined around the edges and two more Philips screws hidden behind the rear rubber feet. You’ll also need some plastic priers, as the bottom panel fits snug and won’t give up easily. Once inside, you’ll notice the M.2 slots and the 2.5-inch bay, as well as the available memory slot hidden behind an aluminum shield. The laptop comes with 8 GB of RAM soldered on the motherboard and the existing slot can take an extra up to 16 GB DIMM, for a maximum of 24 GB of memory. The CPU and the GPU are not upgradeable.

The UX510UW performed smoothly with daily tasks like browsing, editing documents, watching video content, etc and multitasking between these. Asus does put a fair amount of bloatware on it, which you should get rid of to get the most our of the hardware, or better yet just do a clean Windows install.

I’ve added some benchmark results below, for those of you interested in them.

3DMark 11: P4674;
3DMark 13: Sky Driver – 9097, Fire Strike – 3570;
PCMark 08: Home Conventional – 2431;
Cinebench 3 32-bit: Single-Core: 3192, Multi-core: 6718;
Cinebench 4 64-bit: Single-Core: 3902, Multi-core: 7384, Computer score: 48419;
CineBench 11.5: OpenGL 55.91 fps, CPU 3.59 pts, CPU Single Core 1.47 pts;
CineBench R15: OpenGL 81.64 fps, CPU 326 cb, CPU Single Core 128 cb;
x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 111.56 fps, Pass 2 – 20.71 fps.

Our UX510UW also performed well in games, and keep in mind we had the GTX 960M chip with 2 GB of RAM here, while the retails versions will get the option with 4 GB of RAM, so results might be actually better in some titles. I’ve added our test results below, and you’ll notice they are pretty close to those recorded on the GL552 and other laptops with the GTX 960M chip and an Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, which means the dual-core CPU on this Zenbook doesn’t have a significant impact on gaming performance. It does show its limits in video processing and other demanding loads with multi-core and multi-thread workflows though.

	FHD Low	FHD High	UHD Low
Shadow of Mordor	45 fps	33 fps	21 fps
FarCry 4	53fps	34 fps	16 fps
Grid Autosport	79 fps	57 fps	47 fps
Tomb Raider	122 fps	67 fps	37 fps
Bioshock Infinite	81 fps	58 fps	–

I haven’t noticed any throttling in games while the laptop was plugged in, however on battery the CPU performed poorly in games which had a noticeable impact on performance, as you can see in one of the pictures above.

Besides this, you can’t really expect to be able to run modern titles at 4K on the 960M, which is one more reason why you should go for the FHD panel options.

Last but not least I also put this through our stress test and you can find the results of stressing the CPU (with Prime 95) and the CPU and GPU simultaneously (Prime 95 and Furmark) below.

Noise, Heat, Connectivity, speakers and others

There are two fans on this laptop, one smaller and the other one a little larger, yet both cool the same heatpipe that runs along both the CPU and the GPU. As a result, this laptop is never completely quiet, despite the fact that the larger fan doesn’t spin while the Nvidia chip is inactive. The CPU fan actually gets a pretty powerful pitch though and you’ll hear it even at lower speeds. The mechanical HDD also ads its own share of noise.

That means the UX510UW is moderately noisy with daily use, yet on the other hand runs at very low temperatures. It doesn’t get very hot in demanding loads either, with the case barely reaching 40 degrees Celsius in certain spots, but the fans do get loud in this case, to the point that you’ll probably have to use headphones to cover them up when playing games.

*Daily Use – 1080p Youtube clip in EDGE for 30 minutes
*Load – playing Need for Speed Most Wanted for 30 minutes

Connectivity wise there’s Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.1 on this Zenbook. Our test model came with an Intel dual-band AC 7265 module that performed well when close to the router, yet the speeds and signal strength dropped to barely usable levels at 30 feet with 2 walls in between. My apartment has some thick walls, but even so this laptop performed quite poorly in this case, so if you have poor wireless where you’re planning to use it, there’s a fair chance it will struggle.

There’s nothing fancy about the audio on this UX510UW, with two speakers placed on the belly, towards the front, like on most other recently launched Zenbooks. They are moderately loud (around 86 dB in our tests at head level) and sound alright with the Music profile picked in the included AudioWizard app. However, due to their positioning, the speakers are quite easy to cover and muffle when using the laptop on the lap or on thighs, yet I noticed no such distortions on a flat surface or desk.

Last in this section is camera, which is decent in good light and very grainy in poor light, while the mics placed on top of the screen do a decent job at capturing voices. So overall this will do for occasional Skype calls and Hangouts.

Battery life

The Zenbook UX510 gets a 48 Wh battery, which is rather small for a 15-incher. Asus chose to go with this smaller battery and added the 2.5″ drive in the remaining space, yet personally I would have preferred filling that up with more battery cells and dumping the 2.5″ bay.

Still, even so the battery life results aren’t awful, and keep in mind we had the 4K panel on our test unit, if you’ll opt for the FHD screen instead you’ll end up with longer runtimes. The Kaby Lake hardware configurations will also help with the efficiency.

8.8 W (~5 h 25 min of use) – very light browsing and text editing in Google Drive, Balanced Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
9 W (~5 h 20 min of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Internet Explorer, Balanced Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
6.3 W (~7 h 40 min of use) – 1080p fullscreen .mkv video in the Movie app, Balanced Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
8.2 W (~5 h 50 min of use) – 4K fullscreen .mkv video in the Movie app, Balanced Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;
15 W (~3 h 10 min of use) – heavy browsing in Edge, Balanced Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON.

The laptop comes with a 120 Wh charger and a full charge takes around 2 hours.

There’s merely a 48 Wh battery on this laptop, as Asus chose to fill the extra space with a 2.5″ storage bay

Price and availability

The Zenbook UX510UW is available in a few different configurations. Among them, the most popular one includes a Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, a 1 TB HDD, the Nvidia GTX 960M chip with 4 GB of VRAM and a FHD IPS screen for between $1000 to $1100 in the US and roughly 900 EUR in Europe.

You’ll find more about the latest configurations and updated prices via this link.

At one grand the Zenbook is rather expensive for the specs, especially since there’s no included SSD. In comparison, the Asus K501 with the same CPU and GPU, but a 512 GB SSD, sells for under $900, while the Asus ROG GL552 with a quad-core Intel CPU, the same GPU and the same HDD sells for under $1000. Yes, the Zenbook UX510 is better built, thinner and lighter than both, but spec per spec, these two do get you more value for the buck.

The Zenbook UX510UX is also available in stores, with a Core i5 U processor, 8 GB of RAM and the Nividia GTX 950M with 2 GB of VRAM configuration selling for under $900. Worth considering if you dig the looks of this Zenbooks and don’t care about gaming performance that much.

Asus charges premium for the build and sleek aehtetics

Wrap up

At the end of the day, the Zenbook UX510UW is not the laptop to get if you’re looking for the best specs for your money, the best performance or even the longest battery life. And that’s because Asus charges quite a lot extra for the premium build and the sleek aesthetics. That’s normal, this laptop is after all one of the lightest 15-inchers out there and it still packs some punchy hardware, enough to handle smoothly all sorts of daily chores and even modern games at FHD resolution with medium details. Just don’t get the UHD screen option, it’s expensive, color inaccurate and overall not a good fit for the hardware on this device.

My other nits are with the pretty crappy trackpad, the noisy fans, and the poor wi-fi performance once you get away from the router, which have a negative impact on the overall experience, but I don’t think they’re necessarily deal-breakers. Yet, they’re enough to lower the overall rating to 3.75 out of 5.

If you value looks and a thin and light chassis, the Zenbook UX510 could be the one for you

Bottom point, if you absolutely want a 15-inch laptop that feels and looks premium, without having to break the bank for it, then you should consider the UX510UW. Otherwise, look at the K501, the GL552 and some of the other 15-inch ultraportables available out there.

With that in mind we’ll wrap this up here, but if you have any questions or anything to add about the Zenbook UX510UW, please get in touch in the comments section below.

Disclaimer: Our content is reader-supported. If you buy through some of the links on our site, we may earn a commission. Terms.

Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com. I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.

30 Comments

Nufi

October 26, 2016 at 1:12 pm

i think there's a mistake in your fps of total war

Reply
- Nufi
  
  October 26, 2016 at 1:14 pm
  
  Although i was waiting for this review, i love your reviews in general.
  keep it up :)
  
  Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  October 26, 2016 at 2:06 pm
  
  Right, I actually didn't test Total War on this laptop, thanks for the heads-up
  
  Reply
Eric

October 28, 2016 at 5:51 pm

Hmmm, I recently bought a UX510 myself and haven't really had much trouble with the Wi-Fi…maybe it was just the test unit?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  October 30, 2016 at 2:10 pm
  
  Well, could be.
  
  Reply
hije

November 9, 2016 at 3:05 am

Hmmmm, i tho it was quad core processor,but… well…

is there any chance zenbook series will get pascal (1050 or even 1060) and quadcore proc combination again like the UX501, i really hope to see that specs again. maybe you have another opinion andre ?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  November 9, 2016 at 3:56 am
  
  I'd say yes, but I don't think that's going to happen sooner than Q1 2017, as they'll probably wait for the Kaby Lake quad-cores to update this series. Could be wrong though, but details on 1050 laptops are scarce now. Oh, and fitting a 1060 inside a Zenbook is going to be difficult, I wouldn't hold my breath for it.
  
  Reply
Luis Felipe Ovalle Daza

November 21, 2016 at 1:42 pm

Hey Andrei, Im trying to buy a new laptop and I wonder if you can give me some advice. Im a radiology resident, so i need a laptop to do presentations and watch images, I was thinking of getting this one but after reading your review I cannot decide if i should get the ASUS K501UW-AB78 or this one, i used to have a macbook pro but now they are to pricey for me to get one. I want i nice laptop with a nice performance and a nice screen but dont want to spend over $1000. Your help and opinion would be very helpful for me.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  November 21, 2016 at 4:14 pm
  
  I haven't actually reviewed the K501 and I can't tell for sure whether it gets an IPS or TN Panel. It it's IPS and you don't mind the slightly bulkier construction, I'd get the K501. If it's TN though, it might not be the best choice for your needs. You should try to look this up.
  
  Reply
Moshe Zarum

November 25, 2016 at 4:12 am

I can buy this laptop for $500 new in the box , For that price is there another laptop that beats it?

Reply
edit1754

December 24, 2016 at 8:28 am

Also important information about the U510VW: ASUS is using an RG/BW Pentile display to cheat the ability to advertise the 4K UHD 3840×2160 resolution.

It replaces each pair of independent pixels capable of expressing the full range of color with one stretched rectangular pixel plus a white dot. It puts the same load on the GPU but can only display about half that resolution on the display.

Pentile displays exist solely for the purposes of deceptive advertising. The 3K 2880×1620 display in the old UX51vz had MORE RGB dots but fewer TOTAL dots and was just overall a better display, but ASUS abandoned that in favor of this LITERALLY WORSE display just to be able to sell it as 4K.

reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/5jiu3m/psa_most_of_asuss_highresolution_qhd_and_4k/

Reply
StefdeLeuven

January 2, 2017 at 7:34 am

Comming from a N56VZ (which is still running fine) this is a real dissapointment.

Fan noise: even when idle the fan makes a high pitched noise. With only simple browsing it spins up and gets unnervingly loud. You wouldn't even be able to use it for some late night work in a quiet place let alone a library without being asked to shut off the laptop (had the same nuissance it a AIO Z240 from asus)
Same goes for the 1Gb HD who constantly makes a distinct crackling noise. Fan and HD emitting at the same time and you got a whistling concert.
Add to this that when spinning up it's a high pitched noice that's emitted and makes me going berzerk after an hours work, still hearing the ring behind my ears.

Keyboard: i do agree the keyboard has a good build but i miss the excellence of the old n56. Typing on the machine has a strong mechanical feel to it and i'm missing the slightly shallow keys of before.
Screen: well, IPS or not IPS, there should be an industry standard for the screen specs and calibration. IPS doesn't always carry well his reputation as is the case here.
Industry should work on a minimum quality norm instead of juggling with technological abreviations that diminish user experience.
Our IPS screen doesn't render everything as crisp as we'd excpect.

ON/OFF key: who in the devil's name did put this in the keyboard pad where the 'end key' used to be?? It's like inversing brake and clutch on a car, definitively a NOT DONE if you've been typing for years ond the old layout.

battery: no idea how long it will last, and for how long it will last this long. Needn't to say that when the weight goes down so does the capacity of the battery. I do not want teo compromise user experience so i'm not diminishing screen brightness so i ca squint my eyes when reading. Should you?

Touchpad: not the most enjoyable. on clicking, the left side responds different in presure from the right side. Feedback from the pad is inconsistent and i regret not finding the quality of the old N56 (again) as far as i'm concerned.

Perhaps the builders should look at user experience before running off after a macbook like appearance that cost less. Or perhaps before implementing changes should it be reconsidered if the end user will have a more enjoyable experience or if form dominates function? Only fools would have an ego that prefere aestehics over quality, but i guess there are many fools going around

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  January 2, 2017 at 9:51 am
  
  Hi, thanks for your extended feedback, much appreciated.
  
  Quick question: Does your unit get the UHD or the FHD panel?
  
  Reply
  - stefan
    
    January 9, 2017 at 10:26 am
    
    this would be the fhd 1920×1080 IPS panel. Panel performs well on video playback. i did put the scalling back to 100% instead of 125% so elements are smaller but more crisp.
    
    Update on the review:
    Since i'm not sure if you open it up to change configuration the warranty is void or not, I'll probably be shipping it back since the HD doesn't stop 'crackling' at an annoying continous audible level.
    
    Controlling the fan speed with an external program solves the fan problem partially but makes the Hd even more audible.
    Performance without an ssd seams to be very slooooooow as well with the 1G 5400 rpm Hd. (and there even isn't much installed on it.)
    
    Chose this unit because of the azerty layout (french icons needed for multilingual work) but wasn't available with an SSD of sufficient size.
    
    resume: the ZENbook isn't that ZEN for me and could do with lesser models and fewer compromise on the performance.
Laurent

January 6, 2017 at 3:51 am

Hi Andrei, thanks for this great review, just bought this laptop a month ago and I'm very happy with it.
But one point is driving me crazy: as shown on your pictures, it seems so easy for you to remove the heat shield to acces the RAM slot …. I tried and I tried but I finally gave up. Please share your "secret" …..

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  January 8, 2017 at 12:53 pm
  
  Normally, you'd just have to pull it out. If not, there are some small metallic claws holding it in place, try loosing them up with the point of a screwdriver
  
  Reply
  - Laurent
    
    January 9, 2017 at 2:11 pm
    
    …. metallic claws, you mean on the motherboard or directly on the shield ? It's true that i noticed two claws located up on the two sides of the shield but I was really affraid to break them while twisting it …. are we talking about the same parts ?
Gregor

January 12, 2017 at 3:48 pm

Hi Andrei, thank you for awesome review, I was thinking to buy this laptop few days ago but now…. Can you give me suggestion on what to buy for that price.
Thank you in advance.

Reply
Oleg

January 25, 2017 at 6:34 pm

Hello!
Does the UX510UX has the same screen model as UX510UW?
LG Philips LP156WF6-SPB6 ?

Reply
Zil

March 7, 2017 at 2:35 pm

This 4k screen is horible, are a lot of yellow color. I was disappointed in this screen, but everything else is very good.

Reply
mihai

March 17, 2017 at 7:26 am

I have an 15" UX510UX. Is a great machine (built quality, lightweight, no fan noise or heat, good keyboard).
Only one (TOO BIG) issue, is impossible to obtain a decent color calibration, for an amateur with no professional devices. My 5 years old DELL XPS is far better in this direction. The "splendid" included software is a joke, you can run decently only if disabled.
I cant have a pure grey color for exemple, like I have by default on DELL, Samsung or Sony equipments.
So, if you are a webdesigner or some photograph is excluded to use it, as professional tool.

Reply
Molalign

June 7, 2017 at 5:11 am

I have an 15" UX510UX. It was good at all but it stop working after i got i to sleep and it doesn't open after that and also it doesn't show the charging light when i plug it. what shall i do?

Reply
- Laurent
  
  June 8, 2017 at 4:38 am
  
  The same happened to my UX510.Try to press the power button for 15 seconds. Then you will have to open the underbelly as Andrei explains above this review to disconnect the battery. Connect the battery again and try to switch the power. It worked in my case, hope this will help.
  
  Reply
dassy

September 5, 2017 at 10:39 pm

Hi,
i am looking to buy a laptop and currently tossing up between the Asus Zenbook UX510UW, Asus Vivobook S510UQ and the Asus Zenbook UX430UA. i want a larger screen- pref 15", and screen and graphics bc i will soon b studying intrior/graphic design. can u tell me which one you would prefer and why? or do you have something else you could suggest? i want to spend around the $800-850 mark (these were the only laptops i could find in this price range that fit my spec requirements).
looking forward to your answer!

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- Andrei Girbea
  
  September 6, 2017 at 12:32 pm
  
  I'd probably go with the UX430 if within your budget because it gets a larger battery than the Vivobook S510UQ. There's also the Zenbook UX530 to check out, again, if within budget, and Dell also offers a Inspiron 7560 in some regions, but still with a smaller battery.
  
  Reply
  - das
    
    September 7, 2017 at 2:31 am
    
    thanks for the fast response!
    my concern with the UX430 is the only one i could find within my budget did NOT have the nividia graphics and is only 14"-link here:
    
    bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&IWB=AU&O=&Q=&c3api=1876%2C50960586482%2C%2C&gclid=CjwKCAjwlrnNBRBMEiwApKU4PCCOlRFYjcCKbxSm_LggA1xgyFd-PRV7V4pH-DivHWCyADspUJu5fhoC3moQAvD_BwE&is=REG&pcur=ZAUD&sku=1348416)
    
    on the other hand the UX510UW and the S510UQ do. also they are a 15" screen. i want to be able to do graphic work- so i dont know whether the bigger screen size is more important or the graphics. is the nividia graphics so important? what makes the biggest difference…
    
    On the UX530 i couldnt find any on sale for within my price range:(
    
    the links to the UX510UW and the S510UQ are below:
    frys.com/product/8890312?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
    newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234722
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    September 7, 2017 at 4:02 am
    
    What kind of graphics works? Which software? The dedicated graphics help primarily with gaming, but some software like Adobe Premiere/Lightroom and even Photoshop or CAD can benefit from it in certain tasks. Still, for this kind of software I'd primarily look at the CPU and amount of RAM.
    
    With that in mind and having a look at those configs, the UX430 comes with only 8 GB of RAM and you cannot add more, while on the other you can upgrade the RAM. Given the configurations you mentioned and your needs, I'd go for the UX510UW config from frys. More RAM and the ability to add even more if needed (up to 20 GB if I remember right), good screen, 48 WH battery and the 960 graphics which won't matter that much, but can help. It gets a slightly older CPU, but that's not an issue. Make sure to read reviews (here, on notebookcheck.net and perhaps user reviews on forums) though to know what to expect in terms of potential quirks. Hope this helps.
Tim

September 22, 2017 at 6:29 am

Did you have to cut the RAM casing off or did it come loose? It looks a bit bent in the pictures.

I got my upgrade DIMM module, but didn't see how I could get through the "heat shield" casing over it. So I stopped before going at it with any force.

Thanks for some insight!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  September 22, 2017 at 8:03 am
  
  That's the way it was.You don't have to cut it, it's kept in place by some pins that have to be loosen up with a sharp tool (I use a small flat screwdriver head). With all the pins loosen, you just pull up the metallic shield and it should come off easily.
  
  Reply
Alex

June 5, 2018 at 4:22 pm

i'd like to make a correction where you wrote "Intel HD 520 integrated withing the Intel chip". This could be a typo (within). In any case you reviews have helped me purchase a ux510 i7-7500u, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd, gtx950 1050aud – many thanks

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Asus Zenbook UX510UW review – a portable 15-inch all-rounder

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