Asus Zenbook UX302LG / UX302 review – the GAMING 13 inch ultrabook

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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 UX302LG, last updated on November 15, 2016

Asus Zenbook UX302LG

Summary: Sleek, light and either powerful, or long lasting, when needed. That's how you could put the Asus Zenbook UX302LG in very few words, as this is one of the few 13 inch ultrabooks with top notch features and dedicated graphics. All these don't come cheap though.

Our score: 4.5 / 5
Price when reviewed: $1199 - $1600

THE GOOD

good looking, compact, plenty of ports, awesome screen, good keyboard and trackpad, powerful, rungs fairly cool and quiet, can last for many hours on a charge

THE BAD

not the sturdiest body, some poor design choiced (Power button, tall and sharp front lip), the glass lid might not be for everyone

Table of Contents

Asus Zenbook UX302LG video review
The specs sheet for the Asus Zenbook UX302
Design and exterior
Screen
Keyboard and trackpad
Hardware, performances and upgrade options
Noise, Heat, Connectivity and others
Battery life
Prices and availability
Wrap-up

Asus haven’t been too hasty with their Haswell ultrabooks. We’ve first seen them at Computex and later on at IFA and a couple of other shows. They are scheduled to hit the stores in the next weeks, but we’ve got them earlier for reviews.

In this post we’re talking about the Asus Zenbook UX302LG and I’ll have another post in a few days about the UX301, the so called Zenbook Infinity. The UX302LGbuilds on last year’s Zenbook UX32VD as a highly sleek and portable ultrabook with Intel Haswell hardware, dedicated graphics and a 13 inch screen.

Or in other words, this is one of the very few compact ultrabooks that can actually run games and other graphics demanding applications. A detailed list of gaming ultrabooks is available here, if you’re interested in those.

Anyway, before we start the actual review, you should know that there’s also an UX302LA version of this notebook, which lacks the discrete graphics, but is identical otherwise. So if you’re after that one, this article should help you as well, just skip the performances part.

Asus Zenbook UX302LG video review

The specs sheet for the Asus Zenbook UX302

	Asus Zenbook UX302LG-C4014H
Screen	13.3 inch, 1920 x 1080 px resolution, IPS, touchscreen
Processor	Intel Haswell Core i7-4500U CPU
Chipset	Intel HM87
Video	integrated Intel 4400 HD + Nvidia GeForce GT 730M 2GB
Memory	6 GB DDR3
Storage	256 GB SSD
Connectivity	Wireless AC, Bluetooth, Lan (with adapter)
Ports	3xUSB, SD card reader, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort
Baterry	3 cell 4430 mah 50 Wh
Operating system	Windows 8 Pro
Size	21 mm think, including the feet
Weight	about 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds)
Extras	backlit keyboard, USB to LAN and MiniDP to VGA adapters included

Design and exterior

Anyway, we’ll start with a look at the industrial design. This laptop is going to leave a strong impression from the moment you’ll get it out of the box because it’s just stunningly beautiful. We have the Navi Blue version here, but there’s also a white one.

Metal is used for the entire case, including the underbelly. The lid however no longer sports that brushed aluminum design we’ve seen on previous Zenbooks, but is instead covered by a sheet of Gorilla Glass. So you don’t have to worry about scratches anymore. But you do have to worry about smudges and fingerprints, which are extremely annoying on this Blue finishing, but less visible on the white model.

Glass covers the Asus Znebook UX302

Of course, this is not the first laptop with Gorilla Glass on the lid, Acer use a similar approach on their Aspire S7. Regardless, the UX302 does look nice overall, like I said, although I’m more into simpler, less flashy aesthetics. But you might feel otherwise though, so let me know in the comments below if you like the idea of having a glass covered laptop or not.

Anyway, let’s move on. The UX302 is not as slim or as light as the other 2013 Zenbook, the UX301. But is close, as it tips the scale at around 1.5 Kilos, or 3.3 pounds and measures about 20 to 21 mm in its thickest point (including the rubber feet, probably around 18 mm without). Besides that, this is not the sturdiest lad out there, as the lid cover, and especially the thin aluminum sheet that wraps around the underbelly tend to flex and squeak when grabbing the laptop, much like with the previous UX32 line.

In a brighter light, the Zenbook UX302 does offers a large selection of ports, with 3 USBs, a card-reader, HDMI video output and a ~~Thunderbolt connector~~.

UPDATE: I’m still trying to confirm if that’s Thunderbolt or just mini-Displayport. There’s no mention of Thunderbolt in Device manager which makes me assume it’s just a mini-DisplayPort. But the Logo next to it is confusing. I don’t have a Thunderbolt compatible device around to try it on, so I’ll see if I can find anything about it from the guys at Asus. Will update the post once I do.

UPDATE 2: Unfortunately there’s no ThunderBolt on this laptop, that connector got me to draw the wrong conclusions. I apologize for any confusion I might have created.

That aside, this new device is very well balanced. You can easily lift the screen with only one hand while the body stays in place and you’ll notice that the lid is actually slightly longer than the body, so there’s enough space to easily grab it and pull it up.

Once you do, you’ll be met by a familiar interior. The inner body and the sides are all cut from a single piece of aluminum, with a smooth texture that feels great to touch. It’s a bit darker than it was on the previous Zenbooks and the interior is still very simple, as there are no buttons or cuts to ruin the aesthetics. Not even those pesky Intel and Windows stickers, at least not on this particular unit. There is a small status LED though in the upper right side of the frame.

A simple and beautiful interior

However, there’s one aspect I have to complain about. The forward lip of this laptop is sharp and rather tall and that’s why it’s going to cut into your wrist when typing for a longer time, especially if you’re keeping the device on a desk or any other flat surfaces. A tiny detail, but something Asus should have thought of.

Ok, so while the interior looks familiar, the screen’s hinge has been redesigned and is now hidden from the user’s eye. In fact, there’s no longer a large hinge like before, but two smaller ones on each side. Even so, the screen stays firmly in place even when poking it for various commands. Because yes, there is a touchscreen on this laptop.

Screen

We have a 13.3 inch IPS panel (hardware ID BOE05E3) with 1920 x 1080 px resolution on the UX302LG and there’s literally nothing you can say wrong about it. Except for the still present light bleeding on the lower edge, somewhat visible on dark static images.

That aside, this display is very bright, paints lovely colors and offers excellent viewing angles. And yes, since it’s a touchscreen you do get the layer of protective glass on top, which leads to annoying reflections and glare in strong light. But I guess that’s just something you’ll have to get used to. A non-glare non-touchscreen version would have been nice, but it’s not going to be available, from what I know right now.

You’ll notice that the screen lifts on two small feet when leaned on the back, and that allows more space underneath, thus more air going to the cooling system. I’ve seen the same approach on Sony’s Vaios, I don’t have much to complain about it, but I’m not a big fan of it either, because it does not allow the display to lean back completely flat, which is something I for one consider a must on an ideal portable laptop. Even so, this screen does lean back a fair amount.

Sharp and lively display

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard and trackpad are other aspects you’ll enjoy on this ultrabook and that’s new, given what I had to say about them on the older Zenbooks. The keyboard is a bit shallow and there’s not a lot of key travel, but that’s a given on such thin laptops. Except for that though, the keys are sturdy and offer proper feedback, registering commands even when pressed on the sides and corners. There’s also an adjustable back-lighting system and very little flex.

The layout is alright, although the arrow keys are small and cramped, while the key in the top-right corner is not exactly a key, but the Power Button. It is stiffer than the other regular keys but I did end up pressing it a few times when searching for Delete. In which case, the laptop just goes to sleep, without asking you if you really want it to do that. You know, just in case you pressed the stupidly positioned key by mistake. And that’s utterly annoying.

Anyway, the trackpad is, surprisingly, quite good as well. It’s smooth, accurate and supports all sorts of gestures. It feels nice to touch and that chamfered edge that separates it from the palm-rest is beautiful and practical at the same time. So really, I’m impressed.

Surprisingly, the keyboard and trackpad are quite good

Hardware, performances and upgrade options

Enough about all these. Let’s get to the goodies part: the performances. Before we do that, let me tell you that I have the top UX302LG configuration here, with the Intel Core i7-4500U processor, 6 GB of RAM, Nvidia’s 730M discrete graphics chip and a 256 GB SSD. There are a few other versions available, with the Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 4 or 8 GB of memory and an option for the SSD or a regular 5400 rpm HDD and a 16 GB caching SSD.

Anyway, our tested model just flies through everyday activities, no matter if we’re talking about browsing, editing documents, chatting with friends or listening to music. It can play video content at ease as well, including 4K clips if you want to. And it can deal with games, as you can see from the results below.

	13 x 7 low details	13 x 7 medium details	19 x 10 low details
Dirt 3	78 fps	64 fps	41 fps
Grid 2	81 fps	64 fps	54 fps
Skyrim	60 fps	57 fps	44 fps
NFS Most Wanted	44 fps	35 fps	26 fps
Starcraft 2*	58 fps	50 fps	48 fps
Bioshock Infinite	42 fps	37 fps	26 fps
Metro Last Light**	25 fps	23 fps	14 fps
Crysis 3	22 fps	20 fps	13 fps

* 4 v 4 game, around minute 20
** MetroLLBenchmark, scene D6

All the numbers above where recorded with FRAPS.

That Nvidia 730M chip is merely a mid-range solution, but it’s enough to run alright titles like Skyrim, Bioshock Infinite, Skyrim 3 or the latest Need for Speed on 13 x 7 resolution with medium details. You can play most of these titles on native Full HD resolution as well, but you’ll have to trim down the details. And if you’re not impressed with these results, do not forget that this is a slim laptop that only weighs about 3 pounds.

In benchmarks the UX302 outscores pretty much any other ultrabook in its class when it comes to GPU results, while in terms of raw CPU power there are some units outperforming it, like the Zenbook UX301 with that faster 28W processor. Have a look at the results below.

3DMark 11: E2859, P1789, X508;
3DMark 13: Ice Storm – 41220, Cloud Gate – 5125, Fire Strike – 986, Fire Strike Extreme – 473 ;
PCMark 07: 5251;
Windows Rating: 5.8;
CineBench 11.5: OpenGL 38.36 fps, CPU 2.92 pts.

SSD benchmarks

The SSD takes some credit for the numbers above as well. There’s a Kingston 256 GB unit inside, a 2.5 inch 7 mm drive. I’m not familiar with this particular model (Kingston RBU-SC400S37256G), but based on tests, it’s fast, just not incredibly fast.

Asus charges about 200 euros extra for it and since the laptop comes with a 7 mm bay, it might be a good idea to buy the basic version, with the standard HDD, and replace it for an SSD of your own liking afterwards.

Now, in order to do that you’ll have to take care of the back plate, which is kept in place by a dozen of Torx T5 screws. There are also two screws hiding behind the back rubber feet, you’ll just have to pull hard to unglue those in order to get to them. Once this is done, you can lift the metal sheet and access the internals. However, I wasn’t able to take it completely off and I didn’t want to pull too hard. Even so, the pics below will show you that there’s one memory module on this unit, which can take an up to 8 GB DIMM, next to the 2 GB soldered on the motherboard.

There’s also that 7 mm 2.5 inch bay I was telling you about, and there’s a sticker on it that says “Warranty void if removed”. That’s new and could have a negative effect on potential upgrades. There’s also the large battery, the two fans and the cooling system, the Wi-Fi Module towards the upper right side of the laptop and the extra m-sata connector towards the left, which sits empty in our case, as there’s no 16 GB cache SSD on this unit.

Bottom point, you can upgrade the RAM and the storage on the Asus Zenbook UX302LG, but I feel that this unit is not as upgrade friendly as the older UX32VG. What do you think?

Noise, Heat, Connectivity and others

All in all, this laptop is fast. It can handle the basics, plus multimedia, games and even intense tasks like photo and video editing, programming and so on. The best part: it does all these while running fairly cool and quiet.

There are two fans inside this unit and you’ll hear them spinning most of the time, although they tend to turn completely off when using the laptop very lightly.

Their metallic buzz is nothing the speakers can’t actually cover. Which are quite punchy BTW and able to deliver good quality sound, as long as you’ll tweak the output with the included Audio Wizard app.

Still, under load, my non-professional iPhone app measured a noise of 48 dB at 40-50 cm over the keyboard, where the user would usually stay. Getting closer, the app registered around 54 dB at 15 cm away from the computer, all these produced solely by the fans inside the laptop. But take these numbers with a grain of salt, as this is not by any means a professional testing solution.

Heavy gaming temperatures

As for temperatures, nor the hardware inside or the laptop’s body get annoyingly hot in any conditions, not even when running games for hours. Yes, the back gets warm, maybe even a bit hot you might say, and so does the area just on top of the keyboard, between the exhaust grills, but you’re not going to come in contact with these surfaces too often. I still don’t have a thermometer to share some exact numbers, but in the picture to the right you’ll see what HWInfo and HWMonitor show in terms of internal temperatures, after playing demanding games for about 2 hours.

Anyway, speaking about that cooling system, when flipping the laptop upside-down you’ll see some cuts in the metallic underbelly, from where the air is sucked in and then blown through the mesh in the hinge. It’s a decent solution, but all the hot air is blown upwards, towards the user and the screen, which does get quite hot and I’m afraid that might have negative long-run effects on the panel.

As for connectivity options, you do get a handful of ports on this unit. There’s also an USB to Lan adapter if needed and the laptop does offer Wireless and Bluetooth. As a side note, I haven’t encountered any crucial Wi-Fi issues with the Intel 7260 module inside. The speeds will drop when going farther away from the router and having several walls in between, but not to an alarming level. Either way, if you do need long-range wireless signal, the UX302 might not be your ideal pick.

Battery life

There is however another aspect we should talk about before drawing the line on this laptop: the battery life. There’s a 3 Cell 50 Wh battery inside this laptop and that’s enough to push it for quite a while.

With standard use, which includes browsing, editing documents, listening to music and watching clips, with Wi-Fi ON and the screen’s Brightness at about 50%, I got around 6 and a half to 7 hours of use on a charge.

If dimming the screen even more and using the laptop for the most basic of tasks, like writing this review, the battery will only decrease at a rate of about 10% per hour. On the other hand, when running games, don’t expect more than 60 to 80 minutes of playing on a single charge.

As a side note, the charger is pretty standard here, with the wall socket integrated within the power brick and a long cable. The small LED within the charging tip is new though and it turns orange when the laptop is charging and green when it’s done.

Update1: There is one thing I should mention: I did disable the Auto Screen Brightness feature of this Yoga from the moment I turned it ON for the first time, so in all my tests, that feature was OFF. Having it ON might have a negative impact on the battery life.

Update2: Some users in the comments report shorter battery life for this one, around 5 hours of daily use for the final release models. Without a standardized test, these numbers are highly subjective and depends on what and how each of us is running on the laptop. I did add these reports in here though, so you’ll know better what to expect.

If used lightly, the UX302LG can go for many hours on a single charge

Prices and availability

There will be several versions of the UX302LG available in stores in a few weeks. These are the configurations that I know about right now:

Zenbook UX302LG-C4002H – 1200 euro – Intel Core i5-4200U, Nvidia 730M, 500 GB HDD + 16 GB SSD, 4 GB RAM;
Zenbook UX302LG-C4008H – 1250 euro – Intel Core i5-4200U, Nvidia 730M, 750 GB HDD + 16 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM;
Zenbook UX302LG-C4028H – 1400 euro – Intel Core i5-4200U, Nvidia 730M, 256 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM;

Zenbook UX302LG-C4007H – 1350 euro – Intel Core i7-4500U, Nvidia 730M, 750 GB HDD + 16 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM;
Zenbook UX302LG-C4014P – 1550 euro – Intel Core i7-4500U, Nvidia 730M, 256 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM, Windows 8 Pro;

All units offer the same 13.3 inch Full HD IPS screen and come with Windows 8, except for the last version, bundled with the Pro version of the OS.

These are the configurations announced for my country and they might differ from region to region. Out review unit is almost identical to the last version in this list.

The UX302LG is still not widely available at the time of this update (Early December 2013). Some rumors even claim that it’s not even coming to the US this year, which would surely annoy some of you. Regardless, take these rumors with a grain of salt, and if you want to see up-to-date prices and even some discounts on this laptop, check out this post here. Buying from my links is, BTW, a nice way to say thanks if you found all my articles useful. And it helps me carry on with what I do: cover ultrabooks for you guys (while taking care of my family).

Wrap-up

All in all, this Zenbook UX302LG is definitely one of the best ultrabooks I’ve encountered so far. There’s nothing utterly wrong with it. The looks are just as impressive as ever, the screen is gorgeous, the keyboard and trackpad have been improved and the performances can easily rival with any other sleek 13 incher. Even the wireless speed issues noticed on the older Zenbooks have been addressed with a new Intel Wireless chip.

However, as you might have expected, this Zenbook is not going to be cheap. The tested version sells for around 1500 euros over here which should mean around $1600 in the US. My advice is to to get the cheapest option and upgrade the RAM and the storage drive yourself, you’ll be able to get exactly what you want in your unit and you’ll probably end up saving some money too.

The Asus Zenbook UX302 is the best 13 inch ultrabook with dedicated graphics right now

Bottom point, the UX302LG is not the perfect laptop and definitely has some minor quirks. It’s also expensive. But if you want the fastest 13.3 inch ultrabook, well, you’re not going to find anything better than this one right now.

There are some alternatives, like the more affordable, but slower and larger Vivobook S301 and there are some competitors announced and yet unlaunched, like the 2013 version of the Acer Aspire S3. We’ll see if that one or any other model manages to outperform this Zenbook. Till then, the Zenbook UX302LG reigns supreme as the most powerful 13.3 inch ultrabook of the moment.

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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.

99 Comments

Morten

December 3, 2013 at 9:46 am

Hi

Great review and youtube videos.

If you upgrade the UX302 HDD version with say a samsung 840 pro ssd, wouldn’t that be way better at handeling games than the UX301? Or does the faster read and write speed not have an effect on performance?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  December 3, 2013 at 3:05 pm
  
  Morten, the SSD won’t have a big impact on gaming performances. games will load faster, but that’s the biggest improvement you’ll see.
  
  Regardless, the UX302LG delivers superior gaming performances to the UX301LA, given the dedicated graphics chip on this unit.
  
  Reply
Nabuco

December 4, 2013 at 9:33 pm

Hello Andrei! Thank you for another excellent, direct-to-the-point review.

Even though I love the convenience of an ultrabook, I am always a little apprehensive about the unavoidable deterioration of the battery. Do you know if, for this particular model, a sufficiently skilled person could order a new battery from Asus and replace it when the time comes?

Thank you!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  December 5, 2013 at 2:33 pm
  
  In theory, yes. But I don’t know if Asus sells these types of batteries or if they will ever sell them. That’s a longer story and I should look into it and have a post about that on the site
  
  Reply
Alexander

December 9, 2013 at 7:56 pm

Just recieved 302lg.. The touchpad isnt working properly.

Reply
Jeffrey

December 9, 2013 at 10:12 pm

Good review thanks, could you please tell me if the dedicated graphics is DDR3 or DDR5 ? I guess GDDR5 would be a faster clocked one. Please confirm.

I see that though (14inch) Aspire v7-482PG-9884 has 4gb of dedicated graphics it is still ddr3 so was curious about this one.

Thanks,
Jeff

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  December 13, 2013 at 7:03 pm
  
  It’s GDDR3 if I remember correctly. See the HW Info picture in the Hardware and Performances section
  
  Reply
Maverick Sim

December 13, 2013 at 9:11 pm

Hi Andrei,
Thank to you review, it was very helpful for me. I just wanna ask how annoying is the sharp forward lip when typing? how bad it is?

thank you!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  December 16, 2013 at 3:04 pm
  
  for me, quite annoying
  
  Reply
Nick

December 16, 2013 at 8:04 am

Now I got hands on and installed Ubuntu Linux (14.04 daily alpha)

As far as I can see, almost everything works out of the box, including

– touchscreen & pad
– sound
– suspend/resume
– to be tested is still microphone & webcam

what is NOT working is currently the brightness levels, it runs only with full brightness.

you should follow the ux301la installation notes on ubuntu forums (disable secure boot in bios in order to be able to boot from a stick), edit the grub menu line and add “nomodeset” where is “quiet splash”, otherwise screen stays black after boot).

rgs

Nick

Reply
Alex.

December 16, 2013 at 3:54 pm

Hi Andrei,

probably a stupid question:
can the empty mSATA slot be used with let us say 128GB mSATA as an OS disk?

BR Alex.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  December 17, 2013 at 4:07 pm
  
  there’s only room for a half-sized mSATA drive in there. In theory, it can be used for a boot drive, but I haven’t tried it myself, so better dig though the forums for more details
  
  Reply
Nike

December 24, 2013 at 3:24 pm

Hi;

SSD drive, graphics card and RAM

Can be upgraded later?

I can use, the display card alternatives do I have?

Thanks

Reply
Nike

December 24, 2013 at 7:13 pm

Hello
* Later Graphic Card, SSD and RAM installed Does?
* For the graphics card, different alternatives do I have?
* These changes disrupt Does Warranty?
Thanks

Reply
- Alan K. Chan
  
  January 7, 2014 at 4:44 pm
  
  Um, it's a laptop. Graphics is integrated so you'll want to look at a different laptop if you want a different video card. If you really want the flexibility of swapping out graphics cards, you'll want to buy a desktop computer with PCIe x16 slots instead. Very few laptops allow you to change out the video card. And yes, traditionally, opening up your laptop and swapping out parts voids their warranty. There's a reason why they use torx screws to discourage the average user from opening up the laptop.
  
  Reply
wathando mughandira

December 26, 2013 at 9:33 pm

Well, I got this Asus model from Best Buy, San Diego, CA. After a few days it just shut down and could not start again. So I checked on the internet and I was told to unscrew the back with 11 screws using TORx screwdrivers and disconnet battery from main board and connect it to the main. It switched back on. Now the annoying thing is this keeps happening every week!!! Why? I’m about to let it go!

Reply
- Alan K. Chan
  
  January 7, 2014 at 4:46 pm
  
  Was this on the UX302LA or the UX302LG model? As far as I know, if you want the UX302LG laptop in the US, it has to be imported from another country like Canada while the UX302LA is available widely including at Best Buy.
  
  Reply
e11world

January 9, 2014 at 6:25 pm

I would love to get something like this but with a screen that turns into a tablet. If anyone knows of such a device please let me know. I’ve done so much research already.

Reply
Andrew

January 19, 2014 at 9:47 am

Hi Andrei,
Thanks for the review. I’d really like to get the 301 but finances don’t allow so I was wondering what my options are to increase the RAM of the 302? can I only increase it from 6 to 8 gb or can I install a ‘larger’ chip? Can you suggest a chip?
Also, I don’t mind the HDD/SSD setup but if I was to go to a full SSD system can you also suggest a good unit? I’d be interested in something around the 500gb range.
thanks for your time

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  January 19, 2014 at 4:18 pm
  
  Hey Andrew, I haven’t upgraded it myself, so can’t really suggest any good units. Head over to the forums on notebookreview.com, you’ll surely find there a few others who upgraded their units and can help with specific modules.
  
  As for the RAM, I don’t think you can get 8 GB on the UX302. Either 2, 6 or 10, since it comes with 2 GB soldered and you can then add either a 4 GB or and 8 GB extra stick
  
  Reply
  - Andrew
    
    January 19, 2014 at 10:41 pm
    
    Ok, thanks for that information, I’ll go checkout notebook review!
Nick Constantino

January 21, 2014 at 8:14 pm

Hi Andrei,

Thanks for the post!

Do you know where I could buy the ASUS UX302LG in C4014 config with an english(US keyboard is fine) keyboard for delivery to the UK?

Asus UK are only stocking the LA and I can only one company in Germany willing to send but they only stock German layouts.

Many thanks

Nick

Reply
Maverick

January 24, 2014 at 2:35 am

Hi Andrei
what do you mean by this “As for temperatures, nor the hardware inside or the laptop’s body get annoyingly hot in any conditions, not even when running games for hours.”

does it get hot? or it doesn’t get hot? its confusing me. thank you Andrei!

Reply
Sourav

January 26, 2014 at 11:39 am

Is it avilable in india? where can I get it and at what price?

Reply
angry reader

January 28, 2014 at 9:49 pm

Just bought the UX302LA.

Seriously disappointed!!

I actually purchased based on your review stating battery life of 6-7 hours. However it is more like 3-4 hours with standard use as you describe! I feel cheated and will not be reading your reviews any longer.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  February 4, 2014 at 3:42 pm
  
  which version of the UX302LA did you purchase? And how exactly are you using it (which power mode, level of screen brightness). I’m sorry if I misguided you in any way, but I hope you understand that these battery life expectations vary on a lot of factors…
  
  Reply
  - angry reader
    
    February 27, 2014 at 1:28 pm
    
    Of course battery life will vary depending on usage however even if i leave it on the desk doing nothing but displaying the desktop at 50% brightness i do not get 7 hours. i get 5.2.
    
    Also your complimentary remarks about the keyboard and trackpad are seriously erroneous. This keyboard is absolutely terrible. The worst i have ever owned. Feels very cheap. The switch mechanism underneath the keys is poor quality. The left shift key on mine has so much x/y movement that occasionally i press it and it gets stuck on the metal. The top arrow key is permanently depressed on one model i received (i went through 4 models before settling on the least defective one i could find). Even worse, the whole keyboard is bulging! Everything from around the F key is lifted up (keys and metal frame around keys). From the F key to the enter key there is about 4-5mm height difference. That is serious keyboard bulge and all 4 i received has this defect!!!
    
    Other defects include the left front foot floating off the desk and the feet on the monitor not touching the desk evenly when opened.
    
    A very poor product not living up to the class standard it tries to fit itself into. I really wanted to like this system but its is so full of flaws I am disappointed they were not adequately reported in your review.
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    February 28, 2014 at 10:13 am
    
    I’m not usually publishing reviews from someone who DOES NOT GIVE A PROPER NAME AND EMAIL. I will make an exception for now, but please come back and put a name to what you’re saying. I’m not saying you’re wrong and I’m sry for your experience, but I usually don’t trust anonymous reviews.
  - angry reader
    
    February 28, 2014 at 12:05 pm
    
    My real name is Edmund Lithgow but that is irrelevant. You have my IP as well. Thats enough id.
    
    Dont trust that what i am saying? Why should we trust what you are saying? Does Asus compensate you for reviews? I am just trying to warn others that read your glowing review and may be mislead. There is a thread on notebook review that has a lot of real world comments from actual owners. forum.notebookreview.com/asus/734016-asus-ux302-36.html
    If you read through it you will find that:
    -they frequently mention a battery life lower than achieved in your review.
    -they frequently mention a warped keyboard and other keyboard defects.
    
    So next time maybe you can do a better review. or risk losing readers.
    
    Thanks for your time.
    
    Im out!
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    March 1, 2014 at 9:56 pm
    
    Well, one thing is for sure: Asus does not pay me anything for this reviews. In fact, no company does. that’s not the point.
    
    I did not argue about what you said, I just don’t like anonymous comments. And don’t trust them. that’s all.
    
    As for the keyboard/battery, I do my best to write as thorough reviews as possible, based on the product I got to test. While the battery life figures are really subjective, I didn’t find the keyboard that bad. Again, that’s just my opinion, based on all the other laptops I’ve ever tried. It’s not the best keyboard out there, that’s for sure, but it’s clearly not as bad.
    
    Bottom point, I really appreciate the fact that you took your time and posted this feedback. And I thank you for that. Hopefully the other readers will find it useful.
  - alit putra
    
    March 27, 2014 at 3:27 pm
    
    Why you dont test it before you buy it ?
    Actualy, iam trust this review. Why ?
    Becouse this site almost complate review than other review site
    
    Sorry when iam wrong say english league :)
  - Toni Sundqvist
    
    March 3, 2014 at 8:58 am
    
    Guess I’m a bit late to the party, but reading this I instantly remembered that I had read about the battery life issue before in another review.
    I do not own this laptop myself so I cannot really confirm this, but this review suggested that the turning off the “screen backlight management system” in the power options, they got approximately two more hours of battery life. Hope that might help.
    Review: trustedreviews.com/asus-zenbook-ux302_Laptop_review
    
    I don’t think Mike should be blamed for making an honest analysis on a model he receives. For a complete picture you cannot rely on only one review alone and make a purchase thinking you’ll know exactly what you get.
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    March 3, 2014 at 10:33 pm
    
    Hmm, thanks for pointing that. I DID turn Auto-brightness OFF on the laptop for this review. In fact, that’s something I do with every laptop I ever test. I will add this small update to the review.
  - Walter Penfield
    
    March 8, 2014 at 8:07 pm
    
    I have owned this laptop for about a month now, and can say that I can’t agree less with this reader.
    
    I admit I only tried one out other than the one I own, but both keyboard were very reasonable. Although I dislike chiclet style keyboards in general, this one functions well, has less give than some HP laptops I tried, and I have had no problems with movement.
    
    I’m not the world’s greatest fan of the trackpad, but it does work well, just not as well as the Macbook trackpads, which I knew before I even started looking into the laptop.
    
    Additionally, the overall build quality is top notch, with no pixel problems and good fit and finish.
    
    As a final note, my battery life expectancy has run between 5 and 6.5 hours with lower intensity usage (word processor/pdf/excel, occasional web browsing), with the higher battery life coming with a low screen brightness and wifi mostly off.
    
    Overall I’ve been impressed. And I must thank Andrei for the sensible review.
- kimmy
  
  March 2, 2014 at 3:48 pm
  
  his review was on the ux302lg not the ux302la
  the ux302la is the cheaper version
  
  Reply
Jacob

February 2, 2014 at 9:09 pm

Can the ux302 be upgraded to 20gb of ram if you use a 16gb ram card like this one?
amazon.com/Corsair-Channel-SODIMM-Memory-CMSO16GX3M2A1333C9/dp/B006DI9PG8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_1

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  February 4, 2014 at 3:58 pm
  
  no. read Hardware section of the review and you’ll see that this laptop can only take an up to 8 GB DIMM in the only available slot, for a total of 10 GBs. You could put a bigger module in there, but best case scenario, only 8 GBs will be usable, and worst case scenario, it won’t work at all
  
  Reply
pepelepe

February 28, 2014 at 12:14 am

Only below model is available in my country:
Zenbook UX302LG-C4007H – Intel Core i7-4500U, Nvidia 730M, 750 GB HDD + 16 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM

What if I replace 16gb cache memory (which is Sandisk U110 mSATA micro) with a greater capacity mSATA micro of the same brand, such as Sandisk U110 128gb? Is it possible then to install Windows onto the SSD and use 750gb HDD as storage only?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  February 28, 2014 at 10:19 am
  
  I haven’t tried doing it myself, so can’t comment on that. Best thing you can do is head to the Owner’s Lounge at forum.notebookreview.com and ask if others have done it. It it’s possible, others sure did it already. Or at least tried
  
  Reply
Ryan

February 28, 2014 at 6:00 am

I bought a UX302LG after reading your review. My product came with 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and GT730M Dedicated Graphics. It is a beautiful laptop, but my only problem with it is battery life. On your review you said it survived from 6.5 to 7 hours, but on my computer I struggle to get to 5 hours with brightness at 50% and wi-fi on. Is there a possible reason for this, and is there anything I can do to increase battery life on my computer?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  February 28, 2014 at 10:22 am
  
  The entire battery life thing is very subjective. Yes, with my usage scenario, the UX302LG lasted 6-7 hours. Maybe you’re running more videos or other things that put the CPU and graphics to work? As long as you have the latest BIOS and Power4Gear version, I don’t think there’s anything else you can do right now. But I’ll look into it
  
  Reply
  - Garion
    
    March 23, 2014 at 9:01 am
    
    I’m using the laptop, battery lasted more than 6 hours with default settings however I’m only having documents (Microsoft word)and IE open.
trixo

March 1, 2014 at 12:25 am

Here is a good hint about batterie life : trustedreviews.com/asus-zenbook-ux302_Laptop_review

That confort both battery life experience.

Enjoy

Reply
Kevin

March 2, 2014 at 11:53 pm

Hi! just wanted to say I found your review to be very thorough and helpful. I’m a senior about to go to college next year and i’m trying to find the most appropriate ultrabook for college. aside from the usual word editing and web browsing I was hoping to get a laptop that could handle some light gaming ex: counter strike, battlefront 2, minecraft, half-life 2 etc. while I do not need to run games like bioshock infinite and skyrim, i still want to get decent framerates and preformance. so my question is, will i be able to get what i need through the standard UX301la (which i prefer aesthetically) or should I look into getting the UX302lg. thank you! (btw im in the us so im not sure is the 302lg is even available yet?)

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 3, 2014 at 10:43 pm
  
  Hey Kevin. Well, as long as you’re OK with running those games in 13 x 7 with medium details, you should get playable frame-rates with any Intel HD 4400 equipped ultrabook. I did run a couple of games on the Sony Vaio Duo 13 with that kind of graphics, so you might want to have a look at the review here on the site.
  
  So, to answer your question, yes, the UX301LA (base version, with the COre i5-4200U CPU) should run those games OK. However, if you want to run them on native FHD resolution or need higher levels of details, you should look at someting with some sort of dedicated graphics, or even the Core i7-4558U version of the UX301LA
  
  Reply
  - Kevin
    
    March 5, 2014 at 2:04 am
    
    Thank you very much!
Ryan

March 6, 2014 at 9:10 pm

Thank you for that information on how to elongate battery life. Mine now lasts for 10 hours! And to what I said before, this is an absolutely beautiful laptop. The body feels sturdy and strong and the aluminium finish is beautiful, the keypad is perfect and has the right amount or travel, the touchpad is so good, with very little grip, I now use it instead of a mouse.The screen is also beautiful. And now I can comment on battery life. 10 hours! Who needs more than that? I highly recommend this laptop. (As long as you can afford it)I even believe the troubles you have with it are superficial. The sharp edge is not really that bad, and for the “delete key” On button, have a look at the Mac Book Pro. Where is their on button? Overall, this laptop really has almost no flaws. I have even done some CAD work on it, and the NVIDIA graphics card is the perfect tool for this level of detail. Thank you so much for the review on this laptop, I wouldn’t have wanted anything else.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 7, 2014 at 10:17 am
  
  Hey Ryan, what exactly did you do to make it last 10 hours on a charge? Could you elaborate for a bit? thanks
  
  Reply
  - Ryan
    
    March 7, 2014 at 9:06 pm
    
    Hey Andrei, I got my battery life to last like it did through a few means; firstly I turned off the auto brightness, and then turned off backlit keyboard. I also turned down the brightness on my screen to about 30%, as there is no real difference! Finally, I went through my settings, and found areas I could turn off, (Such as bluetooth). Hope this helps!
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    March 10, 2014 at 3:35 pm
    
    Thanks, Ryan!
  - Anthony E.
    
    June 5, 2014 at 7:24 pm
    
    I have my settings similar to Ryan, and I can do two full library sessions and still have about 20 percent battery left over. My library sessions involve writing code and sometimes booting up the Android emulator and they last 5 hours (2 x 5h sessions = 10 hours.)
    
    I have gone days with less than that time though, that’s usually if I put it in high performance mode for whatever reason. And on those days, I get at least 5 hours before needing to plug it in.
    
    Another thing that may help, that most people overlook, is to FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER’S INSTRUCTIONS WHEN PERFORMING THE INITIAL CHARGE OF THE BATTERY!
    
    P.S. You handled yourself really well with “Angry Reader” Andrei. And, thanks for the review. This website was instrumental in helping me decide on a new laptop when I made the UX302LG purchase in February. Keep up the great work!
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    June 5, 2014 at 8:38 pm
    
    10 hours really sounds awesome and it’s more than I ever got with this machine. I’d reckon you turn the AC Off, dim down the screen, turn OFF keyboard illumination and keep it on the Power Saving mode for this result?
    
    As for the PS, I’d reckon there will always be some dissatisfied customers, each manufacturer should do their best to fix their problems. I empathize with them, but I just don’t think posting angry Anonymous comments on the Internet solves anything. And I’m glad my articles helped you ;)
Josh

March 11, 2014 at 10:36 pm

Dear Andrei

I’ve been looking to purchase the UX302LG in the US but for the life of me cannot find a retailer that sells the model with the discrete graphics card…and the “show me discounts” link only take me to the Amazon page with UX301 model. Please help..?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 12, 2014 at 11:49 am
  
  Sry Josh, I have no contacts with Asus US and can’t say if they will or not bring the discrete option version over there. Best thing you could do is contact Asus North America or some of the bigger shops and ask about it
  
  Reply
Ryan

March 12, 2014 at 8:48 am

I have had my UX302LG for about a month now, and it is a brilliant laptop. Annoyingly, my space-bar has started to squeak when pressed on the right hand side. Does anyone know why this would do this, as it is really annoying. Can anyone help with a solution to this problem?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 12, 2014 at 11:51 am
  
  I encountered the same annoying issue with my test model. Did not find any solution for it, at the time
  
  Reply
Kevin

March 13, 2014 at 5:07 am

Hey Andrei,

I’ve been reading a lot about gaming ultrabooks lately. I am currently torn on whether I should try to find a UX302LG, or another very good contender that I found: Aspire V7-482PG-9642.

I am a college undergrad and I’m not sure whether it’s worth to pay the 400$ difference for what seem to be very similar computers on paper. Perhaps you have had the chance to test them both out. Thanks.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 13, 2014 at 10:46 am
  
  I haven’t thoroughly tested the V7, but it is for one bulkier than the UX302LG and probably not as carefully built either. I’ve read a few reviews and many were complaining about the trackpad and keyboard. The cooling system is another concern of mine, but you should look into more reviews and see if that’s a problem.
  
  On the other hand, the V7 is more powerful than the UX302LG (in terms of graphics) and much cheaper. And the UX302LG has some issues of its own. Somy buyers reported clunky keyboard and poor wi-fi performances.
  
  So, my advice, try to read some USER reviews, from those who actually bought and used these products for more than a week, like most reviewers get to do. those should help you find the potential hidden issues. Expect to find mostly negative aspects in those reviews, but that’s OK, for the positive ones you can read the spec sheets :P And then device based on those pros and cons for each side
  
  Reply
Ivan

March 13, 2014 at 9:28 am

Hey, I bought this model a week back and I upgraded it to Samsung 840 Evo 500gb and 10gb of ram. I’ve tried playing games on it, pretty darn good for such a slim laptop! I even overclock the GT730m memory to +200, now even able to play Diablo 3 at 1080p with low settings, at average 30fps.

But the main issue, and worst is the static electric leakage while it’s plugged in! Did anyone of you guys experience this? The grounding is poorly designed imo, so those who wish to test it must be bare footed and with power adapter plugged in, try feeling across all the corners.

PS: Found mine with dead/bright pixel, going to get it exchanged!

Cheers!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 13, 2014 at 10:46 am
  
  Yes, static leakage was present on my test unit, but I can’t say it bothered me that much
  
  Reply
FaqyaK

March 13, 2014 at 9:40 am

Salut, super tare acest ultrabook :D crezi ca se merita sa il recomanzi pentru noi romanii?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 13, 2014 at 10:33 am
  
  Yep, it’s a solid buy
  
  Reply
trixo

March 14, 2014 at 10:55 am

Hey,

Good to read it can last that long! I’m still reading test, reviews and users comments but I found some opposite spec regarding the max ram, is it 8, 10 or 12gb the real max size? (4+4gb dual chan mode,2+8gb single chan mode or 4+8 single mode )
I guess the dual chan config must be the most efficient, didn’t you?
I’m still looking for a ux302lg models list as I’m looking into small hdd with 4gb ram soldered for the lowest price I can found, any links?
Regarding ssd upgrade does it improves battery life that much?

Thanks

Reply
Ryan

March 15, 2014 at 10:58 pm

Hey Ivan, yes I have found that the UX302LG does create static when the charger is touched to the machine, but I don’t really find that a problem. More of a problem for me is the squeaky space-bar and three dead Pixels on my screen. A part from that, I see no problem with it. I even managed to get the battery life up to 13 hours with Wi-Fi off!

Reply
Ryan

March 17, 2014 at 9:51 am

I also found my laptop with three dead pixels. I do not want it to get replaced, but with a squeaky task bar I might have no choice. As I need my laptop regularly, I am not sure when I will have time to do it.

Reply
Ryan

March 18, 2014 at 6:12 am

I’m sending my laptop to get replaced tomorrow. I would rather not, as I need it, but I think that if I spend that much on a laptop, I want it to be perfect. Apart from these minor blemishes, it is perfect. A beautiful laptop. :)

Reply
Sepehr

March 20, 2014 at 4:45 am

Hi
I have bought ux302LG with 750GB HDD and 16GB SSD. I want to upgrade it with 128GB SSD but my question is after I change the storage drive can i use the 16GB SSD or not?
thanks

Reply
- Ryan
  
  March 21, 2014 at 1:01 am
  
  Hey Sepehr,
  I had my Zenbook UX302LG upgraded from 750GB HDD to 256GB SSD. My 16GB SSD still works, as it is soldered onto the motherboard.
  Does this help?
  
  Reply
  - Andrei Girbea
    
    March 21, 2014 at 8:43 am
    
    Ryan, can you access that small SSD as a regular drive in Windows? And are you sure it’s soldered? I was under the impression that it’s not and is placed in what was that spare slot next to the cooler, on my test unit (3rd picture in the section where i showcase the internal configuration).
  - Sepehr
    
    March 21, 2014 at 4:41 pm
    
    Hey Ryan,
    thanks for your answer, I found that asus made that 16GB SSD an OEM partition, what is OEM partition?
    and can I make a single drive with my SSD and the 16GB soldered SSD(128+16GB)?
    thanks
Ryan

March 21, 2014 at 10:59 pm

Hey guys, yes I was under the impression that the 16GB was soldered onto the motherboard in my model, but I am currently unable to check, as it is off at Asus getting the Dead Pixels fixed on the screen. As for the OEM, I think this is just recovery hardware. Another note, the people at Asus said that the squeaky space-bar on my model was normal, and it happened in all laptops. BS! I have never had a laptop with a squeaky space-bar before! What do you guys think?

Reply
Ryan

May 10, 2014 at 12:58 am

Just to clear up some confusion, here are some test results done on my UX302LG
Full Machine Test
* System Information
SN: DCN0CY15296950F
WTP Version : 2.5.1 for NB
Model Name : UX302LG
OS Ver : Windows 8 Professional
BIOS Ver : UX302LG.207
CPU Type : Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4500U CPU @ 1.80GHz
CPU Speed : 1800 MHz
CPU TEMP : 41 C
Fan Speed : 0 RPM
Memory Manufacturer : Micron
Memory Size : 4096 MB
Memory Manufacturer :
Memory Size : 4096 MB
Video Memory Size : 4020 MB
Battery Designed : 4429 mAh
Battery Full : 4097 mAh
Battery Cur : 3688 mAh
Battery CycleCount : 41 times
Battery Cap : 90 %
Battery STAT : charging
HDD Model : Samsung SSD 840 PRO Series
HDD Size : 238 GB
HDD Model : SanDisk SSD U110 16GB
HDD Size : 14 GB
LAN MAC :
UUID : bd7713379dfd5a50c7c7bcee7b292b73
USB 2.0 : Kingmax USB2.0 FlashDisk USB Device
USB 2.0 : USB 2.0 Flash Disk USB Device
USB 2.0 : SanDisk Cruzer Switch USB Device
Your OS is activated.
Log folder: C:\Users\User\Desktop

Reply
Carene

June 1, 2014 at 3:35 pm

Which laptop will make a better laptop for university students? A MacBook Air 13 inch or a UX302LG ultra book?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  June 1, 2014 at 6:10 pm
  
  Do you need the dedicated graphics in the UX302LG? Are you planning in running games? If yes, then go with the Zenbook. If not, consider the MBA 13 or other options
  
  Reply
- Ryan
  
  June 1, 2014 at 9:28 pm
  
  Hey Carene,
  I am a university student studying Architecture, and for what I am studying, my UX302LG is perfect. It is not too heavy, and the battery life lasts all day. I guess it depends on the graphics, and what you are studying. For Architecture, the NVIDIA GT 730M graphics are perfect for CAD software, but if you don’t need graphics performance, maybe have a look at the Zenbook UX301, the Toshiba Kirabook or Sony’s VAIO pro? They are all good options, and all similar to the UX302LG. Hope I can help!
  
  Reply
Eric

July 1, 2014 at 9:41 pm

I’ve been trying really hard to find the UX302LG online, but I’m not sure which countries are selling it. Australia and the U.S. don’t carry it. Canada does, but it’s only available in store in the lowest end model(canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=710_577_1044&item_id=065230).

I’m looking for the top end model with the 256GB SSD from a website that ships internationally.

Thanks!

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 2, 2014 at 10:44 am
  
  The UX302LG has been discontinued from what I know. You might want to have a look at the UX303LN though, which is more-or-less its successor.
  
  Reply
Petter

July 30, 2014 at 5:30 pm

Has the UX301LA been discontinued aswell?

How much better battery in your opinion does the 301 have over the 303?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 31, 2014 at 9:49 am
  
  The UX301LA is still available in shops but I don’t know if it’s still manufactured or not. It probably is though, as Asus has no proper competitor for it.
  
  Reply
Petter

July 31, 2014 at 3:18 pm

Okay, thats what I figured too.

Did you notice any battery differences between the 302, the 301 and the 303? In the reviews, you seem to state similar battery lifes, eg. 5 to 6 hours and such. But seeing as the UX301LA has a 6cell battery, it should last longer, right?

Reply
satego

September 3, 2014 at 12:45 pm

Anyone tested / experienced the Game: World of Tanks on this Ultrsbook with the GT730M ? Somehow possible to play it at least on low settings ?

Reply
- satego
  
  September 6, 2014 at 6:15 pm
  
  So I got my UX302LG now – and World of Tanks is running very nicely at 1920×1080 with low Settings and Vsync stable at 60 FPS – This Ultrabook is really a Masterpeice !
  
  Reply
Dinesh

December 30, 2014 at 4:54 pm

I was actually looking at UX303LN initially but i can’t accept the colours being that bad. Is UX302 free of that issue or it is similar?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  January 3, 2015 at 10:51 am
  
  Free from what I remember.
  
  Reply
Rino Rivera

March 25, 2015 at 7:34 am

Good Day Sir Andrei,

I found your zenbook reviews very great & well detailed. Can I please ask you a favor? Which zenbook can you recommend for me :

Zenbook UX301
Zenbook UX302LA/LG
Zenbook UX303LN

I will be using it for stuffs like web surfing, downloading/watching movies, ms office works, and some little gaming. :) Hoping for your reply.

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  March 25, 2015 at 11:55 am
  
  I’d look at the UX303LA with BRoadwell hardware, that should offer the best for the buck. If you need better gaming abilities, aim for the UX302LG or the UX303LN
  
  Reply
eric

March 31, 2015 at 3:36 am

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced USB power issues with the UX302LG’s two left USB ports? It seems that I can only use the one USB port on the right side with reliable results e.g. if I use the Ethernet adapter in either of the two left USB ports, the adapter constantly blinks on and then off, and Windows makes the connect disconnect chime. When I was in Taiwan last fall, I decided to go to the source and bring it to an ASUS tech center and the technician told me that due to the ultra thin design of the unit, the USB ports to the left are further away from the power source and therefore cannot maintain consistent power. He recommended that I use the one USB port on the right of the machine for anything that requires consistent power. This seems a bit odd and a bit of a letdown considering how expensive this unit was. I was wondering if anyone else had the same problem?

Reply
Simone

June 7, 2015 at 8:48 pm

Hello all! I would like to post my review of this laptop and let you all kmow my experience and impressions…

I bought this laptop in January 2014 at a local shop after reading this same review. It was priced 6000SAR which is around 1200EUR at the time.

After just 48h I started having WiFi issues, the type of issues that don’t allow you to connect to any of the visible SSIDs near you. I started updating the impossible but it seemed to happen randomly.

After a few weeks later I noticed the video card (nvidia) was not working properly so I simply decided to reformat and start from a fresh OS and driver install. Video card fixed but the WiFi remained. I solved the WiFi by buying a nano WiFi USB card which now blocks one of my Three available USB ports.

A few months after I started noticing that the PC one morning stopped booting (black screen with apparently power led bootlooping?) And without thinking to much I simply opened the notebook and removed the battery and replaced it. PC restarted normally.. A few days later again the same issue so I start reading around solutions that simply said to disconnect the battery and reconnect! Seriously???? I mean I spend 1.2k on a notebook that I need to open once a week just to make it boot???? Is this normal for Asus to release such a piece of crap to the market?

Thinking that I though Asus was one of the best notebook manufacturers around.. I started loving it back in 2005 but this last experience really broke all the positive impressions I had of them.. In March 2014 I also bought for the office a 600$ Lenovo (flex 14) which believe it or not seems to be at least three order of magnitude better than this piece of poop I am using at home.. Really disappointed! What a disaster! I still feel mad for this purchase even though more than a year has past.

Reply
- Simone
  
  June 7, 2015 at 8:52 pm
  
  Not to mention I updated the Bios from 209 to 210 and guess what the PC started bootlooping directly into the Bios.. In the bios in the boot menu there where no more options for boot even though in the sata configuration panel I could see the HDD and sdd… I again had to open the pc , remove the HDD and sdd and boot the PC without them installed and reinstall them back in and reboot to fix this issue! What a joke!!!!!
  
  Reply
- Wathando Mughandira
  
  June 8, 2015 at 12:52 pm
  
  I also bought asus zenbook UX302L from best buy in November 2013 in San Diego, CA. The laptop just doesnt boot at times and one has to open the back with TORx screws and disconnect battery from the main motherboad and reconnect it. This keeps happening every fortnight or so and I am very dissapointed with Asus and I do not think I will buy their laptops ever again coz I spent a fortune on this laptop. The challenge is I live in Africa and could not return it hence just had to find the TORx screw drivers and move with them wherever I go with the Zenbook. I really dont understand why these faulty laptops could be allowed to go on the market. Whilst in the USA the same thing happened when i had just bought it so naturally I went to best buy and exchanged it. The one i got has given me same problems ever since.
  
  Reply
Atal Wardak

July 25, 2016 at 6:47 am

Hi,
I have 500GB HDD and 16 GB SSD. so I want to upgrade both of them to larger size SSD.

Anyone can tell me how larger SSD can be compatible with this PC?
And why they created two place for storage?

Reply
- Andrei Girbea
  
  July 26, 2016 at 2:56 pm
  
  You’ll have to replace the HDD with a compatible 2.5″ SSD. That would make the 16 GB caching SSD obsolete, but it’s the only way to get a large SSD on this laptop
  
  Reply

Asus Zenbook UX302LG / UX302 review – the GAMING 13 inch ultrabook

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