Introducing The ZenBook Pro UX501
Enter Asus. They've utilized their ZenBook line to satisfy a wide range of demographics and price points, but their UX501 -- with its "Pro" designation, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960m GPU, and 4K touchscreen display -- is a Zenbook aspiring to meet and exceed Apple's flagship notebook, and look stunning while doing it.
As you'll see, in many ways, it's mission accomplished...
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Processor | Intel Core i7-4720HQ (6MB cache, 2.6GHz to 3.6GHz) |
Operating System | Windows 8.1 64-bit (free upgrade to Windows 10) |
Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M w/ 2GB GDDR5 |
Memory | 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz DRAM |
Display | 15.6-inch IPS (3840x2160), 282 PPI, 280 nits |
Storage | Samsung PM951 512GB PCI-E x4 SSD |
Optical | None |
Ethernet | None (USB 2.0 to RJ45 adapter included) |
Wireless Connectivity | 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 |
Interface (Left) | DisplayPort Out, HDMI Out, USB 3.0 |
Interface (Right) | USB 3.0 x2, MicroSD Card Reader, Headphone Out |
Webcam | 1MP HD (720p) camera |
Battery | 96Wh 6-cell) lithium-ion |
Dimensions | 15.08 (W) x 10.04 (L) x 0.84 (H) |
Weight | 5 pounds |
Pricing | $1499 as tested |
It's easy to spot the highlights. For less than $1500, you've got a handsome looking notebook sporting some drool-worthy display capabilities. 4K resolution? Check. IPS panel? Check. Touchscreen? Check. And while Asus doesn't explicitly market it as a gaming product, Nvidia's GeForce GTX 960m can hold its own in moderate to heavy titles at 1080p.
For those keeping score, the UX501 is $500 cheaper than the baseline 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, yet eclipses it in both storage space and graphics horsepower.
On paper, it's a notebook aspiring to satisfy the needs of creative professionals, power users, media junkies, and gamers. In reality can it please everyone? Let's dive in.