Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review: Ultra-thin, Lightweight, Durable and Multiport for Convenient Connectivity

We waited for a long time and finally, we present a detailed Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA review here. The version we have is the Asus ZenBook UX425JA-EB51, which marks a breakthrough for ASUS and the success of bringing laptops to meet both offices, graphics, and gaming needs. Now let’s look at this thin and light laptop.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

Design

First, the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA has a completely positive change in the overall design. You will see the look of this year’s edition being simpler and less fussy. However, it is the simplicity that makes the machine more and more sophisticated.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

The ZenBook 14 UX425JA has a back with the logo on the right side instead of in the middle, like the previous generation, it looks more comfortable. The surface is still built with many concentric circles around the ASUS logo, and we have seen this design in the Asus ZenBook Duo Series before.

The version we are using is the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA in clear gray. This color is really broad and varies from blue to black from many different angles. According to a survey of 5,000 users, which ASUS previously announced, most require a thinner and lighter laptop with buffalo battery life, rather than a thin laptop. Which has to be plugged into regularly, especially for business segments. And those factors are on the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA.

This laptop is only 13.9 mm thick and weighs only 1.13 kg. It is not very light and compact, in fact, the experience of having a laptop is very fond. ASUS understood that business users needed a laptop that was highly portable, easy to carry, so it developed strongly.

In terms of connectivity, the Asus ZenBook UX425JA makes major changes when switching to USB Type-C port according to the trend of product modernization. ASUS has equipped with an HDMI port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports for fast connectivity (two 4K monitors can be connected), and a notification light on the left side. Meanwhile, on the right, we’ll see a USB Type-A port and a MicroSD card slot.

Despite completing the main task of optimizing the design, ASUS still does not neglect HDMI, USB Type-A, or Thunderbolt 3 ports. According to a survey of previous users, due to the specific function, it is more than 69% of office users should use HDMI port and about 76% of users use USB Type-A port every day. Pay little attention, you will see the priority HDMI ports at the top as a demonstration of the importance of this connection in practice. In addition, ASUS also includes a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm port and a USB to LAN port.

Display

The keyboard experience is a blessing, but the display is still one of the strengths of the ASUS ZenBook series and is maintained on the ASUS ZenBook 14 UX425JA. You might not know, the laptop owns a 14-inch screen with full HD resolution, but we think the screen is bigger than this. Only because the surrounding edges are optimized for a larger and maximum frame.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

Featuring NanoEdge technology that optimizes 4 perfectly slim circles, the ZenBook UX425JA offers a screen that delivers a truly enjoyable experience of up to 90% overall. The screen has high sharpness, and good contrast is also a huge plus point that cannot be ignored.

The ASUS ZenBook UX425 also comes with an IPS LCD panel for higher brightness and wider viewing angles, such as ASUS is making the most of modern technology and doing everything to make performance more efficient. Apart from this, the laptop also integrates anti-glare technology anti-glare, which allows you to use it in bright sunny environments.

Keyboard and Touchpad

One of the most obvious changes is the keyboard design. As you can see, ASUS has designed a keyboard that extends from left to right as if for a full range of everyday tasks. The Asus ZenBook 14 UX425 is optimized around the keyboard and brings a unique beauty, also known as edge-to-edge technology. In addition, ASUS has not forgotten to bring Ergolift technology to make the experience more comfortable.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

The user experience is really comfortable and the flexible placement of the hands is effectively featured on this high-end laptop. The key button has a sufficiently ventilated distance for quick and easy operation and above all, the laptop integrates with the backlit key which allows you to use it in many different environments and situations. There is a lot of glow in the backlight and this is something we cannot ignore.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

The integration of virtual numeric keys on the touchpad helps in using data entry quickly. We appreciate the efficiency of the touchpad, especially the smooth surface with fast response speed.

Performance

Design innovation is not enough, ASUS also brings powerful configurations to meet the needs of users to use graphics and gaming. First, let us quickly look at the specs of the ASUS ZenBook 14 UX425JA below:

  • 14-inch screen, Full HD
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1
  • RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X (On Board)
  • Storage: 512 GB M.2 PCIe SSD
  • Integrated graphics card Intel UHD Graphics

In the thin and light laptop segment, the ASUS ZenBook has always been rated as one of the product lines catering to the needs of both studies, work, and entertainment. With the presence of the Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU, the Asus ZenBook UX425JA provides a smooth work experience even when running heavy applications such as Adobe. Test the ranking of this CPU on the CPU benchmark, you’ll see the Intel Core i5-1035G1 ranks 512/2987 score and only two levels behind the Intel Core i5-9300H.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

As usual, we used Geekbench 5 to test the CPU and the performance of the ASUS ZenBook 14 UX425JA. As a result, we got quite a favorable score with real experience:

  • CPU measurement: single-core reached 1,085 points, multi-core reached 2,889 points
  • Performance measurement: a score of 5,307 points

The other software we use to measure CPU is CineBench. After a period of time, Cinebench gives the following results:

  • CPU reaches 1,058 pts.
  • CPU (single-core) 373 pts.
Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

In addition, we also measured the read/write speed of the 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD through Crystal Diskmark software:

  • Read speed: 2,249 MB/s
  • Write speed: 1,212 MB/s
Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

A major change was to equip the CPU with the “G” series instead of the “U” series. As a thin and lightweight laptop, the ASUS ZenBook UX425JA still meets the demands of heavy-duty usage, typically graphic design and gaming. First, regarding the ability to do graphics, the laptop allows us to handle Photoshop and Lightroom easily. Best of all, we can easily run 2 Adobe apps and multiple Chrome tabs at the same time.

How smooth! When you launch the multiple applications and quickly switch the task, there is no stutter, and the virtual key touch is also very smooth. When you open the tab is still smooth, the switch application is performed efficiently and the cursor moves flexibly.

The combination of power from the workstation laptop in the ZenBook 14 UX425JA is a vast improvement and this factor helps us carry on with confidence as a true companion at work. Speaking of gaming capabilities, the laptop does not have a discrete graphics card, but still allows us to play League of Legends with over an average of 50 fps. 

In addition, we also measure the opening time of common applications and tasks and we generate this statistic that you can see below:

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

Battery

Offering a slim design and powerful performance is not enough, the company also comes equipped with a battery with more than 10 hours of juice for office use. You are not allowed to wait, we used the familiar BatteryMon software to measure the laptop’s battery life.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

We still can’t believe that a thin and light laptop like the ASUS ZenBook UX425JA can be used for about 10 hours. To get the above results, we opened up to 7 Chrome tabs and also used Photoshop. According to the previously announced ASUS, the new ASUS ZenBook series can last up to 22 hours and we find that the time only appears when you use it intermittently and only the Chrome tab. Also, about 10 hours of continuous use is impressive, right?

Heatsink

In terms of design, the laptop’s heatsink is located behind the keyboard and occupies most of the edge. To evaluate the ability of the heatsink to release air, we used the familiar software AIDA64.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

As you can see, the laptop’s CPU received an average temperature of 64° C for a period of 35 minutes. At the time of measuring the temperature, we used 3 heavy software including Photoshop, Lightroom, and BatteryMon to measure the battery and we evaluated the laptop’s heat dissipation to a good and efficient level.

Audio

The ASUS ZenBook UX425JA has a speaker design that is located at the bottom of the machine and close to the edge of the laptop. We don’t know how you see it, but we like the speaker located in this position which produces the effect of a vivid surround sound.

Asus ZenBook 14 UX425JA Review

Speaking of audio technology, the ASUS ZenBook 14 UX425JA uses Harman Kardon technology, which can meet the needs of watching movies and listening to music without the need for an external speaker. But most importantly, when you watch action movies this technique makes the sound brighter and more real than before.

Final line

And these are our experiences when using the ASUS ZenBook UX425JA. We personally appreciate perfection and machining, durability, aesthetics, and more importantly pricing, $799.99 on Amazon.com, Bhphotovideo.com, and Newegg.com websites. Or you can also read our Dell Vostro 5490 review, which also comes with a  robust configuration, design, and good performance, priced under $1000.

But apart from that, ASUS also does not ignore the internal performance and battery life also reaches an attractive number. Don’t know if you like our ASUS ZenBook 14 UX425JA review? Please leave your comments below and let us know.

About Ankeet Solanki

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