ASUS Zenbook UX303 (Nvidia GT 840M)

Just do what you did in the Color calibration only use the Intel Graphics sliders instead of the Windows ones. They both have pretty much the same settings and you can use what Windows gives you as a template. I use a colorimeter now but I used to do it that way. There's actually better color calibration charts online but the Windows one is decent enough for most people.

 

Thanks for the info, the ASUS N551/G551 with an 860M, SSD, and 1080p are expected in early November, I'm just waiting for that. I won't be on the go that much so 15" will work fine and be more usable without scaling. Shame, this looked like a great pick!

 

Would fiddling around with the Intel Control Centre be a good enough fix for the yellow? I'm wondering because it's the only thing really making me hesitate from buying the computer online from the US and having it shipped to Canada. (The Canadian version is only 8gb ram and ABGN WiFi) If it's a simple fix like that and not like the BIOS updates for the Yoga Pro, which led to poorer battery life, then I'm good to go.

 

The Y50 has the yellow issue and I was able to make it better with a custom icc profile + Intel tweaks. It wasn't perfect so a photographer would not like it but it's tolerable for most, I think. If I end up buying this, I plan on doing the same thing. The y50 has some other odd screen issues which I'm not a fan of, so I'm returning it.

 

Attention elusiveflip:

I stumbled onto an adjustment that made the greenish yellow a perfect yellow yellow. There is an Asus application called, Splendid Utility. I selected the Manual Option and changed color temperature from 0 to 2. Presto, perfect Yellow.

Jim

 

You're telling me an Asus bloatware that does the same job as the Windows', AMD's, and Intel's color calibration function, is able to get a perfect yellow?

(Yes I am in a semi-denial)

 

Windows Color Calibration simply wouldn't keep the settings. And never really got a "perfect" yellow. Intel HD Graphics Control Panel never got that "perfect" yellow. Splendid Utility is giving me a "perfect" yellow. It may not be because of the color temperature setting. It may be because of the "Manual" option. Maybe in manual, it is NOT making any adjustments. Maybe un-installing it would also work.

Jim

 

I've been looking at a 13" Macbook Pro Retina aside from the UX303LN because of its battery life, but the dedicated graphics card in an ultraportable form factor is hard to ignore. Now I just need to decide whether to get it from Adorama or B&H Photovideo.

 

Hi all, well I am also looking to buy a Asus Zenbook UX303LN (8GB with 256GB SSD i7 and the 1920x1080 not glossy diplay - matte) Here in Germany should be available mid of September.
But I would have some questions....
1) The SSD Options.... What does the UX303LN now have... a 2,5" bay AND an M.2 Connection/place ? So can I install e.g. a 256GB 2,5" SSD AND another 256GB M.2 SSD Stick ?
2) The 256GB SSD Version - Does it come with one 256GB 2,5" SSD or with a M.2 ??
3) If it has both Connection Options - can these be set as a RAID0 ?


In General how is the Quality of those who were lucky and got theris already ? Well build ? all good ?

 

I am very disappointed the LN model is not available in the UK. Anybody know what stores (physical) or online store besides Amazon in Germany are stocking it?
I am presuming same models are being released in Ireland as UK?

 

Adorama has a better return policy.

Good luck, Jim

 

Photos in this review show a m.2 "piggy back" on a 2.5 inch adapter and an empty half length mSATA.

Asus Zenbook UX303LN / UX303 review - faster than ever

My UX303LA has a 2.5 inch 7 mm SSD, no "piggy back" M.2. I don't know if it has an empty half length mSATA.

Good luck, Jim

 

Didn't you say your ssd model is SD6SB1M128G1002? That's an m.2 drive

 

Hi everyone,

Really sad that this notebook won't be available in 1080p matte display any time soon. I'm in the market for a new laptop and this seemed perfect other than the screen. Are there any that are of similar form and specs?

Thanks.

 

I don't think so. Even an Asus Repair Center tech said it was a 2.5 inch 7 mm.

Regards, Jim

 

Not sure if it helps, but 3200 x 1800 perfectly downscales to 1600 x 900, without any blurring/aliasing/artifacting. Although not 1080, on a 13 inch screen that resolution is still pretty high (its what most Xbone games output on full screen TVs).

 

Anyone having luck with cyberport.de or other german/international retailers besides Amazon for shipping to US?

 

How is Adorama's return policy better? Aren't they both 30 days? With shipping/customs, B&H is ($1496.65 USD) vs. Adorama ($1349.69 USD). However, B&H has added the Canadian HST tax, whereas Adorama hasn't added it. So I don't know how much it'll change.

Also, you have the UX303LA right? Touchscreen at FHD or QHD resolution? Just wondering if your work around for the yellow will translate into the QHD with touchscreen for the UX303LN

 

No, downscaling doesn't work like that.

Most display/GPU downscalers use bilinear resampling, which results in bluriness and increased input lag (which seems to be getting worse with higher-resolution panels). Even with nearest neighbor resampling, you're losing out on subpixel rendering improvements like ClearType.

Native resolution is always going to be far superior to non-native on LCD displays.

 

Is there any chance we could please get some comparison photos with the new yellow work around? That's the only thing stopping me buying the QHD, as for me, it's almost $500 cheaper than the 1080p model im getting from Germany.

 

What if I want to run a game?

Even if I turn off all AA (pretty sure it's not needed on high pixel density displays), anisotropic filtering and any other memory bandwidth intensive graphics, I'm not sure if the 840M is able to handle 1800p gaming.


EDIT: It appears that on October 2013, Samsung recommended setting the ATIV Book 9 Plus's 3200x1800 display resolution to 1920x1080 when Windows 8 originally did not support such high density display:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Samsung-ATIV-Book-9-Plus-940X3G-Ultrabook.103299.0.html

"However, we have to add a large "but". Windows 8 simply is not designed for such a high pixel density. Many elements are difficult to recognize from a normal distance even when using maximum scaling settings and thus Samsung recommends an interpolation of 1920x1080 pixels. The user should wait for the soon available free update to Windows 8.1 for the full QHD+ resolution."

 

I think B&H has a restocking fee?

My UX303LA is FHD. My yellow "fix" will not help QHD screens "mustard yellow". The QHD yellow problem is caused by the screen design, not just a calibration issue.

Good luck, Jim

 

That's a little disappointing about the QHD then if that simple fix won't work on it.
Both Adorama and B&H say they may charge a restocking fee if their return conditions aren't met.

 

B&H does give 5% back on purchase in the form of gift card.

 

I agree with elusiveflip. I was reading the forums of the lenovo yoga 2 pro, which uses the same WQHD screen, and it seems that the yellows (after updates) are still not perfect.

https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Idea-W...-has-Yellow-Color-Issues/td-p/1401397/page/14

I need this computer for graphic design (the GPU and high resolution is an advantage) but I am very worried about those yellows.
Could someone who already has the WQHD LN give any info/pictures about that screen?

Thanks

 

OK thanks a lot for the answer - Now I found also some pictures.... UHHHH thats not nice then - This stupid half size MSata port -> almost useless, isn´t it ? If I check I only can get some slow maximum 64 GB Versions of these so as an expansion of storage space its almost useless. So that means if buying the 256GB SSD Version of the UX303 and you want more space you need to buy a 2,5" 512GB SSD (still a bunch of money) and then you have the stupid M.2 device as a leftover. Why they rae using an M.2 with and adatpter here I dont get it - no advantage , only more expensive....

BUT OK will not be an "OUT" for the buy for me - Now I am hoping the german stores which are quoting that mid September UX303 with matte display will be available are right and I can get one....

 

I don't know why they've done this for the preview system, but I hope the adapter will work in other computers, in that case it would not be a loss. If the adapter is good enough it's maybe something good, because the SSDs Asus uses in the UX32LN are kind of slow and I hope the M.2 will be faster. Also we would get the option to use only the M.2 without the adapter, which is very interesting for future systems, as M.2 will be a new standard you will also find in desktop systems. In short, the combination of adapter and M.2 could give us more options.

About the half-sized mSata connection: Asus uses them with small 8GB mSatas as cache drives to fasten up hdds . It's indeed sad they don't want or can't use a regular mSata, that would be really great. I don't expect that we will see cheap half-sized mSata with more then 128GB at all. The UX32LN has not such a connection, in comparison we get an addionional option here, but as said, sadly not a very juicy one. Good thing is that prices for bigger SSD will drop faster in the future, as it seems that the technology has finally it's break-through and more manufacturer are starting to produce bigger SSDs cheaper.

So Asus, let's get it on, because after waiting so long for a UX32LN in a local store I will very likley not do another shift round for the UX303LN, my notebook is above it's limit and I need a replacement.

 

Well yes I mostly agree , thats true if the M.2 adapter works in every PC I can at least use it in my Desktop then - And I just realized that the Crucial MX100 512 GB just costs 179 EUR here so its an option then. The MSata Mini (Half soze) thing is still annoying to me...(Iwould have two 256 GB Msata SSds leftover from the actual Ultrabook which I want to replace by the Zenbook UX303)...
But it is like it is... all other Specs are matching my demand perfectly so I will go for the UX303....WHEN I ever will get one - Another push out for some of them here at the onliner in germany.... now some set to 21st of September only..... Its hard to believe that these days , where all IT makers (excpet Apple) are crying of low sell outs due to tablets and Windows 8 or whatever..... there are people around the globe who are willed to buy....BUT CANT ;(

 

Looks like the only model available in Finland at the moment is the UX303LN with QHD. Here's a list of sellers ( ASUS UX303LN QHD+ Glare Touch Intel i7, 1184€ | Hinta.fi). Price varying from 1180-1500€. Maybe some of them ship abroad.

 

I like the M.2 caddy idea. You can practically use it an any future computer now since you have the 2.5" bay. It also looks like the 60mm variant, which is kind of nice since it will fit in many laptops. The resell value is a little higher than a normal ssd.

 

Does anyone with the LA model mind opening theirs up and snapping a few pictures for us? In particular, I'd like to see the cable from the screen.

 

Why in the world is ASUS so intent on shooting themselves in the foot? Putting a mid-range discrete GPU into an ultrabook means it's intended for mid-range gaming, so why cripple that experience with a QHD+ that absolutely cannot be driven at full resolution in games by that GPU? And downscaling is no solution; even if it worked perfectly with no blurring and no latency (which it doesn't), it's still driving 4 times as many pixels for absolutely no benefit, wasting power despite that fact that one of the main selling points of ultrabooks is supposed to be battery life. This is clearly not a Razer Blade--it's not driving their ridiculous screen with a GTX 870M. The 840 is way, way down the food chain. What in the world is ASUS thinking?

And even if you ignore gaming (despite the fact that it's ridiculous to ignoring gaming on a device with a discrete, consumer-grade GPU) and only consider ASUS trying to position this as a luxury ultrabook with a luxury screen... no, sorry, a luxury screen doesn't have these appalling, irresolvable color calibration issues. Plus the fact that the continuing scaling issues in Windows means a high-DPI screen for that OS still has at least as many "cons" as "pros". So again, what in the world is ASUS thinking? A high-quality 1080p screen makes way, way more sense for this product.

It's just so frustrating that ASUS has come so close to a phenomenal product--really one of the few truly all-purpose ultrabooks, but the handful of flaws are just absolutely fatal. A slightly better/bigger battery (push non-gaming runtime up around 8 hours) and a high-quality 1080p screen and the UX303LN would be an absolute no-brainer 10/10 instant purchase. Without those, and mainly due to the poor QHD+ screen and related issues, it's an absolute no-go; won't purchase it, will actively recommend against people considering it.

And it's even worse because it's not an issue of ASUS being incapable of addressing the major flaw--the screen--but the insane choices for region-specific variation that's preventing the vast majority of people from getting the right product.

 

Long-time lurker, first-time poster here. Some context: my job gave me a nice, fresh Thinkpad two years ago so I've been able to go six years without replacing my personal laptop; I'm overdue and I want an ultrabook (~20mm or less, ~3.5 lbs or less) as I travel a lot. I was stoked to see the 303LN, as I used to game, and there've been some titles I've missed in the last few years without a decent system that I'd like to be able to run on decent settings -- Rome 2 being foremost among them.

Now, from the benchmarking I've read, this system should in theory be able to run Rome 2 at High settings with really solid framerates at 13** x 7** and look great while doing it. But the discussions about the screen have led me to question that conclusion for two reasons:

• A game running at a down-scaled resolution of X will strain the system more than a game running at a native resolution of X
• A game running at a down-scaled resolution of X will not look as nice as would a native resolution of X

Whether or not I buy the laptop hinges on the extent of the performance drop and the extent of image quality reduction that happen when you downscale. But I really know very little about how all this works -- and it seems like some of you know way more. Do you have any sense for how to quantify these differences? Are we talking 1-2 FPS off the benchmarks or 10-15 FPS? And what exactly happens to the visuals? Is there a reference video that'd be instructive?

Depending on how it all shakes out, I might try the German option, or I might look at just getting a slightly higher-quality ultrabook without dedicated graphics.

Thanks for reading at length and apologies to those of you who don't give a crap about gaming.

 

Well, you can turn off all AA because I doubt you'll need it at 3K resolution on a small screen. Maybe even anisotropic filtering, which also uses bandwidth.

 

I agree with MBGat's post but I don't think the performance drop will be that detrimental. It will be more apparent when people start getting their units and post numbers of the same titles at 1080p. I've been playing with a number of laptops over the past couple months and I haven't seen nearly as much issues with downscaling as I have in the past. The Razer Blade downscaled perfectly to 1080p and played the same game with only slightly lower framerates as a 1080p laptops with the same specs(MSI Ghost Pro). I was getting 3-5 fps lower on the Razer Blade(and some of that could have been accounted for heat and PSU throttling). Now the 840M may perform way different but nobody has tested it yet so there's no way to say it as fact.

 

It still won't help when gaming at 3k. Framerates on recent games are going to be under 15fps(I'm guessing based off how the 860M performed), even with AA off. Games older than that are also going to be super buggy at that high of resolution. To game, you'll want to downscale to 1600x900 but then might want to turn AA on. You could argue that AA is overkill on 1600x900 too though.

 

What UI scaling are you guys using? 100% was too small, 125% looks perfect to me for the Windows desktop. Also, the trading software I am using is blurry, when then I turn off High DPI scaling, it becomes clear, but too small to use. Is there a way to keep the default DPI scaling windows uses for the program without making it blurry?

 

The resolution scaling is going to make it blurry, so I guess that counts as AA itself.

 

Not until the software designer updates their app to at least support double density pixels. At least it defaults big, because some of these apps are stuck being super tiny with no solution. Email the company so they know at least.

 

It's not so much that scaling strains the system... this should all be HW scaling and so it's shouldn't put any burden on the CPU and it shouldn't be affecting frame rate. But it does typically add latency--essentially a fixed delay between what you see on the screen and the actual state of the program. For something like Rome 2, that shouldn't matter. Display latency is much more an issue for things like FPS.

For your second bullet, though, yes, down-scaling usually has a negative effect on image quality.

 

So what's the final word on battery life? Any early owners want to chime in?

 

MBGat. The short answer on why Asus "shot themselves in the foot" is firstly money, and secondly they likely didn't.

If you think about the average consumer who will likely buy this product, lets say a business user stumbles onto it on Amazon, they likely won't read any reviews and they certainly won't do any pre-purchase research and find their way to forums such as this. All they see is a nice looking laptop, with QUAD HD 3800 x 1800 plastered in the title. Done, that's all that's required to sell the product. Do you really think Asus care about you or people on this or other forums who know about the products issues? No. For every one of us who raises the color issues, there are likely hundreds of customers who buy it regardless, likely not knowing about the issue. It's why they deny there is a problem, in their mind 99% of those who bought it are happy, so if 1% complain and don't buy the product, it's no sweat to them.

Just like Apple, Acer and Lenovo, Asus is not your friend, they are there to make money, and they will make products they think will sell in higher quantities, regardless of what you or I think. QHD sadly happens to be the buzzword they will use to get consumers to purchase this product.

 

There are models of the UX32LN in EU which are available now with the 1080p matte screen and i7-4510U.

Are there any reasons to stick it out for a matte version of the UX303LN when the above are available?

 

Interesting! Do you have any links to retailers with the item in stock? I only thought it came with the older 4500 and integrated graphics. If it has the same insides as the UX303LN then I don't see a reason to wait personally, unless the ram maxes at 8GB?

 

Price, presumably.

 

Price is pretty much the same if not a little cheaper for the UX32LN.

This is in Europe at least, not compared with the US but 1080p UX303LN isn't coming to the US anyway.

 

Having a look, it seems that the UX32LN has a few drawbacks, but they might not be deal breakers. The ram is fixed and can not be upgraded, so you can only get 8GB. A̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶f̶i̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶n. Apart from that, I can't find any other differences, but I'd be interested to hear from more knowledgeable members?

Edit : Scratch that, found models with better wifi cards.

 

Yeah wireless can be upgraded easily to AC and there is even a model with 4510U and AC - UX32LN-R4076H.

SSD I would be upgrading anyway so makes no odds.

What I can't figure out is if there are other differences with the chassis / trackpad etc.

 

Disagree. People look at # of stars ratings, people look at reviews, people especially ask their tech enthusiast friends and relatives about what to buy.

 

Someone opened one up a while back and I think there was no msata mini slot. I thought the ram was upgradable though...