Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED UM5302TA review- (AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, OLED)

This text is my detailed assessment of the 2022 ZenBook S 13 OLED sequence, within the UM5302TA configuration constructed on an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U {hardware} platform.

In only a few phrases, this laptop computer is a extremely transportable 13-inch ultrabook that doesn’t compromise on something necessary. It’s properly made, gives good inputs and a nice-looking OLED show, and is highly effective for its dimension, in a position to deal with all kinds of calls for. On prime of those, it’s additionally a quiet performer and able to lasting for a lot of hours on every cost, when unplugged from the wall.

A few of these traits are a consequence of Asus implementing AMD Ryzen 6000 {hardware} right here, which is the best-balanced platform accessible in cell multi-purpose laptops as of mid-2022.

As at all times although, the satan is within the particulars, and particularly in the case of the general efficiency capabilities of this type of an ultraportable design. Down beneath, on this assessment, we’re going by means of all these necessary particulars that you need to be conscious of in case you’re contemplating shopping for a ZenBook S 13 as your subsequent ultrabook.

Specs – Asus Zenbook S 13 UM5302

Design and development

I already lined the laptop computer’s design and construct traits within the preview article accessible over right here, which it is best to go over.

Briefly, I’ll reiterate that Asus gives the sequence in just a few coloration choices. We had the Aqua Celadon choice for the preview, whereas this assessment unit is the Ponder Blue mannequin. The opposite two are Vestige Beige and Refined White.

They’re all good wanting and get color-matched keyboards, and the potential downside of this darker-blue variant is the truth that it exhibits smudges and finger oil simpler than the others, each on the arm-rest and lid, but in addition on the keyboard’s black keycaps.

The opposite main promoting level of this lineup is its total portability. This weighs shy of 1.1 kilos (2.4 lbs), which makes it a strong journey companion. Positive, there are lighter laptops on the market and fairly just a few sub-1 kilos choices, however that is nonetheless a well-balanced design that doesn’t compromise on construct integrity, inputs, or battery life.

It additionally feels surprisingly sturdy for its dimension, and I wasn’t anticipating to not expertise any flex or squeakiness within the lid and the primary chassis, primarily based on my impressions of the earlier ZenBook generations. As it’s, this 2022 replace comes very shut in high quality to the premium ultrabooks on the market, such because the MacBook Air or the Dell XPS 13. All these whereas being extra compact, lighter, and integrating a larger-capacity battery. Effectively accomplished!

The IO is minimalistic, although, so you have to adapters for numerous actions.

You’re solely getting USB-C ports right here, all of them with information, charging, and video. There’s one on the left and two on the best, so you possibly can conveniently cost this on both facet. There’s additionally an audio jack on the best, and the standing LEDs are additionally positioned on this edge.

Aside from the UBS-C solely IO, there’s little to complain in regards to the daily-use expertise and the practicality of this design.

Asus are nonetheless implementing an Ergolift hinge that lifts the primary chassis on small rubber ft positioned on the backside of the display, permitting for improved airflow into the followers. It really works properly and the laptop computer sits stably on the desk even when leaning on these tiny display ft.

The cooling module has been redesigned. Recent air nonetheless comes inside by means of the open grills on the underside of the laptop computer, however the radiator was moved to the left edge, so the new air no-longer blows into the display. To me, this can be a main improve for this S 13 era.

One other is the truth that the display can lean again flat to 180-degrees now, which to me is just about a should on an ultraportable design, because it permits to comfortably apply it to the lap or on the thighs.

I additionally recognize how the display will be simply picked up and adjusted with a single hand, how the entrance lips and corners are blunted and comfy on the wrists, how there’s now not an always-on mild within the energy button, how the standing LEDs are tucked away on the perimeters, and the way the painted aluminum used for all the casing supplies good grip when grabbing and choosing up this laptop computer.

I’ll additionally commend Asus for his or her new design language, with the cleaner lid and the monogram emblem. There’s nonetheless a shinny Asus ZenBook emblem below the show, however I can reside with it. You’ll wish to peel off all these ugly stickers plastered across the arm-rest, although.

Earlier than we wrap up this part, I need to additionally add that the ZenBook S 13 will not be essentially ultra-compact, because of implementing a 16:10 show with noticeable bezels on the prime and proper. You may inform that from the photographs down beneath the place I’ve the S 13 subsequent to my previous XPS 13.

And right here’s how the ZenBook S 13 compares to the mid-sized 2022 ZenBook 14 sequence, with the same design and 16:10 panel. It’s smaller, however not by a lot. You do get full-size ports and an excellent bigger battery with the ZenBook 14 fashions, however these are additionally heavier, at 3.1 lbs, and never accessible with Ryzen 6000 {hardware} (at the very least for now).

Total, whereas this 2022 ZenBook S 13 OLED UM5302T will not be the smallest or the lightest choice within the ultrabook house, I’m completely nice with the general stability supplied right here, particularly because it permits for that 16:10 show, for a digicam and mics on the prime of the display, and for full-size inputs. The earlier ZenBook 13, with its extra compact footprint, solely supplied sufficient house for a cramped keyboard format, and I’m blissful that Asus steered away from that method.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard on this ZenBook S13 is equivalent to what Asus gives with their 14-inch ZenBook on this era, and it’s total a superb format and a superb typer on this class.

As talked about in my ZenBook 14 assessment, the suggestions is a bit mushy and on the mushier facet right here, however every thing’s nice when you get used to it. A number of thousand phrases within the bag, I used to be in a position to sort rapidly and precisely on this laptop computer, much more precisely than on the 14-inch mannequin examined just a few weeks in the past.

The keys are backlit, with white LEDs and three brightness ranges to select from. The system occasions out after 30 seconds and reactivates with a swipe over the clickpad, and total the LEDs are vivid sufficient to do what they’re designed to, particularly on this pairing with the black keycaps. Uniformity remains to be a hit or miss, right here, with some lights brighter than others. A good bit of sunshine additionally shines from beneath the keycaps and is particularly seen below the arrows and the highest line of operate keys.

The clickpad is a big glass floor that works flawlessly with swipes, gestures, faucets, and so forth. It additionally felt strong on this unit and didn’t rattle with firmer faucets; the bodily clicks within the decrease corners are OK, only a bit clunky.

On prime of that, this clickpad doubles as a digital NumberPad, the sort supplied with most ZenBook and VivoBooks lately.

Lastly, for biometrics, there’s a finger-sensor with Good day help included within the energy button, however no IR-capable digicam, though it was accessible previously ZenBook fashions.

Display

This laptop computer is on the market with a 13.3-inch 16:10 shiny OLED 2.8K panel, in both a contact or a non-touch variant.

It is a recent-gen Samsung-made OLED panel, much like what Asus gives with their 14-inch ultraportables. The one notable distinction is the refresh charge, capped at 60 Hz right here, whereas the 14-inchers can be found in 90 and even 120 Hz choices. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, however maybe one thing you would possibly discover with fast-paced motion and video games.

Aside from that, that is nonetheless a 10-bit panel with HDR 500 help, 100% DCI-P3 coloration protection, and glorious blacks/distinction, however sustained SDR brightness of solely round 350-nits for this contact variant.

Asus advertises this panel as as much as 550-nits peak brightness for the contact mannequin and 600-nits for the non-touch choice, which I discover slightly deceptive as a result of it refers to peak HDR brightness in HDR content material. In actuality, this show is simply about 350-nits with regular content material, whereas the non-touch choice goes as much as 400-nits, which suggests it’s barely enough for correct use in vivid environments and that it’ll wrestle outdoor. Paired with the glary glass ending, this laptop computer is generally suited to indoor use.

I’ll additionally point out that I’m nonetheless noticing that slight graininess impact on white backgrounds on the contact variant of this show, as on all of the OLED contact shows supplied lately (it’s not simply an Asus factor, we additionally seen it on the Yoga 9i). Nonetheless, due to the upper density of this 13-inch 2.8K panel, this impact will not be as simply observable as on the 14+ inch OLED fashions, to the purpose that it barely bothered me with precise use right here. On prime of that, the picture is completely clear on the non-touch fashions, because the graininess is a side-effect of the contact /digitizer layers.

Right here’s what we bought in our assessments, with an X-Rite i1 Display Pro sensor (with HDR switched off):

• Panel HardwareID: Samsung SDC4172 (ATNA33AA03-0);
• Protection: 100% sRGB, 96.8% Adobe RGB, 99.7% DCI-P3;
• Kind: 10-bit with HDR500, 60 Hz;
• Measured gamma: 2.17;
• Max brightness in the course of the display: 352.27 cd/m2 on energy;
• Min brightness in the course of the display: 2.98 cd/m2 on energy;
• Distinction at max brightness: 1:1;
• White level: 6600 Okay;
• Black on max brightness: 0 cd/m2;
• PWM: to be mentioned.

This panel got here properly calibrated out of the field and turned out to be uniform in luminosity and coloration. Plus, since that is OLED, you don’t must concern your self with any mild bleeding on black backgrounds.

Panel high quality apart, the opposite benefits of OLED panels must also be thought-about in your resolution, such because the decrease blue-light emission and the way in which colours are perceived extra vividly at mid-brightness ranges, but in addition their potential downsides, akin to black-crush, gray-bending, flickering, and even burn-in to some extent.

I don’t have the best instrument to check for PWM, however most of those latest-gen Samsung OLEDs don’t use PWM and are flicker-free. Search for different evaluations for affirmation, although. Moreover, I wouldn’t fear about burn-in with this newer era of Samsung OLED panels, both, simply be sure to’re sizzling disabling the burn-in safety tech within the MyAsus app, and never use this at max-brightness for hours, particularly whereas displaying static interfaces.

Nonetheless, if OLED will not be your factor, and never essentially resulting from high quality considerations, however particularly as a result of all OLEDs are shiny and also you would possibly preffer matte finishes on ultrabooks (which I do myself), then powerful luck. This sequence will not be accessible with any matte IPS display choice this 12 months.

You would possibly nonetheless discover matte IPS variants with the 14-inch ZenBooks, however even these are a uncommon incidence lately, as Asus are aggressively pushing their OLED choices; plus, these are solely accessible with Intel or AMD Ryzen 5000 {hardware}. You’ll get an IPS display with the Ryzen 6000 U powered Lenovo Yoga 7 sooner or later this 12 months, or with the Ryzen 6000 HS ROG Movement X13, however these are contact as properly, so I’m not conscious of any matte-screen different with related specs at this level.

{Hardware} and efficiency

Our take a look at mannequin is a top-specced configuration of the 2022 Asus ZenBook S 13, code identify UM5302TA, with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U processor and Radeon 680M graphics, 16 GB of LPDDR5-6400 reminiscence, and a quick 1 TB gen4 SSD.

Disclaimer: This assessment unit was supplied by AMD for this text. We examined it with the software program accessible as of late-Might 2022 (BIOS 306, MyAsus 3.1.4 app). Some features would possibly nonetheless change with future software program updates.

Spec-wise, the 2022 ZenBook S 13 is constructed on the newest AMD Ryzen U {hardware} accessible so far for the ultraportable section.

The Ryzen 7 6800U is an AMD Rembrandt 6000 processor, with 8 Cores and 16 Threads. It is a revision of the Ryzen 5000 platform beforehand applied within the 2021 ZenBook 13 reviewed right here (5800U mannequin) and right here (5600U mannequin).

Nonetheless, the ZenBook S 13 is a 13-inch ultraportable design, thus Asus might solely implement restricted sustained energy settings right here. Consequently, and paired with the quiet fan profiles and primary thermal design, the Ryzen 7 6800U runs at between 15 to 25 W of energy on this chassis, and I’ll clarify how this impacts the platform’s efficiency additional down on this assessment.

For the GPU, you’re getting the built-in RDNA2 AMD Radeon 680M iGPU a part of the Ryzen 7 6800U platform, which proved a superb performer in our earlier evaluation. Nonetheless, this iGPU requires about 45W of sustained CPU+GPU energy to run at its peak potential, which isn’t attainable on this power-restrained design.

The reminiscence is soldered on the motherboard and Asus gives 16 or 8 GB configurations, all with LPDDR5-6400 reminiscence. Our unit is the 16 GB model.

As for the storage, the laptop computer gives an M.2 2280 gen4 slot, and our unit shipped with a Samsung PM9A1 drive, one of many quicker gen4 choices accessible lately.

You may take away the laptop computer’s again panel in an effort to entry the SSD slot, the WiFi module, and the opposite elements. This panel is held in place by a few Torx screws, with two of them seen below the rear-rubber ft. The design of those ft permits to simply peel off their exterior corners and get to the screws, making the disassembly course of extra facile than on different ZenBooks.

So far as the software program goes, this ZenBook will get the usual MyAsus app which permits management over the ability profiles, battery and display settings, updates, and so forth.

There are three efficiency/thermal profiles to select from:

• Efficiency – permits the {hardware} to run at ~15-25W in sustained hundreds, with followers ramping as much as 40 dB;
• Balanced/Normal – permits the {hardware} to run at 15-25W in sustained hundreds, with followers ramping as much as ~36 dB;
• Whisper – limits the CPU at 12W to favor fan noise of sub 30 dB.

Whisper mode is OK for mild use, however I’d suggest protecting the laptop computer on Normal normally, to stop any sluggishness.

The Efficiency mode gives quicker processing capabilities in sustained hundreds, whereas not being considerably louder. In truth, the Efficiency mode on this ZenBook S 13 is so much quieter than the Efficiency mode on the ZenBook 14 UX3402 reviewed not too long ago. That might permit Asus to ramp up the fan with a future BIOS replace, and doubtlessly enhance the capabilities of this Efficiency mode.

We’ll get to that in a bit, however first, right here’s what to anticipate by way of speeds and temperatures with each day use, with the laptop computer working quietly, however nearly by no means utterly silent.

Efficiency and benchmarks

On to extra demanding hundreds, we begin by testing the CPU’s efficiency within the Cinebench R15 loop take a look at.

On the Efficiency mode, the Ryzen 7 6800U processor peaks at 30W for a short time after which rapidly drops and stabilizes round a 25 W energy restrict, with temperatures within the mid-90s Celsius, and fan-noise ranges of ~40 dB. These end in sustained Cinebench scores of round 1600 factors.

Bumping the again of the laptop computer off the desk in an effort to enhance cooling is permitting the CPU to run just a few levels cooler, at 91-92 C, whereas nonetheless on the identical 25W energy restrict (additional illustrated within the Cinebench R23 logs down beneath)

On Balanced, the system limits the followers to round 36-37 dB noise ranges. The CPU finally ends up stabilizing at 20-22W, with temperatures within the excessive 80s C. The efficiency takes a ~10% hit, with the scores stabilizing round 1450 factors.

You can too go for the Whisper mode, with limits the CPU at 12W with now barely audible followers, and temperatures within the high-60s. The laptop computer performs at about 60% of its skills on this profile, returning scores of round 1050 factors. That’s glorious for such a low-powered profile.

Lastly, the efficiency on battery on the Efficiency mode on this take a look at is much like the Whisper mode plugged in, with the CPU stabilizing at round 12W of energy.

All these are illustrated within the graph beneath.

To place these in perspective, right here’s how this AMD Ryzen 7 6800 implementation fares in opposition to different {hardware} platforms accessible in competing ultraportables.

It outscores the Intel Core i7-1260P or i5-1240P working at greater energy (30W, 28W respectively) by about 20%, and outscores the Ryzen 7 5800U within the ZenBook 13 by about 20% as properly, however that’s principally a results of this era working at 25W, whereas the earlier solely ran at sub-20W. At related energy, the generational positive factors between the 2 on this CPU-taxing load are at round 5-7%.

I additionally anticipate this Ryzen 7 6800U to be a match for ultraportables constructed on the top-tier Core i7-1280P platform at round 25-30W, however greater energy Intel implementations are going to outmatch it. And so will greater energy implementations of the Ryzen 6000 HS {hardware} accessible in units such because the Movement X13 or the Zephyrus G14. We’ll additional focus on the 6800U in a separate article.

We then went forward and additional verified our findings with the extra taxing Cinebench R23 loop take a look at and in Blender, confirming our above findings.

We then ran the 3DMark CPU profile take a look at.

Lastly, we ran our mixed CPU+GPU stress assessments on this pocket book, on the Turbo profile. 3DMark stress runs the identical take a look at for 20 occasions in a loop and appears for efficiency variation and degradation over time, and this unit failed it, which signifies that the efficiency diminishes with longer-duration sustained hundreds, as the warmth builds up and the system goes down in energy in an effort to address the temperatures.

We’ll go over this in-depth within the gaming part down beneath.

However first, listed below are some benchmark outcomes. We ran all the suite of assessments and benchmarks on the Efficiency profile on this AMD Ryzen 7 6800U configuration, with the display set on FHD decision, for consistency with different laptops examined previously.

• 3DMark 13 – Hearth Strike: 5765 (Graphics – 6286, Physics – 18940, Mixed – 2164);
• 3DMark 13 – Night time Raid: 22234 (Graphics – 27737, CPU – 10468);
• 3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 2367 (Graphics – 2119, CPU – 7064);
• Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Excessive: 1267;
• Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 4199;
• Handbrake 1.3.3 (4K to 1080p encode): 36.60 common fps;
• PassMark 10: 5787 (CPU – 20285, 3D – 4692, Reminiscence – 2287, Disk – 33150);
• PCMark 10: 5913 (Necessities – 9442, Productiveness – 8395, Digital Content material Creation – 7078);
• GeekBench 5.4.3 64-bit: Single-Core: 1497, Multi-core: 7575;
• CineBench R15 (greatest run): CPU  1702 cb, CPU Single Core 229 cb;
• CineBench R20 (greatest run): CPU 3905 cb, CPU Single Core 561 cb;
• CineBench R23: CPU 9434 cb (greatest run), CPU 9350 (10 min loop take a look at), CPU Single Core 1439 CB (greatest run);
• x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 37.72 s.

And listed below are some workstation benchmarks, on the identical Efficiency profile:

• Blender 3.01 – BMW Automotive scene- CPU Compute: 4m 13s ;
• Blender 3.01 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 9m 28s;

• PugetBench – DaVinci Resolve: 350;
• PugetBench – Adobe After Results: 489;
• PugetBench – Adobe Photoshop: 703;
• PugetBench – Adobe Premiere: 266;

• SPECviewperf 2020 – 3DSMax: 29.24;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – Catia: 18.26;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – Creo: 32.91;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – Vitality: 1.04;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – Maya: 79.51;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – Medical: 14.39;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – SNX: 37.58;
• SPECviewperf 2020 – SW: 38.67.
• V-Ray Benchmark: CPU – 7074 vsamples, GPU CUDA – 168 vpaths;

These are some strong outcomes for a 13-inch ultraportable design, however they must be dissected for a correct understanding of the particularities of this Ryzen 7 6800U implementation.

For starters, we have to analyze the influence of the sub-25W energy restrict utilized on the AMD {hardware} with this design, and for that, we examine these scores with our assessment of the iGPU-only variant of the ROG Movement X13 that permits a forty five+W Ryzen 9 6900HS implementation.

We’re about 15% superior CPU multi-core efficiency and 20% positive factors in GPU efficiency for the Movement X13, which can be near what we might anticipate from a 6800U at 45W of energy, acknowledging after all for the small CPU frequency variations between the 6800U and the 6900HS. In different phrases, even at sub-25W, the Ryzen 7 6800U scores inside 80-85% of its most potential capabilities, which showcases this platform’s glorious energy scaling.

Now, in comparison with a Core i7-1260P implementation working at a barely greater 30W of energy within the ZenBook 14, this AMD 6800U mannequin wins the graphics assessments by a big margin of round 20-30%. Nonetheless, CPU scores are neck in neck, with the 1260P profitable in single-core assessments as anticipated given the upper frequency and IPC benefit, but in addition in a lot of the short-duration CPU multi-threaded assessments. That’s as a result of the i7-1260P runs at as much as 43W of energy for brief bursts within the ZenBook 14, whereas the Ryzen 7 6800U solely runs at as much as 30W on this S 13 mannequin.

The sustained efficiency is illustrated by the long-duration benchmarks akin to Blender Classroom, the place the Ryzen 7 6800U @25W finally ends up outmatching the Core i7-1260P @30W.

Lastly, I’ll additionally point out that this 2022 ZenBook S 13 working on the Ryzen 7 6800U platform finally ends up outmatching final 12 months’s ZenBook 13s working on the Ryzen 7 5800U platform by 10-20% in CPU multi-threaded hundreds, and by 50-80% within the GPU hundreds. That’s no shock, given the 5800U and 6800U are related on the CPU facet, however the main replace for the 2022 Ryzen 6000 Rembrandt era is the transition to the way more succesful Radeon 680M iGPU.

At this level in our evaluations, I’m usually including benchmark outcomes for the quieter mid-tier Balanced profile, however I haven’t run the assessments right here but, as a result of the Efficiency mode already runs at quiet fan ranges on this ZenBook, at as much as 40 dB. Therefore, I see no motive why you’ll maintain this laptop computer on something however the Efficiency mode when working demanding hundreds.

Replace: Listed here are the benchmarks outcomes on the Balanced mode:

• 3DMark 13 – Hearth Strike: 5101 (Graphics – 5568, Physics – 16411, Mixed – 1917);
• 3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 2050 (Graphics – 1837, CPU – 5989);
• Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Medium: 3931;
• GeekBench 5.4.3 64-bit: Single-Core: 1489, Multi-core: 7429;
• CineBench R20 (greatest run): CPU 3856 cb, CPU Single Core 550 cb;
• CineBench R23: CPU 9468 cb (greatest run), CPU 8754 (10 min loop take a look at), CPU Single Core 1419 CB (greatest run);
• x265 HD Benchmark 64-bit: 45.90 s.
• Blender 3.01 – Classroom scene – CPU Compute: 11m 14s;

We’re roughly 5-20% decrease scores within the longer assessments in comparison with the Efficiency mode, with the present BIOS settings.

Gaming Efficiency

With these out of the way in which, we additionally ran a few DX11, DX12, and Vulkan titles on the Efficiency profile of this Ryzen 7 6800U with Radeon 680M graphics, at FHD+ decision, with Low/Lowest graphics settings.

I additionally added just a few different iGPU platforms from AMD and Intel, for comparability. Right here’s what we bought.

• Doom, Dota 2, Witcher 3 – recorded with MSI Afterburner in sport mode;
• Bioshock, Far Cry 5 Far Cry 6, Tomb Raider video games – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities;

Factor is, the efficiency of this implementation degrades over time. The Ryzen 7 APU begins working at25W in some titles, however then the ability step by step descends in direction of 18W and even 15W in some titles akin to Doom or Dota 2. That’s illustrated by the log beneath.

Therefore, the outcomes above are considerably inconsistent, particularly for the titles that use a brief benchmark to report the scores, akin to Bioshock or Far Cry. As soon as the system energy drops, the sustained fps are additionally going to drop decrease than what we bought within the desk.

This conduct might change with later software program/BIOS updates. In truth, I used to be anticipating that Asus would push the noise ranges greater on the Efficiency profile, given our expertise with the 14-inch ZenBook. As a substitute, they go for a 40dB noise degree, and that’s impacting the inner temperatures and total efficiency because of this. Provided that this S 13 will not be but promoting in shops, there’s loads of time for additional tweaks, and I would revisit this later within the 12 months as soon as the software program matures.

Nonetheless, even on this implementation, you possibly can anticipate 60+ fps in a lot of the informal video games accessible at the moment, or in older titles, but in addition 30+ fps in AAA demanding titles akin to Far Cry 6 or Shadow of Tomb Raider.

As talked about earlier, this power-limited Ryzen 7 6800U will not be able to delivering the perfect efficiency that the 680M iGPU platform is able to, and that’s showcased within the desk beneath by the comparability with the 45W implementation within the Movement X13. Realistically, the gaming skills of this ZenBook S 13 are inside 60-80% of the Movement.

On the identical time, the S 13 outmatches the Iris-based Intel i7-1260P configuration of the ZenBook 14 in all titles, however the distinction isn’t important as soon as the ability drops and stabilizes at 15-18W. That’s as a result of the Intel mannequin runs at 30W sustained on Efficiency mode, albeit with a louder fan.

With that out of the way in which, let’s undergo some CPU/GPU logs.

First, the Efficiency mode with the laptop computer sitting on the desk. The {hardware} runs at between 25W sustained (with temperatures within the high-80s and GPU frequencies of ~1.5 GHz) and 15-17W (with temperatures within the low-70s and GPU frequencies of ~1.2 GHz) as soon as the ability step by step drops and stabilizes. A considerably greater energy envelope of round 45W could be required for the iGPU to run at its most velocity of two.2 GHz, which might not be attainable on this type of an ultraportable format.

Bumping the again of the laptop computer from the desk helps decrease the inner temperatures by about 5 levels, with out impacting the ability settings or the efficiency. That’s slightly uncommon conduct and it could possibly be addressed with future software program tweaks.

Total, I feel this design might help ~25W of sustained energy with temperatures within the high-80s with the laptop computer sitting on the desk, or lower-80s with the laptop computer on a cooling pad. On prime of that, Asus might ramp up the followers within the Efficiency mode nearer to 45 dB, and that will additional assist maintain the upper energy. For comparability, the Intel-based ZenBook 14 runs at 30W sustained on Efficiency, with 48+ dB noise ranges.

If that occurs, you might additionally contemplate gaming on the Balanced profile right here, which limits the APU energy at round 15W in most titles, with fan ranges of round 36-38 dB. Given the small distinction in capabilities and noise ranges between the Balanced and Efficiency modes with the present software program, I’d simply maintain the laptop computer in Efficiency, if nothing modifications on the retail items.

As for gaming on battery on the Efficiency mode, the Ryzen {hardware} stabilized at 15-16W in our assessments, which interprets into playable framerates of 30-60 fps in most video games. We additionally measured round 2.5 hours of gameplay on battery, which is greater than I used to be anticipating.

Noise, Warmth, Connectivity, audio system, and others

Asus went with a single-fan single-heatpipe thermal module right here, very similar to with all of their earlier ZenBook 13/14 generations.

Nonetheless, this 2022 design is totally different, with a barely longer heatpipe that goes all the way in which to the radiator that was moved on the left facet of the laptop computer. On the identical time, the applied fan and the radiator are a bit smaller than within the earlier generations, resulting from house constraints.

Right here’s the cooling module on this 2022 ZenBook S 13 UM5302 sequence.

And for comparability, right here’s the earlier era thermal module within the ZenBook 13 U325 fashions from 2021.

There’s little to complain in regards to the total thermal efficiency of this design, even nearer to the 25W sustained energy settings. Nonetheless, recent air consumption is considerably choked with the laptop computer sitting on the desk, so it is best to contemplate choosing a cooling pad for lengthy work/gaming periods.

The key good thing about this redesign is the truth that sizzling air now not blows into the show, as with all of the earlier ZenBooks. As a substitute, sizzling air is pushed out and away on the left edge.

Chassis temperatures are about common on this laptop computer, with sub-35 levels C across the WASD and arrows keys, and round 45 C within the warmest spots across the IO keys, simply over the {hardware}. The identical spot on the again hits low-50s Celsius. These measurements are on the Efficiency mode in Far Cry 5, which retains the CPU working at 18-25W of sustained energy. These temperatures are a bit decrease within the titles that energy down the elements.

As for each day use, the chassis temperatures keep inside sub-40s C and the fan runs quietly at sub 30 dB with multitasking even on the Efficiency mode, and it additionally idles with very mild use and video streaming. Nonetheless, you’ll wish to stick with Balanced mode with each day use to stop any rpm spikes, and even Whisper mode in case you’re planning to favor passive cooling with very primary hundreds.

I’ll additionally point out that I haven’t seen any coil whining or different kinds of digital noises on this ultrabook.

*Every day Use – streaming Netflix in EDGE for half-hour, Balanced Mode, followers at 0-30 dB
*Gaming  – Efficiency mode – taking part in Witcher for half-hour, followers at 40 dB

For connectivity, there’s the latest-gen WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 by means of a Mediatek MT7922 module on this laptop computer, which carried out excellently throughout my time with the laptop computer. This may be upgraded if you wish to, because it’s a regular M.2 format, however I see no level in why your would.

Audio remains to be dealt with by a set of stereo audio system that fireplace by means of grills on the underside, very similar to on the earlier ZenBook lineups. The angled form of the D-Panel permits the sound to bounce off the desk with out distortions and prevents you from simply muffling them whereas utilizing the pc on the lap.

So far as the sound high quality goes, it’s alright for each day use and streaming, however don’t anticipate an excessive amount of. With the Enhanced Audio setting ticked in Home windows 11, these audio system get averagely loud at 77-78 dB at head-level, with honest mids and highs, however nonetheless little bass, which causes them to sound slightly tiny at excessive volumes.

Lastly, there’s an HD digicam positioned on the prime of the display, flanked by microphones. The picture high quality is okay for infrequent calls, however not a lot.

Battery life

There’s a 67 Wh battery contained in the 2022 ZenBook S 13, bigger than the norm for this class.

Right here’s what we bought in our battery life assessments, with the display’s brightness set at round 120 nits (~60 brightness).

• 7 W (~9-10 h of use) – textual content modifying in Google Drive, Balanced Mode, display at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;
• 5.5 W (12+ h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Whisper Mode, display at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;
• 4.8 W (12+ h of use) – Netflix fullscreen in Edge, Whisper Mode, display at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;
• 10 W (~6-7 h of use) – shopping in Edge, Balanced Mode, display at 60%, Wi-Fi ON;
• 26 W (~2.5 h of use) – Gaming  – Witcher 3, Efficiency Mode, display at 60%, Wi-Fi ON.

These are glorious runtimes. They’re about 10% higher than the earlier 5800U ZenBook implementation from 2021, even though there’s a higher-res OLED display on this era. They’re additionally on par with the ROG Movement X13 2022 with related Ryzen 6000 {hardware}, and a big enchancment from any of the Intel choices examined thus far, particularly with video streaming and informal actions.

The laptop computer ships with a compact 65W USB-C charger. It’s a one-piece design with a powerful and long-enough cable, and this design permits you to plug in on both facet, primarily based in your want. The battery absolutely fills up in about 2 hours, with fast charging for the primary hour.

Worth and availability- Asus ZenBook S 13

On the time of this text, the ZenBook 13 UM5302 will not be stocked in shops but.

A number of sources point out MSRP pricing within the US at $1299 for Ryzen 7 6800U/16 GB/512 GB SSD configuration, and $1449 for 1 TB of storage. That’s aggressive for what you’re getting right here.

No phrase on EU/UK costs but, or the supply of lower-tier Ryzen 5 6600U configurations.

Keep put for updates, and within the meantime, follow this link for updated prices and configurations in your region.

Remaining thoughts- Asus ZenBook S13 UM5302

The ZenBook S 13 is a extra compelling ultrabook than any of its 13-inch ZenBook predecessors earlier than, and one of many best-value ultraportables accessible as of mid-2022.

That’s partially a consequence of the a number of enhancements that Asus dropped at this design, addressing the vast majority of our complaints with the earlier generations. This 2022 replace is cleaner wanting and sturdier constructed than earlier than, gives uncompromised inputs and an exquisite OLED show, and implements higher-power specs and a superior thermal module design.

On the identical time, you do have to simply accept the USB-C solely IO (+ audio jack) with out full-size ports and the shortage of any non-OLED or matte display choices.

The opposite a part of this bundle is the wonderful AMD Ryzen 6000 platform supplied with this sequence, the best-balanced {hardware} choice accessible for ultraportable design lately. Positive, this compact product with a minimalistic thermal design isn’t absolutely able to delivering the complete potential of the Ryzen 7 6800U {hardware}, besides, the implementation delivers strong efficiency with each day multitasking, sustained workloads, and even mild gaming, and may cater to the wants of most potential consumers.

The Intel Twelfth-gen Core P choices accessible as alternate options have an edge in CPU IPC efficiency, which interprets into benefits in particular workloads, however the AMD {hardware} compensates with GPU and mixed efficiency, and seals the deal because of its uncontested effectivity on battery.

Nonetheless, higher-power Ryzen 7 6800U fashions with dual-fan dual-heatpipe thermal modules will outmatch the efficiency that this S 13 can ship, by as a lot as 25% in some circumstances. Nonetheless, these gained’t be as compact or light-weight, and they may not be even accessible – from what we all know thus far, Ryzen 6000 U {hardware} is in very quick provide, and also you’ll most probably have a tough time discovering 6600U/6800U laptops in shops within the months to return. Time will inform.

Backside level, in case you’re alright with this type of minimalist port format and shiny OLED panel, with all its particularities, the ZenBook S 13 UM5302 is certainly a suggestion within the 13-inch ultraportable house. Different choices to regulate are the Lenovo Yoga 7 convertible already introduced with 6800U {hardware}, and a possible improve of the ultralight HP Pavilion Aero 13, with its matte display choices and sub-1-kilo weight.

That wraps up this assessment of the ASUS ZenBook S 13 OLED UM5302TA. Let me know what you consider it within the feedback part beneath.