Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A-DB51

In a tech world preoccupied with the ongoing pursuit of ever - smaller gizmos , it is unsurprising that Ultrabooks will cover an increasingly larger sliver of the market . The Asus Zenbook Prime UX31A - DB51 ( $ 1,099 list ) is an apt description of why this trend has caught fire . Equal parts brains and beauty , its sleek aluminum chassis packs Intel's third - generation processor and an eye - popping 1080p display with built - in IP panel . It does not, however , absolutely no faults , as it shows the paucity of RAM or storage capacity . All told , though , it is a great system worthy of consideration by everyday users looking to get a jump on the ultrabook world . One caveat , however : the reader interested in this system are advised to comparison shop , as Asus released Asus Zenbook Prime also UX31A - R5102F ( $ 999 list , 3.5 stars ) , a nearly identical ultrabook that sells for $ 100 less . Accordingly, if you find yourself in a store checking the UX31A - DB51 , do yourself a favor and look around to see if the UX31A - R5102F is available - you get the same system and save a hundred bucks .

Design
When you pull the UX31A - DB51 out of it with fabric sleeve for the first time , it is understood to be taken aback by its gorgeous brushed aluminum chassis . Its slim profile measures 0.11 by 12.8 by 8.8 inches ( HWD ) , and at 3.03 pounds , it is a smidge heavier than the 2.9 - pound MacBook Air 13 - inch ( Mid 2012) ( $ 1,199 direct , 4 star ) , placing them in the lighter end of the ultrabook category ( by way of comparison , our former Editors Choice 'for ultraportables , the Toshiba Portege R858 - P88 ( $ 849.99 list , 4.5 stars ) weighs 3.2 pounds ) . Opening UX31A - DB51 shows the design takes a great deal of its design cues from the MacBook Air , particularly its unibody construction and black tile keyboard .

But there are some distinguishing features also . For starters , the palm rest UX31A - DB51 is slightly smaller . Moreover, its Bang & Olufsen ICEpower speakers horizontally oriented not unlike a home theater Soundbar and was built in hinge 13.3 -inch LED display with . I tested the audio quality with " Five Seconds " by Twin Shadow and was satisfied with clean and crisp sound , although the maximum volume level is not nearly high enough to fill a room ( unless room in question happens to be a dorm ) . Regardless of the size of the room you are in , however , the display will actually head . Thanks to its built -in IPS ( in plane switching ) panel , the non - reflective matte coated display features excellent color reproduction and wide viewing angle 1080p resolution complement its class - top , a big step above 1366 -by - 768 resolution commonly found on most 13 - and 14 - inch panels . The closest is any competing system to the introduction of rarefied territory is the Dell XPS 14 ( Summer 2012) ( $ 899 direct , 3.5 stars ) , with a 1600 -by - 900 resolution 14 - inch LED display .

Although a slightly larger palmrest might have been more appropriate for my admittedly feeble fingers , typing UX31A - DB51 is an overall comfortable work. The backlit keys are responsive , and the keyboard itself appreciably felt solid , avoiding superficial senses can one expect from such a slim profile . The generously sized clickpad are fairly comfortable , and combines right - and left - click on a single surface while providing the right amount of tactile feedback without feeling too clacky . Also , two finger scrolling and pinch - zoom felt natural .