Asus intros Zenbook UX301 and UX302 with bigger-than-Full HD display

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We love a powerful, thin and light Haswell machine

Asus Zenbook 2013
The new Asus Zenbook 2013 models feature better graphics and display options

Asus has refreshed its thin and light 13.3-inch Zenbook range with some really powerful upgrades.

The new Asus laptops are known as the UX301 and UX302 and have all new latest-generation Haswell Intel processors, beefed-up graphics and a high resolution WQHD display on certain versions.

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The models are available in two screen versions – a 1,920 x 1,080 Full HD display that we saw on last year's Zenbook Prime as well as a whopping 2,560 x 1,440 WQHD display. That's not quite at 13-inch MacBook Pro retina 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, but it's really not far off. Other screen stats include a 178-degree viewing angle, plus 10-point multi-touch for Windows 8.

Asus Zenbook 2013

The glossy lid is protected by Gorilla Glass 3

As you'd expect, they also have latest-gen Intel Core processors from the Core i5-4200U up to a high-end 28W Core i7-4558U option. And to power that high-end screen, you either get Intel Iris or Nvidia GeForce GT 730M with Optimus auto-switching graphics. That's some serious power and happily trumps the standard Intel HD 5000 graphics inside the MacBook Air.

Storage can also be specified up to a 512GB RAID0 SSD unit, while 802.11ac Wi-Fi is also included in all the new Zenbooks.

Full specifications

  • Processor UX301: Intel Core i5-4200U / i7-4500U / i7-4558U UX302: Intel Core i5-4200U / i7-4500U
  • Operating system Windows 8 / Windows 8 Pro
  • Display 13.3-inch LED backlit with 10-point capacitive multi-touch UX301: 2560 x 1440 WQHD / 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS UX302: 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS
  • Graphics UX301: Intel HD Graphics 5100 UX302: Intel HD Graphics 4400 / Nvidia GeForce GT 730M (2GB VRAM)
  • Memory UX301: 4/8GB DDR3L (1600MHz) UX302: 2/4GB DDR3L (1600MHz)
  • Storage UX301: SATA 3 SSD up to 512GB RAID0 UX302: Up to 750GB hard drive with 16GB SSD cache
  • Connectivity UX301: 802.11ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 4.0, Mini DisplayPort, 2 x USB 3.0, Micro-HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm headphone/mic, SD card reader UX302: 802.11ac (dual-band), Bluetooth 4.0, Mini DisplayPort, 3 x USB 3.0, HDMI 1.4, 3.5mm headphone/mic socket, SD card reader
  • Audio Stereo speakers with Asus SonicMaster audio technology Internal array mic
  • Battery Lithium polymer (50W)
  • Size & weight UX301: 325 x 226 x 15.5mm, 1.38kg UX302: 325 x 226 x 17.2mm, 1.5kg
Dan Grabham
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Dan (Twitter, Google+) is TechRadar's Former Deputy Editor and is now in charge at our sister site T3.com. Covering all things computing, internet and mobile he's a seasoned regular at major tech shows such as CES, IFA and Mobile World Congress. Dan has also been a tech expert for many outlets including BBC Radio 4, 5Live and the World Service, The Sun and ITV News.