ASUS Zenbook Pro UX501JW-DH71T(WX) Review

A new ASUS notebook in the market and the usual “buzz” that accompanies new Zenbook releases is high than ever. People are rounding up questions all over the internet, some clearly entertaining the idea of buying the laptop if it meets their criteria. Well, the ASUS Zenbook Pro UX501JW-DH71T(WX) looks and feels like a premium laptop. It has some sweet niceties such as a stylish aluminum construction, a gorgeous 4K display, and hardware that sets it ahead of the competition in terms of performance, it’s clearly competitive.

When compared with leading systems like the Dell XPS 15 Touch and the Apple MacBook Pro (2015) that cost relatively more, the real kicker isn’t performance of features, but price. Despite its impressive feature set and leading performance, the ASUS Zenbook Pro UX501JW-DH71T(WX) is several hundred dollars less than the competition, and that makes it easy to name it our Editors’ Choice premium desktop-replacement laptop.

Design

ASUS has maintained a fairly consistent design over its several Zenbook iterations, and the latest Zenbook Pro UX501JW sports the same brushed-aluminum construction seen on the more expensive ASUS Zenbook NX500 with a radial, brushed pattern across the lid, and a distinctive circular pattern of perforations serving as the grille for the system’s built-in speakers. Sure, there’s more than a passing resemblance to the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2015), but those unique design elements give it a flavor all its own. The ASUS Zenbook Pro UX501JW-DH71T measures 0.8 by 15.1 by 10 inches (HWD) and weighs 5 pounds, the same as the Asus Zenbook Pro UX501J-DS71T and within an ounce or two of competitors, like the Apple MacBook Pro (2015) and the Dell XPS 15 Touch.

While the laptop isn’t built to satisfy hardcore gamers, and certainly won’t deliver the sort of 4K graphics the display can support, it does have some gaming capability, so long as you dial down the settings and don’t expect flawless performance. For storage, there’s a 512GB solid-state drive (SSD). While not as large as the 1TB of hard drive storage offered by the Toshiba Satellite P50T, it is larger than the 256GB Flash Storage module offered in the base model of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2015).

It’s also faster than both of those alternatives, thanks to a 4x PCIe connection that offers better data-transfer speeds than traditional SATA connections. The Zenbook Pro UX501JW’s 15.6-inch 4K display will turn heads, thanks to an impressive In-Plane Switching (IPS) 3,840-by-2,860-resolution panel (4K), with edge-to-edge glass, and 10-finger touch capability that offers vivid colors and excellent viewing from almost any angle.

Display and Keyboard

These Ultra-High-Definition (UHD) displays have become the new standard for premium desktop-replacement systems, putting the Zenbook Pro on even footing with the likes of the Dell XPS 15 Touch and the Toshiba Satellite P50T. The keyboard is the same as that seen on the Asus Zenbook NX500, with square, chiclet-style keys and automatic backlighting that adjusts according to the ambient lighting in the room.

The biggest difference is the addition of a 10-key numeric pad, which has narrower keys than the keyboard proper, but adds some extra utility for anyone working with numbers. Below the keyboard is a touchpad, and Asus claims that the 16:9 aspect ratio of the touchpad is more efficient since it matches the aspect ratio of the display, and works well with Windows 10 gestures, and the ASUS ICEpower speakers on either side of the keyboard provide quite clear and rich sound. You get one year warranty and bloatware pre-loaded but can be shed off in one hour or even less.

Connectivity

On the right side, you’ll find two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a headset jack. On the left are a third USB 3.0 port, which also boasts power for charging gadgets while the laptop is asleep, along with an HDMI-out port and a Thunderbolt port. That Thunderbolt port does double-duty as a mini Display Port, but also offers fast data-transfer capabilities for high-speed storage and docking accessories.

This is an especially nice feature if you’re buying this laptop for use in a home or business that uses a lot of Apple Mac hardware, where Thunderbolt has the largest market presence. Internally, the Pro UX501JW-DH71T features not only dual-band 802.11AC Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, but is also equipped with LoJack, so you can track down your laptop if it gets lost or stolen.