While $1,299 isn’t the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the 13.3in ASUS Zenbook UX31E-RY009V, it’s still a big drop on the RRP so it’s still a pretty good deal for those needing a mid-range Ultrabook. The low-voltage 2nd Gen Intel Core i5 and 4GB of RAM provide a good amount of processing power, and the screen has a high resolution of 1,600x900 (1,366x768 is the norm). It’s got truly drool-worthy build quality as well, although the number of ports isn't the best in class. A USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port and a headphone jack are full-sized while the Micro HDMI port and Mini VGA port are concessions to the slimness of the laptop.
We’re not sure when this special expires (this information is not yet provided by the retailer), but once the Good Guys release their latest catalogue (this deal is “As Advertised”) we’ll update the special accordingly.
Processor
The UX31E has a 2nd Gen Intel Core i5-2557M (1.7GHz), which is one of the better mid-range low-voltage processors that can run productivity applications and some intensive software. It can burst up to 2.7GHz using Turbo Boost 2.0 Technology if a particularly demanding program is running.
Graphics
It has an integrated graphics solution called Intel HD Graphics 3000. It’s on par with a low-end dedicated graphics card, and is sufficient for modern games at the lowest settings.
RAM
It has 4GB of RAM, which is enough to run several programs at once smoothly. It’s more than enough to ensure fluid overall system performance with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Storage
It has a very small 128GB drive, but being solid state instead of mechanical, it results in great boot and application load times, that contribute to the excellent performance of these laptops.
Screen
It has a 13.3in (1,600x900 resolution) gloss screen. This is an unusually high resolution for such a small screen, and is definitely one of the premium features that you get reasonably cheaply for the $1.299 price.
Portability
The UX31E has exceptional portability, because it weighs 1.3kg and is 17mm thick.