94 TECH ADVISOR • OCTOBER 2019BUYING GUIDE
won’t be enough to compete with a proper gaming
PC, but it will make the S13 perfectly capable of basic
gaming and creative tasks – I used it for audio, photo,
and video editing on the road with no complaints.
The processor and graphics are supported by a
512GB SSD and 16GB of RAM.
In terms of actual use, that converts to seriously
solid benchmarking performance (using our 16GB
RAM model). Geekbench’s CPU test and PCMark’s
multitasking test both put the S13 up with just
about every comparable ultrabook, while on the
3D Mark graphics test it and the MateBook X Pro
leaveeverythingelsein thedust– that’stheimpact
oftheMX150GPU.Asa reminderthough,at
comparablespecsthisis cheaperthanallofthese
rivalsexcepttheZenBook 14.
Despite all that internal oomph, battery power is
solid too – the S13 delivered just under 13 hours of
continuous video in our battery test, in line with last
year’s ZenBook and ahead of the XPS 13. Once again
the MateBook X Pro just edged it, but that’s a much
bigger and pricier device.Verdict
Asus has been making dependable laptops for years
without earning the hype of Dell or Apple’s latest,
but the ZenBook S13 is a sign that this is an under-
appreciated company operating at the top of its game.
Right now you cannot find an ultrabook that crams
specs like this into a body this small, and the S13 does
it all while undercutting most of the market on price.
That’s not even mentioning the reverse notch – what