Apps bundled with the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA

The ASUS ZenBook UX305UA comes with Windows 10 pre-installed and bundles some other apps as well. Here's what we found on the ultrabook that we've tested:

• ASUS Install - an application that lets you install ASUS software. This may be useful if you plan to use some of the apps that are bundled by ASUS.
• ASUS Live Update - an application that can be used for managing operating system updates. Windows already has Windows Update so you don't really need this application.

• ASUS On-Screen Display - turns on or off the on-screen display of notifications, other than those already shown by Windows.
• eManual - the user manual of the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA.
• ASUS Splendid Utility - an application that you can use to switch between color presets for the ultrabook's display.
• ASUS USB Charger Plus - a tool that lets you charge devices over the USB ports faster, even when the ultrabook is in sleep mode.
• ASUS WebStorage - a cloud storage solution from ASUS that offers 16 GB of free cloud storage space.

• ASUS WinFlash - a program specifically designed to write new BIOS firmware and make BIOS updates. You should keep it and use it.
• Dropbox - a cloud storage service that, together with ASUS, offers you 25 GB of free space for 6 months.

• Evernote - the famous cross-platform app that is designed for taking notes.
• Flipboard - a popular news app which you can use to create customized magazines based on your interests. You may want to experiment it with before deciding on whether to keep it or not.
• Gameloft Games - an app that shows you a list of games from Gameloft, with links to their page on the Windows Store.
• McAfee LiveSafe - a full security suite from McAfee. Unfortunately, our last experience with their products was very poor, so we advise you to get a better security solution.
• TripAdvisor - the famous travel app. You can use it to find hotels, plan your vacations and so on. It is useful if you travel a lot.
• WildTangent Games App - a portal where you can purchase and download various PC games.
• WPS Office - an office suite that lets you open, create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

Performance in benchmarks

No review could be called a review without also running a set of benchmarks. For the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA, we started our tests by checking how fast Windows 10 starts on it. To do that, we installed and ran BootRacer , which measured an average boot time of 26 seconds, which is a good result.

Then, we wanted to see how the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA did in everyday regular activities like browsing the Web, using Office applications, making video calls, editing photos or even playing some casual games from time to time. To get an idea on that, we asked PCMark 8 to run its Home conventional tests, which ended with a total score of 2368 points. That means that the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA has all the power it needs, and more, for common computing tasks.

Although ultrabooks are not designed for gaming, that doesn't mean that their owners won't want to play a game from time to time. That's why we also tested the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA in this area. However, as it doesn't have a built-in discrete graphics card that could offer enough raw power for modern games, we chose to test the ultrabook with the older 3DMark Vantage , a graphics benchmark that was aimed for measuring the performance in DirectX 10 games. The ASUS ZenBook UX305UA achieved 5791 points in the Performance tests, a score which shows us that this ultrabook was definitely not built for playing games .

Next, we turned to the storage tests. As you remember, at the beginning of this review, we mentioned the fact that the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA is sold in 3 variants when it comes to its storage, and all of them imply the use of a solid state drive, which is great. The one we've tested, came with a 512 GB SSD from Hynix which, as you can see in the screenshot below, is not the fastest of its kind, but it's definitely a lot faster than any hard disk drive you might think of.

We also tested the ultrabook's cooling system. To do that, we used Prime95 to stress the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA and monitored the temperatures of the CPU cores with CoreTemp . After almost an hour of "torture", the highest temperature we were able to record was of 89 degrees Celsius or 192 Fahrenheit. This isn't an out of the ordinary temperature for an ultrabook CPU to get to, and the best part is that not much of the heat is felt on the keyboard or on the back of the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA. The only part where the heat is really high on the outside is above the F keys and beneath the screen.

Finally, we tested the autonomy of the ASUS ZenBook UX305UA, and PowerMark estimated that, in normal usage scenarios, the ultrabook would last you for 5 hours and 17 minutes.

Pros and cons

The ASUS ZenBook UX305UA has plenty of good aspects:

• Powerful hardware for its price
• Simple and elegant design
• Metallic case
• Matte screen
• Spacious keyboard
• Good autonomy

There are also some downsides:

• No backlight on the keyboard
• No USB Type C ports
• The keyboard is "springy"

Verdict

The ASUS ZenBook UX305UA is an ultrabook that is beautiful, simple and powerful. If you're looking for a great portable companion, one that has what it takes to accomplish the tasks you need, then this might be the ultrabook you've been waiting to buy. The only things that you should not ask it to do are gaming and video editing. For such tasks, you need a different device with a powerful video card. While ASUS ZenBook UX305UA is not the best ultrabook in a specific way, this device is very well rounded and it constitutes a solid choice. If you buy it, you do get your bang for the buck, all in a good looking package.