Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FTC [UX534FTC-AA196T] (90NB0NK3-M03680)

Zenbook update

Laptops based on the new Intel 10th generation Comet Lake processors are gradually starting to go on sale. One of the first companies that presented a pack of new laptops on Comet Lake was Asus. One of the most interesting models in the list of new products was the updated ZenBook 15, which stands out with powerful hardware, a protected case (complies with the military standard MIL-STD-810G) and an unusual touchpad that acts as a second screen.

Touchpad Assistant

The local touchpad is called the ScreenPad and is actually a second 5.65-inch screen that doubles as a touchpad and allows you to launch and multitask various applications. For example, here you can launch a calculator, create handwritten notes, hang a pack of macros on the touchpad to perform long key combinations with one click. In addition, it can be used as an additional display. Of course, only time will judge the success of this idea, but, in our opinion, its prospects are more interesting than those of the same Touch Bar. There is much more useful space here, and integration with third-party software allows us to hope that over time such things will occur more often. Indeed, in some ways it is even more convenient than a third-party controller for controlling a DAW or a separate keyboard with macros in Photoshop.

10th generation Core i5 processor

In terms of hardware, this is almost a flagship laptop with an excellent IPS display (100% sRGB colour gamut), an accelerated Core i5 (4 cores, 8 threads, turbo boost up to 4.2 GHz), a fast 256 GB M.2 SSD and an optimal GTX graphics card 1650 Max-Q. In general, by the standards of 2020, this combination will not set performance records, but in most cases it is enough for toys, everyday tasks and professional activities. For example, relatively new games work without problems in FullHD resolution at medium graphics settings. In Destiny 2, the frame rate is kept at 60-70 FPS. In Metro Exodus and The Outer Worlds — 50 FPS. With all this in mind, I would like to scold the memory of the outdated DDR3 format. Yes, the difference in speed between it and DDR4 is not very big, but in the event of a memory failure or if you need to add another bar, it will be difficult to find one.

8 to 15 hours of operation on a single battery charge

An 8-cell battery with 71 Wh is responsible for battery life, a full charge takes just over 2 hours. They promise a record battery life — almost 15 hours of work. In real conditions, it turns out, of course, less. In the "office" mode with a Wi-Fi connection, using a browser, mail, instant messengers and a relatively low screen brightness (about 50%), the laptop can withstand about 8 hours without recharging. At the same time, ScreenPad 2.0 was used as a regular touchpad. In comparison to this, the only thing that is somewhat frustrating is that, for all its modern filling, the updated Zenbook has not acquired Thunderbolt support and the ability to charge via USB-C. Although this is more of a Wishlist than a minus, because many laptops for the same money do not have either another.