2023-07-19 16:04:43
The Zenbook 15 OLED is the new star laptop from Asus. Thin, light, powerful and equipped with an OLED panel, it wants to appeal to creative people and ultra-mobile workers. Does the Taiwanese brand manage to offer the best 15-inch laptop on the market? Answer right away.
Le ZenBook 15 OLED is Asus’ flagship 15-inch computer. Focusing on its design as well as its power, it especially highlights its OLED screen, a real strong point on the market. It’s time to see what’s in it.
We already tested the ZenBook S 13 OLED a few months ago. If this model 15 takes up the main lines of its little brother, we can note several notable changes. At the slab level, of course, but also the processor and the heat release. For its ZenBook 15 OLED, Asus has opted for an AMD Ryzen processor. A choice that changes a lot of things.
Does the Asus ZenBook 15 OLED keep its promises? Does Asus deliver the best 15-inch ultra-portable on the market? Answer right away.
Price and availability
The Asus ZenBook 15 OLED is already available on the official Asus website and at partner retailers. Its price is quite interesting in view of the technical sheet:
AMD Ryzen 5 7535U, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage: 1,299 euros
AMD Ryzen 7 7735U, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage: 1,399 euros
If we compare it to its little brother the ZenBook S13 OLED (1799 euros), the ZenBook 15 OLED is much cheaper. A lower price that we owe to the presence of a Ryzen processor, but which is not synonymous with lower power or lower quality. In theory, we therefore gain from the exchange.
A high-flying technical sheet
The big highlight of the Zenbook 15 OLED, that’s its large 15.6-inch OLED screen. It is now a habit at Asus, but the presence of such a panel is always a plus. Inside, we have the choice between an AMD Ryzen 5 7535U or Ryzen 7 7735U processor (like our model). No Intel on the horizon, as on the 13. A bold decision that we welcome, since it helps to lower the price of the machine without denying performance.
Asus Zenbook 15 OLED Screen 15.6 inches
OLED
16:9
2880 x 1620 pixels
120 Hz Thickness35.48 x 22.66 x 1.5 cm Weight1.4 kilo CPURyzen 5 7535U or Ryzen 7 7735U GPUAMD Radeon Graphic RAM16 GB Storage512 GB Connectivity- 2 x USB-C
– 1 x USB-A
– 1 x Port Jack 3.5 mm
– 1x port HDMI
add to that 16 GB of RAM as well as 512 GB of storage. A model with 1TB of storage is also sold, but it is not commercially available at the time of this writing. In short, a sturdy PC on paper. A nice technical sheet is good, but it remains to be seen what this Zenbook 15 is worth in everyday life.
A design that focuses on chic and finesse
For the design of its computer, Asus had two key words: finesse and lightness. The Zenbook 15 is a featherweight that weighs 1.4 kilos. This makes it one of the lightest 15-inch ultraportables on the market. Its thinness is not bad either, since it is only 15 mm when closed. It’s very simple, this 15 inch takes on the dimensions of a 13 inch from six or seven years ago. It is a real pleasure to handle, especially since you immediately feel the solidity of the product.
With such measurements, the computer easily finds its place in a bag. On the other hand, Asus did not see fit to provide a protective bag, a bit of a shame for a product that has to be carried around every day, so subject to the vagaries of life such as micro-scratches. In a week of testing, a few have already appeared on the back cover of our copy. Infuriating.
The Zenbook has a very convincing aluminum chassis. We particularly appreciate the design of the rear cover, dotted with etched white lines forming the ZenBook logo (this A that looks like a Starfleet emblem). To the touch, this back is very pleasant with its ceramic treatment, but it is unfortunately subject to fingerprints (in addition to scratches). Apart from that, whether in handling or just in the visual, everything exudes Premium in this Zenbook 15.
On the lower part, we notice the two huge rubber pads which allow it to be wedged firmly on a table, as well as a large ventilation grille. On the left edge, there is the ventilation for heat release. If it is better on the left than on the right (the right-handed user with a mouse does not seem to be hot coming to tickle his fingers), we would have preferred another location, at the back for example, in order to don’t bother anyone. Other vents are hidden in the hinge.
With a precision screwdriver, it is possible to open the PC. We can then access its entrails and change the M2 SSD as needed. On the other hand, it is impossible to add RAM, as it is soldered to the motherboard. A habit on ultra-portables.
The slices of the Zenbook are thin, but wide enough to accommodate a complete connection. We find an HDMI 2.1 port, essential for mobile workers who sometimes like to sit down and use a second screen, a USB 3.2 Type-A port, two USB Type-C ports (3.2 Gen 2 and 4.0 Gen 3) as well as a Jack port. No charging port, since the 65 Watts resupply is done via the Type-C ports. If we wouldn’t have spat on an Ethernet port or even a second USB Type-A, the Zenbook 15 offers something quite complete for this format. There is not necessarily a need to take an external HUB with you.
Let’s talk about the keyboard part. This one stands out from the rest with its black color, which we think is a bit of a stain. This gives the PC a composite air that’s a bit odd, but not devoid of personality. The screen can be rotated 180 degrees, therefore lay completely flat on a desk, but no more. What bring a little flexibility to use. Important point: the screen is not tactile.
The keyboard itself is very pleasant to type, offering good sensations, a long stroke and appreciable resistance. Backlit on four levels, it embeds a numeric keypad very practical! The trackpad, for its part, reacts perfectly to user input, but is a bit small and poorly placed. It would have benefited from being located a few millimeters to the right so as not to get in the way when writing.
Finally, a word on the screen part. We have a 15.6 inch slab opting for a 16:9 aspect ratio. We have to admit, we’re really not a fan of this format for an ultra-portable, because it’s impractical for office automation. Working on Excel or Word with is not optimal. However, the display has the merit of being flexible enough for all uses, such as movie watching or video games. As on previous Zenbooks, the screen / front ratio is very high, since it is around 90%.
If the ZenBook 15 does not have a fingerprint sensor, on the other hand, it has facial recognition with an IR sensor. Once the user’s face is registered, the PC will automatically unlock as soon as it sees its owner’s face. A simple, practical and above all devilishly effective feature.
Ultimately, Asus offers a computer with a premium design, but not without flaws. We regret a rear cover that is too prone to micro-scratches or the absence of a protective cover. But the Taiwanese manufacturer proves despite everything that he knows how to design PCs and masters his designs. The ZenBook 15 OLED is beautiful, pleasant to handle, thin and light. A success.
An OLED screen that could have been neater
The ZenBook 15 OLED is equipped with a 15.6-inch panel (OLED, of course) with a definition of 2880 x 1620 pixels. She disposes a refresh rate of 120 Hz, therefore capable of displaying 120 frames per second. If the thing is not necessarily essential on an ultra-portable, it is still appreciable for office automation.
OLED obliges, one could fear a burn of the image in the long run, especially on office use where elements are systematically displayed in the same place. To avoid this pitfall, Asus had the good idea to include a Pixel Shift feature (enabled by default). Concretely, this means that the pixels are constantly moving from one “box to another” so as not to continually occupy the same place. An ingenious idea that has no impact on use, since it is completely invisible. No image lag or flickering. On paper, we have an ideal solution against burns, but we will have to determine its effectiveness in the long term.
Of course, we have infinite contrast, with perfect readability of shades of gray, which is ideal for watching movies, series, or even for gaming. The screen temperature is 6500K by default, which is perfect. On a white display, it draws neither towards red nor towards blue. The maximum brightness, for its part, is a bit disappointing, since it amounts to 400 cd / m². If it is acceptable to work indoors, you will have to forget the use of the Zenbook 15 OLED outside on the terrace of a café on a sunny day. Add to that a glossy treatment that is very prone to reflections.
Read also – Asus ROG Ally test: a good console that forgets to make you dream
We are a little disappointed with the color calibration. With this model, Asus wanted to give impact to the image, to the detriment of fidelity. Via the integrated MyAsus software, it is possible to change the color profile, but almost all offer “vibrant” or even fluorescent colors. Damage. Only the sRGB mode does better than the others, with an average Delta E of 3, which is the minimum for faithful colors. Finally, we strongly recommend disabling the “adaptive colors” option in Windows settings. This mode juggles anyhow between the profiles, giving a completely delirious display depending on the use. In short, a very appreciable OLED screen, but which would have deserved more care. A constant on Zenbooks.
Regarding the audio part, the copy made by Asus is very disappointing. The speakers are located under the chassis and give off the sound to the sides, which does not give a natural result. If they have good power, the sound emitted is totally unbalanced, sorely lacking in bass and low mids. Worse still, there is a very painful box effect, the chassis constantly vibrating, even with the volume reduced by half. In short, a sloppy audio part, even too tight for Youtube videos. Incomprehensible for a premium PC.
A powerful and quiet PC
Our ZenBook 15 OLED review has a Ryzen 7735U processor with 16 GB of RAM. Added to this is an AMD Radeon Graphics eGPU and a 1 TB M2 SSD. A solid configuration on paper. We ran the PC on our usual benchmarks and the results we got are both expected and satisfying. The Asus computer is powerful, one of the best performers in this segment, and allows you to perform a whole host of complex tasks without flinching, whether it is very advanced office automation, video editing or even large-scale decompression.
If this is not a computer dedicated to video games, the integrated graphics card still allows you to enjoy titles that are not very resource-intensive. With the graphics set to minimum, Diablo 2 Resurrected exceeds 30 frames per second. Same for World of Warcraft (with graphics set to 4 out of 10). Less demanding titles, such as Return to Monkey Island or even Vampire Survivor run perfectly, of course.
When put to the test, the behavior of the PC is interesting, with a processor that keeps a stable cadence. The CPU temperature does not exceed 60 degrees while that of the GPU reaches 72 degrees, which is very correct. This controlled heating is not counterbalanced by a noisy breath, since we noted a nuisance of 42 decibels in the middle of work. It’s not huge. So we hear a breath, but nothing too annoying. A real highlight. An admirable management of heating and noise.
Unnecessarily complicated Asus software
The Zenbook 15 OLED comes with Windows 11. In addition, Asus has preinstalled its in-house software, like MyAsus or ScreenExpert. They are certainly sometimes useful, but devilishly messy.
MyAsus is the nerve center of your computer. In addition to giving you a good overview of your machine, it allows you to make a whole host of settings, such as the choice of energy mode, the power of the fans or the profile of the screen. Practical, this application however lacks clarity. We sometimes spend long seconds searching to find what we are looking for.
Two other important software are present: ScreenXpert et GlideX. The first adds an additional menu to your display, for videoconferences or taking screenshots (nothing that Windows 11 cannot already do), while the second allows you to extend its display via a tablet or smartphone. If it is interesting on paper, the application is risky and not very intuitive. For example, the login process only works once in ten
In short, we will soon remove ScreenXpert and GlideX on first start (just like McAfee). We will keep MyAsus, HUB sometimes complex to handle, but which has a real utility.
Excellent autonomy to work all day
The ZenBook 15 OLED is equipped with a 67 Watt battery which provides excellent autonomy. During our video playback test (streaming, screen set to 200 cd/m², backlight off), it easily exceeds 12 hours before turning off. In short, taking your PC with you in the morning to work all day without lugging around the charger is an entirely possible solution.
The charger, meanwhile, is relatively small, barely bigger than that of a smartphone. With a power of 65 Watts, it repowers the PC from 1 to 100% in 1 hour 29. An excellent result! Nothing to complain about in this segment.
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