On the fence between two ASUS Zenbooks - UX303UB vs UX310UQ

LTockii on 08/02/2017 - 14:57
Last edited 08/02/2017 - 15:15

Hey guys, trying to make use of the 20% off ebay sale they got going on futu online right now and I'm on the fence for one of these two Asus zenbooks:
UX303UB vs UX310UQ
It seems the UX310UQ has a lot less reviews than the UX303UB so it makes it a little more difficult to compare. I'm looking to use the laptop for uni work, media consumption and light-moderate gaming (running games like fallout 4 on lowest settings fluidly/okay).

Specs-wise here's a comparison:

Zenbook UX310UQ Zenbook UX303UB
Processor Intel® Core™ i7 7500U Processor Intel® Core™ i7 6500U Processor
Memory 8 GB DDR4 2133MHz SDRAM Onboard Memory DDR3L 1600 MHz SDRAM, OnBoard Memory 8 GB
Display 13.3" (16:9) LED backlit FHD (1920x1080) 60Hz Anti-Glare Panel with 72% NTSC 13.3" Auto IPS FHD (1920x1080) Glossy + Touch
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 940MX , with 2GB GDDR3 VRAM NVIDIA® GeForce® 940M with 2GB DDR3 VRAM
Storage 256GBSATA3 M.2 SSD 256GB SSD
Battery 3 Cells 48 Whrs Battery 3Cells 50 Whrs Polymer Battery
Dimensions (W x D x H) 323 x 223 x 18.35 323 x 223 x 19.2
Price $1399 $1439

Both of these seem portable (under 14" displays), and have dedicated cards so are atleast entry level enough to play some of the new-ish games on lowest settings okay. The UX303UB has a touch display which is a plus and the glossy screen is something I would just have to get used to. Comparatively the UX310UQ has an anti-glare non-touch display but I've heard things about it being a subpar display. It seems to beat the UX303UB in terms of GPU on paper but I'm not sure how the two laptops would battle it out performance-wise in real life. The UX310UQ also has a better processor than the UX303UB.

If anyone has any input or suggestions I'd really appreciate it! Thank you!!

Computing

Comments

  • plmko on 08/02/2017 - 15:06

    The UQ is the newer model, get that one.

    Edit. but you may consider non-touch to be deal breaker.

    • drojf on 08/02/2017 - 15:21

      Also the old one has an IPS screen, but it doesn't say what screen technology the new one is. Anybody know?

  • sd4f on 08/02/2017 - 15:16

    UQ is much better hardware wise. If you want to do gaming, the simple fact that it has GDDR3 vs DDR3 makes a big difference, but it's not going to be really great. Specs in general are fairly low.

    Having moved to a atom powered surface, the touch is pretty nifty in really small devices, but I'd still go for the UX310UQ

  • ESEMCE on 08/02/2017 - 15:30

    Why is touch a plus?
    It's a Laptop, not a tablet.
    In what scenario have you ever wished that you could touch manipulate your laptop screen?
    As far as I can tell the UQ is better in every way except not having Touch and the accompanying Glossy Screen (both of which are massive negatives in my books!)

    • Tockii on 08/02/2017 - 15:53

      I used to own a Surface Pro 3 and I've found on smaller displays, the touch makes dragging things around and screen manipulation like zooming and scrolling a lot easier. I stuck on an anti-glare screen protector so I didn't have much experience with a glossy screen. I'd have to say it's not a huge deal but touch wouldn't be a negative for me atleast. I guess the biggest thing holding me back from pulling the trigger on the UQ is the possible poor display as found in this review (an example of the viewing angles here )

  • iforgotmysocks on 08/02/2017 - 16:06

    The 940M will struggle with Fallout 4, the 940MX a little less so… even at low/720P

    http://www.notebookcheck.net/Fallout-4-Notebook-Benchmarks.1… (do a control+f to find the benchmarks).

    Remember these are average frame rates.

  • hmac on 08/02/2017 - 16:11

    I would recommend UX310 as it is their newer and better model. However, have a look at their UX310UA as well. It is identical

  • Looking4Bargians on 08/02/2017 - 16:12

    Zenbook UX310UQ only if you don't want touch screen

  • Jo5228 on 08/02/2017 - 19:17

    I have the ux303ln which I use for uni, same as the UX303UB except it has a core i7 5500u, its great for uni work and casual gaming, love the reactions I get when people see the Battlefield 4 icon on my screen and seem confused, its a true sleeper ps I used to have the UX32VD, which had a 3rd gen core i7 and a 620m both had good build quality

  • imsimone on 15/03/2017 - 23:13

    I have the UX303UB and its worth noting it has issues with certain SSDs. I swapped the 256gb SK Hynix drive for a 500gb Samsung 750 Evo and it soon developed a whining sound from around the power assembly on the motherboard. I sent it in for service and they swapped the mobo, and the sound has more or less dissapeared, but now im noticing it coming back after only a few days. Unfortunately since the default drive doesnt make this sound its technically "no issue found" and Bing Lee refuses me a refund or exchange :(

    A bit of googling makes it seem like its not an isolated issue, but that being said, it is an excellent laptop otherwise - it runs league at 1080p on the highest capping at around 80 fps, and runs overwatch/bf4 at 720p lowest settings at 60 fps.

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