ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 (Ryzen 7) Review

ASUS refreshes the Zenbook 13 series with a new AMD-powered worker, the Zenbook 13 OLED UM325. The laptop borrows the familiar premium-looking design with better internals and battery life. At the price of Php 54,995, it is powered by AMD Ryzen 7 and 8GB of RAM. This setup promises a good amount of power to sustain productivity and entertainment at the same time.

Asus Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review

Pros

  • Stunning professional grade OLED display
  • Svelte and compact design
  • Long battery life
  • Powerful performance
  • Generous port selection

Cons

  • No headphone jack
  • Fingerprint magnet

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 is pegged for the on-the-go professionals who prefer to have one powerful device that they can carry from work to their homes. This good-looking machine has big shoes to fill due to the popularity of the Zenbook 13 models that came before it. Let's find out if this computing machine is worth the buzz.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 (Ryzen 7) Review

What's in the Box?

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 comes with a generous selection of out-of-the-box items. Aside from the main unit, you'll get a standard charger and the typical documentations. Likewise, there's a USB to Gigabit Ethernet adapter (USB to RJ45) and USB-C to 3.5-mm audio jack dongle. 

Those of you looking for a laptop sleeve will be delighted since the package also comes with it. It would be great if ASUS included a USB-C charger instead of the traditional one, but overall I'm totally fine with what's included in the box.

Design and Build

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 gives off a familiar design from what we have been accustomed to with the recent Zenbook 13 devices. Still, it's quite a stunner with its thin footprint and compact design. It looks and feel lightweight; at 1.14 kilograms, you wouldn't mind carrying this with one hand.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review

Plus, the fact that it looks very sophisticated makes you want to flaunt it more in the wild. The company's use of diamond cut aluminum alloy with chamfered edges seals the premium design of the ZenBook 13 OLED.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Design and Build

Our unit comes with a dark-gray paintjob, ASUS calls it Pine Grey. Its tones make the device more regal and attractive especially to young professionals. With its 13.9-mm depth, this computer is one of the thinnest laptops around. The lid still features the iconic spun-metal design which is centered on the ASUS branding. 

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Design

The ErgoLift Hinge elevates your laptop's rear to facilitate comfortable typing experience and efficient airflow. On top of that, this enforces a good audio performance allowing sound to reflect from your speakers to the surrounding platform. It also tucks the sizeable chin to mimic a thin bezeled display.

Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Design

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 is a well-put together device. In fact, the whole chassis is rated with MIL-STD 810H for durability and reliability. It can still pick up some fingerprints but it's quite manageable since it can easily be wiped off.

Display

The ASUS Zenbook 13 UM325 boasts its display as one of its marquee features. The panel is a 13.3-inch FHD OLED display with 1920 x 1080p resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. At first glance, the improved display quality is very evident with deep blacks and clear whites. In fact, the company claims that the laptop has one of the highest contrast ratios (1,000,000:1) among its peers.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Display

Aside from the excellent contrast, the brightness is also very generous. In turn, it allows the ASUS Zenbook 13 UM325 to give stunning images and on point color accuracy. This makes the computing machine ideal for professionals who deal with graphics, thus needing a laptop with accurate color processing. 

Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Display

For what it's worth, the panel is also rated with TÜV Rheinland eye care certification and has 70% less harmful blue light than the normal LCD. 

The panel comes with a smooth finish in contrast to the matte overlay of its Intel counterpart. There's no touch support here, so those who plan to do sketching and drawing might look elsewhere. But if you're looking for the best display on its price point, this could easily be the winner.

Keypad and TouchPad

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED's design offers the same convenience in typing as the other Zenbook 13 models before it. This is facilitated by the ErgoLift Hinge wherein the hinge elevates the keyboard panel towards the user. 

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Keyboard

We still have the same "Edge-to-Edge" keyboard which covers a majority of the keyboard section on the laptop. But with the laptop having a tiny footprint, the keys are squashed vertically to give a full keyboard layout impression.

The typing experience is quite comfortable with 1.4mm travel distance. There's also a good feedback on the keys in every taps. However, they are not full-sized. This means that you'll have a learning curve on how to accurately hit the keys especially if you have bigger hands. The keys are also backlit which is a breeze especially when you're typing in the dark.

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325's touchpad is also integrated with the NumberPad 2.0 feature. This could be one of the reasons why the touchpad has an ample real estate. You can activate the LED-illuminated number keys by tapping its icon on the upper right corner of the touchpad. I experienced accidentally tapping it a couple of times but subsequently I got better in avoiding it along the way. 

Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Keyboard and TouchPad

However, you can still use the touchpad's basic features even if the NumberPad is activated. The touchpad is very accurate and easy to use. You can live with it without using a mouse if you're into a writing task or consuming multimedia content.

Port and Interface

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 offers a generous selection of ports. On the left, we have two USB-C ports. Both USB Type-C ports are in version 3.2. We also have an HDMI port which is quite useful nowadays since most of us are having secondary displays. On this side we also have an LED battery indicator. 

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Ports and Interface

On the right, we a USB-A 3.1 port, a microSD card reader, and another LED indicator. Just like the previous Zenbook 13, this does not come with a 3.5-mm audio jack. Instead, you'll have the USB-C to 3.5-mm dongle which is included in the box. 

Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Ports and Interface

On the top bezel, we have the webcam which supports Windows Hello with its IR sensor. This is the only biometric authentication supported in the laptop. The face detection and video quality also improved in this iteration but there's still a considerable amount of noise. However, it's still usable in conference calls and Zoom meetings.

Performance

The Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U mobile processor with 8GB 3733 MHz LPDDR4X RAM. It packs a roomy 512GB SSD storage; and the processor is also coupled by the AMD Radeon graphics. In terms of performance, I am blown away by the power of Ryzen 7.

The laptop is kicking the Geekbench 5 OpenCL Benchmark test at 481 single-core score and 3932 multi-core score. This cross-platform benchmark measures your system's performance in real-time use. It also simulates how your computer handles the common computing load. On the other hand, the Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 also tallies 514 single-core and 3791 multi-core score in Vulkan Geekbench 5 test.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Performance

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Performance Benchmark Test

In our real-time use, the laptop registers to be a very versatile computing machine. It excels in office tasks like word processing, spreadsheet management, and more. It's also an ample machine for online video conferencing, web browsing, and content creation - specifically light video and photo editing. 

Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Review: Performance

If you plan to use Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 for content consumption, you'll be delighted with the screen's quality and capable loudspeaker. This makes the laptop a good entertainment device. In fact, I love watching titles on Netflix and vlogs on Youtube using this device.

Zenbook 13 OLED UM325: Performance Review
YouTube with ASUS Zenbook 13 UM325

The laptop can also run casual and light gaming. We tried Legends of Runterra which runs smoothly without giving off considerable amount of heat. It's also exceptional in photo editing using Adobe Photoshop wherein color accuracy is of great importance.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 Gaming Review
Gaming with ASUS Zenbook 13 UM325

Software

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 boots with Windows 10 Home. The package comes with a free Microsoft Office 2019 Home & Student that would usually costs you ₱6,990. ASUS also streamlines its MyASUS app which serves as a central hub in managing your device. 

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 (Ryzen 7) Review

With the app, you'll be able to customize your device in terms of Power and Performance, Audio and Visual, Connectivity and Smart Output. You can choose among different presets in Fan Profiles, Battery Health Management, and more.

ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 (Ryzen 7) Review: Link to MyASUS App

The application also houses the Link to MyASUS app which provides seamless transfer of files from your smartphones as long as you have downloaded the mobile version of the app. It's also worth-noting that this feature supports both Android and iOS platforms.

Moreover, the MyASUS app allows you to manage software updates, perform One-Click Diagnosis to your device or even contact customer support.

Battery

This computing machine packs 67 Whr battery. ASUS claims that the laptop has a 13-hour battery life. In our real-time usage, the ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 could give you a full day of use after a full session with the wall outlet - that is of fair to moderate use. 

ASUS Zenbook 13 UM325 OLED Review: Battery Performance

I am quite impressed how efficient the OLED panel is in conserving the battery life even with extended use. If you try to squeeze in a few gaming or video editing sessions, it would definitely shorten the battery life.

The laptop comes with a USB-C charger that's rated with 65 watts. Charging the laptop from 0 to 100 percent would take almost two hours. You can also pack a significant amount of juice even if you have charged the device for only less than an hour - say 60 percent in 50 minutes. 

For me, this is a solid combination of battery life and charging time. You can be productive and get entertained for longer periods of hours without the need to use the charger.

Related: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED now available in PH

Should You Buy The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 (Ryzen 7)?

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 is a winner in many fronts - outstanding OLED display, efficient and long battery life, powerful processor, and svelte premium design. You can get all these niceties for just ₱54,995. 

ASUS Zenbook 13 UM325 OLED Review

You'll also get some jewels like the futuristic NumberPad 2.0 and a full suite of I/O ports. If you're someone who prefers a laptop you can carry around without being cumbersome and be productive on the go, this is definitely something worth-considering.

The ASUS Zenbook 13 OLED UM325 is best for professionals who demand high visual grade quality in their display. Lastly, it is also perfect for users who value productivity without sacrificing the design in their devices.

ASUS ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA Specs

  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro Home
  • Display: 13.3-inch OLED FHD (1920 x 1080p) 16:9 2.9 mm slim-bezel NanoEdge display
  • 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, TÜV Rheinland Eye Care certification, PANTONE Validated,
  • VESA DisplayHDR 500 True Black
  • Memory: 8GB 3733 MHz LPDDR4X
  • Storage: 512GB PCIe 3.0 SSD
  • Cameras: HD IR camera
  • Wireless: Up to Dual-band WiFi 6 (802.11ax) + Bluetooth v5.0
  • Connectivity: 
  • 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type -C
  • 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  • 1 x HDMI 2.1
  • 1 x microSD card reader
  • Touch: NumberPad 2.0
  • Audio formats: Built-in Analog microphone with Cortana voice recognition, Certified by Harman Kardon
  • Battery: 67 Wh 4-cell lithium-polymer battery
  • Size: 304 x 203 x 13.9 mm
  • Weight: 1.14 kg
  • ₱54,995 Official Price in the Philippines. 
  • Check this link to know where to buy ASUS laptops.

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