Asus Zenbook UX330UA vs. Dell Inspiron 13 7000 [Core i5 8th gen]

 

 

The ZenBook UX330UA is a trendy laptop by Asus making waves with its excellent display and strong overall performance, thanks to its 8th Gen Intel Core processor, and is available at an affordable rate.

 

 

On the other end, we have The Dell Inspiron 13 7000, an attractive convertible that comes at a similar price range and is equipped with the same 8th Gen Intel processor unit enabling a strong performance. Here in this article, we look at the specifications and features of the two laptops and compare it to find the best buy.

 

Specifications	ZenBook UX330UA	Dell's Inspiron 13 7000
CPU	8th Gen Intel i5-8250U	8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U
RAM	8GB	8GB
Hard Drive Size	256GB	256GB
Hard Drive Type	SATA 3 M.2 SSD	M.2 SSD
Display	13.3 inch	13.3 inch
Highest Available Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 620	Intel HD Graphics 620
Size	12.7 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches	12.19 x 8.5 x 0.61 inches
Weight	2.66 pounds	3.4 pounds
Operating System	Windows 10 Home	Windows 10 Home

 

The Design

 

 

The lightweight silver-aluminum alloy chassis of ZenBook UX330UA comes across as stylish with a modern feel to it. The lid features a series of curves that are signature of Asus’s design. The durable build of the laptop makes it a good buy for the money spent.

 

 

 

The simple style of Dell's Inspiron 13 7000 makes for a very sleek and modern look. The 2-in-1 laptop is made with brushed aluminum and features an elegant tone of gunmetal grey along with a Silver toned dell logo. The black keys of the island-style keyboard along with identical gunmetal trackpad elevate the aesthetics of the build, but the heavy bottom and overall heavy nature of the Inspiron may come across as a setback.

 

Display

 

 

The 13.3-inch screen of ZenBook UX330UA displays ample amount of colors along with exceptional brightness levels. The 1080p display offers sharp and high-quality viewing experience with emphasis on hues and color tones.

 

In the sRGB spectrum, the Zenbook produces 105 percent beating the 102 percent category average of portable laptops. When it comes to brightness, the Zenbook offers a ton of brightness notching a brilliant 302 nits that tops the category average of 286 nits. Not just at straight viewing angels, the Zenbook display performs well when viewed from 45 degrees to left or right.  

 

 

 

The 13.3-inch screen of The Inspiron 13 7000 comes with a sharp 1080p display producing a solid 110 percent of sRGB spectrum which is well above the category average of 100 percent.

 

However, the viewing experience may be mixed with both pros and cons. It is observed that certain shades of colors are repressed and may appear dull. The details, on the other hand, are crisp. Given the cost, the display performs quite well and may not prove to be a complication.

 

The Inspiron's screen has strong brightness, notching 287 nits that exceeds some of its contemporaries but misses the category average by a hairbreadth.

 

The convertible nature of the laptop doesn’t affect the quality of the viewing experience even when the panels are flipped through 45 degrees and back to 180 degrees. The 2-in-1 laptop provides for wide viewing angles along with an exceptional IPS panel that handles glare well.

 

Performance

 

Equipped with 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250 CPU and 8GB RAM, the Zenbook provides for solid multitasking performance allowing one to operate between myriads of program with no lag affecting the functioning of the system. From performance, speed of processor cores and memory to file transfer rate, the Zenbook notches up a good run.

 

The Intel UHD graphics performs modestly when it comes to gaming and comes relatively close in meeting the frames per minute playability threshold of low graphic-intensive games.

 

 

Armed with 8th-Generation Intel Core i5 processor along with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, the Dell Inspiron provides for a powerful overall performance. The strong processor and memory performance allow for easy multitasking with no lags.  The Inspiron's Intel UHD 620 GPU is equipped at playing some games performing well with the FPS playability threshold (30 fps)

 

Audio

 

The ZenBook UX330UA's speakers are quite an exceptional offering for interesting sound levels with a crisp quality and no distortion. From vocals to drum beats, the speakers are ready for any task at hand.

 

 

The Inspiron 13 7000 stands tall with its strong audio performance thanks to its powerful dual stereo speakers placed at the bottom. It offers dynamic sound performance even at higher decibels with clear distinction and clarity.

 

Keyboard and Touchpad

 

 

The ZenBook's keyboard allows for productive typing with its comfortable design having a travel of 1.6.mm and 81 grams of actuation force which exceeds the threshold for the minimum (typical being 1.5mm and 60 grams). The touchpad, on the other hand, is stiff and hinders smooth movement. Measuring 4.1 x 2.9 inch, the glass touchpad comes on the downside with its springy clicks. For ease of access, one may have to opt for an external mouse.

 

 

 

The Inspiron’s Keyboard features an island style design which comes about a little too shallow and stiff. The shallow nature of the keyboard is owing to its 1.1 mm of travel which reads below the minimal, and may reduce overall typing speed. With an actuation force of 79 grams, the keys feel rigid instead of being more receptive. 

 

The Inspiron's touchpad provides good navigation along with supporting finger gestures but the surface proves to be harsh and rough. The grainy feel of the touchpad can make it a little uncomfortable to use.  

 

Battery

 

The downside of the high and efficient performance of the Zenbook comes at the cost of battery life. In comparison to the earlier model of Asus ZenBook UX300UA which lasted for a good 10 hours 17minutes, the ZenBook UX330UA clocks at 8 hours 59 minutes which though shorter is well above the 8.26 category average. 

 

 

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Dell Inspiron 13 7000 is its poor battery life. Given the lightweight nature of the laptop that makes it easily portable, the runtime comes disappointing, as it clocks a meager 5 hours and 32 minutes against category average of 8.18.

 

Conclusion

 

The Asus ZenBook UX330UA aces with its strong performance, comfortable keyboard, stellar audio system and sharp display – These noteworthy features combine to provide for productive and efficient functioning. The only concerns are regarding the stiff touchpad and reduced battery life. Given the cost, the 8th-Generation Intel Core i5 CPU combined with RAM provides for an invigorating performance.

 

The Dell Inspiron involves a number of impressive features that include 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, USB Type-C support, sound audio and a bright display. The strong performance coupled with sleek convertible design and affordability make it a good buy but the poor battery life and shallow keyboard come across as extremely concerning.