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Asus UX490 vs Dell XPS 13

Best Super Thin Laptop: Asus UX490 vs Dell XPS 13

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Having a sleek, thin laptop is truly great because it’s so light and it looks beautiful. After using one for the first time, you will never want to go back to a big bulky old machine again. The whole idea behind ultrabooks and ultra-portables is that they’re sleek and easy to take out and then put away anywhere.

If you’re seated on the bus, you won’t hesitate to take your laptop out of your bag and type a few paragraphs on the way to school, work, or anywhere else. The same goes for the train, the airplane, and maybe even the taxi. There’s no limit to where you can and can’t use a super light, super thin laptop computer.

Asus vs Dell – Battle of the Titans

These are arguably the two biggest brands in the computer industry. They have made hundreds of models each, and these two are their best in a slim package. This is Taiwanese vs American ingenuity at its best. Let’s figure out which company makes the better laptop for roughly the same price range.

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ASUS UX490UA-XS74-BL 14-Inch Zenbook 3 Deluxe Notebook

ASUS UX490
The UX490 is an updated version of their popular UX390 model. It’s very similar in design with a few internal upgrades. It packs a 7th gen Kaby Lake Intel Core i7-7500U with a max clock speed of 3.5 GHz. It has a liquid crystal polymer fan for cooling that makes noise when running and runs often.

At only 0.5”, it’s the world’s thinnest 14” laptop. That’s incredibly thin for a fully functioning, high end computer. In order to achieve this, they had to get rid of a lot of ports, but the UX490 ships with converters for micro USB type C to standard USB and another for HTMI input. At 2.43 lbs (1.1 kg), it’s also among the lightest on the market. It feels more like you’re taking a folder out of your backpack than a computer.

The UX490 only comes in one style, blue with golden accents. The signature Zenbook design looks extremely attractive. This is definitely one of the best looking Windows machines out there, if not the best. It has surprisingly good speakers, but an average battery life at best. The FHD screen is glossy, which may be an annoyance in a very bright room. It includes 3 type C USB ports, including two Thunderbolt 3 that can be used with 4K monitors.

Pros

  • Gorgeous design
  • Thinnest laptop on the market
  • Extremely light
  • 2 Thunderbolt ports
  • Kaby Lake Intel Core i7
  • Fingerprint sensor

Cons

  • Glossy screen
  • Average battery
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Dell XPS 13 9360 13.3″ Quad HD+ InfinityEdge Touch Notebook Computer

Dell XPS 13 9360Dell XPS 13
Dell calls this ultrabook’s incredibly thin 5mm bezel the InfinityEdge. They originally released the XPS 13 series in 2015. Since then, they’ve upgraded it with a newer model each year. The 9360 comes in two versions, the FHD non-touch screen matte display, and the glossy QHD touch screen display. This review will focus on the QHD version as the price is just below the UX490.

The screen is excellent quality. And 13.3” is the perfect size for still having plenty of viewing area and typing space, while being compact and able to fit into a bag quite easily. The 14” Asus isn’t much bigger, but when you’re on public transit, size really matters. At 2.9 lbs, the XPS 13 9360 isn’t a whole lot heavier than the UX490, and at 0.6”, it’s only slightly thicker.

The 9360 has the 7th gen Intel Core i7-7560U processor, which is clocked at up to 3.8 GHz. It also includes one USB type C Thunderbolt 3 port, two USB 3.0 ports, and an SD card slot. Adapters for HDMI and VGA are not included. It comes in either silver or gold. For its size, this is one of the best laptops on the market, hands down.

Pros

  • InfinityEdge 5mm bezel
  • QHD screen
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports and an SD card slot
  • Super compact size
  • Touch screen

Cons

  • Glossy screen
  • QHD screen makes 60 Mh battery mediocre
  • No fingerprint scanner
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Conclusion

Although these are both excellent machines, the UX490 design is just so much nicer. It will definitely attract attention. The XPS 13 has more ports and a much better screen. They both have 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Intel integrated graphics. The XPS 13’s 5mm bezel bests the 7.46mm bezel of the Asus, but the Asus is lighter, slimmer, and has a bigger screen. The XPS 13 also a bit cheaper than the UX490. But when it comes to which one is nicer considering how evenly matched they are specs-wise, the UX490 wins.

About Nathanael Rubin

Nathanael Rubin has made a home on the road traveling around the world and writing articles remotely. Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, Nathanael is currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand where he has set aside his passion for music to do what he does best, write and travel.

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