Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED 2023: Full Review

The Zenbook S 13 OLED version 2023 is the newest addition to Asus’ Zenbook range. The ultraportable Zenbook S13 OLED 2023 convinces in particular on three points:

It has a featherweight chassis, making it very mobile.
Its 13-inch OLED screen offers optimal visual comfort.
It benefits from a new elegant and attractive coating.

If the Zenbook S13 OLED 2023 combines many advantages on paper, we will see if Asus keeps all its promises in this complete test.

A Remarkable Technical Sheet

Before thoroughly discovering the Zenbook S 13 OLED, let’s look at its main features. We see that Asus has chosen the best of the best to equip its flagship product:

Screen size: 13.3 inches
Definition: 2880 x 1800 pixels
Display technology: OLED
Touchscreen: No
Dimensions: 296 x 217 x 11mm
Weight: 1 kg
CPU: Intel Core i7-13550U
GPU: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Connections: 2 x USB-C, 1 x USB-A, 1 x 3.5 mm Jack port, 1x HDMI port
Operating system: Microsoft Windows 11

A Simply Elegant Design

The Asus Zenbook S13 OLED 2023 stands out for its lightness and finesse. It is one of the most mobile PCs on the market with its compact dimensions of 296 x 217 x 11 mm and its low weight of 999 grams. It slips easily into a bag to be carried daily. Asus opted for a magnesium-aluminum alloy for the chassis and the material it dubs “Plasma ceramic aluminum” for the top of the cover.

The latter, in a very elegant anthracite gray color, is decorated with white lines representing the outline of the new Asus logo. There is a simple, discreet “Asus Zenbook” inscription in a corner, engraved in the metal. To the touch, the ceramic treatment of the PC gives a very mineral impression, which is attractive. It does not mark fingerprints and looks permanently clean.

In terms of solidity, Asus guarantees military quality for the Zenbook 13 OLED 2023 and great scratch resistance. It is equipped with two huge rubber pads along the frame, which ensure stability when placed. With this PC, the handling and practicality of use are also studied by Asus. When the cover opens, the keyboard lifts mechanically, as the hinges are under the frames. The screen can tilt 180 degrees if needed.

Although the keyboard is narrow, typing is pleasant and quiet. It’s four-level backlit and doesn’t have a numeric keypad. The Zenbook S13 OLED 2023 benefits from full connectivity. It consists of two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.0 Type-A port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and an HDMI 2.1 output. It is also equipped with a 1080p webcam coupled with good-quality infrared sensors.

A Beautiful Screen

The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED 2023 has a 13.3-inch non-touch OLED panel supporting a definition of 2880 x 1800 pixels, i.e., a ratio of 16:9. The refresh rate is 60 Hz, which is suitable for office work. However, this isn’t very pleasant compared to competitors offering 90 Hz or even 120 Hz on their 14-inch screens. Asus uses OLED technology on its entire Zenbook series. It has many advantages over the IPS LCD. It offers better contrast, better color calibration, and low power consumption.

In short, OLED is much more pleasant for the user. Under the probe, the results are satisfactory. OLED technology offers “infinite” contrast, providing a perfect vision of shades of gray. It is perfect for watching videos. The maximum brightness of 346 cd/m² does not allow for working outdoors. With its MyAsus application, it is possible to adjust the color temperature manually. The default mode offers an ideal temperature of 6500 K. The average Delta E is also good, at 3.

Unsatisfactory Sound

Regarding audio, the Zenbook S 13 OLED 2023 houses two speakers at the front of the chassis and facing downwards. The sound volume is acceptable, but the rendering is unbalanced when listening. It needs more mids and low mids. This means that the sound broadcast is high-pitched and unpleasant for listening to music. In addition, it also has more than 80% distortion.

High Performance

Inside, the Zenbook S 13 OLED 2023 has the latest Intel Core i7-1355U. It is a 10-core SoC comprising 2 so-called hyperthreaded high-performance cores that can reach 5 GHz and 8 so-called efficient cores clocked at 3.7 GHz. Asus speaks of a consumption of 17.5 watts in Balance mode and 22 .5W in Performance mode. The processor is coupled with 16 GB of RAM and an NVMe SSD in M2 format with a capacity of 1 TB.

This PC is, therefore, powerful enough to carry out tasks requiring a little calculation but limited by its small size. In addition, it incorporates an Intel Iris Xe eGPU, capable of providing a little boost. The ZenBook S 13 OLED 2023 is not designed for gaming. Nevertheless, he can launch a small, not greedy game between two work sessions. It shows a stable frequency at 1500 MHz when put to the test. The CPU temperature stays below 60 degrees, while the eGPU temperature is 70 degrees, which is fine. On the other hand, it emits a high noise level of 44 decibels, which is a bit much for an ultrabook.

Good Autonomy

The Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED has a 63 Watt battery with long life. It can easily last more than 10 hours in video playback and even more with normal office tasks. This means it can operate a full day outdoors, leaving its charger at home. As for the 65-watt charger, it has the advantage of being compact, almost as much as that of a smartphone. But the cable is not detachable. It charges the computer from 1 to 100% in under 1.5 hours.

Our Verdict

The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED 2023 seduces many points. It’s a very successful design, thin and light, with its magnificent OLED screen, excellent autonomy, and controlled power. But it is not, therefore, faultless. It incorporates a few faults that could have been avoided. Its performance and battery life decreased slightly compared to the 2022 version. The latter was configured on AMD, a more efficient processor than the 13th-generation Intel.

The battery’s capacity increased to 63 Wh from 67 Wh the previous year. In addition, it loses the fingerprint reader and the numeric keypad. Despite these absences, the 2023 Zenbook S 13 remains one of the best ultrabooks on the market. It’s a good nomadic PC on which you can rely serenely on the go. It has been available since April 2023 on the official Asus website and at partner resellers for 1799 euros.