Asus Pitches a $799 Entry-level Ultrabook

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Asus has unveiled an ultrabook with a launch price that targets the upper end of the mainstream market.

The UX32VD will carry a suggested retail price of $799, including an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5-3317U processor. However, this may not be the breakthrough for ultrabooks that Intel is waiting for.

The 1.7 GHz (17 watt) processor, GeForce GT620M graphics chip, and hybrid storage (500 GB HDD, 24 GB SSD) put this ultrabook square in the entry-level segment with a price tag that represents a $200 premium over a comparable traditional notebooks currently on the market. Intel is hoping to break the $700 barrier for ultrabooks this year, but there is clearly some tension as PC makers are complaining about high CPU prices and Intel's unwillingness to hand out more discounts.

If PC makers are compromising on the build quality and essential components of such devices, it is rather unlikely that consumers will bite.

Douglas Perry
37 Comments Comment from the forums
  • iceman1992
    it is rather unlikely that consumers will bite.
    Only then will Intel lower the price
    Reply
  • TheBigTroll
    needs more SSD for cache. otherwise, it looks great
    Reply
  • shafe88
    iceman1992Only then will Intel lower the priceBy the time Intel does lowers their prices I'll be to late, cause people will have moved on to AMD's lower price ultrathin. Why spend a lot of money and get a fast processor and a slow gpu when you can spend less money and get a moderate speed processor and a fast gpu.
    Reply
  • ojas
    shafe88By the time Intel does lowers their prices I'll be to late, cause people will have moved on to AMD's lower price ultrathin. Why spend a lot of money and get a fast processor and a slow gpu when you can spend less money and get a moderate speed processor and a fast gpu.I somehow don't know why anyone would use these ultra-portables for gaming, though. I've seen normal (and cheaper) notebooks face heat issues while gaming. Gaming notebooks exist for a reason...
    Reply
  • daglesj
    With a pathetic cheap ass 13x7 screen I bet!

    I bet it would only cost Asus an extra $2 to put in a decent res screen. Why do they keep spoiling nice kit with crappy cheap screens? You spend a fortune developing a nice case etc. but then spoil it all by skimping on the main part we look at.

    Madness.

    Reply
  • "By the time Intel does lowers their prices I'll be to late, cause people will have moved on to AMD's lower price ultrathin. Why spend a lot of money and get a fast processor and a slow gpu when you can spend less money and get a moderate speed processor and a fast gpu. "

    This is a notebook. The current HD4000 is faster than current AMD Llano GPU. Trinity will probably be faster but how much is not known right now. Calling HD4000 slow on the mobile side though is disengenuous. It is the best thing out right now. The CPU side is light years ahead in speed on the mobile side and Trinity doesn't seem to close any ground at first review. Thus, you are likely buying a much slower platform. You will likely pay less, but will the platform offer Thunderbolt and an SSD? What will the battery life be like? People will buy cheap, but they will receive cheap at the same time. $799 actually isn't bad if the battery life is good.
    Reply
  • shafe88
    ojasI somehow don't know why anyone would use these ultra-portables for gaming, though. The same reason people use tablets for gaming.
    Reply
  • sonofliberty08
    greghomeWell, This ZenBook does have a GT620M, which is about GT540M, so I wouldn't call it a slow GPU per say.Plus, at just 799, it's priced OK IMO.what about the battery life, and GPGPU, and the cost ...... AMD combine it in one single chip, this is what intel or nvidia don't have at the moment.
    Reply
  • tntom
    @ ChocoLoco

    People are buying Lano now because its integrated gpu more than makes up for being slower on the cpu side. HD4000 is not faster than Lano, do some research you might be comparing the desktop i7 HD4000 to the Mobile Lano which you would not see in an Ultrabook. CPUs now are all more than powerful enough for even moderate heavy users and certainly for gamers. It is the GPU that even light users crave more of. If you have been following Tom's recommendations for the past 4 years you will see they always recommend to save cash on the CPU side and put it towards the GPU side.
    Reply
  • rohantheneo
    Its true that Ultrabooks being used for Gaming will be a pretty rare occurrence. What they will be used for is Web Browsing, HD video Playback, Some office work and other entertainment features...and I think HD 4000 in Ivy Bridge is quite enough for these. Why don't they use the money used for a lower end GPU like GT620M to use in some other more useful options like a 48GB SSD+current HDD, a 900p screen etc! I would love such specs at $799..
    Also Intel does need to lower their prices by say 10-15%. How can they expect a PC with the same thickness as Mac, nearly same or better hardware, similar level aesthetics, while paying for full version of windows and still be substantially cheaper than MacBook Air so that large no. of people will buy them...JUST HOW??
    Reply