“The ZenBook 3 is the world’s most prestigious laptop with unprecedented performance”.
– Jonney Shih, Chairman, ASUS
When the ZenBook 3 was first revealed to the world in late May 2016, ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih hailed it as “the world’s most 
prestigious laptop with unprecedented performance. What makes it so prestigious? What gives it such performance? Well the ZenBook 3 is a design and technological masterpiece. The 910-gram, 11.9mm thin ZenBook 3 with a 12.5-inch display is ASUS’ slimmest and most stylish laptop model ever, yet it features extremely powerful components including a 7th Generation (Kaby Lake) high performance, 15W Intel Core i7-7500U processor, 16GB of high-speed 2133MHz RAM and a massive and ultra-fast 512GB PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSD; so its discerning owners will no longer need to sacrifice style for power; or vice versa.
This year, 2016, marks the fifth anniversary of ASUS’ ZenBook series. The first ZenBook, the UX21, was launched in 2011, and every ZenBook since has featured signature design elements that were first introduced by that model. However, when the ZenBook 3 was being planned, its teams of designers and engineers realized that the only way to make its unprecedented size and power a reality was to start with a completely new design – but with the same thin, light yet powerful design philosophy of ASUS famed ZenBook series.
Thus, the ZenBook 3 was designed from the ground up, incorporating radical new materials and cooling technologies to bring it to life, giving the ZenBook series renewed vigor and life.
Important
- ZenBook 3 was designed from the ground up using new technologies and materials to accommodate its demanding specifications for processing power and size constraints to keep it thin and light
- ZenBook 3 uses a new body that was created using aerospace-grade aluminum alloy which is 50% stronger than the standard alloy used in other notebooks
- ZenBook 3 uses a radical new cooling system that is only 3mm thin, with a fan made from an exotic material called liquid-crystal-polymer that enables its blades to be only 0.3mm thin.
Achievements
- ZenBook 3 is ASUS’ slimmest and most stylish laptop to date
- ZenBook 3 is one of the world’s slimmest and lightest laptops to feature its complement of powerful components that include a 7th generation (Kaby Lake) high performance Core i7-7500U processor, 16GB of high-speed 2133MHz RAM and a massive and ultra-fast 512GB PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSD
- The only Core i7 laptop that features high speed LPDDR3 2133MHz RAM, made possible through a special cooperation with Intel.
- ZenBook 3 is the first ASUS laptop to use ultra-strong and clear Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for its display
Innovations
- First ASUS notebook to use “6013” aerospace grade aluminum in construction.
- Totally redesigned component layout with highlight being its revolutionary 3mm thin cooling system that features heat pipes with walls that are 0.1mm thin
- Cooling system itself has a fan that uses an exotic material called “liquid crystal polymer” to achieve amazingly thin 0.3mm blades – another first for ASUS
Design: The Ultimate ZenBook
The ZenBook 3 is the latest model in ASUS famed ZenBook range of elite, thin, light yet powerful laptops that feature a common design language. Featuring a 12.5-inch display, it weighs only 910 grams, has a thickness of only 11.9mm, and a footprint that is smaller than an A4-sized paper. These dimensions make the ZenBook 3 the ultimate expression of the ZenBook series’ thin-light and-powerful design philosophy.
ZenBook philosophy, new design – Guided by ZenBook design philosophy, the ZenBook 3 had to have its internal systems redesigned in order to accommodate its demanding specifications, and required new materials as well as technologies to make it a reality.
Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy construction – To make it as thin as it is, the ZenBook 3 was crafted with a new aerospace-grade aluminum alloy body that is 50% stronger than the standard alloy used in laptops. So its delicate-looking body is deceptively strong. Using any other material would have made it prone to being easily bent or damaged, considering its slim profile.
Signature ZenBook elements – As a ZenBook, the ZenBook 3 embraces the iconic design accents of the ZenBook series first introduced with the ZenBook UX21 that was launched five years ago. These include the signature tapering edges and concentric spun-metal finish concentric circles on its lid.
Ahead of the competition’s best – When the ZenBook 3 is physically compared against the well-known 13.3-inch Apple MacBook and 12-inch Apple MacBook Air which have the similar screen sizes, but both with weaker components, the seemingly-miraculous achievements of the ZenBook3’s engineering become apparent:
Three elegant colors – The ZenBook 3 is available in three elegant colors: rose gold, quartz grey and the distinctive royal blue.
Distinguishing ZenBook 3 design flourishes – To distinguish itself as the world’s most prestigious laptop, and set itself apart from other ZenBooks, all three color options feature these additional exclusive flourishes that befit the premium status of the laptop:
A beautiful new golden metallic edge around their lids which took a special diamond cutting, plus 2-phase anodizing process to ensure its durability
A unique gold ASUS badge on the lid
A matching gold backlight for the keyboard
Basic Specs: Unbelievably Powerful Components
Despite the ultra-thin and light chassis of the ZenBook 3, it packs powerful components that are typically found in much larger laptops. These include the latest 7th generation (Kaby Lake) high performance, 15W Intel Core i7-7500U processor, up to 16GB of high speed 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory, a 512GB PCIe Gen 3 x4 SSD, and a next-gen USB Type-C port that supports display output as well as charging too. The ability to fit these high performance components into its slim chassis was made possible by a revolutionary cooling system that is a mere 3mm thin.
