The Asus ZenBook UX51Vz-DH71 ($1,869.99 list) is a high-end ultraportable for power users like multimedia mavens and part-time gamers. Its speedy SSD RAID array, 1080p screen, Core i7 processor, beefy discrete graphics and other performance-oriented components will keep these power users happy. A few nits like middling battery life kept the UX51Vz from true greatness, but if you stick close to a power outlet, you'll be a very happy user indeed.

Design and Features
The UX51Vz is a little on the large size, measuring about 10 by 15 by 0.8 inches (HWD), and weighing about 4.39 pounds. It's got a dark grey-sliver top lid with concentric circles etches into the metal surface, while the keyboard deck has a more conventional matte silver finish. The dark grey, chiclet-style keys are backlit—the function key command cycles through four brightness levels, including off. Keyboard feel is fine, as is the responsiveness of the one-piece trackpad. The trackpad is multi-touch, supporting Windows 8 gestures, but at this price point we would have preferred a touch screen as well. Windows 8 gestures without a touch screen are tricky, and we found it easier using the hotspot corners to bring up Windows 8 UI elements, rather than using the swipes from the sides of the trackpad.

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The UX51Vz comes with a 15.6-inch IPS screen with 1,920-by-1,080 (true 1080p) resolution. The system's screen looks very good, with smooth text and graphics that can be seen from a wide variety of angles. The resolution is good for those who like to keep multiple windows open on the screen simultaneously, and of course it is ideal for 1080p online videos. However, it should be pointed out that both the Editor's Choice high-end ultraportable Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Retina Display) ($1,999) and former EC Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Retina Display) See it at Amazon UK ($2,199) have much higher than 1080p resolution screens (2,560 by 1,400 and 2,880 by 1,800, respectively). This means more desktop real estate and the ability to display 1080p video at full resolution and any program interfaces you might be using to edit that video. 1080p is good, but better than HD is better for people that need to do graphics work or keep many windows open simultaneously.

The system comes with an external subwoofer, which looks physically similar to the inexpensive tubular speakers you see in the impulse buy aisle at electronic stores. Thankfully, the Bang & Olufsen branded sound system only routes low-end bass frequencies to the subwoofer: the high and mid frequencies continue to emanate from the laptop's built-in speakers. With the subwoofer, watching movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was more enjoyable. When we plugged the subwoofer in during the sandstorm sequence, we instantly noticed the additional low frequencies that helped sell the scene. The speakers also helped dance music like Daft Punk's soundtrack for "Tron: Legacy" sound richer and more energetic. It's not going to replace a good set of headphones or a beefy external speaker bar, but the 3.5 by 2.7 inch cylinder is a lot more portable, and will let you please a small group of people with better than average sound.

Other connectors include three USB 3.0 ports (marked in blue), a full HDMI-out port, a full size Ethernet port, headset port, SD card reader, and a mini-VGA port (with included adapter). While VGA is useful for older displays, we think Mini-DisplayPort or Thunderbolt would be a better future-proofing choice. The UX51Vz is WiDi compliant, so you can use it with an external WiDi adapter if you don't want to directly connect with the HDMI-out port. The system supports dual band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) WiFi, so it can connect to a majority of the hotspots and wireless routers out there.

There are quite a few programs pre-installed on the 256GB SSD RAID array, which is two 128GB SSDs chained together for speed and capacity. You'll find a apps like Asus World Clock, Asus Converter, Caclulator, Tap Tiles, Solitaire, Fresh Paint, Skype, Microsoft Office, Asus Install, and Waves Maxx Audio in the Start screen, with many other Asus icons on the system's desktop mode. The UX51Vz-DH71 comes with a one-year standard warranty, but also has a year of accidental damage protection and a 30-day Zero Bright Dot Panel warranty, which will reassure folks who are anal about the perfection of their 1080p displays.

Performance
Performance is the reason you buy a high-end system like the UX51Vz-DH71, and thanks to its Core i7-3612QM quad-core processor, Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics, 8GB of memory, and the dual SSD RAID array, the system packs serious processing power for multimedia, gaming, and day-to-day tasks. The twin SSDs and Core i7 processor help the system boot and wake from sleep in seconds; plus all the components together help the UX51Vz-DH71 gain a PCMark 7 score just short of 5,000 points.