ASUS ZenFone 5 Gaming Performance, Our Verdict + Award

Gaming Performance – 3DMark

We tested the ZenFone 5’s gaming performance using 3DMark, using the Ice Storm Unlimited test.

Ice Storm Unlimited	Samsung Galaxy S9	Honor 10	ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1	ASUS ZenFone 5
Gaming Score	39588	30560	19752	19591
Graphics	45577	34801	20707	20354
Physics	27116	21423	17008	17317
Graphics Test 1	267.9 fps	206.2 fps	113.5 fps	113.0 fps
Graphics Test 2	157.2 fps	119.5 fps	74.6 fps	72.7 fps
Physics Test	86.1 fps	68.0 fps	54.0 fps	55.0 fps
	Review Price Check	Review Price Check	Review Price Check	Price Check

The Qualcomm Adreno 509 GPU is reasonably fast in games, but certainly does not offer flagship-class gaming performance.

 

Our Verdict

If you think the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (Price Check) was impressive, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is even more so.

It boasts a larger, brighter 6.2″ display with Gorilla Glass protection in a smaller, thinner and lighter form factor; with the full LTE and WiFi capabilities of the Snapdragon X12 modem. To top it off, it has a really good Sony IMX363 main camera with fast f/1.8 lens and 4-axis optical image stabilisation.

We can see why the main camera scored a DXOmark score of 93. ASUS basically put a flagship-class camera into this midrange smartphone. Best of all, they did not cripple it to protect their flagship ZenFone 5Z – you can record 4K video with no restrictions!

It also has surprisingly good audio recording quality, and very good optical image stabilisation performance. If you want to record silky-smooth video without using a gimbal, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) is a great choice.

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It’s not perfect, to be sure. Its excellent video recording capability is marred by overblown highlights; and its camera has trouble focusing on objects in close proximity. But seriously – did you even expect to find a flagship-class camera at this price point?

That brings us to deal closer – its unbelievable launch price of RM 1,299 / US$ 326. For a fraction of what you would pay for any flagship device, you get a great combination of good performance, great display, and an excellent camera with optical image stabilisation.

For those reasons, the ASUS ZenFone 5 (Price Check) deserves our Editor’s Choice Award! Great work, ASUS!

 

Price + Availability

Here is the official announcement on the Malaysian price and offers for the ASUS ZenFone 5 and ZenFone Max Pro M1 smartphones.

Here’s a summary of the recommended retail prices :

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• ASUS ZenFone 5 (4 GB + 64 GB) : RM 1,299 / ~US$ 326
• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (6 GB + 64 GB) : RM 999 / ~US$ 251
• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (4 GB + 64 GB) : RM 849 / ~US$ 213
• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (3 GB + 32 GB) : RM 699 / ~US$ 176

Here’s a summary of the offers :

• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (4 GB + 64 GB) Lazada Pre-Order (2 and 3 June) : RM 799 / ~US$ 221
• ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M1 (3 GB + 32 GB) Lazada Flash Sales (3, 10, 17, 24, 31 July) : RM 599 / ~US$ 151

If you are in the US, here are some purchase links :

• ASUS ZenFone 5 (4 GB + 64 GB) : $390
• ASUS ZenFone 5Z (6 GB + 64 GB) : $549

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