ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Asus Zenbook A14 with 16GB of reminiscence is on sale at Finest Purchase for $749.
- Asus’ new ultraportable is a incredible steadiness of innovation and worth with a superb OLED show, aggressive {hardware}, and a satisfying bodily kind.
- Whereas its use case is clearly outlined, the laptop computer has its limits in the case of high-end efficiency.
apr / 2025
When Asus officially announced the Zenbook A14 at CES this yr, I wasn’t the one one to be low-key enamored with it. It is a great laptop in its personal proper, nevertheless it stands out as a profitable balancing act between efficiency and affordability whereas hitting all the correct notes that customers care about.
Fabricated from Asus’ proprietary ceraluminum materials, the Zenbook A14 virtually looks like a prototype mannequin that is empty inside, because it’s exceedingly gentle at simply 2.1 kilos (for reference, the 13-inch MacBook Air is 2.7 kilos). Whenever you set it down, the machine opens simply with the carry of a single finger, revealing the good OLED show.
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Asus dedicated to a neutral-forward aesthetic with the A14. The model messaging options muted tones and quiet, refined imagery punctuated by pure motifs, and, general, it really works to kind a cohesive id.
This aesthetic highlights Asus’ dedication to ship a cohesive model message whereas balancing innovation and price. For instance, the show on the Zenbook A14 appears good proper out of the field. It is vivid, crisp, and environment friendly. However nearer inspection reveals that it isn’t as premium a show as you’d discover on, say, Asus’ ProArt P16.
The show is framed by plastic bezels rigorously designed to not look low cost, however once more… this is not the ProArt. Moreover, the panel over the FHD show has some slight warping that may give a funhouse mirror impact while you catch your reflection on the shiny floor.
As soon as the show is turned on, nevertheless, no matter jumpscare you simply noticed is shortly forgotten, because it delivers a superb picture: distinction is crisp, colours are vivid, and it is vivid, at 600 nits and a full HD+ (1920 x 1200) decision that pairs properly with the speedy efficiency.
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Talking of efficiency, let’s focus on the tech that powers this machine. Asus once more centered on steadiness, pairing the base-level Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor with the 32GB RAM configuration and the marginally quicker Snapdragon X Plus with the lower-end, 16GB RAM configuration.
This balancing act ends in a barely unintuitive pricing construction: the laptop computer with the higher-end processor is cheaper ($999) because it comes with half the reminiscence (which is what you are actually paying for). The model with extra RAM and the lower-end Snapdragon X processor begins at $1,099.
The distinction between the 2 processors is finally not that large, each are eight-core chips, however the Snapdragon X chip is restricted to three.0 GHz clock pace, placing a efficiency cap on this laptop computer.
That cap is ok as a result of this machine is not made to deal with intensive workloads. It is for the fashionable skilled who lives within the cloud, works remotely, and values a pleasant show.
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That being stated, the efficiency is strong. It is a quick laptop computer: it boots shortly, masses apps swiftly, and navigates the online with out lag. It runs silent and funky, producing virtually no warmth — even with the slim kind issue.
In our benchmarking tests, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor carried out higher than I anticipated in opposition to extra premium units with Intel’s Core Extremely 7 “Lunar Lake” chip, significantly in its higher-end sibling, the Zenbook S14, and Dell’s XPS 13 in multi-core efficiency. The processor even surpassed the latter in single-core efficiency.
Evaluating this laptop computer’s numbers to HP’s OmniBook X with the Snapdragon X Elite, for instance, suggests the machine is outclassed on the larger finish of efficiency however is extremely optimized for on a regular basis duties and capable of ship a quicker, extra environment friendly expertise in these use circumstances.
|
Cinebench 24 MC |
Geekbench 6.2.2 SC |
Geekbench 6.2.2 MC |
|
|
Zenbook A14 (Snapdragon X) |
541 |
2133 |
10624 |
|
Zenbook S 14 (Intel Lunar Lake) |
481 |
2748 |
11050 |
|
Dell XPS 13 (Intel Lunar Lake) |
552 |
2743 |
11005 |
|
HP Omnibook X (Snapdragon X Elite) |
470 |
2326 |
13160 |
The laptop computer’s robust efficiency is allied to an gratifying bodily kind issue. The keyboard is incredible — it is probably the most comfy laptop computer keyboards I’ve used. I make this declare with out exaggeration and notice its success is not as a consequence of something significantly costly or high-end. Asus simply hit the mark when balancing design and price.
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The keys are clean and matte, with a slick texture that borders on ASMR. I additionally love how the laptop computer’s ceramic physique is fingerprint-resistant and straightforward to wash, even when splashed within the kitchen or espresso store.
For distant or hybrid employees who transfer from place to position, the laptop computer additionally options the correct variety of ports (an HDMI, two USB-Cs, and one USB-A) to deal with no matter equipment you carry in tow or to cost the battery. I am (type of) kidding, however that leads me to my final level.
Arms down, the most effective a part of this laptop computer is the excellent battery life. Asus advertises as much as 32 hours on a single cost. Though that is the highest finish of the estimation, it isn’t far off from what you may anticipate with on a regular basis use. Throughout my testing, a day’s work within the workplace did not take me down previous 50%.
The Snapdragon X processor reduces energy consumption to a trickle when it isn’t in use. If you happen to do want juice, the A14 costs shortly, reaching near 75% after simply an hour of charging. This functionality interprets to a laptop computer that may final a few days’ work on one cost, even when that features a number of video calls.
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I am going to additionally point out just a few of the drawbacks of this laptop computer (however there aren’t many). The primary is that the Qualcomm Adreno GPU on this method will not be designed for high-end gaming. Positive, it could actually definitely deal with informal video games. However this is not a tool made for the most recent FPS.
Additionally, the show, whereas it appears nice, remains to be capped at a 60Hz refresh charge, which retains the battery (and worth level) low however additional limits any aspirations of high-end gaming. Finally, whereas the Zenbook A14 is competitively priced, this isn’t a $1,500 laptop computer.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Zenbook A14 has a coherent id: it is a light-weight, aesthetic machine for the fashionable skilled, effortlessly cellular in each kind issue and battery life, however trades some uncooked energy for all that endurance. That being stated, the Snapdragon X processor punches properly above its weight and competes handily with chips which can be, on paper, extra highly effective.
Due to its cohesive id, how properly it balances innovation and worth, and the {hardware} efficiency, the Zenbook A14 is likely one of the finest laptops I’ve reviewed prior to now yr and one I might strongly suggest so long as its strengths align together with your wants.
To prime all of it off, the starting price of $999 is aggressive — if Asus succeeds in promoting this laptop computer’s model story in a approach that positions it as a substitute for different ultraportable, resembling Apple’s MacBook Air.
We awarded the Asus Zenbook A14 an Editors’ Choice as a result of it combines a smooth, ultraportable kind issue with a balanced design and approachable worth level. This laptop computer appears nearly as good because it performs and balances the correct amount of {hardware} for the on a regular basis consumer on the lookout for a flexible laptop computer for work and play. For this set of use circumstances, it is the most effective in its class.
