Asus Zenbook A14 Review: The Best Copilot Plus COMPUTER So Far

8.5/ 10
RATING

Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

Pros

• Incredibly slim and lightweight with out actually feeling light-weight.
• All- day-and-all-night battery life.
• OLED show display screen at this value is a superb shock.
• Ample RAM and space for storing for the fee as nicely.

Cons

• Meh effectivity from Snapdragon X CPU.
• Meh mechanical touchpad.
• Meh audio audio system.

The Asus Zenbook A14 reworked heads at CES 2025 for its ultralight but remarkably rigid Ceraluminum framework and a case of 30 hours (!) of battery life no matter together with an OLED show display screen that typically eats battery sources at the next clip than an LCD panel. After evaluating, benchmarking and banging on the Zenbook A14, we put together to supply it an extra honor. It gained a Best of CES Award for best laptop computer pc and may at the moment name itself a CNET Editors’ Choice honor victor.

Built round an Arm- primarily based Qualcomm Snapdragon X cpu, the Zenbook A14 is the lightest Copilot Plus COMPUTER I’ve checked and the second-longest working. Its effectivity is nice for fundamental utilization, nonetheless it’s completely an motion or 2 behind varied different Copilot Plus Computers with Snapdragon X Plus or Elite CPUs and people with Intel Core Ultra 200 assortment chips. And whereas the final type is excellent, the touchpad and audio audio system are simply odd for an ultraportable.

Nitpicks aside, you’ll not uncover an extra 14-inch OLED laptop computer pc that evaluates a lot lower than 2.2 further kilos with a battery lifetime of higher than 24-hour. If transportability is vital, the Zenbook A14 is the selection.

The Asus Zenbook A14 I checked (model UX3407) is available from Asus andBest Buy for $1,100 It features Qualcomm’s brand-new Snapdragon X X1-26-100 cpu, which rests one known as listed beneath contribute the Snapdragon X Plus assortment and a pair of rungs listed beneath these within the Snapdragon X Elite assortment. It has the exact same 8-core CPU matter because the lower-end Snapdragon X Plus cpus nonetheless performs at a considerably slower clock fee– 3GHz versus 3.2 GHz– with out improve regularity.

The Zenbook A14 UX3407 is or else totally geared up, with 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD. It depends upon Qualcomm’s included Adreno GPU and contains the exact same neural dealing with system environment friendly in 45 trillion procedures per 2nd, which certifies it as a Copilot Plus COMPUTER. The show display screen is a 14-inch OLED panel with a pedestrian 1,920×1,200-pixel decision and no contact help.

Asus prepares a 2nd Zenbook A14 anticipated to strike Best Buy’s racks on the finish ofMarch It will definitely set you again $900 and embody a CPU improve– a Snapdragon X Plus– and half the RAM and storage room. It does have the exact same OLED show display screen, nonetheless. Yes, you try that correctly: The less expensive model has a faster cpu. You’ll have the flexibility to tell each aside since they are going to definitely be varied shades; my examination model is what Asus refers to as Iceland Gray, and the varied different model will definitely be furnished inZabriskie Beige The spotlight is not any paints are made use of; the shades are developed with an oxidation process of the metal framework.

The Asus Zenbook A14 (UX3407) costs £1,100 in the UK and isn’t but provided in Australia.

Asus Zenbook A14 effectivity

The Zenbook A14’s effectivity in laboratory screening resembled the divulge heart’s contents to A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of instances, it was probably the most terrible of instances. It ended up close to or on the finish of the pack of varied different Copilot Plus Computers primarily based upon Snapdragon X Plus or Elite cpus and people with Intel’s Lunar Lake Core Ultra 200V assortment chips on our software standards, Geekbench 6 and Cinebench 2024. It likewise tracked the M3 MacBook Air on these examinations.

The Zenbook A14 was incapable to run PCMark 10, which highlights the Windows- on-Arm compatibility drawback. Before buying the Zenbook A14 or an extra Copilot Plus pc powered by a Snapdragon X, verify to ensure that the functions you make the most of are compatible with Arm.

Compatibility likewise enters have enjoyable with our 3DMark Time Spy examination. It doesn’t run natively on Arm nonetheless with the built-in Prism emulator, which causes an effectivity hit. But its consequence was insufficient additionally amongst the Snapdragon X-based Copilot Plus Computers, consisting of the HP OmniBook X 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7.

While the Zenbook A14’s software and graphics effectivity tracked varied different Copliot Plus Computers, it nonetheless gives ample effectivity for fundamental utilization. Competing Copilot Plus Computers is perhaps a lot quicker, nonetheless they don’t provide an extra course of pc. These are all general-purpose laptop computer computer systems that depend on included graphics which might be a lot better matched for office jobs than requiring graphics job or video gaming.

The Zenbook A14 did a lot better on Procyon’s AI Computer Vision commonplace, ending up within the middle of the varied different Copilot Plus Computers we’ve truly checked. This consequence shouldn’t be surprising contemplating that each one of many Snapdragon X CPUs embody the exact same 45-TOPS NPU, and the contending Intel Core Ultra 7 258V gives a comparable 48-TOPS NPU.

The best of instances gotten right here with battery screening. The Zenbook A14 is simply the 2nd laptop computer pc CNET has truly assessed with a battery lifetime of higher than 24-hour, additionally if it was simply by 7 minutes. The A14’s battery time is 2nd simply to the HP OmniBook X 14, which lasted 1 hour and 5 minutes for much longer. The Zenbook A14’s lengthy life is probably much more excellent than the OmniBook X 14’s because it contains an OLED show display screen, which typically drains pipes the battery a lot quicker than an LCD.

Asus states the Zenbook A14’s battery can final as a lot as 32 hours. On our battery examinations, it confirmed up a few hours besides that quantity, nonetheless our examination of frequently streaming a YouTube video clip is much more requiring than a daily utilization occasion. At any form of worth, the Zenbook A14 gives such an intensive battery life you can go days without delay in between billing it.

Ceraluminum is unquestionably superb

Many instances, when a provider tries an ultralight type, the end result is a room that actually feels as nicely gentle, with slim magnesium alloy, gentle weight aluminum or plastic floor areas that bend and flex below the tiniest stress. With the Zenbook A14, you’ll be able to have your agility and power as nicely. It features a Ceraluminum framework that’s a mixture of gentle weight aluminum and ceramic merchandise. Adding ceramic to the construction contains a whole lot of power and resilience, which allows the Zenbook A14 to be unbelievably gentle with out actually feeling light-weight or low-cost.

The Zenbook A14 evaluates merely below 2.2 further kilos, or a lot lower than a kg. By distinction, the just a little smaller sized 13.6-inch MacBook Air M3 is over half an additional pound bigger at 2.7 further kilos. Heavier nonetheless is the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 and 14-inch HP OmniBook X 14, that are nonetheless 2 of the lightest Copilot Plus Computers we’ve truly checked at roughly 3 further kilos. The Zenbook A14 likewise has just a little energy block that evaluates a lot lower than half an additional pound, so the general touring weight is lighter than that of the MacBook Air by itself.

Asus consists of a lightweight pure leather-based sleeve in an exquisite, beige shade. If you allow the Zenbook A14 with the facility cable and touring sleeve, you’ll nonetheless lug simply 3.1 further kilos.

The Ceraluminum product not simply causes an ultralight but extraordinarily rigid laptop computer pc, nonetheless it’s likewise scrape, spot and finger print immune. I resembling the looks of the matte gray coating of our examination system– it notes a separation from the combed gentle weight aluminum coating that’s come to be so typical– and it saved its tidy look all through each weeks I utilized it. And I’m ceaselessly snacking whereas functioning, and the key-board, touchpad and the rest of the framework stayed smudge-free.

The rigid key-board deck assist the keying expertise on the Zenbook A14. The tips use superficial touring nonetheless an organization motion. Any flex within the key-board deck will surely make the shallow-travel tips actually really feel mushy, nonetheless reasonably, they actually really feel quick and trendy. The key-board is likewise spacious with out decreased tips that it’s best to uncover to swimsuit.

The touchpad is likewise spacious and contains smart motions alongside the facet and main sides to readjust show display screen illumination and amount and management video clip playback. I actually didn’t uncover myself using the perimeters to extend or decreased illumination or amount since I’ve expanded acquainted with using the characteristic tips for these, and the Zenbook A14 has truly dedicated characteristic tips for each. There are not any media management kind within the Zenbook A14’s characteristic row, nonetheless, so I did make the most of the main facet of the touchpad for rubbing onward and again on YouTube video clips and positioned it precise adequate to make the most of correctly.

Besides its charitable dimension and smart motions, the touchpad is prime, with a mechanical click on motion. I rather a lot select the dynamic and constant click on motion from the haptic touchpad of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. The Zenbook A14’s mechanical touchpad’s click on motion gives method an excessive amount of touring close to its decrease facet and never almost sufficient in direction of the highest– the scary driving board consequence. At the Zenbook A14’s value, nonetheless, it’s asking method an excessive amount of to acquire each an OLED show display screen and a haptic touchpad.

And you do acquire an OLED. It’s not a high-resolution OLED panel, nonetheless acquiring any form of type of OLED on a $1,100 laptop computer pc is a profit. It’s a 14-inch OLED show display screen with a 1,920x-1,200- pixel decision. That’s a excessive adequate decision for a 14-inch show display screen that message and photographs present up crisp– merely not as sharp as the image you acquire with the two.8 Okay OLED on the Asus Zenbook S 14. The HP OmniBook X 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 have just a little higher-res 14-inch screens, nonetheless they’re IPS LCD panels and never OLEDs.

I’d a lot as a substitute have the Zenbook A14’s OLED show display screen than both LCD (and the included pixels) that you simply acquire with the OmniBook X 14 or Surface Laptop 7. The excellent comparability and deep black levels of the Zenbook A14’s OLED show display screen are distinctive. Color effectivity is likewise stable; my examinations with a Spyder X colorimeter revealed 100% safety of the sRGB and P3 rooms and 97% of AdobeRGB. It likewise strikes 391 nits of illumination, which is a wonderful quantity for an OLED that typically has a decreased optimum illumination than an LCD.

Along with the prosaic decision, the Zenbook A14’s show display screen likewise gives a standard 60Hz revitalize worth. You’ll require to take a position much more to acquire a laptop computer pc with a high-res OLED with a fast 120Hz revitalize that causes smoother motion.

My varied different small drawback regarding the or else excellent OLED show display screen isn’t regarding the panel itself nonetheless the plastic bezels bordering it. They launch price range plan emotions on a laptop computer pc the place nearly each little factor else regarding the type seems spendier than its $1,100 value will surely counsel. I ask your self simply how a lot much more a clean, edge-to-edge glass remedy will surely contribute to the Zenbook A14’s expense.

To end the show display screen dialog on a good word, I’ll focus on the show display screen joint. Similar to a MacBook’s, it’s a solitary joint that runs nearly the scale of the show display screen. And it’s fantastic, offering an actual, one-finger opening of the show display screen nonetheless nonetheless adequate resistance to take care of the show display screen at your chosen angle with marginal wobble.

At the ability of the main cowl rests one other little little bit of budget-ness: the “ASUS Zenbook” wordmark. The font type is monotonous, and the spacing in between the letters seems off– why are the letters so generally spaced? I will surely’ve preferred a repeat of Asus’s elegant “A” that exhibits up over the key-board on the quilt. Or merely choose a a lot better font type with much better spacing.

The twin audio audio system launch odd laptop computer pc sound, which is to assert it’s not wonderful. The audio is ample for YouTube video clips and Netflix packages and video clip conversations, nonetheless you’ll need earphones or an outdoor audio speaker for songs and a few movement photos– dramatization the place dialogue is gently talked or exercise flicks with massive surges and extreme outcomes.

The 1080p cam created a reasonably sharp image in screening, nonetheless the picture was oversaturated. The cam has an IR sensing unit so you’ll be able to put it to use for Windows Hello logins. That’s your simply biometric selection because the Zenbook A14 doesn’t have a finger print customer.

Is the Asus Zenbook A14 a wonderful laptop computer pc?

It’s a improbable laptop computer pc, particularly in the event you’re looking for an ultralight, ultralong-running laptop computer pc for touring. Its Ceraluminum room is each rigid and lightweight, and the Snapdragon X cpu allows it to run across the clock. Plus, its show display screen is the topping on this Copilot Plus pc cake at this value.