Asus ZenBook A14 overview: Unbelievable battery life, featherlight construct
Skilled’s Ranking
Professionals
- Extremely light-weight
- Ceraluminum is spectacular
- Thoughts-blowing battery life
Cons
- A $600 laptop computer CPU in a $1,200 machine
- Significantly, that is the slowest Snapdragon X chip
- Ceraluminum feels nearly plasticky and hole
Our Verdict
The Asus ZenBook A14 is an unimaginable proof of idea for the way gentle and long-lasting a laptop computer might be. However you shouldn’t purchase it except you’re prepared to commerce efficiency for an ultralight machine that will get extra battery life than you in all probability want.
Value When Reviewed
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The Asus ZenBook A14 is an enchanting machine. Its chassis is fabricated from “Ceraluminum,” so it’s extremely gentle and sturdy. Not solely does it weigh simply over two kilos, however it additionally provides wonderful battery life. Nonetheless, Asus has chosen to place absolutely the slowest Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip on this machine.
The ZenBook A14, retailing for $1,200, makes use of a Snapdragon X chip that was initially meant for $600 laptops. Though this laptop computer provides prolonged battery life, I’m unsure the trade-off is sensible at this value level. For on a regular basis duties, a quicker Snapdragon X chip would supply higher efficiency (typically at a cheaper price!). However should you’re pleased with Home windows on ARM and battery life is a prime precedence, then this is perhaps the machine for you. It’s only a very small area of interest to focus on.
Asus ZenBook A14: Specs
The Asus ZenBook A14 encompasses a Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor. We reviewed the UX3407QA mannequin, which prices $1,200 at retail. This machine has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor.
That is truly a more moderen, extra entry-level Snapdragon X chip. It’s slower than the preliminary Snapdragon X Plus chips, which have been the slowest of the lot. Right here’s the official product matrix. As you possibly can see, Snapdragon X is available in final with the slowest CPU (as much as 3 GHz) and the slowest GPU (1.7 TFLOPS.) This does imply the machine makes use of much less energy and may get higher battery life. However, once more, Snapdragon X chips generally are already nice at that. This doesn’t really feel like $1,200-class efficiency.
Whereas I’m informed tariffs are affecting pricing, that is nonetheless a lot greater than we’d anticipate to see a laptop computer with this chip promote for. Qualcomm promised laptops within the $600 vary with this chip and Asus used it to ship a longer-lasting $1,200 machine.
- Mannequin quantity: UX3407QA
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
- Reminiscence: 32 GB LPDDR5X
- Graphics/GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
- NPU: Qualcomm Hexagon (45 TOPS)
- Show: 1920×1200 OLED show with 60Hz refresh price
- Storage: 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Webcam: 1080p webcam
- Connectivity: 2x USB Kind-C (USB 4.0 Gen 3), 1x USB Kind-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2), 1x HDMI 2.1 out, 1x combo audio jack
- Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
- Biometrics: IR digicam for facial recognition
- Battery capability: 70 Watt-hours
- Dimensions: 12.23” x 8.42” x 0.53”
- Weight: 2.16 kilos
- MSRP: $1,200 as examined
The Asus ZenBook is technically spectacular, because it’s tremendous gentle and long-lasting.
Asus ZenBook A14: Design and construct high quality
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Asus ZenBook A14 is extremely gentle. At simply 2.16 kilos, choosing it up nearly appears like choosing up a hole machine.
That’s as a result of “Ceraluminum,” the “revolutionary materials” Asus is exhibiting off right here. It’s ceramic-coated aluminum, which Asus says “combines the lightness of aluminum with the resilience of ceramic.” It’s extremely gentle! And, whereas Asus does say it’s rugged as effectively, I ought to word that I used to be not making an attempt to scratch or drop this machine to check that!
The Ceraluminum is attention-grabbing. It doesn’t really feel like typical steel — you’re not touching steel, you’re touching ceramic. I wouldn’t say it feels low cost, however there’s one thing about choosing it up that jogs my memory mind of choosing up a plastic laptop computer and it’s so gentle that it’s nearly like a hole plastic laptop computer. We affiliate that “steel” really feel with premium laptops and whereas there’s steel underneath the floor right here, you gained’t really feel it. In case you like a weighty steel laptop computer, this isn’t for you. However should you like the texture of one thing gentle, that is spectacular. If you will get over the shortage of steel feeling, you possibly can really feel such as you’re choosing up one thing nearly impossibly gentle for the efficiency. That’s cool!
That’s probably the most spectacular bit. The remainder of the machine is commonplace — in a great way! This mannequin is on the market within the “Iceland Grey” coloration with a black bezel and hinge. It’s straightforward to open the laptop computer with one hand. It feels good and light-weight to carry, possibly even too gentle should you choose a weightier expertise. It’s lighter than I anticipate a practical laptop computer to be.
Asus ZenBook A14: Keyboard and trackpad
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Asus ZenBook A14’s keyboard and trackpad are superb. Neither is unusually spectacular, however each are actually usable.
The keyboard options 1.3mm of key journey. It’s a tad squishy and doesn’t reply as crisply because the keyboards typically do on a ThinkPad, for instance. However it’s fairly good for a laptop computer centered on being gentle and skinny.
The trackpad is an efficient measurement and in a very good location proper under the keyboard. The floor feels good to slip your finger over, and it has a nice “thunk” while you click on down on it. As typical, I would like a haptic touchpad to make extra of the trackpad’s floor clickable.
Asus ZenBook A14: Show and audio system
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Asus ZenBook A14 has a good show. Asus has chosen to incorporate a 14-inch OLED show with a 1920×1200 decision. It seems superb — I do like an OLED show!
Alternatively, this show solely helps a 60Hz refresh price. I perceive {that a} larger refresh price would decrease battery life. Alternatively, this appears like not precisely one of the best spec for a $1,200 laptop computer. It’s not nearly CPU efficiency. For a machine with a $600-laptop-class CPU, I’d hope elements just like the show would actually sing to make up for that. It’s additionally value noting that that is not a touchscreen show.
This machine’s audio system get loads of quantity, which is nice. They’ll be nice for video conferences and watching YouTube movies. Alternatively, the bass appears notably underwhelming to me — actually, that’s no shock. Would a $1,200 ultralight laptop computer have an incredible subwoofer? Plan to convey headphones for music, motion pictures, and TV exhibits.
Asus ZenBook A14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics
The Asus ZenBook A14 features a 1080p webcam that really produces a stunning crisp image. It’s not good, however it’s higher than common. It’ll be nice for video conferences. There’s no bodily digicam shutter, although.
The microphone right here sounds superb and you might actually use it for conferences. I do really feel like I’ve heard clearer, crisper audio from the microphones on different machines. However it’s superb. This machine isn’t the final word video assembly bundle, the objective is simply having a good mic.
Asus did embody an IR digicam for Home windows Hiya sign-in right here and it really works very effectively. You possibly can simply signal into your PC simply by opening this machine or sitting down in entrance of it. (There’s no fingerprint reader, nevertheless.)
Asus ZenBook A14: Connectivity
IDG / Chris Hoffman
The Asus ZenBook A14 options an okay choice of ports, however not a variety of them. That’s no shock, because it’s an ultralight machine. I’m simply comfortable to see a headphone jack right here.
On the left facet of the machine, you’ll discover two USB Kind-C ports, an HDMI out port, and a combo audio jack. Keep in mind that you’ll want one of many USB Kind-C ports to cost the machine — it prices by way of USB-C. On the appropriate facet, you’ll discover a single USB type-A port. That’s all. Plan to convey a dongle if you’d like extra ports.
So far as radios, you could have the standard Snapdragon X {hardware} right here: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Asus ZenBook A14: Efficiency
The Asus ZenBook A14 carried out superb in day-to-day desktop utilization. Look, that is an ultralight laptop computer with a low-tier processor, I’m not doing critical heavy CPU utilization duties on it! For an internet browser like Chrome and productiveness instruments like Microsoft Phrase, it labored superb. However for graphics-heavy duties — gaming {and professional} apps that hit the GPU — it’s a lot slower than many different Snapdragon X Plus and Snapdragon X Elite-powered methods
(However shopping for a $1,200 laptop computer is an enormous dedication and also you may finally need to do one thing extra demanding, extra than simply opening some further browser tabs. That’s why the efficiency nonetheless issues.)
As at all times, we ran the Asus ZenBook A14 by means of our commonplace benchmarks to see the way it performs. However, since that is an ARM-powered laptop computer, we are able to’t run all our regular benchmarks.
First, we run Cinebench R24, which has an ARM-native model. This can be a closely multithreaded benchmark that focuses on total CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling underneath prolonged workloads isn’t an element. However, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have an enormous benefit.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
That’s what we see right here. With a multi-threaded Cinebench R24 rating of 603, the Asus ZenBook A14 is available in considerably behind the Snapdragon X Elite-powered machines which have 12 cores as an alternative of eight cores.
Subsequent, we run a graphical benchmark. This isn’t a gaming laptop computer, however it’s nonetheless good to test how the GPU performs. We run 3DMark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency. This isn’t an ARM-native benchmark, so it’s run by means of the Prism translation layer. This offers us a good concept of how this machine’s GPU will do when enjoying most Home windows video games, that are written for x86 processors and can run by means of this translation layer.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
With a 3DMark Time Spy rating of 1,066, the Asus ZenBook A14 lagged behind even Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus-powered machines. After all, you in all probability don’t plan on utilizing this machine for gaming — however wouldn’t it’s good if a $1,200 machine delivered higher GPU efficiency should you ever need it? There are many different good laptop computer choices on this value vary.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
We additionally run 3DMark Evening Raid, which has an ARM-native model. This offers us a greater concept of the machine’s GPU efficiency with out the Prism translation layer being an element.
With a 3DMark Evening Raid rating of 16,768, the Asus ZenBook A14 as soon as once more is much behind different Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered machines. It’s unhappy to see such a very good laptop computer be so hobbled by the CPU alternative at this value level.
General, the Asus ZenBook A14 delivers low-end efficiency for its {hardware} class and value vary. However day-to-day desktop use is superb.
Asus ZenBook A14: Battery life
The Asus ZenBook A14 has a 70 Watt-hour battery, which is truthfully actually spectacular given its extremely gentle weight of two.16 kilos. Asus may have trimmed this down if the objective was to get the laptop computer as gentle as attainable, however it’s good to see. We’d anticipate some critical battery life because of the lower-end Snapdragon X {hardware} right here.
IDG / Chris Hoffman
To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Metal on repeat on Home windows 11 with airplane mode enabled till the laptop computer suspends itself. This can be a best-case state of affairs for any laptop computer since native video playback is so environment friendly, and actual battery life in day-to-day use is at all times going to be lower than this.
We set the display screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks and it’s value noting that the ZenBook’s OLED show has a little bit of a bonus, as OLED screens use much less energy to show the black bars across the video.
The ZenBook A14 lasted for an unimaginable 1,436 minutes in our battery life benchmark. That’s 24 hours operating on battery, one thing that might’ve been fully extraordinary just some years in the past. However, whereas this can be a artificial benchmark that doesn’t precisely match real-world makes use of the place you’re operating a bunch of browser tabs and different purposes, it’s nonetheless extra battery life than you doubtless want. I don’t assume the efficiency trade-offs are value it to most individuals.
Asus ZenBook A14: Conclusion
The Asus ZenBook is technically spectacular, because it’s tremendous gentle and long-lasting. That mentioned, the low-end Snapdragon X CPU right here doesn’t actually make sense for a $1,200 laptop computer. It buys you extra battery life, however these machines have already got unimaginable battery life even with out sacrificing CPU efficiency. Ideally, you’d additionally avoid wasting money by choosing this cheaper CPU! You’d nearly actually be higher off with a unique Snapdragon X laptop computer, if you wish to go the ARM route, maybe a Floor Laptop computer 7? Virtually each different machine has a higher-end CPU.
Nonetheless, there’s in all probability somebody on the market who needs an ultralight laptop computer that squeezes out further battery life away from {an electrical} outlet. In case you’re that individual, excellent news — you discovered your new favourite laptop computer.
