ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The 2024 Asus Zenbook 14 is offered at Finest Purchase for $799.
- It is inexpensive, sports activities the strong {hardware}, and has a protracted battery life; all packed right into a type issue that weighs lower than three kilos.
- As nice as it’s, this laptop computer tends to run sizzling.
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Among the many plethora of labor laptops, the 2024 Asus Zenbook 14 stands tall. It performs extremely effectively, has a cushty keyboard, a long-lasting battery, and a shiny, easy show. There is not a single class the place this system does not excel. This Zenbook mannequin was the most effective laptops I’ve used final yr, and I nonetheless suggest it in 2025.
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One of many explanation why the Zenbook is so nice is its sheer versatility. The mannequin I went hands-on with right here featured the Intel Core Extremely 5, however there are further configurations out there, together with with the Intel Core Extremely 7 and 9 processors supported by Intel’s AI Increase. Its excessive diploma of customizability, mixed with the daring type issue, permits the mannequin to nonetheless carry out effectively amongst modern work computer systems.
Power environment friendly
One of many Zenbook’s shining options is its longevity. Regardless of which energy mode the machine is about to, count on it to final many of the workday. I performed my usual test of operating an endlessly taking part in YouTube reside stream at 720p and 50% brightness.
On Finest Efficiency, the battery ran for about 6.5 hours earlier than dying. On Balanced, it surpassed that point by going over 10 hours. Then, on Finest Energy Effectivity, the Zenbook 14 lasted a strong 12 hours. Bear in mind, these occasions had been all achieved with out battery saver turned on. 12 hours in 2025 continues to be an honest period of time. Extra highly effective fashions just like the 2024 Asus Pro P16 do not final as lengthy.
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Asus went with energy-efficient {hardware} for this laptop computer. My evaluation unit has an Intel Core Extremely 5 125H bundled with an built-in Intel graphics card and 8GB of RAM. Make no mistake: that’s not a very high-end configuration. However it does not want it. It manages to carry out fairly effectively because of a secret weapon: a neural processing unit (or NPU).
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NPUs had been a brand new addition to laptops final yr, with 2024 seeing large-scale integration. To oversimplify what they do, NPUs harness AI to spice up the efficiency of CPUs and GPUs by taking among the workload off them. For instance, whereas testing this laptop computer, I used to be in a position to have 50 tabs open throughout six home windows, all with out experiencing a drop in efficiency.
Glossy design
Alongside the energy-efficient {hardware}, Asus outfitted this laptop computer with a 14-inch, Full HD OLED show that runs at a variable refresh price of as much as 120 Hz. The display covers your complete PCI-3 gamut, enabling shiny, vivid colours. Full HD could not sound tremendous spectacular these days, nevertheless it nonetheless manages to output extremely detailed photographs. Plus, the bezels across the show are very skinny, leading to a show with a 16:10 facet ratio for wide-angle viewing.
My reward for its design does not cease there. It weighs lower than three kilos however manages to be fairly sturdy since its exterior is made primarily from aluminum. Even the display is hard, as Asus used Corning Gorilla Glass in its development. Nonetheless, since it is so skinny, there aren’t a ton of ports on this laptop computer. All it has is one USB-A enter, two USB-Cs, a headphone/earphone jack combo, and an HDMI port — no less than the fundamentals are lined.
I respect laptops with nice keyboards, and the Zenbook 14 doesn’t disappoint. It comes outfitted with the corporate’s patented ErgoSense expertise, making the keyboard ergonomically pleasant. Every of the keys has a journey distance of 1.4mm journey distance, which helps you to sort on them with out having to press the buttons all the best way down. This alleviates among the stress in your fingers. Additionally, ErgoSense replicates the important thing spacing on full-size keyboards, guaranteeing correct typing.
Now it’s possible you’ll be questioning: what is the catch? Is the Asus Zenbook 14 as excellent as you say it’s? Effectively, there are a few downsides. One: the audio system are on the backside of the laptop computer, going through down. This leads to the audio sounding muffled. Luckily, they’re nonetheless highly effective sufficient regardless of their poor placement. Music sounds nice coming from these audio system, however I did discover some audio distortion occurring at excessive quantity.
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The most important situation is the truth that it could run extremely heat. You’ll be able to’t even sort on the keyboard or have it in your legs with out discomfort. Warmth vents are discovered on the underside and the facet, however they do not provide a lot aid. This downside is exacerbated in case you attempt to use the laptop computer whereas charging. There’s a lot warmth that typing on the keyboard turns into uncomfortable. You are actually higher off not utilizing the laptop computer throughout this time.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Asus Zenbook 14 is a strong laptop computer with respectable efficiency, a crisp show, sturdy design — and that is simply the tip of the iceberg. I did not even point out the 1080p webcam, the anti-fingerprint coating protecting the trackpad, or possibly the perfect a part of all: the inexpensive value.
You should purchase my evaluation unit’s configuration on Finest Purchase for $640. The laptop computer is on clearance, that means as soon as Finest Purchase sells all items, there will probably be no extra. In case you’re on the lookout for one thing with further energy behind it, Asus is promoting the Zenbook 14 with an Intel Core Extremely 7 155H processor for $1,300.
