Asus Zenbook A14: Two-minute review
Despite it only being February, Asus has already had it’s fair share of laptops revealed this year. From the brand new Asus Zenbook Duo showcased at CES, down to the shiny ROG Ally gaming lines, it’s clear that Asus has been busy in the workshop. The Asus Zenbook A14 is no stranger to the limelight, and this new 2025 edition could just be the best Asus laptop you can pick up right now if not one of the best laptops on the market.
Coming in at less than a kilo, the Asus Zenbook A14 is extremely lightweight, to the point I often forgot it was in my backpack making it a great laptop to use on the go. Despite being so small, you also get an impressive battery life with Asus promising up to 32 hours of video playback, which although the laptop didn’t quite live up to, the battery was still pretty impressive.
While you can find other laptops which can provide you with a similar performance at a cheaper price point, the Asus Zenbook A14 also features a stunning display which makes using this device to watch movies an absolute pleasure.
However, with great performance and some amazing features comes a high price point. If you’re not ready to splash the cash with a price point of $1,399.99 / £1,099.99 / AU$2,899, then this might not be the right one for you.
Asus Zenbook A14: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? $1,399.99 / £1,099.99 / AU$2,899
- When is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
You can currently pick up the Asus Zenbook A14 in most regions, though certain configurations are not available in the US. Sitting at a pretty steep $1,399.99, it’s definitely a premium option in the world of productivity laptops. It’s currently on sale in the UK, coming down to just £1,099.99 over at the Asus website, but still costing above the £1,000 mark, there’s no doubt the Asus Zenbook A14 is expensive.
Alternatives on the market at this price point include the Apple MacBook Air 2024 edition, which features the M3 chip and comes in at $1199. You can also pick up the Microsoft Surface Laptop which comes in at around $1,099 for 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, while it doesn’t have a flashy OLED screen, the specs are very similar for $200 less.
Value: 3 / 5
Asus Zenbook A14: Specs
The Asus Zenbook A14 comes in 2 configurations, with the main difference being the CPU. You can also opt for different RAM options, but overall you’ll find a major leap in the performance of the higher specification laptop compared to the more budget friendly option. Either way, you get your hands on an absolutely stunning display and lightweight chassis.
As of right now, while the second model is listed on the Asus website, no retailers are stocking it and no prices are shown just yet.
|
Model: |
UX3407QA |
UX3407RA |
|---|---|---|
|
Price: |
$1,399.99 / £1,099.99 / AU$2,899 |
N/A |
|
CPU: |
Snapdragon X X1 26 100 Processor with Qualcomm Hexagon NPU up to 45TOPS |
Snapdragon X Elite X1E 78 100 Processor; Qualcomm Hexagon NPU up to 45TOPS |
|
Graphics: |
Qualcomm Adreno GPU |
Qualcomm Adreno GPU |
|
RAM: |
16GB LPDDR5X on board |
32GB LPDDR5X on board |
|
Screen: |
14.0-inch, WUXGA (1920 x 1200) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio, LED Backlit, 0.2ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, 400 nits |
14.0-inch, WUXGA (1920 x 1200) OLED 16:10 aspect ratio, LED Backlit, 0.2ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, 400 nits |
|
Storage: |
1TB SSD |
1TB SSD |
|
Ports: |
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack |
1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack |
|
Wireless: |
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2 + Bluetooth 5.3 |
|
Camera: |
FHD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello |
FHD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello |
|
Weight: |
0.98 kg (2.16 lbs) |
0.98 kg (2.16 lbs) |
|
Dimensions: |
31.07 x 21.39 x 1.34 ~ 1.59 cm (12.23 x 8.42 x 0.53in ~ 0.63in) |
31.07 x 21.39 x 1.34 ~ 1.59 cm (12.23 x 8.42 x 0.53in ~ 0.63in) |
As of right now, you can’t adjust each of these specification options individually. If you want the SnapdragonX X1 with 32GB of RAM, then you’re out of luck. It’s also worth noting that the memory in the laptops is maxed out too, so if you pick up a model with 16GB of RAM, you can’t add more yourself.
Asus Zenbook A14: Design
When first unboxing the laptop, the packaging already blew me away. Coming in an ultra-thin, lightweight box, I originally wasn’t even sure there was anything in it because of how light the laptop is. When picking it up and moving it around, the laptop felt more like an iPad or tablet in terms of thickness and weight. Measuring in at just 1.34cm (0.53 in) thick, the Asus Zenbook 14 was practically thinner than my fingertip, and while my current Macbook Air is thinner at 1.13cm (0.44 in), the Zenbook actually felt lighter and smaller thanks to the smooth casing.
While being sleek and stunning, the aluminum casing on the laptop does feel somewhat like plastic making for a seemingly cheap finish. You can pick up the laptop in a Zabriskie Beige, which we tested, or an Iceland Gray. Looking back, I would have opted for the Gray version instead as the beige somewhat resembles the color of recycled cardboard.
The keyboard is very low profile but still makes for satisfying key presses with large spaced-out buttons to prevent too much fat fingering when typing. You also get a large, smooth trackpad which has a range of alternative functions built into the edges such as increasing the volume and brightness.
You get a few ports on the Asus Zenbook A14, including one USB-A port, two USB-C ports, a HDMI port and an audio jack. While this is a decent amount of ports by modern laptop standards, it certainly wasn’t enough for me when plugging in peripherals such as a mouse, USB headset, extra monitors etc. I used a USB extender most of the time I used the laptop. I preferably would have had an extra USB-A port.
Design: 4 / 5
Asus Zenbook A14: Performance
Generally, using the Asus Zenbook A14 has been a great experience and I’m actually disappointed that my review period with it is coming to an end. Right off the bat, having a laptop this lightweight is such a pleasure, I can take it anywhere with me and don’t have to think twice. Often I get frustrated taking my laptop on the go due to the weight and impending back pains but I didn’t feel that for a second with this device.
When actually booting up the Zenbook, the first thing I noticed was how beautiful the screen was. The OLED panel is beyond spectacular and watching movies or videos on this thing was great. Given how similar specifications for laptops can be nowadays, the main standout for me is when a device can deliver power as well as some flashy features, and the OLED screen does just that.
Asus Zenbook A14: Benchmarks – Laptops only
Here’s how the Asus Zenbook A14 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 16215; Fire Strike: 3606; Time Spy Extreme: 507
GeekBench 6: 2103 (single-core); 8793 (multi-core)
CrossMark: Overall: 913 Productivity: 764 Creativity: 1135 Responsiveness: 817
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 17h 16 min
TechRadar movie test: 22h 25 min
While the Asus Zenbook A14 didn’t deliver the best score in our Time Spy Extreme test, this device obviously isn’t made for gaming or high intensive processes. If you’re intending to complete pro level tasks on your laptop, like 4K video rendering, then this probably isn’t the laptop for you. I did attempt some editing on Photoshop while also being in a video call on Teams and the device didn’t stutter even for a second, which was a breath of fresh air from my Macbook Air which starts screeching if I open too many Chrome tabs at once.
Even when having a load of different programs open at once, or while putting the laptop through its paces during benchmarking, it stayed extremely quiet the whole time. At first I was worried it wasn’t cooling very efficiently but it stayed at a reasonable temperature while also being quiet enough for me to barely hear it – it’s a great choice if you don’t want to disturb everyone around you while you use your laptop on a train or plane.
Performance: 5 / 5
Asus Zenbook A14: Battery life
One of the main selling points of the Asus Zenbook A14 is the battery life, with Asus claiming 32 hours of video playback on one charge and I have to say it definitely felt like I was able to stretch the battery out of this thing. Despite using it every day for work and then watching movies and videos on it in the evening, a single charge would last a couple of days easily.
In my PCMark 10 battery life test, I found that despite turning off the lighting on the keyboard, it would sometimes come back on periodically. I would then turn it back off with the tap of the F4 key, however this does make me believe that I probably could have gotten some more usage time out of the device had this not happened. My TechRadar movie test felt a bit more accurate thanks to the lighting staying off, coming in at over 22 hours.
While neither of these scores stack up to the promised 32 hours, when not using the laptop with constant video playback, it’s clear that you’ll get your money’s worth out of the battery.
Battery: 4 / 5
Should I buy the Asus Zenbook A14?
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Value: |
Laptops with similar specifications and processing power can come in cheaper, however you do get additional features with the Asus Zenbook A14 like a gorgeous screen. |
3 / 5 |
|
Design: |
The Asus Zenbook A14 is sleek and stunning, it’s so lightweight I often forgot it was even in my backpack. However it could do with an extra port or two. |
4 / 5 |
|
Performance: |
Using the device was a joy, and I had not a single issue the whole time. For those on the hunt for a great productivity laptop to use on the go then the Asus Zenbook A14 is perfection in terms of performance. |
5 / 5 |
|
Battery: |
Pretty impressive battery, however not exactly in line with the claims made by Asus. |
4 / 5 |
|
Average Rating: |
Overall the Asus Zenbook A14 is a solid laptop, providing you with solid performance, wrapped up in a lightweight, portable and sleek chassis. |
4 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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How I tested the Asus Zenbook A14
I spent two weeks using the Asus Zenbook A14, replacing my typical laptop for everyday usage. I used the laptop for productivity including work purposes as well as leisure and entertainment like watching videos and movies.On top of typical everyday usage, I benchmarked the laptop using a wide range of software such as 3DMark, Geekbench and PC Mark.
First reviewed Feb 2025
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