This ultraopeportable asus laptop is my favorite MacBook Air option (and it’s better in some ways)

Key takeaways of zdnet

• Asus Zenbook A14 with 16GB of memory is on sale for $ 599 on sale.
• It is an OLED display, competitive hardware and a luxurious balance of innovation and value with a satisfactory physical form.
• While the case of its use is clearly defined, laptops have limitations when it comes to high-ended performance.

April / 2025

Asus Zenbook A14 The best purchase for the 16GB model is on sale for $ 599. This year we have a discount of $ 400 on one of the best laptops.

When Asus officially announced Zenbook A14 In CES this year, I was not the only person to be low-key with it. It is a great laptop in itself, but it stands as a successful balance act between performing and strength, killing all the correct notes, which cares for consumers.

Made of asus ownership serleuminum content, the Zenbook A14 feels almost like a prototype model that is empty inside, as it is highly lighter on only 2.1 pounds (for reference, 13-inch MacBook Air 2.7 pounds). When you set it, the device easily opens with a single finger lift, which reveals the magnificent OLED display.

Also: This 16-inch aer is a full-package value pick that I happily replace my main laptop.

Asus A14 is committed to a neutral-forth beauty. Brand messaging is punctured by muted tone and cool, refined imagery natural motifs, which work to create a harmonious identity.

This highlights the determination of Asus to convey a harmonious brand message while balanceing beauty innovation and cost. For example, Zenbook looks good out of the performance box on A14. It is bright, crisp and efficient. But near inspection shows that it is not a performance in the form of premium as you find, says, Asus’ Proart P16.

The display is not carefully prepared by plastic bezels Look Cheap, but again … it’s not the form. Additionally, there is some minor warings in the panel of FHD display that can give a fanhouse mirror effect when you hold your reflection on the shiny surface.

Once the display is turned on, however, whatever jumpskare you saw is quickly forgotten, as it saves a great image: contrast is crisp, the color is vivid, and it is bright, 600 nits and a full HD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution that is well added with rapid performance.

Also: I switching to the del 14 premium for a week, and it also makes XPS feel old.

Talking about the performance, discuss the technique that gives strength to this tool. Asus again focused on balance, added to the base-level Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor with a 32GB RAM configuration and lower-end with a slightly sharp Snapdragon X Plus with a lower-end, 16GB RAM configuration.

This balance act resulted in a slightly unexpected pricing structure: the laptop with high-end processors is cheaper ($ 999) because it comes with half memory (which are you are In fact Payment for). The version with more RAM and lower-end Snapdragon X processor starts at $ 1,099.

The difference between the two processors is not ultimately largely, both are eight-core chips, but the Snapdragon X chip is limited to the speed of the 3.0 GHz clock, putting a display cap on this laptop.

This cap is fine because this tool is not designed to deal with intensive charge. It is for modern professional who lives in the cloud, works from a distance, and performs a good performance.

Also: Hybrid Windows Laptop I recommend the most for the work trip

It is being said, the performance is solid. It is a sharp laptop: it quickly loads shoes, apps, and navigates the web without a leg. It moves silent and calm, produces almost no heat – even with slim form factor.

Among our benchmarking tests, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor performed better than expected against more premium devices with Intel’s core Ultra 7 “Lunar Lake” chip, especially in its high-end cibling, XPS 13 in the Zenbook S14, and Dell’s XPS 13. The processor also surpassed the latter in a single-core performance.

For example, comparing the number of this laptop to HP’s OmnibuC X with Snapdragon X Elite, suggests that the device has been excluded at a high end of the performance, but is highly adapted to everyday tasks and is able to give a sharp, more efficient experience in those uses.

Strong performance of laptops is associated with a pleasant physical form factor. The keyboard is fantastic – it is one of the most comfortable laptop keyboards used by me. I claim this without exaggeration and note that its success is not especially due to expensive or high-end. While balanced the design and cost, Asus just hit the mark.

Also: I recommend this asus laptop equally to creative professionals and professional users. here’s why

The keys are smooth and matte, with a clever texture that borders on the ASMR. I also like how the ceramic body of the laptop is fingerprint-resistant and easy to clean, even when the kitchen or coffee is splashed in the shop.

For remote or hybrid workers, whatever items are in the laptop, whatever items they carry, to handle whatever items they carry or to charge the battery are also the correct number of laptops port (one HDMI, two USB-CS and one USB-A). I am joking (in a way), but it takes me to my last point.

Hands down, the best part of this laptop is excellent battery life. Asus advertises up to 32 hours at a charge. Although this is the top end of estimates, it is not far from what you can expect with everyday use. During my testing, one day’s work in the office was not less than 50%.

Snapdragon X processor reduces power consumption when it is not in use. If you need juice, the A14 reaches 75% after charging quickly. This capacity translates into a laptop that can complete a few days of work on a charge, even if it includes several video calls.

Also: I am a Windows user, but the MacBook Air M4 can be my new primary laptop at this price.

I will also mention some shortcomings of this laptop (but not many). The first is that Qualcomm Adreno GPU is not designed for high-end gaming on this system. Sure, it can definitely handle casual games. But it is not a device designed for the latest FPS.

In addition, the performance, while it feels great, is still capted at the 60Hz refreshing rate, which keeps the battery (and price point) low, but further the high end limit any aspirations of gaming. Finally, while the Zenbook A14 is competitively priced, it is not a $ 1,500 laptop.

ZDNET purchase advice

Zenbook A14 There is a consistent identity: it is a mild, aesthetic machine for modern professional, spontaneously and battery is mobile in both life, but trades some raw power for that endurance. It is said that the Snapdragon X processor punches the top of its weight well and competes with hand with chips, which are more powerful on paper.

Due to its harmonious identity, how well it balances innovation and value, and hardware performance, Zenbook A14 is one of the best laptops reviewed in the previous year and one I firmly recommends until its strength is aligned with your needs.

To stop all this, Initial price of $ 999When not on sale, it is quite competitive – if Asus is successful in selling the brand story of this laptop in such a way that it is located as an alternative to other ultraopeportable, such as Apple’s MacBook Air.

The story was originally published on 14 February 2025, and updated on 31 July 2025 to reflect new best buy deals and latest relevant internal links.