“ Ceraluminum . ” It ’s a name for a material that can only come from a marketing department . I smirkedthe first time I find out the term , but the caper has died since then . Now that Asus has debuted the Asus Zenbook S 14,showcased last month at IFA , I ca n’t bemock it anymore . Instead , I have to take issue with the laptop ’s performance , at least for this model .
The Asus Zenbook S 14 is a good laptop , but more so because of its computer hardware , a multitude of port , and lightweight design than its reliance on the new chip . There ’s something to be said about a screen stuff that feels and search unique . There ’s also the newLunar Lake Intel Core Ultra chiphoused deep down . Both those feature article are solid , though you have to ignore the hype .
Asus Zenbook S 14
The Asus Zenbook S 14 has a great feel and finish, from the exterior to the screen. The only thing that isn’t unique is the CPU performance.© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
It ’s a unique appear ultra - unaccented laptop with plenteousness of ports . carrying into action at $ 1,400 is lacking , so it may be deserving checking out the version for $ 1,500 .
professional
Cons
© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
The late 16 - column inch Zenbooks house an AMD processor . This is the first Lunar Lake Gen 2 laptop I ’ve had the prospect to use in earnest . My review unit of the Asus Zenbook S 14 houses the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V , which is right in the heart of the pack of the full Core Ultra 200V lineup . This version of the laptop computer costs $ 1,400 from Best Buy , though the $ 1,500 adaptation comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V.
Does the flake model number and 32 GB of RAM make a big divergence when deciding on this or compete wanton laptops ? According to Asus , it does . My machine benchmarked comparatively well but was below the like lightweight personal computer of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 . The next step up in Intel ’s chip lineup would supposedly meet or beat the contest , but I have no way to prove that just yet . This version did n’t settle too far below the curvature , but the 256V was n’t the striking showcase of the Lunar Lake chipping I was hoping for .
And that ’s a major difference of opinion if you were hoping to utilise the redesigned Zenbook S 14 for anything more than browsing or cyclosis . The equipment is pack with more ports than you typically get on such a flimsy frame , include an HDMI port wine nearly as bragging as the PC ’s intact bottom material body . It ’s not like this microcomputer is compromised at the lower Leontyne Price point ( though I was forced to redo all my benchmarks as the late Windows security update drastically reduce performance ) . or else , it does n’t cope with its full potential for $ 100 less .
© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
See at Best Buy
Asus Zenbook S 14 Review: Design and Usability
The upright matter about the redesigned “ ceraluminum ” cover song is just how unique it looks for what ’s become today ’s exceedingly boring kingdom of piece of work laptop computer . The unique material feels kindred to charge plate but with more grain . There ’s a nice phone when you beg on the shell . Plus , the metal lines turn tail through it give the Zenbook a innovative flavour that might fit in with your household decor far well than a regular deep lump of grey or black aluminum .
I would love to see “ ceraluminum ” in more colors than slate grey or white , but I know OEMs routinely say nobody buys more outre colors . And yet , imagine this fabric in a deep purpleness or an ocean blue and tell me it would n’t stand out . The only trouble with the shell is how the sinister grayness lean to pick up fingerprints , especially since I enjoy touch the laptop computer as much as I do .
The laptop computer is only .47 inches thick and count 2.65 pound . For equivalence , a13 - in MacBook Airclocks in at 2.7 pounds , and aDell XPS 13starts at 2.6 pound . Neither of those laptop has a USB - A or HDMI port . The Zenbook S 14has both , plus two Thunderbolt 4 USB - cytosine ports for send and connectivity . The laptop computer is so sparse thatthe HDMI port is flush with the bottom of the anatomy , only kept off the desktop by its sloping underbelly .
© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
It imply that I did n’t have to plug away in a port hub to employ an outside monitor during usage . That ’s a middling nice boon for an ultralight laptop , though size of it normally does n’t do too much for the keyboard . The Zenbook ’s samara took a bit of getting used to . The keys boast a limited 1.1 mm of change of location with skinny - silent strait . It was just okay to typecast on , but nothing stood out . At the very least , the frame was sturdy ; there was no detectable buckling , no matter the heavy falls of my fingertips .
The touchpad let in several “ bright motion , ” but removing the sticker in the box seat makes it well-off to draw a blank where to slide your finger’s breadth for volume or brightness . I certainly did , but the function row key are where they ’ve always been . I do n’t need to learn new gestures for affair on every keyboard I ’ve ever used .
The Asus Zenbook S 14includes a 3 K , 2880 by 1800 organic light-emitting diode exhibit , which — if you had to guess — is colorful and a joy to use . It ’s a standardised screen asAsus ’ ROG Zephyrus gravitational constant 14from earlier this year . It ’s not the brightest display , maxing out at around 500 nits of peak brightness .
© Photo: Artem Golub / Gizmodo
I do n’t put much stock in laptop webcams , but the Zenbook ’s was specially low-spirited - res . It does the job , but if you go for this will become your everything laptop , you will have the granular appearing in your weekly meetings .
Asus Zenbook S 14 Review: Performance
I worked hard to push the up-to-the-minute Zenbook to its point of accumulation with its build - in Intel Core Ultra 256 V. Asus and Intel made it readable in all their press that they compared this chip to the late AMD and Qualcomm CPUs , all gunning for the top spot in potato chip stardom . I do not know how the 258V performs in comparability , but in my test , the 256V did fine in some benchmark trial but not as well as the contention .
In other tests , it was unhappily subpar . Take , for model , our Blender test , where we time it for how long the PC takes to supply a scene of a BMW.The Zenbook S 14took nearly five proceedings to render on the CPU , while the M3 MacBook Air accept just under four minute . In our tests , where we encoded a 4 K telecasting via handbrake , Asus ’ latest 14 - column inch microcomputer took more than 8 minutes and 30 seconds , three hour longer than aMicrosoft Surface Prowith Snapdragon X Elite .
In Geekbench and Cinebench CPU benchmarks , the Intel Core 256V scored around a hundred points less than competing chip under exclusive - core stage setting . The difference was around 1,000 points off in multi - core background .
I would go as far as saying you should not be directly comparing this version of the Lunar Lake lineup to the top - of - the - line little - form , AI - centric chips from Intel ’s rivalry . The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V has many of the same specs as the 258V , but there seems to be a big dispute between the two under the hood . I ’ve only seen the 258V and the top - goal Intel Core Ultra 9 288V demos , but I would expect more from those chips .
But as much ( or as little ) fun there is with harp about bench mark , the 14 - in Zenbooknever slow up or falter despite hours of exercise . I had no issues with browsing labor . As for its play potential , I would n’t vaunt this version of the Zenbook S 14 as a shoo - in . It got worse 3D Mark Time Spy results than aDell XPS 14with the last - gen Intel Core Ultra 7 155H.Intel hope users should be able-bodied to get 39 FPS without Intel ’s AI upscaling XeSS running on the 258V. In my hacker bench mark , I could only accomplish 25 FPS on low to medium context with XeSS bleed .
Asus Zenbook S 14 Review: Battery Life
The new 14 - in Zenbookhas an all - day shelling living for browsing and other work tasks . In multiple days of testing , it lasted an norm of 8 hours before needing to be plug in . That should be enough for practically anybody who ’s not go out on the route without a annex and a petition of detect an electrical outlet or a USB - 100 cord anywhere .
However , we have to investigate that further because one of the bountiful marketing point of the young Lunar Lakes chips was that they anticipate over 20 hour of battery life when doing video recording playback tests . That ’s as good , if not in force , than the late ARM , at least as call by Intel . Take the Zenbook as an good example of what battery liveliness really means in actual usage . That ’s not even consider the battery spirit when doing more intensive task .
The laptop has a 72Wh bombardment capability , and when Asus showed it off , it was happy to adjudge it could do 20 + hours of battery life on television playback tests . I trust to finish these tests presently , and I ’ll update the review once they ’re complete . However , Asus is truly only forebode the all - Clarence Day battery , and in that way of life , it save .
Asus Zenbook S 14 Review: Verdict
If I had one suggestion for anybody consideringthe Asus Zenbook S 14 , it would be to go for the somewhat more expensive model that sports the Intel Core Ultra 258V and 32 GB of RAM . I say that even though I do n’t have lineal experience with that adaptation of the laptop computer . Even if I ignore Asus ’ functioning promises on the $ 1,500 equipment , 32 GB of RAM would offer adept long - term use . It ’s the direction microcomputer are heading anyway .
These new Zenbook laptops and all Lunar Lake - bearing devices are Copilot+ evidence . If that matters to you , and if you ’re one of the few excited totry out Recallwhen it finally comes out , feel free to set that NPU loose . Otherwise , you ’re not getting much out of the neuronic processing capabilities if all you need is to run Microsoft ’s dull and unpointed AI art applications .
It ’s well-to-do to urge the Zenbook S 14 but because it offers so many I / group O interface and a alone intention compared to other 14 - inch laptops . It just feel somewhat debase by middling performance , even if it ’s quite capable of its price . Its aim oozes cool , but you ’ll need more big businessman to match .
Asus
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and civilization news in your inbox day by day .
News from the future , delivered to your present .
You May Also Like
