The latest ASUS Zenbook received a lot of praise from me when I reviewed the AMD Ryzen AI model. Not so much for the processor, even though it was good but more so for the incredible design of the notebook. Now it is Intel’s turn at the wheel as this specific model packs the new Intel Core Ultra 7 processor.
Watch the ASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX54065) review below
If you don’t know, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is part of the new Series 2 lineup. It is a new chip from the company that follows the Lunar Lake architecture. These lightweight CPUs come with soldered-on RAM, impressive battery life, the latest Wi-Fi 7 support, AI NPUs for machine learning and decent notebook performance.
These chips also mark the last batch of competition to arrive in the Copilot+ scene. We have already seen Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite in action and recently the AMD Ryzen AI. I have reviewed both chips across other ASUS notebooks. You can find my ASUS Vivobook Qualcomm review here and my ASUS Zenbook S 16 AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX review here.
Of course, while Intel claims all these fantastic things about Lunar Lake, seeing them and testing them is a different story. I have been so eagerly waiting for hands-on with the chips and now it is finally time.
Introducing the ASUS Zenbook S 14. This is one of two sizes available in the Zenbook S range and of course, as I mentioned before, you can also pick this up with the Ryzen variant. There’s a 14-inch model known as the S 14 and the S 16 is the 16-inch model.
This new Zenbook S 14 exudes a familiar thin form factor while also featuring a bold new case. ASUS says the Zenbook S range has undergone a redesign, and from the moment I held it, I saw the difference. The S 14 is remarkably lightweight, tipping the scales at just 1.5 kg, with its thickest point measuring only 1.1 cm.
As a 14-inch notebook, it comes in at 31 cm x 21 cm. The device is crafted from what ASUS claims is Ceralumium, a composite material that combines aluminium and ceramic. This unique blend results in a sturdy shell with a matte finish. The Ceralumium material not only contributes to the device’s lightweight design but also ensures adequate heat dissipation, keeping it cool during prolonged use.
The new Zenbook S range comes in two colours. There’s the Zumia Gray, which is the colour I received and the Scandinavian White. Given I had already reviewed the dark model, this one wasn’t very exciting. It is cool, don’t get me wrong but I would have loved to see the white model in the flesh.
I must warn you that this grey model does pick up fingerprints very quickly. It is also quite hard to clean. Once you spot a smudge from a finger, you’ll need to really get in there to clean it. If you’re worried about this, maybe stick to the white model instead.
The lid features the ASUS Zenbook diagonal pattern, while the bottom includes a few rubber pads for enhanced grip. There are also a few vents for cooling. The entire notebook feels incredibly robust. Even the lid remains sturdy during typing, preventing any wobbling, and the base remains firmly in place without it nudging forward.
When closed, the Zenbook S 14’s incredibly thin design factor is truly remarkable. Holding this device in your hand, even between two fingers, it is hard to believe all this tech is placed into one body.
The unit houses most of the ports you’d expect in a modern notebook, except for an Ethernet port. Considering its thinness, this isn’t possible. On the right-hand side, you’ll find the SD Card reader and a USB A 3.2 Gen 2 port. On the other side, there’s an HDMI 2.1 port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
One of these ports will be used for charging the device using the 65W adapter in the box. Both ports support power delivery so you can swap between the two.
The inside of the Zenbook is clean and sleek. The keyboard’s chiclet layout is wide and spacious. The keyboard includes the Copilot AI button and full LED backlighting. The LEDs only stay one colour – white but they are very bright even in direct light.
The trackpad is another standout feature. This massive trackpad feels incredibly smooth to use. Gestures, swipes, and clicks feel amazing on this pad. If you’ve ever used a MacBook Pro touchpad, this one is now on par. It makes navigating around a breeze. My only issue is the plastic material here which means over time, it will wear down and start to get shiny. A shiny spot against the rest of the premium body is going to be an eyesore.
Then we have the OLED screen which is the main attraction of this notebook, if you asked me. This panel is incredibly bright and large, taking up most of the lid space with thin bezels around the display. The screen can reach a brightness of 400 nits in SDR and 500 nits in HDR. The OLED technology also delivers vibrant and saturated colours. The ASUS Zenbook S 16 comes with a touchscreen and ASUS Pen support. The S 14 model isn’t touch screen so make sure you keep that in mind when picking up your ideal model.
ASUS does promise 400 nits of brightness, you’ll get just under 400 nits. However, this is still quite bright. The panel has also been calibrated to near-perfect standards, covering 100% SRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, and 95% Adobe RGB.
The 2880 x 1800 resolution of the display makes everything look crisp and clear. The higher resolution also makes consuming content more enjoyable and working on Windows more efficient.
Speaking of consuming content, the Zenbook S14’s speaker system is also a standout feature. The sound is clear and powerful, and it’s not often found in a notebook. It makes Zoom calls sound good, and background music and movie watching are thoroughly enjoyable as well.
There’s also a 1080p webcam which is great to see. Usually, notebooks always come with 720p cams which are pretty horrible. They don’t expose properly and lack a decent resolution. The Zenbook S 14, however, is different.
Overall, I have no complaints about the design of this Zenbook S 14. I don’t think ASUS has ever come close to perfection in the past. It simply delivers everything you could possibly want in a notebook. The thin form factor is just an added bonus at this point.
When it comes to the performance of the notebook, I wanted to jump right into the CPU tests. Here are the scores from benchmarks I ran using the device:
I also ran some 3D gaming tests to see just how well this Lunar Lake tech could game. Intel has big plans for this chip. We’ll see it in the new MSI Claw AI 8+ next year so the brand knows it is capable of gaming.
You can see from the tests that the Intel chip has some decent power. The performance comes with heat as this Intel Core Ultra 7 gets quite hot. I measured 88C during benchmarks. The fans were blowing but they were noticeably quieter than all previous Intel notebooks I have tested. The Intel chip gets warm and the fans are louder but there’s been a notable improvement with this Lunar Lake tech for sure.
In terms of the battery, the ASUS Zenbook S 14 packs a 72Wh cell and it lasts a long time. The battery in combination with the Intel Core Ultra 7 produces over 14 hours of battery life with 50% brightness. This is about 10 hours of video playback at 70% brightness. If you set the brightness to around 30%, you can easily get to the 20-hour mark with video playback here. Of course, 30% screen brightness isn’t ideal but it goes to show how power-efficient these CPUs are.
With an impressive build and a decent Intel Core Ultra 7, the ASUS Zenbook S 14 is a tough competitor on the market. At the moment, users will have to really get into the nitty-gritty to decide which AI chips they want by comparing the finer details across the range. Is the Intel version the best? In some cases yes but in others, no. However, for its price, the Zenbook S 14 is remarkable and is likely the closest we have to a Windows Macbook. Dare I say it even beats the Macbook on battery life. Something I never thought I would see from Intel.
You can find out more about the ASUS Zenbook S 14 on the official ASUS website here.
Summary
With an impressive build and the Intel Core Ultra 7, the ASUS Zenbook S 14 is a tough competitor. It packs a brilliant design, good performance and stellar battery life. With all the AI CPUs on the market now, users will really have to compare the nitty gritty to figure out which one suits their needs. However, Intel’s Lunar Lake tech brings the best battery life I have seen yet. So at least there’s that.
