More on Asus laptops

Asus ZenBook UX330UA reviewAsus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580 with ScreenPad reviewAsus ZenBook 3 Deluxe (late 2017) reviewDespite the confusing low Geekbench multi-core performance, the ZenBook 14 was plenty quick during our testing. It’s a consummate productivity notebook that will keep up with just about anything you’re going to throw at this class of machine. Its PCIe SSD wasn’t the fastest we’ve tested, but it was fast enough that we never noticed any kind of storage-related slowdown.

　　Thermal performance was a mixed bag. The bottom of the display ever got overly warm, but the fans did spin up on occasion and were a bit loud. Asus talks about its Quiet Fan utility that we liked on the ZenBook S to keep fan noise to a minimum when maximum performance isn’t needed, but we couldn’t find it installed on our review unit.

　　Asus doesn’t offer many configurations of the ZenBook 14, which is a bummer. Your only alternative is to drop to a Core i5-8265U, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. That saves you some money, down to a retail price of $1,000, but we do wish we could mix and match configurations. You’ll have to look to either the ZenBook 13 or 15 for more options.

　　

Gamers look elsewhere

One area where the new Whiskey Lake CPUs didn’t make any meaningful changes is in the integrated Intel UHD 620 graphics. The ZenBook 14 is limited to what’s built into the processor, unlike its 13-inch and 15-inch models that sport Nvidia GeForce MX150 and GTX 1050 Max Q GPUs, respectively. In the US, an option for an MX150 hasn’t been included, which is unfortunate.

　　As such, gaming performance was just as limited as we expected. The ZenBook 14’s 3DMark synthetic benchmark results were only slightly higher than our comparison group of similarly-equipped notebooks. And the 52 frames per second (FPS) we experience in Rocket League at 1080p and performance settings is par for the course.

　　The ZenBook 14 is therefore best for casual Windows 10 gaming and for older titles and at lower settings. Opt for a different notebook if portable gaming is on your wish list.

　　

Battery life is — again — just average

Asus managed to squeeze in 50 watt-hours of battery capacity into the ZenBook 14’s little chassis, which is at the low-end for this class of notebook. The Whiskey Lake 8th-generation Intel CPU promises even more efficiency and combined with the Full HD display left us expecting the ZenBook 14 to offer good but not great longevity.

　　Our benchmark testing met our expectations. In our most demanding Basemark web benchmark test, the ZenBook 14 lasted for just under four and a half hours. That beat out the 4K Dell XPS 13 and almost precisely matched the Full HD XPS 13, but it fell behind both the Lenovo Yoga C930 and the Dell Inspiron 13 7368.

　　When browsing the web, the ZenBook 14 was again a middling performer at just less than eight hours. Both display versions of the XPS 13 beat the Asus this time around, while the Inspiron 13 fell behind and the Yoga C930 was particularly strong at over 10 and a half hours.

　　Mark Coppock/Digtial TrendsFinally, when looping a local Avengers trailer, the ZenBook 14 managed over 10 and a half hours. That exceeds the 10-hour minimum we like to see and it beats the 4K XPS 13, but it couldn’t keep up with the strong Yoga C930 that lasted over 13 hours and the Full HD XPS 13 that went for 13.5 hours.

　　The ZenBook 14 will keep you going for a good part of a workday, so long as you’re not pushing the CPU or GPU too hard. And it’s light enough and tiny enough to slip into a backpack and almost forget it’s there.

　　

Our Take

The ZenBook 14 is an odd little beast. Asus achieved its purpose of packing a lot of notebook into a very small chassis, and it managed to do so without making any obvious compromises. But the ZenBook 14’s performance and battery life are just average. Other than the small size, it’s difficult to recommend this notebook over many others in Windows 10 options out there.

　　

Is there a better alternative?

There aren’t a lot of 14-inch notebooks to compare with, but one of the best is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It’s more expensive at $2,008 ($1,406 on sale for the holidays) for a similar configuration, and it’s not as small. However, it’s still thin and light enough, and it offers a more familiar keyboard and the ThinkPad’s iconic design.

　　Next up is Dell’s XPS 13, which has a smaller display but is also one of the few notebooks within an inch or so that feel quite as small in overall dimensions. The XPS offers offer equally good performance, a nice design, and similar overall battery life. It’s slightly more expensive at $1,440 (on sale, down from $1,710) for the same configuration.

　　Finally, you could switch platforms and consider the Apple MacBook Air, which isn’t quite so small but offers even better rock-solid build quality. And you’ll pay a lot more for the MacBook Air, at $1,800 for a 8th-generation low-power Core Y processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. The display will be quite a bit sharper, and you’ll give up some performance and efficiency.

　　Of course, the ZenBook 14 is the middle child in a family of very similar notebooks. The ZenBook 13 is available today at $849 with a Core i5-8265U, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD and is even smaller – and it will be arriving in late January with a discrete Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU that will up its performance (at a higher, but undisclosed, price). The ZenBook 15 is also smallest among its class, and it includes an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q that provides good entry-level gaming. And it’s $1,400, or $200 more, with a Core i7-8565U, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Either of these are likely better options than the ZenBook 14.

　　

How long will it last?

The ZenBook 14 has a robust build that earns confidence that it can take beating, and it’s equipped with the most up-to-date CPU available. It should last for more than long enough to justify your investment. The 1-year warranty — and added value of a year of accident and spill protection — will help keep that investment protected.

　　

Should you buy it?

No — at least not until we see a version with an MX150 included. Discrete graphics could give the ZenBook 14 more to stand out from the crowd with. For now, this laptop looks good and is built well, but other notebooks offer additional values like better performance, longer battery life, and better displays that make the ZenBook 14 hard to recommend.