ASUS Zenbook A14 review: A lightweight in every sense

1 6 minutes read

With Zenbook A14, ASUS has reached a new teacher of transportation. It is a 14 -inch laptop that weighs only 2.2 pounds, which makes it look like a tablet more than a computer when captured. With the unique Ceraluminum case, which looks like a intersection between ceramic and minerals, Zenbook A14 is a more vibrant notebook than LG collection from LG. But there is always a comparison between size and energy, in which case ASUS has provided the slower Copilot+ computer that we have seen so far. But I assume that this makes it real weight.

Now to be clear, the Zenbook A14 is a mobile laptop computers for light productivity. Since it is a Copilot+ AI computer, it comes with a random access memory at least 16 GB, so that it can easily handle dozens of browser tabs, office editing applications and model photography. But the A14 Snapdragon X1 chip limits its ability to do anything really requires, so don’t expect to play many games or video. Because it is supported by this arm slice, ZenBook also has to run the Intel and AMD CPU applications in a slower similarity. Some programs will not work at all, including very old applications, and games like Fortnite That uses anti -cheating programs.

So, while Zenbook A14 may look like Air MacBook at first glance, it is more than a reminder of the Apple balance of this laptop. Half a pound is definitely heavier, but MacBook Air can also edit videos, present three -dimensional and play games in a pinch. You will not feel the same kind of performance restrictions that you will undoubtedly face on Zenbook A14.

However, there is still an audience for a very light laptop. The A14 is the perfect writing machine on the move, where you can travel with it without effort and provide a huge age for 18 hours and 16 minutes of the battery (according to PCMARK 10). Let’s face it, the slow game slices in Zenbook may already enhance your productivity.

I can see that it is an ideal secondary computing device if you have already got the preparation of the desktop or a Heftier laptop at home. And if you really need to browse the web, respond to emails and watch the cross video, you will not notice the problems of their performance.

Devices

Zenbook A14 makes an amazing initial impression a long time before seeing it at work. Its retail box feels worrying, as if it only contains air and some cardboard. Once it opens, it is difficult to understand how 14 -inch laptop can weigh only 2.2 lbs. It also feels a good balance like a craft chef, which makes it easy to keep. Despite my admiration as I was by ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 of last year, Zenbook A14 feels a stronger example of the company’s arrival to the cheap MacBook cloning production.

Also add to the total Zenbook A14 polishing is that the above Ceraluminum can, which you simply feel kept. It is warm and stressful to touch, while Apple MacBooks and most other laptops are always feeling cold (especially in highly refrigerated offices). As we saw on the last laptops of ASUS, Ceraluminum also feels vibrant, as there is no technician on the slight frame of A14.

It is clear that the company spent time to refine the ability to use this light machine. Opening one hand is easy, thanks to the design of a new hinges that prevents A14 from tilt back while lifting the screen. Other light laptops have tested, including the previous ZenBook models, which require hands: one to keep the computer keyboard section down, and the other to lift the screen. I can tell you from the experience that it is useful to be able to turn your computer with one hand while carrying a child crying in the other.

Zenbook A14 features a highly impressive definition file when it is open, but it is also well built enough to keep its screen fixed when writing on your lap. This may seem to be a specialized point, but I have grown to despise unstable screens on the low notes notebooks. It is another sign of getting small things in A14.

Speaking about getting things correctly, I can click on a ton of ports: USB-C connection, one USB type, full-size HDMI connection and headphone socket. Meanwhile, only Apple includes two USB-C port, Magsafe charging connection and headphones on MacBook Air.

In use: Windows laptop -opened computer

It is a shameful thing that the design of the studied devices in ASUS is placed by Snapdragon x1, which is an eight -core system on the (SOC) dedicated to low -power devices. In the standards and general use, it is clear that it is a much slower solution than X Elite and X Plus chips that connect Surface Pro and other Copilot+ systems. As I mentioned above, this is the main medium solution that ASUS had to do to present such a slim booklet, and for some, this may serve as complete cubes.

Zenbook A14 dealt with the basic productive workflow: browsing on chrome and edge with dozens of tabs, while playing Slack and Spotify and photo editing applications from time to time. But compared to Surface Pro and Cabyped, it is like driving a car for beginners instead of a real luxury offer. This is a shame because it is priced similar to these computers. Best Buy currently recounts our review unit, which includes 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD, for $ 1100. If these specifications are paired with a better processor, I will consider A14 a smart purchase. Instead, it looks like a device that should be less than $ 1,000 with 16 GB RAM and smaller SSD.

On the edge and chromium, I noticed the slight hiccup when I jumped between the tabs and the multiple windows. These were the original applications developed for arm processors! Snapdragon chips need to simulate Windows X64 and the oldest x86, which offers more slowdown. While writing this review in Evernote (X64), A14 often faces a smooth scrolling problem down the long notes, and it may sometimes take a few seconds to download old notes. (The idea of the owner of Evernote says it “does not officially support arm treatments at this time,” which means that users are lucky if they have more important problems.)

One direction to run a somewhat slow processor? Excellent battery life. In PCMARM 10 battery standards, Zenbook A14 continues 18 hours and 16 minutes. This is more than 30 minutes more than Dell’s Copilot+ XPS 13 with Snapdragon x Elite, as it is two and half hours longer than the Zenbook S14 that works last year.

I appreciate the Zenbook A14 more when I was not trying to timing it or searching for its accidental slowdown. It is a great machine to seize it when you just want to focus on writing, removing email or finishing touches on the training of cursed companies. Its keyboard responds and is comfortable to write on it, although I hope the touch board will click on more accurate clicks.

Zenbook A14 is also great to catch Netflix offers in bed, because it feels unintentionally and the video looks enormous on the 14 -inch OLED screen. The amplifiers seem to be terrible, so I will use the headphones for any dangerous sessions to see the hill. I was also surprised that the 1080 -laser webcam has already produced decent clips, and it also allows you to log in to the A14 easily with Windows Hello IR support.

Do you have to buy Zenbook A14?

Looking at joint issues related to the harmony of the arm and slow therapist, I do not recommend Zenbook A14 as a key computer for most people, although it is presented like a real MacBook Air competitor. If there is anything, then it is an experience by ASUS. Knowing what will carry consumers to get such a lightweight laptop. Instead of an impossible and impossible notebook, most people will be in a better position with something like Zenbook 14 OLED, which currently sells $ 1050 with 16 GB of random access memory and 1 TB SSD. He certainly weighs 2.8 pounds instead of 2.2, but it is still very carried.

Apple’s MacBook Air weight is 13 inches, which starts from $ 999 with a M4 chip, half a pound heavier than Zenbook A14, but it is generally more capable. Even the old M2 chip faster than Snapdragon X, MacOS has a broader set of ARM compatible applications, as well as faster than Windows.

conclusion

If the ASUS goal is to make a laptop with an impressive light -light lighting, you have reached there with Zenbook A14. Although he surpasses MacBook Air in weight and value, his slow treatment makes him much less capable than Apple than Apple. Perhaps one day, with future reviews and more capable devices, ASUS can finally offer a powerful laptop near Two. Currently, although you are better immediately waiting for a discount so that A14 can be a secondary computer.

This article was originally appeared on Engadget on

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2025-03-07 13:30:00

1 6 minutes read