finally an elegant and truly durable ultraportable!

The Zenbook S14 is the first PC from Assus to benefit from Intel’s new Core Ultra 200 series Lunar Lake processor. A chip that works wonders in autonomy, to the point of surpassing Apple’s MacBooks!

Announced by Intel on the eve of the IFA show in Berlin last August, the new Lunar Lake type processors are already starting to arrive in the first PCs. With great promises compared to the previous generation, called Metor Lake: better general performance, significant improvements in the graphics area, and, above all, increased autonomy.

Asus Zenbook S14: one of the first PCs of the Lunar Lake generation

Specifically designed for laptops or mini PCs, these new second generation Core Ultra chips – not to be confused with the previous ones despite their name, thank you Intel! –, could therefore, on paper, come and carve out a few croupiers to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon an unprecedented performance/consumption ratio, offering record autonomy to the MacBooks they equip, much superior on this point to laptop PCs.

It must be said in this regard that M chips like the Snapdragon “x86 architecture that has powered Windows PCs for ages. But, if the fashion is for ARM, it seems that Intel continues to trust x86 (or rather x64, its improved version, which works in 64 bits), and it is still this architecture which is used on the Core Ultra Lunar Lake, with some innovations.

Thus, the Lunar Lakes also integrate an NPU, a computing unit capable of processing with artificial intelligence locally – the new market trend – which allows the PCs they equip to display the Copilot+ PC logo dear to Microsoft and, in fact, to integrate on their keyboard a key dedicated to Copilot, Microsoft’s AI.

If all the major computer manufacturers have announced the arrival of models equipped with Lunar Lake processors, the Asus ZenBook S14 – an ultra portable 14-inch format – is the first portable PC of its kind to appear on the market, just weeks after Intel’s announcement. For this model (its exact reference is UX5406SA), the Taiwanese brand has chosen Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V, a mid-range version of the new Intel processor. It is, in our test configuration, supported by 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. Enough to comfortably hold the road and anticipate the years to come with confidence. A peace of mind which is not given since it is billed at 1799 euros all the same. To benefit from a Zenbook powered by a cheaper Lunar Lake SoC, you will have to opt for the version equipped with a Core Ultra 5 226V (16 GB– 1TB) at 1199 euros or a Core Ultra 7 256C ( 16 GB-1 TB) at 1499 euros. We were able to put this new Zenbook to the test for a few days. Here is our verdict.

Zenbook S14 UX5406SA review: remarkable design

Asus seems to have found its style over the last few generations of Zenbooks. This new model therefore takes up the remarkable design initiated by its predecessors. The cover is made of Ceraluminium, in other words a material composed of an alloy of ceramic and aluminum. The result is a very elegant look that combines lightness and resistance to impacts and scratches. Our model, slate gray, is also available in white. It is flanked by a few shiny metallic lines featuring the stylized A of Asus.

The finishes of the device are impeccable. They have nothing to envy of a MacBook. The PC is also quite light at 1.2 kg which, for a 14-inch model, remains very comfortable, and rather thin with a thickness of 1.29 cm.

The slices offer complete connectivity with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A port, 2 USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (one of which is also used for power), a full-format HDMI 2.1 port and a mini jack 3 audio jack .5mm.

Once opened, the Zenbook reveals a backlit keyboard on three levels. We once again regret the eccentric arrangement of the power key placed to the left of the Delete key. Typing comfort is appreciable with a fairly short and quiet stroke. A reasonably sized trackpad completes the device. It also appears comfortable.

Also always appreciable, the Oled screen. For this model, Asus has chosen a non-touch panel but nevertheless quite shiny. Fortunately, the brightness (500 nits peak in HDR) is there for outdoor use without too much hassle. The panel offers a 3K definition (2880 x 1800 pixels) and a refresh rate at 120 Hz. The colorimetry turns out to be very accurate. A feast for the eyes.

On the audio side, we note a little effort from Asus. Even if it still seems complicated to obtain accurate sound on this type of device, the Taiwanese is progressing with a result that is not unpleasant to the ear. Instead of placing the speakers under the chassis, Asus chose to house part of them under the grille placed above the keyboard and another on each edge. The sound is thus less metallic and less muffled too… even if it still lacks as much bass.

Finally, a small bonus due to the presence of the Lunar Lake chip: this Zenbook also falls into the category of Wi-Fi 7 compatible computers. We were able to measure excellent speeds with our Netgear Orbi 970 Mesh Wi-Fi router. This is a PC ready for the future.

Zenbook S14 UX5406SA review: mixed performance

Technical sheet

Obviously, the heart of the questions regarding this new Zenbook S14 concerns what it has in its belly. In particular, the performance of the Intel Lunar Lake processor compared to the previous Meteor Lake which, according to the founder, should be much superior with also better electrical management. Because opposite, there are people with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. For battle, the Intel chip has 4 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores. We are also curious to evaluate the capabilities of Intel’s new graphics chipset, the Arc 140V with its 8 Xe2 cores and announced as being 31% more efficient than the GPU integrated into Meteor Lake.

In raw performance, the Qualcomm chip in ARM architecture remains ahead of its x86 competitor. This is obvious with the multi-core scores obtained with GeekBench 6 where Intel’s Lunar Lake is placed in last position. However, the chip is one head ahead of Metor Lake in single core. With Cinebench (R23) as a single core, Intel’s new processor slaps the Snapdragon in the face but is overtaken by AMD’s Ryzen. In view of the other results, we realize that Lunar Lake does not really meet the promises announced.

However, let us understand. This is raw performance. The PC is completely comfortable to use on a daily basis. He does not shy away from any task and is very fluid in all situations. Furthermore, since it is a Copilot+ PC, it can locally carry out various tasks using artificial intelligence that are still little exploited by Microsoft. But the coming months should see an increase in the functions of the Redmond editor but also from third-party editors to take advantage of the capacity of the neural processor (NPU) embedded in the processor. To be continued.

With graphics, the Zenbook does quite well. The scores obtained with the various 3D Mark benchmarks show that the Intel Arc Xe2 GPU performs well. And the feeling confirms the results. We benefit from beautiful fluidity in Full HD with a very appreciable level of detail on a machine that is not designed for gaming. From there to saying that the performances are 31% higher than on Meteor Lake, there is only one step since the differences between the two oscillate, according to the tests, between 13 and 36% thanks to the new chip . Not bad.

Zenbook S14 UX5406SA review: extraordinary battery life

Endurance is the other area in which we expect Intel’s new chip. The integration of Asus is very smooth. In this Zenbook S14 the processor is associated with a 72 Wh battery and the energy management is a pleasure to see. With our streaming reading test with the Netflix app in Full HD, the Zenbook lasted… 21 hours straight with the brightness set to 50%. Excellent performance on this type of PC. Outside of leisure, daily use of this Zenbook pushes the usual limits a little further. If it is 100% charged, there is no need to take the charger with you to go to work for a full day with normal use. A privilege previously reserved for Macbooks powered by an Apple Silicon processor. This Asus puts a nice slap in the face of Apple’s MacBook M2 and MacBook M3 which, during our tests, reached 14 hours of battery life for the 15-inch MacBook Air M2 and 14.5 hours for the MacBook Air M3. In fact, with its Lunar Lake chip, this Zenbook S14 is the most durable laptop PC we have tested, and perhaps the most durable on the market, ahead of the Apple models. A very pleasant surprise. which could be a game changer for many users.

Zenbook S14 UX5406SA review: a truly durable premium PC

With this new Zenbook, Asus has created a successful ultra-portable PC. Faithful to its tradition, the brand has taken care of the design and finishes while maintaining real comfort of daily use. The Oled screen delights the retina and even if it retains a panel that is a bit too bright, it also offers real comfort. Difficult to go back to an LCD panel after that. But obviously, one of the great strengths of this model is its engine. Intel’s Core Ultra 258V chip keeps much of what it promises. If its performance is a little behind AMD and Qualcomm chips, it offers quite exceptional autonomy. Enough to go to work for a long day without worrying about taking the charger with you. On this point alone, this Zenbook deserves special attention. The only real obstacle is its price. At 1799 euros, this ultra-portable falls into the premium PC category… but like Apple’s MacBooks or Samsung’s GalaxyBooks after all. So yes, comfort and endurance come at a high price, but this PC seems well equipped to survive the years without incident.