Asus Zenbook A14 Review: A Sleek and Lightweight Everyday Machine

The Asus Zenbook series has always been the pinnacle of innovations and premium features. The company has a great lineup of Zenbook series with both Intel and AMD chipsets. Now, the brand has also added the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processors to strengthen its position in the premium segment further. Meet the latest Asus Zenbook A14 that brings the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X and Snapdragon X Elite processor to the masses. The brand’s all-new laptop offers many premium features, including a sleek and lightweight design, a crisp OLED display, the latest Snapdragon X platform chipsets, and more. But does it make sense to go for this new machine from Asus? I have some time to spend with the device, and this is what you need to know.

Asus Zenbook A14 Design: Classy and Sassy

Dimension – 310.7 x 213.9 x 13.4mm
Weight – 980 grams
Colours – Iceland Gray and Zabriskie Beige

One of the most interesting aspects of the Zenbook A14 has to be the design. The latest laptop from the brand is one of the lightest laptops that I have reviewed in a while. The laptop weighs just 980 grams, which is possible due to the new Ceraluminum material used by the brand.

The Asus Zenbook A14 is available in two colour options: Iceland Gray and Zabriskie Beige.

The new material is an alloy that combines aluminium, magnesium, and ceramic elements. This material is not only lighter than traditional aluminium but also stronger and more versatile. While previous Zenbook models have featured Ceraluminum only on the lid, this iteration extends it to the entire chassis. Although you might feel a bit weird at first to touch the Ceraluminum, once you get used to it, you will definitely love its smooth texture.

The Zenbook A14 is available in two colour options, Iceland Gray and Zabriskie Beige. I got the latter for review, and I must admit it surely looks unique and premium. The subtle Asus Zenbook logo on the lid looks minimalistic, while the Beige colour is surely a head-turner. It also comes with US MIL-STD 810H certification, making it a reliable and durable machine. Moreover, the ergonomics are nearly perfect, with well-rounded edges, grippy rubber feet, and a sturdy hinge design. The lid can lean back further than before but doesn’t fully extend to 180 degrees due to vent placement at the rear.

The laptop features a 3.5mm audio jack, two USB Type-C ports, and a HDMI port on the left, while the right side features a USB Type A port.

As for the ports, the laptop offers a decent amount of ports for everyday usage. You get a USB Type-A port on the right side. On the left, there are multiple ports, including an HDMI 2.1 port, one Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. That said, the Zenbook A14 sets a benchmark for thin and light laptops without compromising on the connectivity options.

Asus Zenbook A14 Display: Crisp and Vibrant

Display – 14-inch OLED
Resolution – Full HD+ (1200×1920 pixels)
Refresh Rate – 60Hz

Coming to the display, the Asus Zenbook A14 packs a decent display in a compact form factor. The device is loaded with Asus’ Luminous OLED panel that delivers solid blacks and contrast coupled with beautiful colours. The text appears to be crisp, and the dynamic range looks good.

The Asus Zenbook A14 packs a 14-inch Full HD+ Lumina OLED display that offers vibrant colours.

I also liked the fact that there is minimal glare, which makes it easier to use in outdoor conditions. The display also has a 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut, DisplayHDR 600 True Black, and TUV Rheinland certification.

The laptop comes loaded with up to 600 nits of peak brightness, which is good enough for the indoor work environment. If you fully crank it up, you also work at a cafe with such brightness. Conversely, the screen only comes with a 60Hz refresh rate, which is a letdown, especially if you are switching from a higher refresh rate screen.

Asus Zenbook A14 Keyboard, Touchpad, Speakers, and Webcam

Keyboard – Backlit keyboard
Webcam -Full HD+ IR camera
Speakers – Dual Speakers

The Asus Zenbook A14 comes with a good backlit keyboard. The keyboard is well-spaced for a good typing experience, which has been the strength of the brand’s ErgoSense keyboard. You also get 1.3mm of key travel, which provides the right amount of feedback during those long typing sessions. Moreover, the keyboard also comes with a new coating that makes it smoother and an anti-fingerprint magnet, which is good. The keyboard is also backlit, meaning that you can even work in dim lighting conditions.

The device packs a good keyboard, which is well-spaced out and provides good feedback while typing.

The laptop also comes with a large touchpad slab, which comes with smart gestures to control brightness, volume, and other features at the edges. The overall performance of the touchpad is good as it is responsive and provides a good tactile experience when you press it.

For security, the Zenbook A14 includes an IR-based camera that supports Windows Hello, though it misses out on a physical fingerprint sensor. The Full HD camera delivers decent quality for video calls, while the dual microphone captures audio clearly. As for sound output, the speakers provide good volume, but you might notice some crackling at maximum levels.

Asus Zenbook A14 Software: Less Bloatware, Better Controls

Operating System – Windows 11
Other Features – AI Cube

In terms of software, the Asus Zenbook A14 runs on Windows 11 operating system. Since it has Qualcomm Hexagon NPU, which delivers 45 TOPS performance, it automatically qualifies as a Co-Pilot Plus certified PC. So, yes, you can use the Co-pilot to find files, get answers to queries, or adjust or manage some applications. AI usage is also present while using video calls. The laptop also comes with Asus StoryCube, an AI tool to manage your photos on the laptop.

The laptop is a Co-Pilot+ certified laptop that delivers up to 45 TOPS performance.

Then comes the MyAsus application, a one-stop solution for monitoring, keeping track of performance, and more. The app allows you to select from four modes: Whisper, Standard, Performance, and Full Speed. I preferred the Performance mode during the testing period as it delivered the right amount of power I needed to glide throughout the day. You can also run diagnoses, update drivers, keep a tab on different apps, and more through the app.

That said, Microsoft and Qualcomm are working together to bring support for Windows on ARM for different applications, which means that we might soon be able to use almost all the apps without worrying about compatibility.

Asus Zenbook A14 Performance: Dependable in Daily Usage

Chipset – Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
RAM – 16GB LPDDR5X
ROM – 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
GPU – Qualcomm Adreno GPU

Let me get straight to the point. The Asus Zenbook A14 is not a heavy multi-tasking-oriented laptop but a sleek and reliable machine that can glide through everyday usage. The Snapdragon X Elite present in the new Zenbook offers a balanced performance for everyday tasks. Moreover, the processor also performs competitively in multi-threaded CPU tasks, all thanks to the efficient architecture, which allows for higher power settings without the thermal limitations of Intel or AMD counterparts.

The laptop is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor.

The laptop handles most of the daily activities like a pro. Whether juggling between different Chrome tabs or watching a movie at night, you will not face many issues with the performance of the Zenbook A14. However, when you put heavy-load tasks, it still shows its limitation, something which is not a problem with its Intel or AMD alternatives.

So, if you are looking for something that runs specialised software, light gaming, or another creative usage, I will still suggest a traditional x86 platform at this point. That said, if you are looking for a laptop that glides smoothly through daily tasks and multitasking, then the Snapdragon X Elite makes sense, as it provides much better efficiency, better thermals, and quieter operations compared to the Intels and AMDs of the world.

The Asus Zenbook A14 also provides a decent performance for day-to-day tasks without breaking a sweat.

That said, I did notice some slight issues with the Zenbook A14 during the testing period. One of the most common ones was the performance getting slightly sluggish once the battery level reached below 30 percent in Standard mode. If you put the device in Performance mode or higher, then you might not feel this issue. Moreover, when the loads are increased, you will notice loud fan noise, which can be annoying, especially during late-night working sessions.

Asus Zenbook A14 Battery: Impressive

Battery Capacity – 70 Whr Lithium Polymer (Typical)
Fast Charging – 90W USB Type-C Adapter

The battery is another strong suit of the Asus Zenbook A14. The company gives you a 70Wh lithium-polymer battery, which, coupled with a 90W Type-C charger, makes it a great recipe. All thanks to the efficiency of the Qualcomm hardware platform and the large battery, the Asus Zenbook A14 can last up to 32 hours, as per the brand claims.

The laptop offers an impressive battery life that can last up to 20+ hours with normal usage.

However, in real-world usage, I found that the laptop gives more than 20+ hours of battery life if you use it in Whisper mode. While using it in standard mode, one can expect a battery life of up to 17 to 19 hours without much stress. This puts it on the list of most efficient laptops. I also liked that it conserves energy in sleep mode with little to no power drain, which is rare in this segment.

Asus Zenbook A14 Verdict

The Asus Zenbook A14 is a perfect example of a thin and light laptop in 2025. The device comes loaded with a premium design and is so lightweight that you might even forget it is in your backpack. The connectivity ports are decent enough for multiple purposes. The Asus Zenbook A14 also features a crisp display with beautiful and accurate colours. The battery life is one of the strongest suits of this laptop, making it a delight for those who are always on the go.

That said, the crucial factor here is whether you can rely on Windows on an ARM laptop or not. The answer is pretty simple, actually. If you are one of those who want a lightweight laptop that is future-proof, provides better thermals, and efficiency, the Asus Zenbook A14 is a solid machine for this purpose. If you also understand the particularities of a Windows on ARM laptop and accept it with open arms (pun intended), then you should definitely give this a try.