I examined each ASUS Zenbook this 12 months and there’s one you should purchase

I’ve had the chance to check plenty of laptops through the years, and ASUS’ Zenbook line has constantly ranked as certainly one of my favourite collection on the Home windows facet. Having examined all six fashions launched this 12 months, I’ve put collectively this information that can assist you determine which Zenbook makes probably the most sense on your wants.

Greatest Massive-Display Laptop computer: ASUS Zenbook S16 OLED

If you happen to want a bigger show with out sacrificing portability, the Zenbook S16 OLED stays my favourite 16-inch Home windows laptop computer from this 12 months. The 16-inch 3.2K OLED show with a 16:10 side ratio is undeniably its crown jewel, and presents unparalleled vibrancy due to its means to cowl 100% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut.

Whether or not I used to be enhancing photographs, watching motion pictures, coding, or just shopping the net, it was tough to discover a appropriate various to the S16’s show high quality. The panel additionally sports activities a 120Hz refresh price, which reinforces the general fluidity of animations and navigation.

At underneath 4 kilos and fewer than 0.7 inches thick, the Zenbook S16 is remarkably light-weight and moveable for a 16-inch laptop computer. Underneath the hood, the laptop computer packs as much as AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, paired with as much as 32GB of LPDDR5X-7500 reminiscence.

In my testing, the efficiency was snappy and dependable for many on a regular basis duties, together with multitasking, net shopping, programming, and lightweight artistic work like picture enhancing, however the place this processor actually excelled at was with AI-oriented duties.

Greatest for Multi-tasking: ASUS Zenbook DUO

3.5/5

Working System

Home windows 11 House

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 5/7/9 Processor

If I’m being trustworthy, I’d say that the Zenbook DUO is my favourite laptop computer throughout the complete Zenbook lineup, even when it isn’t probably the most sensible. The DUO options two an identical 14-inch 3K OLED shows with 120Hz refresh charges, which successfully doubles your display actual property in a comparatively moveable package deal.

If you first open up the system, you are greeted with what’s seemingly a really regular laptop computer setup with a single 14-inch display and a full-sized keyboard and trackpad. Nevertheless, when you detach the keyboard and prop up the kickstand on the base of the laptop computer, you may see the second an identical show beneath.

The kickstand is my favourite side of this design, as a result of it brings the principle show to eye-level and works nice for assuaging neck pressure throughout lengthy work classes. I primarily used the secondary display as my reference show, with the highest display being my fundamental; for coding, having a preview of my mission on the highest display with my IDE on the backside was glorious for making fast adjustments in comparison with hopping forwards and backwards between two home windows. The identical practicality goes for having a Phrase doc on the underside with a Chrome window on the highest show for note-taking.

The principle compromise is battery life. The laptop computer is rated for round 10 hours of battery life, however in my utilization with a typical day of web-browsing, content material streaming, coding, and photo-editing, with each shows, I bought round six to seven hours earlier than needing to plug in, which is kind of much less in comparison with ASUS’ different laptops within the lineup.

If you wish to get the total utility of getting the sort of laptop computer, you may probably need to carry the charging brick with you. The Zenbook S16 OLED serves as a runner-up for multitaskers preferring a extra conventional type issue however nonetheless need a big, high-quality show for productiveness work.

Greatest Funds Choice: ASUS Zenbook A14

Working System

Home windows 11

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno

If you happen to’re on the lookout for an entry level into the Zenbook lineup, the Zenbook A14 is the one which makes probably the most sense on paper. ASUS has been positioning this as a extra direct competitor to Apple’s MacBook Air, and the enchantment is fairly easy; it’s an ARM-based Home windows laptop computer with a 14-inch OLED show.

In my utilization, I feel my greatest takeaway was simply getting over how small and lightweight it was; this laptop computer weighs simply 2.16 lbs, and it feels a lot smaller than any of the opposite 14-inch laptops I’ve used this 12 months. It makes use of the identical Ceraluminum materials the opposite Zenbooks use, however this iteration has a soft-touch really feel to it that I feel appears to be like nice, and does a significantly better job at managing fingerprints.

That stated, the factor you actually must be trustworthy about here’s what your workflow appears to be like like, as a result of with the A14, that is the place Home windows’ ARM transition nonetheless isn’t as frictionless as Apple’s. Geared up with the Snapdragon X X1 processor, the A14 excels in a browser, Workplace apps, streaming, and common productiveness, and does so whereas delivering glorious battery life. Nevertheless, should you depend on particular x86 apps, and need to recreation on this laptop computer, you’re higher off going with one thing else, as a result of plenty of apps and video games nonetheless don’t totally help ARM on Home windows.

Greatest Total: ASUS Zenbook S 14 OLED

Working System

Home windows 11

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 7 (Sequence 2)

If you happen to’re on the lookout for the very best laptop computer for most individuals, the Zenbook S14 is the one to get. Very like the bigger S16, the 14-inch contains a 3K OLED show with a 120Hz refresh price and 100% DCI-P3 shade gamut protection, and is without doubt one of the finest shows on a Home windows laptop computer at this time, although it peaks at round 500 nits, which is okay for indoor use however not outdoors, particularly in direct daylight.

Battery life is surprisingly good due to the effectivity of the brand new Intel processor; the 72Wh battery constantly delivered round 10 hours of real-world use in my testing, with combined workloads together with shopping, doc enhancing, and media consumption. Thermal efficiency is one other space the place the Zenbook S 14 has considerably improved upon over its predecessor, the place it now not will get excessively heat throughout informal utilization.

Extra importantly, fan noise is significantly better managed than earlier than. ASUS’ Whisper Mode retains noise ranges beneath 25dB in mild workloads, which could not be as quiet as a fanless MacBook Air, however it makes S 14 one of many quieter thin-and-light Home windows laptops I’ve used.

One other nice side of the S 14 is that ASUS nonetheless supplies a good variety of ports on this smaller laptop computer, getting two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-A, and an audio combo jack, in comparison with the MacBook Air which solely offers you two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an audio jack.

It is value mentioning that the usual Zenbook 14 OLED comes shut as a runner-up, and presents related options at a cheaper price level at round $1,100, although I feel the S 14’s premium supplies, refined design, and higher thermals make it value the additional funding.

Working System

Home windows 11 House

CPU

AMD Ryzen AI 7 350

Remaining Ideas

Total, I feel the 2025 ASUS Zenbook lineup presents glorious choices throughout the board, and the suitable alternative depends upon your particular wants. The Zenbook S 14 stays the very best general for many customers, providing the very best steadiness of efficiency, portability, and battery life with premium construct high quality, whereas the bigger S16 OLED is the go-to for anybody who wants a bigger show with out sacrificing an excessive amount of portability. The Zenbook DUO is a genuinely intriguing possibility if you’d like another form-factor of a dual-screen setup, and the Zenbook A14 delivers unimaginable worth for budget-conscious patrons.

I feel out of many of the different laptops you may take into account, ASUS has confirmed that Home windows laptops can lastly compete with Apple’s MacBooks on efficiency, battery life, and construct high quality, and in lots of instances, they’ve executed it with a number of the finest shows and construct high quality you may discover on any laptop computer at this time.