The work laptop I recommend to most people is not made by Apple or Lenovo

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The 2024 Asus Zenbook 14 is on the market now for $799 and is a contender to be among the finest work laptops of the yr.
• It is reasonably priced, sports activities the newest {hardware}, and has a protracted battery life; all packed right into a kind issue that weighs lower than three kilos.
• As nice as it’s, this laptop computer tends to run scorching.

Among the many plethora of labor laptops, the 2024 Asus Zenbook 14 stands out above the remaining. It performs extremely effectively, has a snug keyboard, long-lasting battery, and vivid, easy show. There is not a single class the place this gadget does not excel. This Zenbook mannequin is without doubt one of the greatest laptops I’ve used this yr alongside the Dell XPS 16, and is nothing in need of unbelievable — particularly at this value level.

Additionally: This Asus laptop looks unassuming, but it has a powerful feature creatives will love

Now that I’ve sufficiently sang its praises, let’s get into what makes the Zenbook 14 so good, beginning with its battery. Irrespective of which energy mode the machine is ready to, you may anticipate it to final your complete workday. I carried out my regular check of working an endlessly taking part in YouTube reside stream at 720p and 50 % brightness. 

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On Greatest Efficiency, the battery ran for about 6.5 hours earlier than dying. On Balanced, it surpassed that point by going over 10 hours. Then on Greatest Energy Effectivity, the Zenbook 14 lasted a whopping 12 hours. Take into account these occasions have been all achieved with out the battery saver turned on. With that setting enabled, I anticipate run occasions to be even longer.

I used to be genuinely stunned by how lengthy the gadget lasted, and have not been this impressed with a laptop computer’s battery efficiency for the reason that Acer Chromebook Spin 714. It appears the mannequin’s longevity is owed to the {hardware}.

Additionally: How I turned a cheap gaming monitor into the ultimate productivity tool 

Asus went with an energy-efficient chipset for this laptop computer, which vastly contributes to its spectacular battery life. The processor on my evaluation unit was an Intel Core Extremely 5 125H bundled with an built-in Intel graphics card and 8GB of RAM. Make no mistake: that isn’t a very high-end configuration. However it does not want it. It performs this effectively due to its secret weapon: a neural processing unit (or NPU).

NPUs are a latest addition to laptops, with 2024 seeing their large-scale integration. To oversimplify what they do, NPUs harness AI to spice up the efficiency of CPUs and GPUs by taking among the load off them. For instance, whereas testing this laptop computer, I used to be in a position to have 50 tabs open throughout six home windows, all with out experiencing a drop in efficiency. Spectacular efficiency certainly, contemplating the {hardware}.

Additionally: Microsoft is banking on this next-gen AI chip to beat the Apple MacBook, and I saw it firsthand

As well as, Asus outfitted this laptop computer with a 14-inch, OLED show outputting a Full HD decision (1,920 x 1,200 pixels) picture at a refresh charge of 60Hz. Latest laptops have shifted in the direction of supporting 120Hz refresh charges for velvety easy video, and it will’ve been good to have the Zenbook be a part of the get together, however 60 Hz is ok for many purposes. 

As an alternative, it makes up for the decrease speeds by sporting a vibrant show. The display screen covers your complete PCI-3 gamut, enabling vivid, vivid colours and a FullHD decision that ends in highly-detailed pictures. Plus, the bezels across the show are very skinny, leading to a show with a 16:10 facet ratio for wide-angle viewing.

All in all, this laptop computer has a fabulous design. It weighs lower than three kilos but is kind of sturdy because it has an exterior made primarily from aluminum. Even the display screen is hard, as Asus used Corning Gorilla Glass in its development. Nevertheless, since it is so skinny, there aren’t a ton of ports on this laptop computer. All it has is one USB-A enter, two USB-Cs, a headphone/earphone jack combo, and an HDMI port. Not less than the fundamentals are coated.

Personally, I recognize laptops with nice keyboards, and the Zenbook 14 doesn’t disappoint. It comes outfitted with the corporate’s patented ErgoSense expertise which, because the title suggests, makes the keyboard ergonomically pleasant. Every of the keys has a journey distance of 1.4mm journey distance, letting you sort on them with out having to press the buttons all the best way down. This alleviates among the stress in your fingers. Additionally, ErgoSense replicates the important thing spacing on full-sized keyboards, guaranteeing correct typing.

Now you could be questioning: what is the catch? Is the Asus Zenbook 14 as excellent as you say it’s? Properly, there are a few concerns right here. One concern is extra of a pet peeve of mine: the audio system are on the backside of the laptop computer, dealing with down, leading to some muffled audio. Fortuitously, they’re nonetheless highly effective sufficient regardless of their poor placement. Music and media sound nice coming from these audio system, however I did discover some audio distortion occurring at excessive quantity.

Additionally: Asus’ new laptop is a solid MacBook alternative that’s better in several ways

My greatest concern with the laptop computer is the actual fact it will possibly run extremely heat. You may’t even sort on the keyboard or have it in your legs with out discomfort. Warmth vents are discovered on the underside and the facet, however they do not supply a lot aid. This downside is exacerbated should you attempt to use the laptop computer whereas charging. There’s a lot warmth that typing on the keyboard turns into uncomfortable. You are truthfully higher off not utilizing the laptop computer throughout this time.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Asus Zenbook 14 is a stable work laptop computer. It boasts nice efficiency, a crisp show, sturdy design, snug keyboard, and that is simply the tip of the iceberg. I did not even point out the 1080p webcam, the anti-fingerprint coating overlaying the trackpad, or possibly the very best a part of all: the reasonably priced value.

You should purchase my evaluation unit’s configuration on Greatest Purchase for $799.99, however there’s all the time the choice to improve the {hardware} should you’re on the lookout for one thing with extra energy behind it. A Zenbook 14 sporting an Intel Core Extremely 7 155H processor, Intel Arc GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage will run you $1,049. Irrespective of which one you get, it will be well worth the low value.