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

I’ve had the chance to check quite a lot of laptops through the years, and ASUS’ Zenbook line has persistently ranked as considered one of my favourite sequence on the Home windows aspect. Having examined all six fashions launched this 12 months, I’ve put collectively this information that will help you work out which Zenbook makes probably the most sense on your wants.

Finest Massive-Display Laptop computer: ASUS Zenbook S16 OLED

For those who 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 gives unparalleled vibrancy due to its skill to cowl 100% of the DCI-P3 coloration gamut.

Whether or not I used to be enhancing photographs, watching films, coding, or just searching the net, it was troublesome to discover a appropriate various to the S16’s show high quality. The panel additionally sports activities a 120Hz refresh fee, 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 transportable 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, internet searching, programming, and light-weight artistic work like photograph enhancing, however the place this processor actually excelled at was with AI-oriented duties.

Finest 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 sincere, I might say that the Zenbook DUO is my favourite laptop computer throughout your entire 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 screen actual property in a comparatively transportable package deal.

If you first open up the machine, you are greeted with what’s seemingly a really regular laptop computer setup with a single 14-inch display screen and a full-sized keyboard and trackpad. Nonetheless, 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 periods. I primarily used the secondary display screen as my reference show, with the highest display screen being my important; for coding, having a preview of my undertaking on the highest display screen with my IDE on the backside was wonderful 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 any such laptop computer, you may seemingly wish to carry the charging brick with you. The Zenbook S16 OLED serves as a runner-up for multitaskers preferring a extra conventional kind issue however nonetheless need a big, high-quality show for productiveness work.

Finest Finances Possibility: ASUS Zenbook A14

Working System

Home windows 11

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno

For those who’re in search of 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 attraction is fairly simple; 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 light-weight 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 should be sincere 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 normal productiveness, and does so whereas delivering wonderful battery life. Nonetheless, in the event you depend on particular x86 apps, and wish to recreation on this laptop computer, you’re higher off going with one thing else, as a result of quite a lot of apps and video games nonetheless don’t totally help ARM on Home windows.

Finest Total: ASUS Zenbook S 14 OLED

Working System

Home windows 11

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 7 (Collection 2)

For those who’re in search of the most effective 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 fee and 100% DCI-P3 coloration gamut protection, and is likely one of the finest shows on a Home windows laptop computer at present, although it peaks at round 500 nits, which is okay for indoor use however not exterior, particularly in direct daylight.

Battery life is surprisingly good due to the effectivity of the brand new Intel processor; the 72Wh battery persistently delivered round 10 hours of real-world use in my testing, with blended workloads together with searching, 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 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 under 25dB in mild workloads, which could not be as quiet as a fanless MacBook Air, but it surely 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 offers 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 price mentioning that the usual Zenbook 14 OLED comes shut as a runner-up, and gives comparable options at a lower cost level at round $1,100, although I feel the S 14’s premium supplies, refined design, and higher thermals make it price 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 gives wonderful choices throughout the board, and the best selection will depend on your particular wants. The Zenbook S 14 stays the most effective general for many customers, providing the most effective 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 unbelievable worth for budget-conscious patrons.

I feel out of many of the different laptops you may think about, 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 circumstances, they’ve accomplished it with a few of the finest shows and construct high quality you may discover on any laptop computer at present.