Currently considering the duo for its 2 screen functionality. In college rn, and having 2 screens + pen support would be very useful.

I'm between this laptop and this [Lenovo laptop](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadx1/thinkpad-x1-extreme-gen-5-(16-inch-intel/21des0da00)

My concerns are

1. How's the build quality? I've read that the keyboard can sometimes warp, any experiences with that? Are there any serious design flaws? I am aware that sometimes the battery can become disconnected from the rest of the device

2. How's the software support and ASUS's track record with software support?

3. How's the performance of the with the ultra 7? the ultra 9? It'd also be useful to know what you primarily use it for.

4. how many hours of battery life do you usually get on an average day? Can I replace the battery by myself?

5. Any additional details I should know as a prospective owner?

Hey everyone, I recently pulled the trigger on the ASUS Zenbook 14 and I feel it was quite expensive while I’m excited, I’m also a little nervous. I just honestly loved the sleek design. For context: I went for it because I wanted something ultra-portable, premium build, OLED display and good battery life for daily work + bits of light creative stuff.
Please do lemme know what more can i do with my new laptop to make the most out of it as I think it is expensive for me as a student.

Hey everybody!

So I bought the Asus Zenbook 14 (2025 model) a month ago and I figured it's about the perfect time to make a review on this product. NOTE: I am reviewing the regular model not the S variant or A variant.

Background:

I was in search of a laptop for college; I needed something light and portable, something with a powerful chip, superior battery life, and an OLED screen. My major doesn't require the best graphics/processor there is out there, so I wasn't looking at gaming laptops or high end laptops like the Asus ProArt. The Asus Zenbook was a strong candidate based on my criteria, and after trying it out at a local Best Buy, I knew it was exactly what I needed.

The exact model I bought was the Asus Zenbook 14 (2025), with Intel Ultra 9, 1tb ssd, and 32gb RAM.

PROS:

General:

• The laptop has sleek, modern design. It's very minimalistic; there's just an "Asus Zenbook" name on the outside.

• The laptop has a fine port selection. 1 USB-A, 2 USB-C, 1 HDMI, and 1 3.5mm Jack. For me this is plenty, although I wish there was another USB-A for more flexibility.

• The build quality is solid, although I did notice a tiny bit of keyboard flex and screen flex. However, it seems durable, I've carried it around in a backpack and it was fine. I think as long as you take good care of your device it should be good.

• The one long hinge also seems to be durable and good quality. And the laptop passed the 'open with one hand' test; it opens very smoothly and I can easily open it with one hand.

• Finally, the laptop is very lightweight, weighing just under 3 pounds.

Screen/Display:

• It has a gorgeous OLED display. Even though it's not the 3k OLED display like on the S14, I didn't notice too many differences and the screen quality is fantastic as is. The bezels around the screen are also glass not plastic, this makes the screen fell so much more premium and immersive.

• The laptop has a built-in camera shutter for privacy. It's very smooth and does the job effectively. I also appreciate that it's built-in, as many laptops still don't have these, and if you wanted one, you would have to buy it separately.

• The display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, meaning that is wider/taller. Many laptops out there are 16:9. This just basically means that on a 16:10 you could see more without needing to scroll. For instance, imagine writing a document. You could see more of the page without scrolling. It's definitely not a major problem scrolling, but it's a nice bonus to have the 16:10 ratio. Plus, multitasking and opening multiple windows is more convenient on a 16:10 laptop.

• The laptop also features a touch screen which works great, very responsive and smooth. But I don't use it too much, so it's no big deal for me.

Keyboard and Trackpad:

• The trackpad is amazing. It's very tactile, has a satisfying click, and it even has some unique functionality. For example, you could adjust the brightness, volume, or seek through a video or music. Very important note: this laptop has a "dive board" trackpad, not a haptic trackpad like the MacBooks have. If that's a concern for you, beware.

• The keyboard is my favorite part! Unlike the Zenbook S14, this laptop has the perfect keyboard for long typing sessions. The S14's keyboard feels really mushy and doesn't get a lot of key travel. This one has noticeably greater key travel and feels more sharp and responsive. I truly value that, and as a student, I need to type a ton, so if you prioritize a good typing experience, or perhaps are also a student, the Zenbook has an awesome keyboard. And for the record, this review was typed on my Zenbook 14.

• The keyboard is also backlight with white LEDs. There are four levels of brightness (including zero).

Performance:

• As this is not a gaming laptop, I didn't expect the best performance with heavy tasks or playing games. But for the experiment, I launched a light game (Cities Skylines), played for a couple hours, and it was fine. I did set the game to the lower graphics and the laptop's fan was still blowing like crazy. The CPU also reached almost 80c in temperature. Again, this is not a gaming laptop, so don't purchase this if you play a lot of games, especially high demanding ones like FPS. The games could work on it, but you would have to keep them on the lowest settings, which is probably not what you want to do.

• The laptop handles basic and moderate tasks flawlessly, no complains. Watching/streaming movies? Netflix or Hulu? Long hours on YouTube? The Zenbook has got you covered. I watch a decent amount of Netflix and it's been a very pleasant experience on this laptop; the fan never got noisy and the OLED display enhances the experience.

• Likewise, simple tasks like checking emails, browsing the web, submitting assignments, or being on Zoom calls, is handled perfectly by the Zenbook 14.

Battery Life:

• The Zenbook 14 has a terrific, long-lasting battery. I got about 10 hours on a full charge when doing light to moderate tasks. For movies it lasts around 7-8 hours on a full charge. For me this is a great battery, especially knowing that I don't usually use my laptop for 10 or more hours a day. For me, I just plug it in at the end of the day and it's good enough for 1-2 work days.

Cons: While this is a great laptop, it has a few minor cons which are worth considering.

• Highly reflective screen. Almost all OLED displays are like this, it's not just the Zenbook. It's not a concern indoors or in the classroom/office, but if you plan to use it outdoors (e.g. in the park), it would be very difficult to see the screen as it's highly reflective.

• The speakers are pretty average; the sound quality is not the finest. I almost always use headphones or connect the audio to a Bluetooth device, so the speakers are not a problem for me.

• The laptop's thermals could be better. When doing heavier tasks (or even lighter ones) the laptop heats up very quickly around the F-row. The CPU is often at high temperatures. Regular tasks like writing this Reddit review could be around 60c, and heavy task or playing games could get up to 80c. The area where your palms are stays cool though. It also cools down quickly after shutting down or exiting the application(s).

• **The Wifi connection is very poor. **It might be my internet connection that's the problem, but I use other devices in the same spot and they're much quicker than this laptop.

• This is not a con but rather something worth considering: The charging ports are on the right side and the USB-A port is on the left side. If you are right-handed and you like to attach a wired mouse, the odds are it's a USB-A connection. So the concern here is you would have to place the wire around the laptop instead of just having it on the right side. Again, this is not a con and I have no problems with it, just wanted to point this out.

Final take:

After one month of daily usage, I am very much satisfied with my Zenbook 14. All the cons are relatively minor and don't pose a high concern to me. I really love this laptop's long lasting battery, the satisfying keyboard, the beautiful OLED display, and the overall premium feel. I bought the laptop on sale at $1,050 (msrp $1,299). At this price point, I definitely believe it was worth the buck, especially when comparing it to other laptops in the same price range.

Please feel free to ask me any other questions you have, I'd be glad to answer them! I wish a post like this existed when I was in search of a new laptop!

Cheers!

I have a Macbook I bought in 2021. It's not dead yet but it's getting that display issue that displays with the Mac touchbar end up getting.

Best buy has Asus Zenbooks for 1,000. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-zenbook-a14-14-fhd-oled-laptop-copilot-pc-qualcomm-snapdragon-x-plus-16gb-ram-512gb-ssd-zabriskie-beige/6615728.p?skuId=6615728

Is this any good or is it crap?