Asus ExpertBook Ultra 14 with Core Ultra X7 launches today for an insane $3599 price tag

The 2026 Asus ExpertBook Ultra B9406CAA made its debut at CES 2026 with impressive specifications and an even more impressive design. It borrows plenty of visual cues from the Zenbook series albeit wrapped in a more professional aesthetic to appeal to prosumers and executive business users. What we didn't expect, however, was its sky high launch price of $3600 USD which makes it even more expensive than the competing MSI Prestige 14 or Dell XPS 14.

The new Asus distinguishes itself from competitors with its ultrathin 10.9 mm design, "Nano Ceramic" surfaces to reduce the weight down to just 1.1 kg, and wider selection of ports despite the thin profile. Its tandem OLED touchscreen is also unique in the 14-inch space as it peaks at 1400 nits on HDR mode to be brighter than most laptops in the same size category.

If the above extra features don't excite you, however, then you'll find the same Panther Lake Core Ultra X7 358H processor option on some less expensive alternatives. The XPS 14, for example, retails for just under $2600 as of this writing with the same CPU, 32 GB of RAM, and competitive 2.8K OLED touchscreen. The HP OmniBook X 14 can be similarly configured with the Panther Lake Core Ultra X9, 32 GB of RAM, and 2.8K OLED touchscreen for only $2200. While prices can and will likely fluctuate in the near future, the surcharge for the new Asus system when compared to competitors at the moment is a tough pill to swallow.

See our review of the ExpertBook Ultra and the official product page below to learn more about the model.