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Asus Zenbook 14X OLED pre-production unit review: That's some punchy colors!

Stunning colors, stylish case, great sound The 14-inch laptop from Asus combines a stunning OLED display with a first-class case that is both sturdy and high-quality. Performance should also be great thanks to the MX450 and a Tiger Lake SoC from Intel. Read on to find out what we liked and disliked about the pre-production model.
Asus Zenbook 14X - The elegant subnotebook leaves a good impression on the outside as well as on the inside.
Asus Zenbook 14X - The elegant subnotebook leaves a good impression on the outside as well as on the inside.

Asus has made brightness a top priority for 2021: Many of its laptop series will now be equipped with an OLED display by default. This brings the OLED technology and 3K/4K resolution into the lower price ranges. Mid-range customers will start to seriously consider buying OLED panels now that the difference to devices without OLED is no longer 500 Euros (~$581) but only 200 to 300 Euros (~$232 to ~$349).

That said, Asus doesn't offer mid-range hardware and workmanship with the Zenbook 14X. The chassis has above-average sturdiness and quality. The input devices including the ScreenPad (ClickPad = 2nd display) are first class, and the performance with the Core i7 and the GeForce MX450 is almost top of the line in the subnotebook league.

However, the competition doesn't sleep either and offers a powerful rival in the form of the Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED, for example. Is the only difference the absence of a dGPU? Do we have nothing but praise for the Zenbook 14X, or are there a few points of criticism? Find out in our review.

Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E (Zenbook 14X Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-1165G7 4 x 4.7 GHz, 61 W PL2 / Short Burst, 50 W PL1 / Sustained, Tiger Lake-UP3
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX450 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1575 MHz, Memory: 1250 MHz, 32 W TDP, GDDR6, TU117M, 462.59, Iris Xe Graphics GT2 96EUs
Memory
16 GB 
, quad-channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixel 243 PPI, Samsung SDC4154, OLED, glossy: yes, 90 Hz
Mainboard
Intel Tiger Lake-UP3 PCH-LP
Storage
SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N, 1024 GB 
, NVMe v1.3, 870 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Tiger Lake-U/Y PCH-LP - cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech)
Connections
1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps, 2 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: combined 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 (Dual band) 2*2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16.9 x 311.2 x 221.2 ( = 0.67 x 12.25 x 8.71 in)
Battery
63 Wh Lithium-Ion
Charging
fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p with e-shutter
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.4 kg ( = 49.38 oz / 3.09 pounds), Power Supply: 407 g ( = 14.36 oz / 0.9 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible contenders in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
10/2021
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
i7-1165G7, GeForce MX450
1.4 kg16.9 mm14.00"2880x1800
88.3 %
05/2021
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
1.2 kg14.8 mm13.40"3456x2160
09/2021
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
R7 5700U, Vega 8
1.1 kg14.8 mm13.30"1920x1080
86.5 %
02/2021
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
i5-1135G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
1.6 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1200
85.3 %
05/2021
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
i7-1165G7, GeForce MX450
1.3 kg17 mm13.30"1920x1080
84.1 %
01/2021
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
i7-1165G7, GeForce MX450
1.3 kg16.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
84.2 %
01/2021
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs
1.3 kg14.6 mm14.00"3840x2160
82.2 %
07/2021
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
i7-1165G7, GeForce MX450
1.3 kg16.9 mm14.00"1920x1080

Case - High-quality laptop

With a thickness of 16.9 mm, the 14-incher is certainly not the thinnest laptop.
With a thickness of 16.9 mm, the 14-incher is certainly not the thinnest laptop.

The case alone is already rather impressive. Asus hasn't gone for the lightest possible case, but in return, it achieves an exceptionally torsion-resistant chassis. The lid can't be pressed in when applying normal force! That is extremely rare - even in the highest-quality subnotebooks. The aluminum back of the lid forms a seemingly indestructible unit with the integrated display panel (non-touch).

The rigorous quality extends to the hinges: The closed position is held magnetically to the base, and the lid can then be opened with one finger. After this, the hinges provide such a firm grip that everything stays in place when carrying or lifting the device.

The base, which is completely made of aluminum, is no different. It can only be pressed in a bit from underneath at certain points. The keyboard doesn't flex at any point, and the base itself is completely firm.

With its 1.4 kg, the Zenbook is among the heavier models. Only the HP Envy 14-eb0010nr exceeds it with 1.6 kg. The difference to the average of the lighter 14-inch and 13-inch devices is 100 grams. However, you receive a sturdier chassis in return. The thinnest model in our comparison is the Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED with 14.8 mm and only 1.2 kg.

Size comparison

319 mm / 12.6 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs319 mm / 12.6 inch 219 mm / 8.62 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.3 kg2.87 lbs318 mm / 12.5 inch 200.9 mm / 7.91 inch 14.6 mm / 0.575 inch 1.3 kg2.84 lbs313.1 mm / 12.3 inch 224 mm / 8.82 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.6 kg3.59 lbs311.2 mm / 12.3 inch 221.2 mm / 8.71 inch 16.9 mm / 0.665 inch 1.4 kg3.09 lbs307 mm / 12.1 inch 195 mm / 7.68 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.3 kg2.76 lbs304.2 mm / 12 inch 203 mm / 7.99 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.1 kg2.51 lbs296 mm / 11.7 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.2 kg2.74 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - Asus device with Thunderbolt 4

Asus provides two Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. They can output an image signal (DisplayPort) as well be used to connect the power adapter (100 watts). Including HDMI, three displays can be connected. In practice, however, it will be limited to two if the Type-C charger is used at the same time.

Left: USB 3.1 Gen 2
Left: USB 3.1 Gen 2
Right: Card reader: microSD, 2 Thunderbolt USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 3.5 mm combo audio jack, HDMI 2.0b
Right: Card reader: microSD, 2 Thunderbolt USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, 3.5 mm combo audio jack, HDMI 2.0b

SD card reader

Like its counterparts, the micro SD reader performs averagely, but not very well. We tested it with the 128 GB AV PRO V60 microSD.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
164.4 MB/s ∼100% +118%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
79.2 MB/s ∼48% +5%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
  (AV Pro V60)
76.6 MB/s ∼47% +2%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 32GB)
75.9 MB/s ∼46% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
  (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60)
75.4 MB/s ∼46%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (14.9 - 193.9, n=26, last 2 years)
72.7 MB/s ∼44% -4%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
24.9 MB/s ∼15% -67%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
  (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60)
173.9 MB/s ∼100% +105%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
86.2 MB/s ∼50% +2%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
  (AV Pro V60)
86 MB/s ∼49% +2%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 32GB)
85.3 MB/s ∼49% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
  (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60)
84.7 MB/s ∼49%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (16.3 - 239, n=26, last 2 years)
82.4 MB/s ∼47% -3%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
24.2 MB/s ∼14% -71%

Communication

Wi-Fi module - Soldered
Wi-Fi module - Soldered

The Intel AX201 Wi-Fi chip is integrated into the device, so it can't be replaced. In our test, the transfer rates are repeatedly clearly below average, so they don't represent what an AX201 is usually capable of. We attribute this to a suboptimal driver configuration in our pre-production sample and expect better results in production models.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1427 (1280min - 1509max) MBit/s ∼100% +74%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1365 (1309min - 1394max) MBit/s ∼96% +66%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1347 (1144min - 1451max) MBit/s ∼94% +64%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1336 (1053min - 1440max) MBit/s ∼94% +63%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1192 (526min - 1384max) MBit/s ∼84% +45%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s ∼81% +41%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (180 - 1602, n=40, last 2 years)
1035 MBit/s ∼73% +26%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
821 (773min - 874max) MBit/s ∼58%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
617 (220min - 685max) MBit/s ∼43% -25%
iperf3 receive AX12
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1459 (1045min - 1609max) MBit/s ∼100% +119%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1420 (1278min - 1503max) MBit/s ∼97% +113%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1416 (1229min - 1441max) MBit/s ∼97% +112%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1368 (681min - 1483max) MBit/s ∼94% +105%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1336 (1246min - 1419max) MBit/s ∼92% +100%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1313 (1251min - 1558max) MBit/s ∼90% +97%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s ∼86% +89%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (182 - 1690, n=40, last 2 years)
1110 MBit/s ∼76% +66%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
667 (634min - 690max) MBit/s ∼46%
0501001502002503003504004505005506006507007508008509009501000105011001150120012501300135014001450150015501600Tooltip
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø667 (634-690)
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1458 (1045-1609)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5 Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1420 (1278-1503)
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø821 (773-874)
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1427 (1280-1509)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5 Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1346 (1144-1451)

Webcam

The webcam in our review sample was unresponsive, and the electronic shutter (orange shutter in front of the camera) didn't respond to the corresponding Fn keys. We presume that this is a pre-production error.

The e-shutter webcam wasn't responsive in our pre-production device.
The e-shutter webcam wasn't responsive in our pre-production device.

Maintenance

Opening the Zenbook is complicated because of the screws that hide under the rubber feet. Afterwards, the lid can be lifted off easily. However, there's not much to maintain here, since both the Wi-Fi module and RAM are soldered (no socket).

There are some screws hidden under the rubber feet.
There are some screws hidden under the rubber feet.
Lifting the bottom cover off is easy after that.
Lifting the bottom cover off is easy after that.
SSD storage comes in the M.2 2260 format
SSD storage comes in the M.2 2260 format

Security

Fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button
Fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button

The power button has a fingerprint sensor that is very inconspicuous: You can log in quickly with the physical sensor, and no space is wasted for a separate fingerprint module. The TPM (Trusted Platform Module) firmware on the motherboard has been standard for a while and is a basic requirement for Windows 11. In some ways, this crypto processor behaves like a permanently installed smart card, but it's tied to the local computer instead of a user.

Warranty

The Zenbook 14X is not available in stores in Germany yet. Asus normally offers a two-year Pickup and Return warranty in Germany.

Input devices - Productive dual display

The matte, non-slip keys have a pronounced pressure point, a moderate travel, and a firm stroke. Typing is almost silent. Working in darker environments is possible thanks to the three-stage white backlight.

Overall, the wide keyboard with its large Shift, Ctrl and directional keys allows the user to type quickly. The spacing between the keys is quite large by laptop standards (2.5 mm). The keyboard's firm base is a very positive aspect. Nothing flexes here at any point.

The keyboard has a solid base throughout its entire area. As a result, the key stroke is firm.
The keyboard has a solid base throughout its entire area. As a result, the key stroke is firm.

Touchpad

The ClickPad is sensitive up to the edges and offers a short travel. It operates with a dull, quiet noise. The matte surface is quite smooth, but not slippery. It provides a comfortable surface for fingers to glide on. We find the short stroke unsatisfactory, but that's a matter of personal taste.

The pad can turn into a display when desired: The pad function can be used on the fly with an overlay or for longer periods of time by deactivating the display function (Fn+F6).

The ScreenPad 2.0 is matte and has a resolution of Full HD+ (2160x1080). This is an IPS panel. In Windows, the secondary display operates as an extended desktop like any HDMI-connected monitor would. You can drag windows into it such as the Steam app, an editor, or the tools from Photoshop, for example.

Digital signatures take place on the ScreenPad, since the OLED panel is non-touch after all. Asus has preloaded groups on the ScreenPad. Each group can be populated with applications that are useful on the small display: Handwriting, number pad, app store, calculator, or Spotify, for instance.

The 12.7 cm wide ClickPad has a clear pressure point and a short travel.
The 12.7 cm wide ClickPad has a clear pressure point and a short travel.
The ClickPad can turn into a display on demand.
The ClickPad can turn into a display on demand.
This allows the user's Steam account to remain visible, for example.
This allows the user's Steam account to remain visible, for example.

Display

Pixel grid of the Samsung SDC4154 OLED panel
Pixel grid of the Samsung SDC4154 OLED panel

The main argument for buying the Zenbook 14X is its 14-inch OLED panel. Samsung provides a WQXGA+ panel with 2880x1800 pixels (16:10). With a refresh rate of 90 Hz and a response time of 0.2 milliseconds, the vibrant display outshines any IPS model.

It also promises 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, and we can confirm this with our measurements. Asus states that the brightness reaches 500 nits; we measured 381 cd/m² on average and a maximum of 401 cd/m². Nits and cd/m² are converted 1:1, which means that we weren't able to measure the brightness advertised by the manufacturer. Brightness is distributed homogeneously.

High brightness levels are harmful for OLED displays anyway, so they shouldn't be used on a permanent basis. Regarding the issue of burn-in, Asus responds with an OLED screensaver that can't be disabled. It activates after 15 minutes and is important for protecting the panel. According to the manufacturer, users can disable the screensaver after having been informed of the associated risks (warning message). This should be possible via the personal MyAsus Settings (account required). We didn't find an option to turn off the screen saver in the Windows 10 display settings.

The screen-to-body ratio is 92%, which is a very narrow bezel around a lot of display. The Samsung panel makes use of DC dimming to reduce brightness.

Asus has three panel options in its lineup for the Zenbook 14X: the WQXGA+ (2880x1800) non-touch version as in our review unit, the same panel but with touch functionality, and a 4K touch (3840x2400) option. Specifications such as HDR True Black 600, 100% DCI-P3, and a screen-to-body ratio of 92% are identical in all variants.

382
cd/m²
380
cd/m²
381
cd/m²
379
cd/m²
379
cd/m²
380
cd/m²
377
cd/m²
374
cd/m²
401
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung SDC4154
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 401 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 381.4 cd/m² Minimum: 4.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 379 cd/m²
Contrast: 3790:1 (Black: 0.1 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.3 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2, calibrated: 2.42
ΔE Greyscale 2.12 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
96% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.42
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Samsung SDC4154, OLED, 2880x1800, 14.00
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Samsung 134XK01, OLED, 3456x2160, 13.40
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Au Optronics B140HAN03.2, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
BOE CQ NV140FHM-N4V, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
AU Optronics AUOF392, IPS, 1920x1200, 14.00
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
B140ZAN01.7, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00
Display
1%
-28%
-53%
-14%
-10%
Display P3 Coverage
100
99.7
0%
60.9
-39%
39.9
-60%
77.1
-23%
87.4
-13%
sRGB Coverage
100
100
0%
90.4
-10%
58.8
-41%
99.8
0%
99.9
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
96
97.7
2%
62.3
-35%
41.2
-57%
76.7
-20%
81.1
-16%
Response Times
-10%
-1575%
-925%
-2580%
-2040%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
2 ?(1, 1)
2.2 ?(1.2, 1)
-10%
39 ?(20, 19)
-1850%
25 ?(11, 14)
-1150%
61.2 ?(30, 31.2)
-2960%
48.4 ?(26.4, 22)
-2320%
Response Time Black / White *
2 ?(1, 1)
2.2 ?(1, 1.2)
-10%
28 ?(17, 11)
-1300%
16 ?(9, 7)
-700%
46 ?(24, 22)
-2200%
37.2 ?(20.8, 16.4)
-1760%
PWM Frequency
240.4 ?(51)
92 ?(10)
Screen
-32%
-84%
-61%
-25%
-66%
Brightness middle
379
384
1%
323
-15%
347
-8%
412
9%
475.8
26%
Brightness
381
387
2%
313
-18%
311
-18%
392
3%
463
22%
Brightness Distribution
93
97
4%
80
-14%
81
-13%
81
-13%
89
-4%
Black Level *
0.1
0.36
-260%
0.12
-20%
0.32
-220%
0.44
-340%
Contrast
3790
897
-76%
2892
-24%
1288
-66%
1081
-71%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.3
4.56
-98%
4.86
-111%
5.05
-120%
1.88
18%
3.81
-66%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.16
7.27
-75%
7.52
-81%
16.98
-308%
3.06
26%
6.96
-67%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.42
4.52
-87%
3.64
-50%
1.96
19%
2.55
-5%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.12
1.5
29%
4.83
-128%
1.63
23%
2.2
-4%
4.1
-93%
Gamma
2.42 91%
2.26 97%
2.64 83%
2.3 96%
2.1 105%
2.14 103%
CCT
6219 105%
7405 88%
6666 98%
6650 98%
6564 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
87.1
57.5
38
68.7
72.4
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
90.3
58
99.8
99.9
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-14% / -20%
-562% / -285%
-346% / -192%
-873% / -388%
-705% / -336%

* ... smaller is better

As one would expect, the OLED display features an outstanding contrast (3,790:1); blacks are deep, and colors are vibrant. As typical for OLEDs, the response times are also excellent. PWM for brightness reduction sets in at brightness levels of 50% and below, making the display flicker at a frequency of 362 Hz. Sensitive users might be affected by this, although we rarely adjusted brightness below 50% in practice. In normal office usage in daylight, we operated at 60-70%.

We measured the grayscale and color DeltaE values before calibration at 2.4 and 2.3, respectively - very good values as they are below 3.0. Calibration improved grayscales a bit (1.8), but colors became worse (2.4). In short: You can skip calibration, because the factory-calibrated panel can't be improved.

AdobeRGB coverage of 100%
AdobeRGB coverage of 100%
sRGB coverage of 100%
sRGB coverage of 100%
P3 coverage of 96%
P3 coverage of 96%
Calman - Saturation P3
Calman - Saturation P3
Calman - Saturation P3 calibrated
Calman - Saturation P3 calibrated
Calman - Grayscales P3
Calman - Grayscales P3
Calman - Grayscales P3 calibrated
Calman - Grayscales P3 calibrated
Calman - Colors P3
Calman - Colors P3
Calman - Colors P3 calibrated
Calman - Colors P3 calibrated

The glossy surface (non-touch) suffers from reflections outdoors, and the high brightness doesn't help much here. The panel can be used well in shaded areas, partly also because the brightness doesn't decrease on battery power (379 cd/m² at the center of the display).

Reflections are an issue.
Reflections are an issue.
Thanks to the high brightness, things work quite well in the shade outdoors.
Thanks to the high brightness, things work quite well in the shade outdoors.

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 1 ms rise
↘ 1 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 1 ms rise
↘ 1 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected ≤ 50 % brightness setting

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18925 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

There's no question that OLED panels provide the best viewing angles available. Even from flat angles, colors remain stable, and brightness doesn't lose intensity.

The OLED panel looks great from every perspective.
The OLED panel looks great from every perspective.

Performance - MX450 with bottlenecks

The cooling system has to make do with a single fan.
The cooling system has to make do with a single fan.

Asus has opted for the Tiger Lake 28-watt Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2.8 GHz) with an integrated Intel Iris Xe G7 graphics card (Gen 12). The latter is complemented by the Nvidia Intel Core i7-1165G7, which can be disabled (Optimus). There will be a variant with the i5-1135G7 (2.4 GHz) for price-conscious buyers, which will also be combined with the MX450. The target group consists of professional users who are looking for a respectable, portable laptop with a high-end display and all-round performance for both work and play.

HWiNFO summary
CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
GPU-Z MX450 TU117M
GPU-Z Iris Xe Graphics GT2 96EUs

Processor

The Core i7-1165G7 (2.8 GHz) has a PL1 of 50 watts and a PL2 (short term) of 61 watts. In practice, the processor only operates with 61 watts for seconds, the PL2 value briefly touches the 60-watt mark when Cinebench R15 is run once (100% CPU load). The PL1 value is maintained at 50 watts for a short time only as well, dropping to 28 watts within five seconds. The CPU package consumes an average of 35 watts, with a peak of up to 45 watts at the beginning.

This changes on battery power, where the PL1/PL2 values aren't used at all; the CPU package power consumption briefly scratches the 20-watt mark and then runs at a constant 7 watts. The result: Instead of 951 points, only 284 points (30%) are achieved in the R15 test.

The loop shows that the Zenbook 14X's Turbo stability is suboptimal, which is largely congruent with the other i7-1165G7 devices. As we have often seen, the Ryzen 7 5700U plays in a completely different league in this respect, but its Turbo also weakens after the first run.

In all Cinebench tests, the i7-1165G7 lags behind the Ryzen 7 5700U in multi-core scenarios by a significant margin (-24%). The situation is the other way around in single-core mode, with the i7 leading by a wide margin (+17%). All in all, the SoC's performance is slightly above average compared to other models with the same chipset.

PL1, PL2, temperature, package power during the Cinebench R15 Single run
PL1, PL2, temperature, package power during the Cinebench R15 Single run
Cinebench R15 Single on battery power
Cinebench R15 Single on battery power

Cinebench R15 Multi endurance test

07515022530037545052560067575082590097510501125120012751350Tooltip
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E Intel Core i7-1165G7: Ø854 (813.17-950.82)
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA AMD Ryzen 7 5700U: Ø1197 (1162.76-1405.04)
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED Intel Core i7-1185G7: Ø695 (607.28-765.86)
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG Intel Core i7-1165G7: Ø603 (589.73-747.11)
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085 Intel Core i7-1165G7: Ø771 (684.76-915.3)
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng Intel Core i7-1165G7: Ø687 (682.5-699.4)
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr Intel Core i5-1135G7: Ø919 (891.54-924.6)
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5 Intel Core i7-1165G7: Ø699 (656.49-769.7)
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R23 / Multi Core
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
7697 Points ∼100% +31%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (965 - 14950, n=80, last 2 years)
7425 Points ∼96% +26%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
6136 (5867.5min - 6136.37max) Points ∼80% +4%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5876 Points ∼76%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5590 Points ∼73% -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5302 (4859.81min - 5301.57max) Points ∼69% -10%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (2525 - 6862, n=64)
5110 Points ∼66% -13%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
5013 (4398.92min - 5012.66max) Points ∼65% -15%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4301 Points ∼56% -27%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4266 Points ∼55% -27%
Cinebench R23 / Single Core
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1525 Points ∼100% +3%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1500 Points ∼98% +2%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1476 Points ∼97%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1457 Points ∼96% -1%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1110 - 1539, n=59)
1425 Points ∼93% -3%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (409 - 1934, n=81, last 2 years)
1425 Points ∼93% -3%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1397 Points ∼92% -5%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1337 Points ∼88% -9%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
1261 Points ∼83% -15%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (376 - 5782, n=80, last 2 years)
2867 Points ∼100% +20%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
2765 Points ∼96% +15%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
2398 Points ∼84%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
2382 Points ∼83% -1%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
2108 Points ∼74% -12%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1060 - 2657, n=81)
1967 Points ∼69% -18%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1873 Points ∼65% -22%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1679 Points ∼59% -30%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1611 Points ∼56% -33%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1452 Points ∼51% -39%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
581 Points ∼100% +2%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
571 Points ∼98%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
556 Points ∼96% -3%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (442 - 589, n=81)
552 Points ∼95% -3%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
548 Points ∼94% -4%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
544 Points ∼94% -5%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (159 - 738, n=81, last 2 years)
543 Points ∼93% -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
516 Points ∼89% -10%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
503 Points ∼87% -12%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
493 Points ∼85% -14%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
1405 (1162.76min - 1405.04max) Points ∼100% +48%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (234 - 2497, n=86, last 2 years)
1277 Points ∼91% +34%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
951 (813.17min - 950.82max) Points ∼68%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
925 (891.54min - 924.6max) Points ∼66% -3%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
915 Points ∼65% -4%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (553 - 1027, n=86)
846 Points ∼60% -11%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
770 (656.49min - 769.7max) Points ∼55% -19%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
766 (607.28min - 765.86max) Points ∼55% -19%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
747 Points ∼53% -21%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
699 (682.5min - 699.4max) Points ∼50% -26%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
221 Points ∼100% +16%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (115 - 230, n=78)
212 Points ∼96% +12%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
210 Points ∼95% +11%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (74.5 - 267, n=77, last 2 years)
210 Points ∼95% +11%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
206 Points ∼93% +8%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
203 Points ∼92% +7%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
202 Points ∼91% +6%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
198 Points ∼90% +4%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
190 Points ∼86%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
185 Points ∼84% -3%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
692 Seconds * ∼100% -32%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
686 Seconds * ∼99% -31%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
637 Seconds * ∼92% -21%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (468 - 1138, n=80)
618 Seconds * ∼89% -18%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
585 Seconds * ∼85% -11%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
543 Seconds * ∼78% -3%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (217 - 2583, n=81, last 2 years)
530 Seconds * ∼77% -1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
525 Seconds * ∼76%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
499 Seconds * ∼72% +5%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
401.6 Seconds * ∼58% +24%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
35971 MIPS ∼100% +58%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (7436 - 63045, n=75, last 2 years)
33021 MIPS ∼92% +45%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
24500 MIPS ∼68% +8%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
24188 MIPS ∼67% +6%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
24151 MIPS ∼67% +6%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (15347 - 27405, n=80)
22935 MIPS ∼64% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
22747 MIPS ∼63%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
21119 MIPS ∼59% -7%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
18812 MIPS ∼52% -17%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
18588 MIPS ∼52% -18%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5348 MIPS ∼100% +16%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5225 MIPS ∼98% +13%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5209 MIPS ∼97% +13%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (4478 - 5507, n=80)
5182 MIPS ∼97% +12%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5045 MIPS ∼94% +9%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2197 - 6164, n=75, last 2 years)
4978 MIPS ∼93% +8%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4694 MIPS ∼88% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4625 MIPS ∼86%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
4476 MIPS ∼84% -3%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
3678 MIPS ∼69% -20%
Geekbench 5.4 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2972 - 12304, n=71, last 2 years)
6747 Points ∼100% +21%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
6733 Points ∼100% +21%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
5771 Points ∼86% +4%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5637 Points ∼84% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5574 Points ∼83%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5310 Points ∼79% -5%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (3078 - 5926, n=77)
5155 Points ∼76% -8%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4899 Points ∼73% -12%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
4695 Points ∼70% -16%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
4693 Points ∼70% -16%
Geekbench 5.4 / Single-Core
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1569 Points ∼100% +4%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1541 Points ∼98% +2%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1530 Points ∼98% +2%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1302 - 1595, n=77)
1524 Points ∼97% +1%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1514 Points ∼96% 0%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1507 Points ∼96%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (672 - 1975, n=71, last 2 years)
1507 Points ∼96% 0%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
1495 Points ∼95% -1%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
1406 Points ∼90% -7%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
1181 Points ∼75% -22%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1.02 - 16.7, n=71, last 2 years)
8.92 fps ∼100% +28%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
8.61 fps ∼97% +24%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
7.6 fps ∼85% +9%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
6.97 fps ∼78%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
6.9 fps ∼77% -1%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
6.73 fps ∼75% -3%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
6.34 fps ∼71% -9%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (1.39 - 8.47, n=80)
6.3 fps ∼71% -10%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5.64 fps ∼63% -19%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
5.38 fps ∼60% -23%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
59.7 s * ∼100% -17%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (40.1 - 157, n=74, last 2 years)
56.2 s * ∼94% -10%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
55 s * ∼92% -8%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
54.2 s * ∼91% -6%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
51.4 s * ∼86% -1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
50.9 s * ∼85%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
49.6 s * ∼83% +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
49.3 s * ∼83% +3%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (21.5 - 88.1, n=78)
49.2 s * ∼82% +3%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
43.2 s * ∼72% +15%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7
0.634 sec * ∼100% -2%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7
0.62 sec * ∼98%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7
0.606 sec * ∼96% +2%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
0.601 sec * ∼95% +3%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.4397 - 1.649, n=74, last 2 years)
0.595 sec * ∼94% +4%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7
0.594 sec * ∼94% +4%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7
  (0.552 - 1.002, n=80)
0.594 sec * ∼94% +4%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7
0.585 sec * ∼92% +6%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7
0.571 sec * ∼90% +8%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7
0.571 sec * ∼90% +8%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
951 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
130 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
190 Points
Help

System performance

According to PCMark 10, the Zenbook 14X is at the forefront in terms of application performance, especially when it comes to productivity. The benchmark takes advantage of the super fast SK Hynix SSD here.

PCMark 10 / Score
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i5-1135G7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
5410 Points ∼100% +3%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (4823 - 5814, n=9)
5347 Points ∼99% +2%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1671 - 6767, n=70, last 2 years)
5252 Points ∼97% 0%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
5234 Points ∼97%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
5226 Points ∼97% 0%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5160 Points ∼95% -1%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
5150 Points ∼95% -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
4982 Points ∼92% -5%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB
4823 Points ∼89% -8%
PCMark 10 / Essentials
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
10492 Points ∼100% +20%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
9883 Points ∼94% +13%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4599 - 11156, n=70, last 2 years)
9727 Points ∼93% +11%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (8088 - 9955, n=9)
9146 Points ∼87% +4%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
9079 Points ∼87% +3%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
9047 Points ∼86% +3%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i5-1135G7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
9036 Points ∼86% +3%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
8774 Points ∼84%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB
8088 Points ∼77% -8%
PCMark 10 / Productivity
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
8762 Points ∼100%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (7826 - 9292, n=9)
8644 Points ∼99% -1%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
8386 Points ∼96% -4%
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i5-1135G7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
8342 Points ∼95% -5%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
8312 Points ∼95% -5%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB
7826 Points ∼89% -11%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2833 - 9852, n=70, last 2 years)
7280 Points ∼83% -17%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
6964 Points ∼79% -21%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
6719 Points ∼77% -23%
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i5-1135G7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
5701 Points ∼100% +13%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (973 - 8855, n=70, last 2 years)
5628 Points ∼99% +11%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
5304 Points ∼93% +5%
Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (4812 - 5878, n=9)
5255 Points ∼92% +4%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
5064 Points ∼89%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5055 Points ∼89% 0%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4960 Points ∼87% -2%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
4870 Points ∼85% -4%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB
4812 Points ∼84% -5%
PCMark 10 Score
5234 points
Help

DPC latencies

In our standardized latency test (web browsing, YouTube 4K playback, CPU load), the Zenbook shows problems with elevated latencies. This is due to Kernel Mode drivers. The existing driver configuration is not suitable for real-time audio applications. There were 56 dropped frames during video playback.

DPC Latency Monitor
DPC Latency Monitor
DPC Latency YouTube 4K
DPC Latency YouTube 4K
DPC Latency High DPC
DPC Latency High DPC
DPC Latency Monitor Drivers
DPC Latency Monitor Drivers
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i5-1135G7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ
3239 μs * ∼100% -299%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
1059 μs * ∼33% -30%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
975 μs * ∼30% -20%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB
973 μs * ∼30% -20%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
910 μs * ∼28% -12%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
812 μs * ∼25%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
GeForce MX450, i7-1165G7, Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
370.7 μs * ∼11% +54%

* ... smaller is better

Storage

The 1 TB SK Hynix doesn't disappoint, since it outperforms nearly all contenders in our comparison. Only the Samsung PM981a in the Zenbook 14 UX435EG is about 25% faster. In practice, the differences aren't perceptible anyway; you can only identify them through measurements. Approximately 870 GB is available out of the box.

Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Samsung PM981a MZVLB1T0HBLR
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Kingston OM8PCP3512F-AB
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
Average SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-20%
20%
-19%
-33%
-11%
-2%
Write 4K
121.6
156.8
29%
211.8
74%
236.2
94%
133.5
10%
131.5
8%
155.8 ?(115.9 - 218, n=13)
28%
Read 4K
57.9
39.66
-32%
50.1
-13%
47.53
-18%
39.66
-32%
36.83
-36%
57 ?(25.6 - 73.2, n=13)
-2%
Write Seq
18545
854
-95%
2938
-84%
974
-95%
907
-95%
1614
-91%
3943 ?(1916 - 18545, n=10)
-79%
Read Seq
2085
2167
4%
2639
27%
1043
-50%
1481
-29%
2030
-3%
2180 ?(1991 - 2492, n=10)
5%
Write 4K Q32T1
414
441.1
7%
656
58%
603
46%
446.2
8%
516
25%
452 ?(382 - 525, n=13)
9%
Read 4K Q32T1
401
395.5
-1%
723
80%
299.3
-25%
335.1
-16%
419.7
5%
447 ?(346 - 524, n=13)
11%
Write Seq Q32T1
2790
858
-69%
3022
8%
974
-65%
975
-65%
2705
-3%
2859 ?(1390 - 3166, n=13)
2%
Read Seq Q32T1
3219
3258
1%
3561
11%
1983
-38%
1874
-42%
3390
5%
3515 ?(3219 - 3607, n=13)
9%
AS SSD
-15%
29%
-40%
-50%
-22%
7%
Seq Read
2637
2694
2%
2861
8%
1610
-39%
1608
-39%
2068
-22%
2839 ?(2635 - 3133, n=15)
8%
Seq Write
1243
1407
13%
2837
128%
931
-25%
659
-47%
1414
14%
1917 ?(1243 - 2969, n=15)
54%
4K Read
54.7
54.4
-1%
60.3
10%
36.18
-34%
51.3
-6%
46.99
-14%
53 ?(28.8 - 66.9, n=15)
-3%
4K Write
128.4
195.8
52%
164.2
28%
170.5
33%
151.8
18%
211.9
65%
127.3 ?(59 - 184.8, n=15)
-1%
4K-64 Read
1011
1092
8%
1598
58%
457.3
-55%
322.1
-68%
1027
2%
1369 ?(873 - 1923, n=15)
35%
4K-64 Write
1432
1269
-11%
1572
10%
914
-36%
800
-44%
978
-32%
1939 ?(1342 - 2216, n=15)
35%
Access Time Read *
0.031
0.064
-106%
0.046
-48%
0.092
-197%
0.077
-148%
0.057
-84%
0.0468 ?(0.028 - 0.093, n=15)
-51%
Access Time Write *
0.028
0.062
-121%
0.021
25%
0.019
32%
0.046
-64%
0.066
-136%
0.0532 ?(0.028 - 0.109, n=15)
-90%
Score Read
1330
1416
6%
1945
46%
655
-51%
534
-60%
1281
-4%
1706 ?(1221 - 2291, n=15)
28%
Score Write
1685
1606
-5%
2020
20%
1178
-30%
1018
-40%
1331
-21%
2258 ?(1638 - 2660, n=15)
34%
Score Total
3637
3692
2%
4966
37%
2144
-41%
1797
-51%
3243
-11%
4797 ?(3615 - 6117, n=15)
32%
Copy ISO MB/s
1782
2414
1277
961
1891
1908 ?(1277 - 2649, n=10)
Copy Program MB/s
1023
575
438.4
753
604
665 ?(373 - 964, n=10)
Copy Game MB/s
1148
1408
977
896
1422
1349 ?(858 - 1855, n=10)
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-18% / -17%
25% / 25%
-30% / -31%
-42% / -43%
-17% / -18%
3% / 3%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3219 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 2790 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 401 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 414 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 2085 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 18545 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 57.9 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 121.6 MB/s

Continuous load read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics card

The MX450 installed (Turing TU117M) is the second most powerful variant, the N18S-G5, which offers a 64-bit connection and 1,395 to 1,575 MHz along with GDDR6. It operates with up to 25 watts. Nevertheless, the manufacturer refrains from using a second fan.

  • N18S-G5-B: GBD-128 package, 1,395-1,575 MHz, GDDR6 5,001 MHz, 28.5 W
  • N18S-G5: GB2E-64 package, 1,395-1,575 MHz, GDDR6 5,001 MHz, 25 W
  • N18S-G5: GB2E-64 package, 1,395-1,575 MHz, GDDR5 3,501 MHz, 25 W
  • N18S-LP: GB2E-64 package, 720-930 MHz, GDDR6 5,001 MHz, 12 W

Besides the GeForce MX450 GPU, you also get the integrated Intel Iris Xe 96EUs graphics. The MX450 is at the top in the synthetic benchmarks, and it's on par with the Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs or outperforms it by almost 10% in some cases. The MX450 beats the Vega 8 (ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA) by about 40-50%.

3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i5-1135G7
8131 Points ∼100% +54%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7
5335 Points ∼66% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
5274 Points ∼65%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1185G7
5191 Points ∼64% -2%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (4336 - 5753, n=17)
4869 Points ∼60% -8%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (436 - 12349, n=72, last 2 years)
4755 Points ∼58% -10%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
4689 Points ∼58% -11%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
4571 Points ∼56% -13%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
4371 Points ∼54% -17%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000), AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
3751 Points ∼46% -29%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i5-1135G7
2982 Points ∼100% +77%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
1968 Points ∼66% +17%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (1086 - 2300, n=16)
1796 Points ∼60% +6%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
1688 Points ∼57%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
NVIDIA GeForce MX450, Intel Core i7-1165G7
1682 Points ∼56% 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1165G7
1566 Points ∼53% -7%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (517 - 4773, n=69, last 2 years)
1558 Points ∼52% -8%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs, Intel Core i7-1185G7
1382 Points ∼46% -18%
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325UA
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000), AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
1128 Points ∼38% -33%
3DMark Fire Strike Score
4892 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1810 points
Help

Gaming performance

In the real gaming benchmarks, the MX450 performs moderately. In The Witcher 3 Ultra, the dGPU performs below average: The MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085 and the HP Envy 13-ba1475ng equipped with the same dGPU are about 20% ahead, and even an Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs is a tad faster at times (Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED).

The MX450 runs better in Far Cry 5, Strange Brigade, and New World, and it even outperforms an Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs by 50% (Strange Brigade). We lack comparison rates in Far Cry 5, but the MX450 performs better than its own average here. The recent New World is still just playable at 32 FPS at Full HD resolution and medium details, but you can't switch to 3K.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
53.6 (50min) fps ∼100% +91%
HP Envy 13-ba1475ng
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
35 fps ∼65% +25%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (21 - 46, n=16)
34.8 fps ∼65% +24%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
33 (14.9min, 15.6P0.1, 16P1) fps ∼62% +17%
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i 14ITL5
Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
32.7 (30min) fps ∼61% +16%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
32 (29min) fps ∼60% +14%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
30.8 fps ∼57% +10%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (9.3 - 92, n=67, last 2 years)
28.5 fps ∼53% +1%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
28.1 fps ∼52%
Far Cry 5 - 1920x1080 Medium Preset AA:T
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
36 fps ∼100%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (24 - 41, n=7)
33.4 fps ∼93% -7%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX435EG
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
33 (26min) fps ∼92% -8%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (9 - 87, n=45, last 2 years)
28.4 fps ∼79% -21%
Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 high AA:high AF:8
HP Envy 14-eb0010nr
Intel Core i5-1135G7, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q
62.2 (48.5min, 50P1) fps ∼100% +39%
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
44.8 fps ∼72%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (19.2 - 46.7, n=12)
39.2 fps ∼63% -12%
MSI Modern 14 B11SB-085
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
35.6 (29.8min, 30.9P1) fps ∼57% -21%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (34 - 100.8, n=60, last 2 years)
32.6 fps ∼52% -27%
Dell XPS 13 9310 OLED
Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs
29.7 (10.1min, 11.4P1) fps ∼48% -34%
New World - 1920x1080 Medium Video Quality
Asus Zenbook 14X UX5400E
Intel Core i7-1165G7, NVIDIA GeForce MX450
32 fps ∼100%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX450
  (25.9 - 32, n=2)
29 fps ∼91% -9%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (23.3 - 32, n=2, last 2 years)
27.7 fps ∼87% -13%

We looked at The Witcher 3 in the Ultra setting (Full HD). The FPS keep jumping from 18 to 26 FPS in equal intervals, staying at each level for almost 2 minutes. The video clock rate and temperature increase synchronously following the same cycle. The temperature management apparently allows the dGPU to jump from 1,300 to 1,575 MHz when the temperature drops below 65 °C (~149 °F) for a certain amount of time. The rapid increase in GPU temperatures in turn causes the clock rates to drop in two stages (1,450, 1,250 MHz). Thermals don't seem to work optimally with the single fan and the heat pipes that aren't separated, because we rarely observe such an abrupt increase and decrease of clock speeds.

This seems to be an isolated case, since the thermals and video clock rates don't show any abnormal changes in New World (Medium, Full HD). See Logviewer.

Logviewer in The Witcher 3 Ultra
Logviewer in The Witcher 3 Ultra
Logviewer in New World Medium Full HD
Logviewer in New World Medium Full HD

The Witcher 3 FPS diagram