Asus Zenbook A14 laptop review - The 14-inch OLED subnotebook with a Snapdragon X only weighs 978 grams
Debut for the Snapdragon X1-26-100.
Asus' new Zenbook A14 is a particularly lightweight 14-inch laptop that weighs less than 1 kilogram. Its case is made entirely out of Ceraluminum and on the inside, the new Snapdragon X1-26-100 gets to work. However, the laptop's display only runs at 60 Hz.Andreas Osthoff, 👁 Andreas Osthoff (translated by Daisy Dickson) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict - The low weight of the Zenbook A14 requires compromises
The new Asus Zenbook A14's focus lies on creating the lowest possible weight and its result of less than one kilogram is impressive for a 14-inch device—especially considering its relatively low entry-level price. Its new Ceraluminum case material also helps in achieving this, which is both light and very robust. After devices such as the Zenbook S 16 already used lids made of this material, it now also finds its place in the base unit of the Zenbook A14. However, at just under 16 mm, the device isn't particularly thin. So you'll have to decide whether you would rather use a device that is as light as possible or one that is thinner (e.g. Apple MacBook Air, Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge 14).
In several places, however, you'll have to make compromises to allow its weight to be so low and you get the impression that Asus desperately wanted to stay under the 1-kilogram mark at all costs. There would have been enough space on the right side for more ports, the second fan could have been connected to the heat pipe and the keyboard could have been better. In addition, its battery runtimes are very good in themselves, but they are a long way off the advertised values.
The base model of the Zenbook A14 relies on the new entry-level chip from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X (X1-26-100), which once again offers a lower CPU clock rate. This is particularly detrimental to its single-core performance and its GPU is also comparatively slow. In view of its entry-level price of $1,099.99, Asus' choice of CPU is somewhat surprising, as the new Snapdragon X should technically enable more affordable laptops to be brought out. The more expensive model with the Snapdragon X Elite offers more performance, but at this price point, its 60-Hz 1200p OLED screen is questionable.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The new Zenbook A14 will likely be available to order from Asus' online store from mid-February, with prices starting at $1,099.99.
Possible alternatives compared
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 86.3%  | Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $914.99 ASUS Zenbook 14 UX3402VA-GH9... 2. $627.00 Asus ZenBook 14 Pro oled Q41... 3. $939.00 ASUS ZenBook 14 OLED Laptop ... List Price: 1299€ | 978 g | 15.9 mm | 14.00" 1920x1200 162 PPI OLED |
2. 85.9%  | Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA Intel Core Ultra 5 226V ⎘ Intel Arc Graphics 130V ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,299.98 ASUS Vivobook S 14 Copilot+ ... 2. $609.40 ASUS Vivobook S 14 Q423 AI P... 3. $1,249.99 ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED Slim... List Price: 1099€ | 1.3 kg | 15.9 mm | 14.00" 1920x1200 162 PPI OLED |
3. 84.4%  | HP OmniBook X 14 Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $799.99 2025 HP OmniBook 5 Flip X360... 2. $660.00 HP OmniBook 5 Flip 2-in-1 14... 3. $779.99 HP OmniBook 5 14 inch Next G... List Price: 1299€ | 1.3 kg | 14.3 mm | 14.00" 2240x1400 189 PPI IPS |
4. 84.8%  | Acer Swift Go 14 AI Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $916.93 Acer Swift Go 14 AI Copilot+... 2. $875.00 Acer Swift Go 14 Laptop | 14... 3. $900.30 Acer Swift Go 14 Intel Evo T... List Price: 1149 Euro | 1.3 kg | 16.55 mm | 14.50" 2560x1600 208 PPI IPS |
5. 88.6% v7 (old)  | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: List Price: 1199€ | 1.2 kg | 14.9 mm | 14.00" 1920x1200 162 PPI OLED |
6. 86.2%  | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 ⎘ Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: $1,196.99 List Price: 1649€ | 1.3 kg | 17.5 mm | 13.80" 2304x1536 201 PPI IPS |
7. 88.1% v7 (old)  | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS ⎘ AMD Radeon 780M ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $9.99 2 Pack 14 inch Anti Glare Sc... 2. $1,149.00 Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 14AHP9-202... 3. $39.99 yiodelu 4-in-1 Laptop Case f... List Price: 949€ | 1.5 kg | 16 mm | 14.00" 2880x1800 243 PPI OLED |
8. 92.4% v7 (old)  | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU Apple M3 ⎘ Apple M3 10-Core GPU ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD | Amazon: $949.00 List Price: 1759€ | 1.2 kg | 11.3 mm | 13.60" 2560x1664 225 PPI IPS |
Table of Contents
- Verdict - The low weight of the Zenbook A14 requires compromises
- Specifications
- Case - Ceraluminum
- Connectivity - USB-C 4.0 and HDMI
- Input devices - 1.3-mm key travel
- Display - 60-Hz OLED
- Performance - Snapdragon X with 16 or 32 GB RAM
- Emissions - Unnecessarily loud fans
- Power management - Battery life falls below expectations
- Notebookcheck total rating
Asus' new Zenbook A14 series device is a subnotebook that weighs less than 1 kg despite it being fitted with a 14-inch display. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X SoCs are used as processors in combination with a 1200p OLED screen. The price of the new Zenbook A14 with the Snapdragon X1-26-100, 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD starts at $1,099.99. Our test device (approx. $1,350) is equipped with 32 GB RAM, but is otherwise the same as the base model. The variant with the more powerful Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78-100) and 32 GB RAM is also available for around $1,550.
When it comes to weight, one of its main competitors would actually be the Huawei Matebook X Pro, but it uses a significantly better OLED panel and the difference in price (~$2,000 with 32 GB RAM) is also very high.
Specifications
Case - Ceraluminum
The magic word surrounding the new Zenbook A14's case is Ceraluminum—a combination of ceramic and aluminum—which we already know from devices such as the Zenbook S 16. While that laptop only used Ceraluminum for its lid, the case of the Zenbook A14 is now made entirely of the new material. As well as being lighter, it should also be more durable and less susceptible to dirt and fingerprint marks. Our test device, which features the Iceland Gray color variant (alternatively Zabriskie Beige), makes a good impression in this respect, as fingerprints are barely visible and can be wiped off very easily.
The device's stability is similarly impressive and the base unit in particular is super stable. We were only able to push the base unit in minimally—even when applying a lot of force—but we couldn't provoke any creaking noises from it. The lid itself is a little more flexible, but we have no reservations here either. However, the hinges are a little too smooth and allow a minimal amount of rocking. The screen's maximum opening angle is around 135 degrees.
At just 978 grams, the Zenbook A14 clearly stands out from its competitors when it comes to its weight but at the same time, it isn't particularly thin, measuring in at just under 16 mm. So you'll have to decide whether you prefer a lightweight device or a particularly thin device (such as the MacBook Air with its 11.9-mm thickness). In keeping with its low weight, the 65-watt power supply is also pretty compact and weighs just 190 grams including the USB-C cable (only 116 grams without the cable).
Connectivity - USB-C 4.0 and HDMI
The Zenbook A14 features two up-to-date USB-C 4.0 ports, one of which is also used to charge the device. It also has an HDMI port and a regular USB-A port, which is still useful for everyday use. The case still has plenty of space on the right-hand side in particular, which could easily be used for another USB-C port for example (allowing you to charge the laptop from both sides) or a card reader. Thanks to its built-in NPU, the Zenbook A14 is classed as a Copilot+ PC.
Communication
The cheaper variants of the Zenbook A14 use the FastConnect 6900 Wi-Fi module (Wi-Fi 6E / Bluetooth 5.3), only the configurations with the Snapdragon X Elite support Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4. Even so, its transfer rates in conjunction with our reference router from Asus were excellent using the Wi-Fi 6E module. The Zenbook A14 doesn't come with a 5G module.
| Networking | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Webcam
The laptop's 1080p webcam supports Microsoft's Studio functions and its picture quality is acceptable. An IR sensor for facial recognition via Windows Hello is also on board.
Maintenance
The bottom case cover is secured by Torx screws (T5) and can be removed. You can then clean the fans and replace both the M.2 2280 SSD and the screwed-in battery if necessary. A look at the cooling system shows that one of the two fans is not connected to the heat pipe. But we will come back to this later.
Sustainability
The Zenbook fulfills various certifications such as EPEAT Gold or Energy Star 8.0, but the manufacturer hasn't provided any information about the CO2 footprint of its product. Its packaging is largely made of recyclable materials, but there is no information on the laptop itself.
Input devices - 1.3-mm key travel
The laptop's keyboard has white backlighting (which can be automatically activated/deactivated via a sensor) and a key travel of 1.3 mm. Compared to other Zenbook models, however, it feels slightly worse to type on—mainly due to its somewhat spongy feedback. You get used to it after a while, but there are better keyboards out there. Its layout isn't the best, as there would still be room for dedicated up/down keys. The power button is integrated into the keyboard.
The large ClickPad, on the other hand, feels nice and smooth, features edge gestures and clicks on the lower part sound muffled and high-quality. Only a haptic touchpad would be an even better choice. At 12.7 x 7.9 cm, it is sufficiently large.
Display - 60-Hz OLED
The Zenbook A14 is only available with an OLED panel without a touch function. The reflective screen has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio, but its frequency is only 60 Hz. Subjectively, its picture quality features good strong colors that are nice and vibrant. However, a closer look reveals a slight raster effect when depicting bright content and overall, the 120-Hz 3K OLED panels inside other Asus laptops are one step better. In general, the panel is comparable to the one in the Vivobook S 14—which we have already tested—and is fine considering the price range. Both its brightness and color temperature can be adjusted automatically.
The screen's average brightness in SDR mode is 387 cd/m² and its maximum contrast ratio is very good thanks to its low black level. In HDR mode, we measured a maximum of 604 cd/m² when showing small image sections and 562 cd/m² when depicting an almost completely white image. However, HDR mode has to be activated manually and there are no color profiles available.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 386 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 0.9 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.83}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 1.5 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5.1}
89.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 3D)
100% Display P3 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.19
CCT: 6399 K
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA ATNA40CT06-0, OLED, 1920x1200, 14", 60 Hz | Asus VivoBook S 14 OLED M5406WA ATNA40CT02-0 (SDC41A0), OLED, 1920x1200, 14", 60 Hz | HP OmniBook X 14 BOE0C93, IPS, 2240x1400, 14", 60 Hz | Acer Swift Go 14 AI MNE507QS2-2 CSOT T9, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.5", 120 Hz | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA ATNA40CT02-0, OLED, 1920x1200, 14", 60 Hz | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ LQ138P1JX61, IPS, 2304x1536, 13.8", 120 Hz | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 LEN140WQ+, OLED, 2880x1800, 14", 120 Hz | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU IPS, 2560x1664, 13.6", 60 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 3% | -11% | -16% | -1% | -2% | 3% | -1% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 100 | 99.9 0% | 78.9 -21% | 71.2 -29% | 98.6 -1% | 97.8 -2% | 99.9 0% | 98.4 -2% |
| sRGB Coverage | 100 | 100 0% | 100 0% | 99 -1% | 99.9 0% | 98.2 -2% | 100 0% | 99.9 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 89.6 | 97.2 8% | 78.7 -12% | 73.3 -18% | 87.3 -3% | 87.3 -3% | 98.9 10% | 87.9 -2% |
| Response Times | -12% | -3709% | -2130% | -12% | -2445% | 44% | -2660% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 1.08 ? | 1.3 ? -20% | 52 ? -4715% | 32 ? -2863% | 1.31 ? -21% | 38.9 ? -3502% | 0.61 ? 44% | 34.5 ? -3094% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 1.17 ? | 1.2 ? -3% | 32.8 ? -2703% | 17.5 ? -1396% | 1.2 ? -3% | 17.4 ? -1387% | 0.67 ? 43% | 27.2 ? -2225% |
| PWM Frequency | 480 ? | 240 ? | 480 ? | 240 ? | ||||
| PWM Amplitude * | 22 | |||||||
| Screen | -33% | -101% | -139% | -8% | -0% | -74% | -16% | |
| Brightness middle | 386 | 385 0% | 303 -22% | 357.5 -7% | 387 0% | 606 57% | 411 6% | 525 36% |
| Brightness | 387 | 382 -1% | 293 -24% | 341 -12% | 386 0% | 592 53% | 414 7% | 506 31% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 95 -3% | 90 -8% | 93 -5% | 98 0% | 94 -4% | 99 1% | 92 -6% |
| Black Level * | 0.03 | 0.17 | 0.3 | 0.01 | 0.43 | 0.42 | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 0.9 | 1.99 -121% | 2.6 -189% | 3.27 -263% | 1 -11% | 1.3 -44% | 2.8 -211% | 1.4 -56% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 1.7 | 3.69 -117% | 5.4 -218% | 6.83 -302% | 2.4 -41% | 2.1 -24% | 5.5 -224% | 2.8 -65% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.5 | 0.8 47% | 3.7 -147% | 5.14 -243% | 1.4 7% | 2.1 -40% | 1.8 -20% | 2 -33% |
| Gamma | 2.19 100% | 2.204 100% | 2.09 105% | 2.44 90% | 2.24 98% | 2.16 102% | 2.21 100% | 2.2 100% |
| CCT | 6399 102% | 6474 100% | 6543 99% | 6026 108% | 6466 101% | 6842 95% | 6319 103% | 6876 95% |
| Contrast | 12833 | 1782 | 1192 | 38700 | 1409 | 1250 | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.79 | 0.95 | 2.2 | |||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -14% /
-19% | -1274% /
-733% | -762% /
-467% | -7% /
-7% | -816% /
-445% | -9% /
-31% | -892% /
-492% |
* ... smaller is better
We analyzed the display using the professional CalMAN software and, as usual, Asus offers various color profiles for users to choose from. The preset Native profile depicts somewhat oversaturated colors, which is why the images appear more vivid. The Display P3 profile, on the other hand, is an extremely accurate profile in which the color deviations are super low and below the target value of 3. A very accurate sRGB profile is also available. Thanks to its complete coverage of the sRGB and P3 color spaces, images/videos can be edited without any problems. Our iProfiler software doesn't work with ARM Windows, which is why we can't offer a calibrated profile.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.17 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.62 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.55 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. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 1.08 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.59 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.49 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 0.165 (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 (32.1 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 480 Hz Amplitude: 22 % | ≤ 86 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 480 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 86 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 480 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8327 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Below a brightness of 86%, we measured PWM flickering at a frequency of 480 Hz. Asus offers a flicker-free OLED dimming function in its MyAsus app. This reduces the brightness via the software and avoids the potentially more harmful PWM range.
Reflections occur outdoors—especially on bright days—which limits the laptop's usability. Apart from a slight blue shimmer at wide viewing angles (which is typical for OLEDs), its viewing-angle stability is good.
Performance - Snapdragon X with 16 or 32 GB RAM
The Zenbook A14 is exclusively available with Snapdragon X SoCs and comes with either 16 or 32 GB of RAM. The RAM can't be expanded.
Testing conditions
Asus offers various energy profiles that are linked to the Windows settings. We carried out the following benchmarks and measurements using the preset Standard mode.
| Energy mode | CB 2024 Multi | Steel Nomad Light | max. fan noise emissions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisper | 576 points | 1,147 points | 31.5 dB(A) |
| Standard | 646 points | 1,146 points | 42.7 dB(A) |
| Performance | 704 points | 1,154 points | 50.7 dB(A) |
| Max. performance | 706 points | 1,154 points | 51.7 dB(A) |
Processor - X1-26-100
The device's processor is the latest member of the Snapdragon family, namely the Snapdragon X (X1-26-100). Like all other models, it features eight Oryon CPU cores (30 MB cache), but these operate at a maximum of 2.97 GHz and don't support a single-core turbo mode. All other Snapdragon X chips manage at least 3.4 GHz in single-core mode and at least up to 3.2 GHz in dual-core mode—although this naturally also depends on the power limits. Based on our consumption measurements, we assume the Zenbook to have a TDP of between 25-35 watts.
First, let's take a look at the results of the native tests. Its multi-core performance wasn't bad at all and was, for example, slightly better than the Vivobook S 14 with the current Intel Lunar Lake processor Core Ultra 5 226V or the M3 MacBook Air. Even so, the other comparison devices delivered more performance. The Snapdragon X1's lower clock rate was most noticeable in the single-core tests, where the new X1-26-100 was the slowest processor in the comparison field. The M3 SoC in particular was clearly superior here, not to mention the even faster M4 SoC.
In the emulated benchmarks, the test device once again fell to the bottom of the comparison field. Its performance remained stable under prolonged load and in battery mode. Further CPU benchmarks are available in our tech section.
Cinebench R15 Multi continuous test
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
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 -1! | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1555 - 21812, n=76, last 2 years) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (6897 - 7539, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (358 - 2165, n=76, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (965 - 978, n=3) | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (579 - 8541, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (2644 - 2842, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (128 - 826, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (359 - 366, n=3) | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (327 - 3345, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (1338 - 1421, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (72.4 - 322, n=71, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (181.2 - 186, n=3) | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (440 - 477, n=3) | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (159 - 2271, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11668 - 77867, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (29312 - 29907, n=3) | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2643 - 6442, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (4041 - 4102, n=3) | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.97 - 25.1, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (4.44 - 5.52, n=3) | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (67.6 - 102.3, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (38.5 - 220, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (0.861 - 0.888, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.403 - 1.456, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1135 - 32888, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (5435 - 5647, n=3) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5218 - 123315, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (14133 - 16182, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (444 - 5287, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (2093 - 2368, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (10579 - 115682, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (44150 - 44593, n=3) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (744 - 18418, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (1370 - 1384, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (3341 - 65433, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (9024 - 9154, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (638 - 161430, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (35860 - 40691, n=3) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (164.9 - 1379, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (447 - 484, n=3) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (610 - 17495, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (2766 - 3102, n=3) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (6569 - 64588, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (30286 - 31591, n=3) | |
System performance
Its results during the system benchmarks were once again pretty low, but the Zenbook A14 is still a responsive system. During everyday use, on the other hand, you will notice a slight difference in performance in certain situations, and some actions (e.g. installing applications) take a little longer than devices fitted with faster CPUs. We noted no stability problems with our test device, but you have to be aware that not all applications work with the ARM version of Windows. You should look up compatibility before purchasing the device.
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (365 - 2038, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (1093 - 1114, n=2) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (364 - 1918, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (1012 - 1022, n=2) | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (372 - 2396, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (1203 - 1226, n=2) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (312 - 1889, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (1032 - 1081, n=2) | |
| WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (353 - 357, n=2) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (156 - 482, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (132 - 348, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (248 - 249, n=2) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (518 - 521, n=2) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (265 - 1104, n=76, last 2 years) | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU | |
* ... smaller is better
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (14554 - 109035, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (61578 - 63432, n=3) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (116332 - 125251, n=3) | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15948 - 127174, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15709 - 117898, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (46150 - 48754, n=3) | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
DPC latencies
We can't perform our standardized latency test on Snapdragon devices, but there were no problems with skipped frames (dropped frames) during 4K YouTube playback.
Storage device
A 1-TB variant of the Micron 2500 is installed in our test device, of which 895 GB is freely available to use after first starting up the device. The PCIe 4.0 SSD's transfer rates were very good during our test, achieving up to 7 GB/s, but some fluctuations occurred after a while under continuous load. However, this has no effect on everyday use. Further SSD benchmarks are listed here.
* ... smaller is better
Reading continuous performance: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The Snapdragon X uses the Adreno X1-45 graphics card (1.7 TFLOPS, max. 1,107 MHz), which we are already familiar with from the Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42-100). During our test, its graphics performance was around 35-50% lower than the faster X1-85 GPU, which is used in the optionally available Snapdragon X Elite. The X1-45 also clearly lost out in comparison with the current iGPUs from AMD and Intel. The GPU's performance remained stable both under continuous load and in battery mode.
This is sufficient for everyday tasks, including playing back high-resolution videos, but its low performance is particularly noticeable when gaming. If you also consider the compatibility problems, then you should make use of streaming services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming if possible. Further GPU benchmarks are available here.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4540 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3602 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Score | 235 points | |
| 3DMark Steel Nomad Light Score | 1146 points | |
Help | ||
| Blender / v3.3 Classroom CPU | |
| Average Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS (711 - 1226, n=10) | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (241 - 1127, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
* ... smaller is better
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset (FSR off) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (8.48 - 31.4, n=55, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Baldur's Gate 3 - 1920x1080 Low Preset AA:SM | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (13.1 - 46, n=52, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| GTA V - 1920x1080 Highest Settings possible AA:4xMSAA + FX AF:16x | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA | |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (7.81 - 53, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA | |
| HP OmniBook X 14 | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 AI | |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra FPS diagram
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 87.5 | 81.2 | 32.5 | 14.5 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 77 | 63.2 | 56.2 | 48.8 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 37.2 | 15.1 | 15.1 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 34.9 | 0 | ||
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 36 | 21 | 19 | 18 |
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 85 | 30 | 23 | 19 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | 41 | 16 | ||
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 13.1 | 11 | ||
| Cyberpunk 2077 2.2 Phantom Liberty (2023) | 15.3 | 11.7 | 9.89 | 8.48 |
| Total War Pharaoh (2023) | 46.1 | 0 |
Emissions - Unnecessarily loud fans
Noise emissions
Basically, the laptop uses two coolers but one of them is not connected to the heat pipe at all, therefore acting more as a case fan. The thermal images in the next section also show that the second fan isn't particularly useful. This explains why the fans start up relatively quickly even when doing everyday things, which is rather unusual for Snapdragon laptops. The noise isn't loud, but the fans are working. Under high CPU load, it can get really loud at more than 42 dB(A). Using Whisper mode, the maximum we noted was 31.5 dB(A) and the two performance modes were simply far too loud at more than 50 dB(A). Why the second fan wasn't also connected to the heat pipe is a mystery to us. No other electronic noises were coming from our test device during the test period.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.7 / 24.7 / 24.7 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 26.4 / 42.7 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 24.7 dB(A) | ||
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS, SD X1-26-100, Micron 2500 1TB MTFDKBA1T0QGN | Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA Arc 130V, Core Ultra 5 226V, Micron 2500 MTFDKBA512QGN | HP OmniBook X 14 Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS, SD X Elite X1E-78-100, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00 | Acer Swift Go 14 AI Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS, SD X Plus X1P-42-100, Micron 2550 MTFDKBA512TGE | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA Radeon 780M, R7 8840HS, Micron 2400 MTFDKBA1T0QFM | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS, SD X Elite X1E-80-100, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 Radeon 780M, R7 8845HS, SK hynix BC901 HFS001TEJ4X164N | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU M3 10-Core GPU, M3, Apple SSD AP0512Z | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -6% | -2% | 6% | -7% | 2% | -10% | ||
| off / environment * | 24.7 | 24.2 2% | 23.7 4% | 23 7% | 25.1 -2% | 23.8 4% | 23.9 3% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.7 | 24.2 2% | 23.7 4% | 23 7% | 25.1 -2% | 23.8 4% | 23.9 3% | |
| Idle Average * | 24.7 | 24.2 2% | 23.7 4% | 23 7% | 25.1 -2% | 23.8 4% | 23.9 3% | |
| Idle Maximum * | 24.7 | 24.2 2% | 23.7 4% | 23 7% | 25.1 -2% | 23.8 4% | 23.9 3% | |
| Load Average * | 26.4 | 28.8 -9% | 29.7 -13% | 35.9 -36% | 26 2% | 44.3 -68% | ||
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 28.7 | 37.6 -31% | 37.1 -29% | 28.13 2% | 31.5 -10% | |||
| Load Maximum * | 42.7 | 45.6 -7% | 37.1 13% | 39.14 8% | 42.2 1% | 40.3 6% | 44.3 -4% | |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 39.3 | 41.3 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The case's temperatures generally stay super low, especially under low load. But even during the stress test, there was only one point at which we measured more than 40 °C. The Zenbook A14 can therefore be placed on your thighs during any scenario without any problems. The thermal images clearly show that the heat distribution is mainly limited to the middle and upper left area and that the second fan doesn't help much. During the stress test, the GPU constantly operated at the full 1.107 GHz, while the processor fluctuated between 2.4 and 2.6 GHz.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.4 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 39.3 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.9 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) 3: The average temperature for the upper side is 31.5 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 30.8 °C / 87 F for the class Subnotebook.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26.5 °C / 79.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (+1.7 °C / 3.1 F).
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS | Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, Intel Arc Graphics 130V | HP OmniBook X 14 Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-78-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS | Acer Swift Go 14 AI Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus X1P-42-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS, AMD Radeon 780M | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100, Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, AMD Radeon 780M | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU Apple M3, Apple M3 10-Core GPU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -2% | -2% | 2% | -7% | -3% | 5% | 4% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 40 | 38.4 4% | 44.2 -11% | 39 2% | 43.1 -8% | 47.1 -18% | 39.6 1% | 44.3 -11% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 42.4 | 49.7 -17% | 44.5 -5% | 45 -6% | 50.2 -18% | 44.6 -5% | 38.6 9% | 43.4 -2% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.7 | 25.1 2% | 25.1 2% | 24 7% | 25.8 -0% | 24.7 4% | 24.8 4% | 22.3 13% |
| Idle Bottom * | 26.5 | 25.8 3% | 24.3 8% | 25 6% | 26.4 -0% | 24.5 8% | 25.3 5% | 22.1 17% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
The Zenbook A14's stereo speakers do a good job and they performed slightly better than the comparison devices in our analysis—only the MacBook Air 13 was slightly better. Their sound is loud and quite full, but the bass is somewhat lacking.
Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 77% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 12% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
HP OmniBook X 14 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 28% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 66% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 17% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Acer Swift Go 14 AI audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.8% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 21% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 28% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 64% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 87% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 9% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 21% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 13% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 84% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 13.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 0.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (1.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Power management - Battery life falls below expectations
Power consumption
The Zenbook A14 is super frugal both in idle mode (the low-res 60-Hz OLED has a positive effect here) and under low load. During the stress test, we measured a maximum of just under 47 watts, which leveled off at an average of 40 watts during the further course. The included 65-watt power supply unit is therefore completely sufficient and still has enough power to charge the battery at the same time—even under load. The configurations with the Snapdragon X Elite come delivered with a more powerful 90-watt power supply unit.
| Off / Standby | 0.4 / 0.67 Watt |
| Idle | 3.1 / 5.2 / 5.4 Watt |
| Load |
13.8 / 46.8 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA SD X1-26-100, Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS, Micron 2500 1TB MTFDKBA1T0QGN, OLED, 1920x1200, 14" | Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA Core Ultra 5 226V, Arc 130V, Micron 2500 MTFDKBA512QGN, OLED, 1920x1200, 14" | HP OmniBook X 14 SD X Elite X1E-78-100, Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS, WD PC SN560 SDDPNQE-1T00, IPS, 2240x1400, 14" | Acer Swift Go 14 AI SD X Plus X1P-42-100, Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS, Micron 2550 MTFDKBA512TGE, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.5" | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA R7 8840HS, Radeon 780M, Micron 2400 MTFDKBA1T0QFM, OLED, 1920x1200, 14" | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ SD X Elite X1E-80-100, Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS, Samsung MZ9L4512HBLU-00BMV, IPS, 2304x1536, 13.8" | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 R7 8845HS, Radeon 780M, SK hynix BC901 HFS001TEJ4X164N, OLED, 2880x1800, 14" | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU M3, M3 10-Core GPU, Apple SSD AP0512Z, IPS, 2560x1664, 13.6" | Average Qualcomm SD X Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -66% | -44% | -34% | -67% | -31% | -123% | -44% | -13% | -82% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.1 | 2.7 13% | 2.5 19% | 3.7 -19% | 3.6 -16% | 1.4 55% | 5.3 -71% | 1.95 37% | 2.96 ? 5% | 4.14 ? -34% |
| Idle Average * | 5.2 | 6.7 -29% | 4.7 10% | 6.5 -25% | 6.6 -27% | 6.3 -21% | 7.2 -38% | 8.7 -67% | 5.41 ? -4% | 7.22 ? -39% |
| Idle Maximum * | 5.4 | 6.9 -28% | 6.2 -15% | 7.8 -44% | 7.4 -37% | 7.6 -41% | 7.5 -39% | 8.9 -65% | 6.84 ? -27% | 8.83 ? -64% |
| Load Average * | 13.8 | 34.5 -150% | 25.6 -86% | 47.1 -241% | 26.9 -95% | 65.6 -375% | 34.3 -149% | 15.8 ? -14% | 45.1 ? -227% | |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * | 19.6 | 43 -119% | 40.3 -106% | 25.4 -30% | 38.5 -96% | |||||
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * | 19.7 | 41.9 -113% | 36.7 -86% | 28.5 -45% | ||||||
| Load Maximum * | 46.8 | 62.7 -34% | 67.9 -45% | 67.04 -43% | 54.3 -16% | 40.7 13% | 89.6 -91% | 35.4 24% | 59.4 ? -27% | 68.3 ? -46% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 47.4 | 73 | 28.6 |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption Cyberpunk / stress test
Power consumption with external monitor
Runtimes
The laptop's battery capacity is 70 Wh and Asus claims a runtime of up to 32 hours for video playback and just under 20 hours for productive work—but we unfortunately couldn't confirm this. Its runtimes weren't bad overall during our test, but at 15 hours during the WLAN test at 150 cd/m², the Snapdragon Zenbook had to admit defeat to its Intel sister model, the Vivobook S 14, by just over two hours. At full brightness, we noted 10 hours and the Intel model also managed one hour more here despite it featuring a comparable display. In the video test, it managed 21 hours, but the manufacturer's specification was still missed by 9 hours.
It takes 128 minutes for the battery to fully recharge when the device is switched on; 80% of the capacity is available again after around 62 minutes.
| Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA SD X1-26-100, Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS, 70 Wh | Asus Vivobook S 14 OLED S5406SA Core Ultra 5 226V, Arc 130V, 75 Wh | HP OmniBook X 14 SD X Elite X1E-78-100, Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS, 59 Wh | Acer Swift Go 14 AI SD X Plus X1P-42-100, Adreno X1-45 1.7 TFLOPS, 75 Wh | Asus Zenbook 14 OLED UM3406HA R7 8840HS, Radeon 780M, 75 Wh | Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 13.8 Copilot+ SD X Elite X1E-80-100, Adreno X1-85 3.8 TFLOPS, 54 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 14AHP9 R7 8845HS, Radeon 780M, 84 Wh | Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 10C GPU M3, M3 10-Core GPU, 52.6 Wh | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -4% | -11% | 8% | -26% | -25% | -30% | -13% | -28% | |
| H.264 | 1270 | 1199 -6% | 1298 2% | 1501 18% | 1046 -18% | 1181 -7% | 1031 -19% | 1044 -18% | 980 ? -23% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 895 | 1030 15% | 1117 25% | 1313 47% | 774 -14% | 852 -5% | 710 -21% | 914 2% | 782 ? -13% |
| Load | 222 | 174 -22% | 92 -59% | 128 -42% | 123 -45% | 80 -64% | 110 -50% | 171 -23% | 116.2 ? -48% |
Notebookcheck total rating
The new Zenbook A14 impresses above all with its low weight of 978 grams—but you'll also have to accept some compromises. Its keyboard is a little spongy, it only has a 60-Hz 1200p OLED, it doesn't have the most connections and, above all, its cooling unit raises some questions. The second fan isn't connected to the heat pipe, which isn't terribly efficient. As a result, you can hear a quiet fan noise even during simple tasks. The performance of the new base model of the Snapdragon X series is relatively low and its battery life also falls short of expectations.
Asus ZenBook A14 UX3407QA
- 01/30/2025 v8
Andreas Osthoff
Total Sustainability Score: 
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
