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

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

Greatest Giant-Display Laptop computer: ASUS Zenbook S16 OLED

Should you want a bigger show with out sacrificing portability, the Zenbook S16 OLED stays my favourite 16-inch Home windows laptop computer from this 12 months. The 16-inch 3.2K OLED show with a 16:10 side ratio is undeniably its crown jewel, and gives unparalleled vibrancy due to its capability to cowl 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Whether or not I used to be modifying pictures, watching motion pictures, coding, or just looking the online, it was troublesome to discover a appropriate various to the S16’s show high quality. The panel additionally sports activities a 120Hz refresh fee, which boosts the general fluidity of animations and navigation.

At underneath 4 kilos and fewer than 0.7 inches thick, the Zenbook S16 is remarkably light-weight and moveable for a 16-inch laptop computer. Below the hood, the laptop computer packs as much as AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, paired with as much as 32GB of LPDDR5X-7500 reminiscence.

In my testing, the efficiency was snappy and dependable for many on a regular basis duties, together with multitasking, internet looking, programming, and light-weight inventive work like picture modifying, however the place this processor actually excelled at was with AI-oriented duties.

Greatest for Multi-tasking: ASUS Zenbook DUO

3.5/5

Working System

Home windows 11 Dwelling

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 5/7/9 Processor

If I’m being sincere, I might say that the Zenbook DUO is my favourite laptop computer throughout all the Zenbook lineup, even when it isn’t probably the most sensible. The DUO options two similar 14-inch 3K OLED shows with 120Hz refresh charges, which successfully doubles your display screen actual property in a comparatively moveable package deal.

Whenever you first open up the gadget, you are greeted with what’s seemingly a really regular laptop computer setup with a single 14-inch display screen and a full-sized keyboard and trackpad. Nonetheless, when you detach the keyboard and prop up the kickstand on the base of the laptop computer, you may see the second similar show beneath.

The kickstand is my favourite side of this design, as a result of it brings the principle show to eye-level and works nice for assuaging neck pressure throughout lengthy work classes. I primarily used the secondary display screen as my reference show, with the highest display screen being my important; for coding, having a preview of my venture on the highest display screen with my IDE on the backside was glorious for making fast adjustments in comparison with hopping backwards and forwards between two home windows. The identical practicality goes for having a Phrase doc on the underside with a Chrome window on the highest show for note-taking.

The principle compromise is battery life. The laptop computer is rated for round 10 hours of battery life, however in my utilization with a typical day of web-browsing, content material streaming, coding, and photo-editing, with each shows, I received round six to seven hours earlier than needing to plug in, which is sort of much less in comparison with ASUS’ different laptops within the lineup.

If you wish to get the total utility of getting this sort of laptop computer, you may seemingly need to carry the charging brick with you. The Zenbook S16 OLED serves as a runner-up for multitaskers preferring a extra conventional type issue however nonetheless need a big, high-quality show for productiveness work.

Greatest Finances Choice: ASUS Zenbook A14

Working System

Home windows 11

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno

Should you’re searching for an entry level into the Zenbook lineup, the Zenbook A14 is the one which makes probably the most sense on paper. ASUS has been positioning this as a extra direct competitor to Apple’s MacBook Air, and the attraction is fairly simple; it’s an ARM-based Home windows laptop computer with a 14-inch OLED show.

In my utilization, I feel my greatest takeaway was simply getting over how small and light-weight it was; this laptop computer weighs simply 2.16 lbs, and it feels a lot smaller than any of the opposite 14-inch laptops I’ve used this 12 months. It makes use of the identical Ceraluminum materials the opposite Zenbooks use, however this iteration has a soft-touch really feel to it that I feel seems to be nice, and does a a lot better job at managing fingerprints.

That stated, the factor you actually must be sincere about here’s what your workflow seems to be like, as a result of with the A14, that is the place Home windows’ ARM transition nonetheless isn’t as frictionless as Apple’s. Geared up with the Snapdragon X X1 processor, the A14 excels in a browser, Workplace apps, streaming, and normal productiveness, and does so whereas delivering glorious battery life. Nonetheless, in case you depend on particular x86 apps, and need to sport on this laptop computer, you’re higher off going with one thing else, as a result of loads of apps and video games nonetheless don’t absolutely help ARM on Home windows.

Greatest Total: ASUS Zenbook S 14 OLED

Working System

Home windows 11

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 7 (Collection 2)

Should you’re searching for the very best laptop computer for most individuals, the Zenbook S14 is the one to get. Very like the bigger S16, the 14-inch incorporates a 3K OLED show with a 120Hz refresh fee and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut protection, and is likely one of the finest shows on a Home windows laptop computer at the moment, although it peaks at round 500 nits, which is okay for indoor use however not outdoors, particularly in direct daylight.

Battery life is surprisingly good due to the effectivity of the brand new Intel processor; the 72Wh battery constantly delivered round 10 hours of real-world use in my testing, with blended workloads together with looking, doc modifying, and media consumption. Thermal efficiency is one other space the place the Zenbook S 14 has considerably improved upon over its predecessor, the place it now not will get excessively heat throughout informal utilization.

Extra importantly, fan noise is a lot better managed than earlier than. ASUS’ Whisper Mode retains noise ranges beneath 25dB in gentle workloads, which could not be as quiet as a fanless MacBook Air, but it surely makes S 14 one of many quieter thin-and-light Home windows laptops I’ve used.

One other nice side of the S 14 is that ASUS nonetheless supplies a good variety of ports on this smaller laptop computer, getting two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Sort-A, and an audio combo jack, in comparison with the MacBook Air which solely offers you two Thunderbolt 4 ports and an audio jack.

It is price mentioning that the usual Zenbook 14 OLED comes shut as a runner-up, and gives related options at a cheaper price level at round $1,100, although I feel the S 14’s premium supplies, refined design, and higher thermals make it price the additional funding.

Working System

Home windows 11 Dwelling

CPU

AMD Ryzen AI 7 350

Remaining Ideas

Total, I feel the 2025 ASUS Zenbook lineup gives glorious choices throughout the board, and the correct selection is dependent upon your particular wants. The Zenbook S 14 stays the very best total for many customers, providing the very best stability of efficiency, portability, and battery life with premium construct high quality, whereas the bigger S16 OLED is the go-to for anybody who wants a bigger show with out sacrificing an excessive amount of portability. The Zenbook DUO is a genuinely intriguing possibility in order for you an alternate form-factor of a dual-screen setup, and the Zenbook A14 delivers unimaginable worth for budget-conscious consumers.

I feel out of many of the different laptops you may think about, ASUS has confirmed that Home windows laptops can lastly compete with Apple’s MacBooks on efficiency, battery life, and construct high quality, and in lots of circumstances, they’ve completed it with a number of the finest shows and construct high quality you may discover on any laptop computer at the moment.