Asus make thebest laptops under $ 1,000 . Rather than compromise in key areas like design , carrying into action , and make quality , Asus ’ Zenbooks tend to equilibrize these attributes unusually well .
The new Zenbook 14 Q425 is a enceinte example of such a laptop . It checks all the boxes , extend Intel Meteor Lake chipsets and a great OLED display at a fairish $ 800 start cost . At the same fourth dimension , it ’s a dance step down from the intimately array Zenbook 14 OLED ( UX3405 ) I reviewed before this twelvemonth , which has a higher - closure venire . Even so , the Zenbook 14 Q425 , with its excellent stamp battery life , remains an easy laptop to recommend at its low-spirited toll .
Specs and configurations
Asus offers two configurations of the Zenbook 14 Q. The Q415 poser be $ 800 with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H chipset , 8 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , and a 14 - column inch FHD+ OLED showing . I reviewed the Q425 modelling , which cost $ 1,050 for a Core Ultra 7 155H , 16 GB of RAM , and a 1 TB SSD . The lowly model is $ 100 more than the 2023Zenbook 14 organic light-emitting diode , which started at $ 700 with an AMD processor , but less than the $ 1,300 2024 Zenbook 14 organic light-emitting diode .
The entry - grade manakin is a significant value for a immobile 14 - inch laptop with an OLED display . Only the 8 GB of RAM gives me pause , although that ’s enough for introductory productivity job . The high - end model is an attractive option for anyone who needs more RAM and storage for their workflow .
You ’ll spend $ 1,o99 for a base MacBook Air M3 that fit the Zenbook ’s infrastructure configuration and $ 1,699 on a comparable MacBook Air at the Zenbook ’s high end . TheDell XPS 14is $ 1,799 for the same chipset , tup , and computer storage , but with an IPS display . Upgrade to the higher - resolution organic light-emitting diode choice , and you ’ll spend an extra $ 300 .
Design
Everything else aside , I ’ve always been impressed with Asus ’ build timbre . Like most Asus laptops I ’ve brush up , the Zenbook 14 Q425 ’s aluminum chassis and palpebra defy all bending , flexing , or twisting . I have no estimation how Asus manages to make a lid that ’s as tenuous as the MacBook Air ’s but does n’t show that laptop computer ’s slender bendiness . The rest of the Zenbook feels just as solid . Even the hinge is evenly well done , allowing the lid to be unfold smoothly with one hand and observe it in situation .
The Zenbook 14 Q425 is also thin and sparkle at 0.59 in and 2.82 pounds . The MacBook Air is one of the thin laptops at just 0.44 in , but it palpate denser than the Zenbook at 2.7 lbf. . Asus included reasonably flimsy showing bezels , particularly along the sides , so the Zenbook 14 Q425 is also a little laptop , even with its 14 - column inch display . The MacBook Air is slightly less wide and mysterious , but it has a smaller 13.6 - inch display . TheDell XPS 14has the small display bezels around , and it ’s still slightly thicker at 0.71 inches and expectant at 2.7 pounds .
Aesthetically , the Zenbook 14 Q425 offer a simpler design than some other late selection . The Asus geometric figure on the lid is absent here , with a bare dark white-haired color scheme and a subdued Asus logo . The rest of the laptop part the same color , with an attractive minimalist blueprint that does n’t tolerate out . The MacBook Air and XPS 14 are arguably more attractive laptop computer , with the Dell swash a peculiarly ultramodern design when the chapeau is open . However , you wo n’t drop more on those laptops free-base on their aesthetics alone .
The Zenbook 14 Q425 ’s keyboard has large , prosperous keycaps , deal of primal spatial arrangement , and igniter and snappish switches . I liked it quite a bit , although it falls behind the shallower Apple Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Air due primarily to the Zenbook ’s switches seeming looser than I care . That ’s a quibble , though . typecast this review on the Zenbook was quick and not the least bit fatiguing .
The mechanical touchpad is nicely sized and has push button mouse click that I found just the thin bit noisy when pressed . I ca n’t hold off until haptic touchpads make their fashion down to midrange laptops like the Zenbook 14 Q425 . That ’s one thing that more expensive options like the MacBook Air and XPS 14 offer .
Ports
Not every 14 - inch laptop has great connectivity . The Dell XPS 14 is one example , offering only USB - deoxycytidine monophosphate with Thunderbolt port and demand dongles for legacy devices . The Zenbook 14 Q425 is different , with a mixture of Thunderbolt 4 and legacy connections . It lack an Coyote State posting lector , which is an unfortunate deletion , but I ’ve discover a few late laptop computer that do the same .
Wireless connectivity is n’t the late Wi - Fi 7 , but Wi - Fi 6E , and Bluetooth 5.3 will converge mainstream needs for a few more years .
The Zenbook 14 Q425 has a 1080p webcam with an infrared camera for Windows 11 Hello facial recognition and a forcible concealment shutter . Asus build in a few technology to raise videoconferencing timber , such as its AiSense ambient promiscuous detector and 3D noise reduction .
As with all laptops using the Meteor Lake chipset with its Neural Processing Unit ( NPU ) , the Zenbook can cannonball along up various tasks using Microsoft Studio Effects , such as background dark , heart contact , and automatic framing . Theoretically , the NPU performs these tasks more efficiently .
Performance and battery life
The Zenbook 14 Q series can be purchased with either an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or Core Ultra 7 155H chipset . Both are member of the 14th - gen Meteor Lake series , and they offer the aforementioned NPUs for on - gadget AI to go with new Low Power Efficient cores that promise better efficiency . Both are 28 - watt chipsets , with the Core Ultra 5 125H offering 14 cores ( four Performance , eight Efficient , and two Low Power Efficient ) and 18 screw thread die hard at up to 4.5GHz and the Core Ultra 7 155H with 16 nucleus ( six Performance , eight Efficient , and two Low Power Efficient ) and 22 threads running at up to 4.8GHz .
I go over the latter , and it provide the same fast CPU performance as every other laptop computer sporting the same chipset . It ’s as fast as the previous generation of 45 - James Watt cow chip and can meet the most demanding productiveness needs . While the fans spun up in carrying into action mode , they were never too tawdry and the human body and keyboard deck never got more than warm . We have n’t essay a Core Ultra 5 125H , but it should provide quite a little of performance for productiveness exploiter .
The merged Intel Arc nontextual matter are about doubly as tight as the earliest Intel Iris Xe , but that ’s still about half as fast as entry - level distinct GPUs . So , the Zenbook 14 Q425 is n’t as telling as a gaming laptop or Almighty ’s workstation .
One thing I hope to see from Meteor Lake was improved efficiency . So far , that has n’t been the typesetter’s case with many laptops I ’ve survey — but the Zenbook 14 Q425 is a step in the right direction .
The Zenbook benefit from a very large 75 - James Watt - time of day stamp battery , which is a healthy capacitance for a 14 - in laptop . While it has an OLED display , it ’s also “ just ” FHD+ resolve , whereas some of its other midrange laptops have gamey - reticuloendothelial system 2.8 special K panel . In our web - browsing test , which plays through a leaning of complex website , it performed very well at some 12.5 hour . That ’s well above the class average and competes strongly against AMD ’s more efficient french fries . And when loop our test TV , the Zenbook 14 Q425 lasted for an telling 18 hours .
That ’s much good than the other Meteor Lake machines in the compare group , including other Zenbooks , and it ’s only importantly behind the industry - direct MacBook Air . You ’ll get a full day ’s oeuvre in productivity workflows and the common web browsing , culture medium white plague , and electronic mail tasks . That ’s more like it .
Display
Asus has been a loss leader in pushing OLED displays to lower - priced laptops , and that ’s what we see here . However , some other 14 - inch Zenbooks have had 2.8 K ( 2880 x 1800 ) display that are sharp than the Zenbook 14 Q425 ’s FHD+ ( 1920 x 1200 ) panel . And this one is limited to 60Hz , when the industry is shifting to 120Hz and faster .
However , I found the Zenbook 14 Q425 to sport a very courteous video display . I observe some pixel while staring at text edition , but most people would n’t . harmonize to my colorimeter , its vividness were excellent at 100 % of sRGB , 97 % of AdobeRGB , and 100 % of DCI - P3 , with truth at a Delta - E of 0.90 ( less than 1.0 is fantabulous ) . The contrast was also excellent , as common , with inky blackness , and there ’s enough brightness at 361 nit for anything but the unspoilt high dynamic range ( HDR ) performance .
I would have prefer a 120Hz refresh rate , but otherwise , this is an excellent display that will please productivity users and Jehovah . The lower resolving and slower refresh pace probably contribute to the Zenbook 14 Q425 ’s great battery lifetime , making them net benefits for most citizenry .
The audio is provided by a pair of downward - firing “ Super - linear ” verbalizer that Asus says increase the diaphragm ’s bountifulness by 50 % and volume by 2.25 times . They by all odds get loud , but at full volume , there was considerable straining and high were way too bright . It sounded a muckle just at around 50 % volume , where overrefinement vanish , while still being tawdry enough . The freshwater bass was even able to make an appearing , and dialogue sounded snappy . Now , the audio did n’t match the excellent scheme in the MacBook Pro , but it was certainly enjoyable for streaming YouTube and Netflix , which surprised me .
Not the best Asus option, but still very good
The Zenbook 14 Q425 is similar to some other Asus 14 - inch laptops , but it ’s not identical . It ’s less expensive than the company ’s other recent models and cuts a street corner in exhibit resolution .
But it shares the typical Asus build quality , has a very good keyboard and touchpad , and its battery life matches its fantabulous performance . If you ’re looking for a 14 - inch laptop that wo n’t break the bank , the Zenbook 14 Q425 comes recommend .
