The MacBook Neo has a new rival, and it's the Asus Zenbook 14

Craig is a reporter for Pocket-lint based in Toronto. He earned a diploma in journalism from Seneca Polytechnic and holds a Media Foundations certificate from Humber College. Craig previously interned and wrote for MobileSyrup, a Canadian tech publication. He enjoys reading and writing about consumer technology, especially phones, tablets, and PCs.

When Apple released its entry-level MacBook Neo earlier this year, it sent shockwaves through the Windows laptop market. Suddenly, one big question was on everyone's mind: Could a budget Windows laptop match the MacBook Neo's unbeatable value?

The MacBook Neo isn't a performance powerhouse or a particularly premium machine, but for $700 (it launched at $600 but got a price hike), it delivers a lot for the money, including a fast A18 Pro chip, impressive battery life, and a sturdy aluminum build that doesn't feel cheap.

Several Windows laptops have tried to take on Apple's budget champ, including the Dell XPS 13. Now, Asus is throwing its hat into the ring with the new Zenbook 14.

I've spent the past month putting Asus' latest budget laptop through its paces, and I'm impressed by what the company has delivered. But can the Zenbook 14 really go toe-to-toe with the MacBook Neo, and is it worth buying instead? Here's what I liked, what I didn't, and whether Asus has a winner on its hands.

Price, specs, and availability

Snapdragon chipset, OLED panel, lots of ports

The Asus Zenbook 14 comes in several configurations, including Intel, AMD, and Snapdragon models. The Intel version comes with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 386H, while the AMD version offers up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 475. The Snapdragon model, meanwhile, runs on a Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor.

For this review, I'm focusing on the Snapdragon version (model number UX3480QA), as that's the one Asus sent me to test.

It's also the most affordable version of the Zenbook 14, starting at $800 in the US and $1,300 CAD in Canada. You can configure it with 256GB or 512GB of SSD storage, with RAM starting at 8GB and an option to upgrade to 16GB. My review unit came with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM.

As for the display, the Zenbook 14 features a 14-inch OLED panel with a 1920 x 1200-pixel resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 300 nits. It also packs a 50WHrs battery and a generous selection of ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with display output and power delivery support, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Like the MacBook Neo, the Zenbook 14 comes in three eye-catching colors: Arctic Blue, Komodo Coral, and Zabriskie Beige. Asus sent me the Arctic Blue model, and I've grown quite fond of it. It's a beautiful shade of blue that stands out without being too over the top.

What I liked about the Asus Zenbook 14

Solid performance and build quality

From the moment I took the Asus Zenbook 14 out of the box, I was impressed with its build quality. It features a solid all-metal aluminum chassis and a Ceraluminum lid, a high-tech ceramic material Asus uses on some of its laptops that's both durable and lightweight. The laptop feels great to hold, and despite its more affordable price tag, it doesn't feel cheap in the slightest. The lightweight design is another big plus, as the Zenbook 14 weighs just 1.10 kg (2.43 lbs), making it incredibly easy to take on the go and toss into my backpack.

When I powered on the laptop for the first time, I was equally impressed with its display. I wasn't expecting an OLED screen on a budget-friendly laptop like this, but it looks phenomenal, with vivid colors and deep blacks. Watching videos, editing photos, and even playing games were all that much more enjoyable as a result. My biggest complaint is its 300-nit peak brightness, which can feel a little lacking in bright rooms and especially outdoors.

I'm a big fan of the Zenbook 14's 14-inch display, though, and I particularly like its 16:10 aspect ratio. I think it's perfect for laptops, as it gives you that extra bit of vertical screen real estate without making the overall display feel too large.

As for performance, the Zenbook 14 delivers a smooth experience for everyday productivity tasks. Its Snapdragon X X1-26-100 chipset handled everything I threw at it without breaking a sweat, from writing and listening to music to editing photos in Photoshop and playing the occasional less demanding game, like Hades or Skyrim. I never once experienced any stuttering or lag, even when I had way too many Chrome tabs open, and I found that the fans never got particularly loud, even in Performance mode.

If you're interested in the numbers, the Zenbook 14 scored 1,879 in single-core performance and 11,644 in multi-core performance in my Geekbench 7 CPU test. For comparison, the MacBook Neo scores around 3,000 in single-core performance and 7,500 in multi-core performance. So, while the Zenbook 14 falls behind Apple's laptop in single-core performance, it comes out ahead in multi-core workloads.

The thing that impressed me most about the Zenbook 14, however, was its battery life. It easily lasted me a full day of web browsing, watching videos, and writing, and it has no problem keeping up with, or otherwise exceeding, the MacBook Neo's battery, and on average, I got upwards of 12 hours of use out of it at max brightness, mainly browsing the web and writing, before having to reach for the charger.

There are a few other things I really like about the Zenbook 14, starting with its port selection. I particularly appreciate the HDMI 2.1 port, which made it easy to connect the laptop to my monitor, and the two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, which let me charge the laptop while using my portable SSD at the same time. There's also a USB-A port, which is great to have when I want to plug in older accessories, like a USB stick, without needing an adapter.

Lastly, I want to give the Zenbook 14's keyboard some credit, as it's quickly become one of my favorite things about the laptop. The keys have a nice amount of travel and a satisfying tactile feel, making typing a comfortable experience. As a writer who spends all day at a keyboard, I really appreciate that, and I had no trouble typing away on the Zenbook 14 for hours at a time.

What I didn't like about the Asus Zenbook 14

8GB of RAM is a tough sell

While my experience with the Zenbook 14 was mostly smooth sailing, there are a few things about it that I'm not too fond of.

The first, which I already touched on earlier, is the display's brightness. It peaks at just 300 nits, and I really wish Asus had managed to squeeze a little more out of it, ideally around 500 nits, as it does struggle a bit in extremely bright rooms, and especially outdoors. Asus does offer a version of the Zenbook 14 with a brighter, higher-resolution 3K touchscreen, but that adds a few hundred dollars to the price, which kind of defeats the purpose of buying a budget laptop in the first place.

My other gripe with the display is its 60Hz refresh rate. I know this is a budget laptop, so expecting 120Hz might be pushing it, but I've become so accustomed to higher refresh rates on my phone and TV that it would've been nice to see Asus offer at least 90Hz instead.

Another thing I'm not too happy about is the Zenbook 14's limited RAM, at least in its base configuration. The $800 model comes with only 8GB of RAM, which I think is far too little for a modern Windows laptop. I have the same complaint about the MacBook Neo, which also has only 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, with the AI-driven memory shortage sending RAM and storage prices skyrocketing, this is the reality we're dealing with right now.

If you do want 16GB of RAM in the Zenbook 14, which is what my review unit has, you'll have to shell out an extra $200, bringing the total to $1,000. That's a decent jump in price, but I have a hard time recommending the base model when the difference in RAM can make such a noticeable impact on everyday performance. Having 16GB instead of 8GB makes for a much smoother experience, especially if you're like me and tend to multitask with a ton of programs and browser tabs open at once. If you plan to use your laptop for a very long time, I think the extra investment is worth it.

Should you buy the Asus Zenbook 14?

It's a great MacBook Neo alternative

If you're on the hunt for a reliable laptop around the $800 mark, the Asus Zenbook 14 is hands down one of the best Windows laptops at that price point.

Thanks to its aluminum build and Ceraluminum lid, it looks and feels premium, while its Snapdragon chipset handles everyday tasks without breaking a sweat. Its all-day battery life is another big win, and the OLED display easily outclasses the MacBook Neo's IPS LCD panel. I also love the 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you a little extra vertical screen real estate without making the laptop feel too big.

There's little doubt the MacBook Neo was Asus' main target with the Zenbook 14, and I'd say the company has done an excellent job of delivering a worthy Windows alternative, though it's $100 more than the $700 MacBook Neo. However, with its premium build, longer battery life, OLED display, and more versatile port selection, the Zenbook 14 has a lot going for it. That said, the base model comes with 8GB of RAM, which is manageable if you don't run too many apps or browser tabs at once, but it's still something to keep in mind.

Overall, if you're looking for a Windows laptop that can go toe-to-toe with the MacBook Neo and even surpass it in several key areas, the Asus Zenbook 14 is well worth a look at $800.

This device was provided to Pocket-lint by Asus.