One of my favorite laptops I’ve tested this year is ultraportable and has all-day battery life

It has been a giant yr for developments in processor expertise, and it is solely persevering with to ramp up. Intel simply introduced its subsequent era of high-efficiency, AI-powered chips with the Core Extremely Sequence 2, and one of many first laptops it is loaded on is the Asus Zenbook S 14. 

Final month, ZDNET’s Cesar Cadenas went hands-on with the Zenbook S 14 working the Intel Core Extremely 5 processor, praising the laptop computer’s efficiency, battery effectivity, and sensible OLED show. The accessible {hardware} configuration of 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage stored the worth all the way down to an agreeable $800, whereas the processor’s NPU did the heavy lifting. The largest disadvantage we famous was its tendency to run scorching. Extra on that in a bit.

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Now, a month later, we’ve yet one more configuration of the Zenbook S 14 with the just-announced Intel Core Extremely 7 200V (Sequence 2) processor on a 32GB, 1TB loadout. Intel’s new chip comes with an enhanced NPU 4.0 AI Engine for 47 TOPs, aiming to bridge the hole with different AI-powered processors with upgraded x86 effectivity and redesigned structure for powering thinner, lighter gadgets (that endeavor to run cooler). 

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Asus’ Zenbook S 14 was already a skinny, battery-efficient machine. This processor goals to enhance and develop its efficiency in ways in which customers care about (and in methods which might be underneath the microscope within the present market). In that context, Intel is taking intention at different AI processors which might be powering Home windows’ line-up of Copilot+ PCs, reminiscent of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X collection and AMD’s Ryzen AI chips. 

I went hands-on with the Zenbook S 14 over the course of every week and located this Core Extremely 7 Sequence 2-powered laptop computer runs loads just like the aforementioned Snapdragon X- and Ryzen-based machines. It is snappy, with rapid-fire load occasions and clean transitions between apps whereas multi-tasking. Even higher is the truth that the laptop computer’s attractive OLED show with a variable 120Hz refresh fee feels clean and premium.

Whereas working the industry-standard gamut of benchmarking software on this machine, I bought numbers that correlated with Intel’s anticipated metrics: 

When it comes to battery life, the Zenbook S 14 is nothing wanting spectacular. Throughout our livestream take a look at, this laptop computer lasted properly over 17 hours streaming a full-screen video over Wi-Fi. Nonetheless, throughout sustained, regular use, I bought between eight to 10 hours, relying on what I used to be doing. 

That is the place the AI comes into play: The facility-saving expertise with Intel’s “Clever Show” and dynamic tuning makes use of machine studying algorithms to routinely modify brightness, refresh fee, and distinction based mostly on person exercise and on-screen content material. That is what permits this gadget to effortlessly play media for a number of hours on finish with solely a trickle of battery life.

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Concerning the physique, the laptop computer’s ceraluminum development is matte and barely tough with a speckled, natural texture. Total, the Zenbook’s design is daring and refreshing, outlined by skinny bezels and straight, crisp strains. The keyboard has a tender however satisfyingly tactile really feel, and the trackpad is practical and well-positioned, going proper as much as absolutely the fringe of the gadget. 

Intel promised thin-and-light type elements with its new processors, and this child is certainly skinny and lightweight. When closed, it is 0.47 inches thick, and weighs solely 2.65 kilos. The distinctive floor is simple to grip and resists fingerprints, and the port choice is refreshingly expansive: You have bought two USB-Cs, an HDMI, USB-A, and a headphone jack. 

The Intel Arc GPU on board additionally offers a surprisingly high-performing gaming expertise, as properly. I streamed a number of video games I’ve within the cloud, and Intel’s Core Extremely 7 and slick OLED display screen make for a strong gaming gadget, exonerated from the emulation points that making gaming on a Copilot+ PC a headache.

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There may be one factor I ought to point out: the warmth dispersion. This is not the most popular laptop computer on the market, but it surely’s actually not a cool and unbothered one, both. In my expertise, I might say it generates about the identical quantity of warmth because the earlier config of the Zenbook S 14 we examined with the Intel Core Extremely 5 (which we noted was on the excessive aspect). 

Simply to place this into perspective, a yr in the past this may be thought of common; it is with the deployment of ARM structure that the expectation and perceptions surrounding Home windows PCs have shifted. Now that we have seen Windows machines run seemingly fanless, there is no going again. This laptop computer runs hotter than any of the Copilot+ PCs I’ve examined, sure, but it surely’s additionally extremely skinny. 

Apart from this, the thinness additionally comes with a number of different trade-offs, specifically the truth that when the audio system are firing (which, get loud, by the best way), the entire gadget vibrates. This will likely or will not be a dealbreaker for some, but it surely does affect the person expertise, and is an inevitable bodily results of working with such a skinny type issue. 

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To sum all of it up, there’s a couple of pathway towards the AI-powered future, and laptop computer producers like Asus and Lenovo are proving that with gadgets that are available in myriad configurations as expertise continues to develop at warp velocity. For the buyer, this implies choices, but in addition trade-offs.

The Zenbook S 14, for instance, is out there as:

Intel needs to offer all the advantages of Home windows-on-ARM chips however with none of the compatibility or emulation points, and it succeeds in some respects (battery life, efficiency, a skinny and lightweight type issue), however does not fairly match up in others (warmth dispersion). 

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Points apart, the Zenbook S 14 is a boldly designed gadget, and one among my favourite laptops of 2024 for its dedication to the expertise. This can be a laptop computer I enthusiastically suggest for anybody who needs a stunning show, high-performing processor, and above all, a daring and ultraportable type issue at a aggressive value level. 

The Asus Zenbook S 14 is available for preorder now, with gadgets anticipated to ship September 24, 2024.