Maroc - THECEKODOK.COM - A La Une - 26/Mar 13:07

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407QA) Review – Snapdragon “X” Is Mature

Snapdragon X is mature or Snapdragon is not mature on this ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407QA laptop, it depends on your usage. For me, it is actually almost mature and Snapdragon X chips for Windows laptops are almost a real competitor to Mac with Apple Silicon. For this laptop, it is a perfect device if the price is cheap but if you still stubbornly want to buy it, is it worth it?SPECIFICATION AND DESIGNModel Name ASUS Vivobook A14 (UX3407QA) Copilot+ PCDisplay Size 14″, WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10, LED, 60600 nits HDR, GlossySnapdragon X X126100 processor(30MB Cache, up to 2.97GHz, 8 cores, 8 Threads)Qualcomm Hexagon NPU 45TOPSAdreno X1-85 Graphics Chip (4.6 TFLOPS)RAM 32GB LPDDR5XInternal Load 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSDFull HD camera + Windows HelloAudio Smart Amp TechnologyBuilt-in stereo speakersBuilt-in microphoneI/O plug 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (>10Gbps)2x USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C (>40Gbps)1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS1x 3.5mm Combo Audio JackWindows 11 Home Operating SystemWi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) (Triple band) 2×2Bluetooth 5.3Battery 70WHrCharger 65WPrice RM4,999After having fun with the Mac Mini M4, as an experienced writer I had to give in and give this system to the intern who needs to learn more to hone his talents. Because of that, I went back to the Windows system and the laptop of choice is the Zenbook A14 UX3407QA which is the most basic Snapdragon X laptop in the Copilot+ PC family. The selling price of RM4,999 is for the design and construction material of this laptop which is Ceraluminum.On paper, the Zenbook A14 uses a 14-inch IPS LED screen with FHD resolution with a 16:10 display ratio that supports HDR and 600 nits brightness and a 60Hz refresh rate. This laptop is powered by the Snapdragon X126100 chip paired with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of internal storage. The speakers are stereo, the laptop weighs 899 grams, supports 1x USB-A and 2x USB-A connections and can still maintain an HDMI connection, which is a compliment to this crazy thin and light modern laptop.This laptop is the younger version because the Zenbook A14 also has a more powerful model with the Snapdragon X Elite chip. This laptop is a productivity laptop with a focus on the use of AI with basic creative use. This laptop is seen trying to be a Windows version of the Macbook Air with its own Arm chip, only sold at an earlier price and developers are still not ready to offer much of their software compared to the X86 platform.Don't forget that the Zenbook A14 is an official Copilot+ PC laptop, so many generative artificial intelligence features will be processed from within the device such as for several Copilot features in Paint, the Copilot chatbot or the AI ​​features by ASUS itself that are ready to be built for the most efficient productivity purposes.USAGE EXPERIENCEAs I write this review, this laptop has been my daily device for almost a month. It was also my main laptop during my week at MWC 2025, Barcelona. One thing I like most about this laptop is its very long battery life. It is also the first time I have used a Windows laptop that does not need to be charged on the second day.The battery life has made me feel very satisfied but the design also makes me want all laptops to take ASUS as inspiration. This laptop weighs only 899 grams, it also has a thin design profile, in addition to passing the trendy test of being able to hold with three fingers.ASUS Zenbook A14 is a laptop built for work, but not hard work and heavy work. It is more about getting work done or doing editing no matter where. For example, I can write more than 10 news stories a day with this laptop while I am outside, or process two long articles. At the same time, I can also use this laptop if I just want to check the files of unpublished video projects. This laptop is very easy to operate, no matter where I am I am comfortable using it without any complaints.Yes, Snapdragon X is capable of video editing on Adobe Premiere Pro even though this application is still in the X86 version. The performance is a bit challenging, but as I said earlier if you just do a review or small edit this laptop really helps.Better video editing performance with this laptop is by using CapCut. Although Zenbook A14 is not the ProArt series where the AI ​​CapCut feature runs from within the device, it still has fast performance and in my manual calculations – it is more or less the same as the video rendering performance on the Mac Mini M4.What I'm not satisfied with is that the Zenbook A14 seems to have a smoother performance experience than the Vivobook S 15. Perhaps the more recent Windows 11 running than the Vivobook at that time was the first phase product for this Arm chip. However, for full use, the Zenbook A14 is actually more limited and weaker in performance. Only the Zenbook A14 is packaged in a luxurious and stylish premium package.Although the Snapdragon X does not have the capabilities of the Snapdragon X Elite, my daily tasks are not affected at all. Every day I can still do work as I would on a Windows X86 laptop. Yes, there may be some applications that cannot be done or are annoying to run – but they are not applications that I use daily. Photoshop performance is among the fastest, then StoryCube by ASUS itself is able to manage photo and video libraries efficiently and quickly.However, Windows is still Windows. From then until now, my user experience has been more or less the same. If there are any changes, it may be more to the interface that is only getting more and more modern. Compared to macOS, as a Windows user for over a decade, macOS is a unique operating system. When I returned to Windows, the feeling of being bland was a little felt. Even using the Copilot feature on this laptop was not satisfactory, so the empty Apple Intelligence on the Mac Mini M4 felt useful.What convinced me to continue using this laptop was its design and body. The Zenbook A14 is a very beautiful, sexy and charming device. It is also thin and super-light because it is not even 1 kilogram but can accommodate a battery that lasts almost two days. Because of this laptop, my body no longer hurts when traveling to foreign countries carrying various devices in a backpack.Windows Hello is also among the features and functions that I feel are very useful on most Windows laptops. To use Face ID on a Macbook, only the Pro model is supported, otherwise you will be stuck with Touch ID only. Windows laptops sometimes do not matter the price or category, the Windows Hello face scan with this infrared sensor can definitely be used smoothly.I am also not sure why I don't like looking at the bezel of the Windows laptop screen. Every time I look at it, it will definitely feel uneven (it's true), the chin is thick and it doesn't look immersive. I want to compare it with the Macbook Air M4 but, the screen of this laptop also does not have a smooth bezel. Maybe the overall design of the Macbook and the colors offered make it more pleasing to the eye.Zenbook A14 as its name suggests, uses a 14-inch IPS LED screen. It has only FHD resolution, uses a 16:10 display ratio format, refresh rate is 60Hz, brightness is 600 nits and supports basic HDR display. There is no touch screen support but this laptop screen for my daily use is quite perfect and comfortable. There are no issues that interfere with my tasks, so it is a good screen.The keyboard, on the other hand, is a chicklet type but clearly does not use the old system because it feels better. It seems to have a tactile effect but is still soft, then the typing experience and pressing each key is also smooth and not tiring. I can type long articles comfortably on this laptop.The thing I am most dissatisfied with is the touchpad on this Zenbook A14. Why is it that until today, in 2025, there is no Windows laptop with a trackpad as good as the Macbook or Magic Trackpad? Yes, the Huawei Matebook has a variant that offers it but perfect use is still won by Apple. I really miss the experience of using a trackpad on a Mac device compared to Windows.PERFORMANCE AND BENCHMARKSFor benchmarks on macOS, it does not support PCMark 10 or CrystalDiskMark. Instead, I only tested with 3DMark Wild Life Extreme, Cinebench and AmorphousDiskMark. For Cinebench, two tests were performed, namely for single-core and multi-core. The single-core test results showed the Apple M4 chip on this Mac Mini with a score of 2,169 which far leaves the score of five Intel Core i7 chips.Geekbench 6As expected, the Snapdragon X chip is weaker than the Snapdragon X Elite. However, for daily use it will not be so noticeable if you are just doing light tasks. Performance is clearly slow during heavy tasks such as running professional editing software, lots of AI processing and so on. For Geekbench 6, it shows a score of 2,072 on a single core which is not much different from the Vivobook S 15 but lags behind in multi-core with 9,747.Geekbench AIFor AI capabilities, the Geekbench AI score states that the Zenbook A14 is about the same as the Vivobook S 15. So you don't need to worry about the AI ​​performance of this laptop because based on my usage, it can still be my main laptop every day without having to run or rely on a more powerful system.3DMark Wild Life ExtremeThis is the first time I've been able to test 3DMark Wild Life Extreme on a Windows Arm laptop with a chip that has an Oryon GPU. On the Vivobook S 15, there was an error during the test but on the Zenbook A14 there was none and it displayed a score of only 3,231 and a frame rate of only 19.35. True, this laptop is not capable of running high-graphics video games but if you run an Android application, this laptop will most likely suffocate.CrystaldiskmarkThis is a benchmark test that I give A+++. Imagine, even the small and powerful Mac Mini M4 has a weak storage system but not on Windows? This laptop uses a 1TB SSD with a read speed of 6,999.53 MB/s and a write speed of 6,074.38 MB/s. It's no wonder that every time I transfer files and install applications, it seems to be completed in the blink of an eye.ECOSYSTEMBy using an ASUS laptop, there will be their own ecosystem but it is not limited to the ROG Phone only, but any Android device will be friendly with it. ASUS has GlideX, which is their answer to Microsoft Phone Link. It allows users to transfer files quickly, access the phone directly on the laptop and more.The ScreenXpert application is also still maintained, which is an application that is smart in managing the energy consumption for the screen. It can also detect the user's face looking at the screen, where only when the eyes look at the screen is the display bright but when they look to the side it starts to dim to save more battery of the device.BATTERYThe Zenbook A14 uses a 65W USB Power Delivery fast charging system. So far, I have only used the 65W GaN PD charger that I have, or charged this laptop with the PD powerbank that I have had for a long time. The charging process is also fast and the device will not heat up. As I said before, the battery life on a single charge can reach up to two days.WHAT'S IN THE BOXIn every purchase of Apple Mac Mini with M4 chip, here is what you will get in the box;1x ASUS Zenbook A141x USB-C charger set1x Leather case1x Backpack1x Document setCONCLUSIONI say ASUS Vivobook S 15 as a real Macbook Air competitor. For the Zenbook A14, it is also actually the same, only it comes in a more premium body and design. For example, the device is lighter and thinner, but in terms of performance it is lower than the Vivobook S 15. For something more powerful or a MacBook Pro competitor, the Zenbook A14 with Snapdragon X Elite which is RM1,000 more expensive may be the closest alternative. For the Windows version of the MacBook Air, the Zenbook A14 is not ready yet due to its selling price and performance.However, if you are looking for a thin and light Windows device – at the same time suitable for productivity and light tasks, this is the laptop for you. The use of AI is the main focus if you want to take advantage of features like Copilot, Paint and others. At RM4,999, this Snapdragon X laptop is actually not worth it because the MacBook Air M4 is sold at RM4,499. It is only worth it if you care about design, weight and only for simple tasks.PROS AND ADVANTAGESBeautiful design and build, light and very practical.Beautiful screen and sufficient for daily use.Very long-lasting battery, reaching 2 days.The great performance of the Snapdragon X is beyond expectations.Complete with useful connection ports.Large and satisfactory memory and storage.Beautiful speakers and good audioCONS AND DISADVANTAGESLimited color options.Non-OLED screen.65W PD charging that must use recognized standards.Snapdragon X is still not friendly to professional video editing applications.The selling price is quite high for what it can do."Experience ultimate performance and sleek design with the ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407QA) – your perfect companion for work and play! Get yours now and elevate your productivity!"