Asus Zenbook 14 Q425 overview: an $800 laptop computer that is value it

The whole lot else apart, I’ve all the time been impressed with Asus’ construct high quality. Like most Asus laptops I’ve reviewed, the Zenbook 14 Q425’s aluminum chassis and lid resist all bending, flexing, or twisting. I don’t know how Asus manages to make a lid that’s as skinny because the MacBook Air’s however doesn’t exhibit that laptop computer’s slight bendiness. The remainder of the Zenbook feels simply as stable. Even the hinge is equally properly performed, permitting the lid to be opened easily with one hand and retaining it in place.

The Zenbook 14 Q collection will be bought with both an Intel Core Extremely 5 125H or Core Extremely 7 155H chipset. Each are members of the 14th-gen Meteor Lake collection, they usually supply the aforementioned NPUs for on-device AI to go together with new Low Energy Environment friendly cores that promise higher effectivity. Each are 28-watt chipsets, with the Core Extremely 5 125H providing 14 cores (4 Efficiency, eight Environment friendly, and two Low Energy Environment friendly) and 18 threads operating at as much as 4.5GHz and the Core Extremely 7 155H with 16 cores (six Efficiency, eight Environment friendly, and two Low Energy Environment friendly) and 22 threads operating at as much as 4.8GHz.

I reviewed the latter, and it offered the identical quick CPU efficiency as each different laptop computer sporting the identical chipset. It’s as quick because the earlier era of 45-watt chips and may meet probably the most demanding productiveness wants. Whereas the followers spun up in efficiency mode, they had been by no means too loud and the chassis and keyboard deck by no means acquired greater than heat. We haven’t examined a Core Extremely 5 125H, but it surely ought to present loads of efficiency for productiveness customers.

The built-in Intel Arc graphics are about twice as quick as the sooner Intel Iris Xe, however that’s nonetheless about half as quick as entry-level discrete GPUs. So, the Zenbook 14 Q425 isn’t as spectacular as a gaming laptop computer or creator’s workstation.

One factor I hoped to see from Meteor Lake was improved effectivity. To this point, that hasn’t been the case with many laptops I’ve reviewed — however the Zenbook 14 Q425 is a step in the best path.

The Zenbook advantages from a really massive 75-watt-hour battery, which is a wholesome capability for a 14-inch laptop computer. Whereas it has an OLED show, it’s additionally “simply” FHD+ decision, whereas a few of its different midrange laptops have higher-res 2.8K panels. In our web-browsing check, which performs by an inventory of advanced web sites, it carried out very properly at roughly 12.5 hours. That’s properly above the category common and competes strongly in opposition to AMD’s extra environment friendly chips. And when looping our check video, the Zenbook 14 Q425 lasted for a formidable 18 hours.

That’s a lot better than the opposite Meteor Lake machines within the comparability group, together with different Zenbooks, and it’s solely considerably behind the industry-leading MacBook Air. You’ll get a full day’s work in productiveness workflows and the same old net looking, media consumption, and e mail duties. That’s extra prefer it.

Asus has been a frontrunner in pushing OLED shows to lower-priced laptops, and that’s what we see right here. Nonetheless, another 14-inch Zenbooks have had 2.8K (2880 x 1800) shows which are sharper than the Zenbook 14 Q425’s FHD+ (1920 x 1200) panel. And this one is proscribed to 60Hz, when the {industry} is shifting to 120Hz and quicker.

Nonetheless, I discovered the Zenbook 14 Q425 to sport a really good show. I seen some pixels whereas gazing textual content, however most individuals wouldn’t. In accordance with my colorimeter, its colours had been glorious at 100% of sRGB, 97% of AdobeRGB, and 100% of DCI-P3, with accuracy at a Delta-E of 0.90 (lower than 1.0 is great). The distinction was additionally glorious, as ordinary, with inky blacks, and there’s sufficient brightness at 361 nits for something however the very best excessive dynamic vary (HDR) efficiency.

I’d have most popular a 120Hz refresh fee, however in any other case, this is a wonderful show that can please productiveness customers and creators. The decrease decision and slower refresh fee probably contribute to the Zenbook 14 Q425’s nice battery life, making them web advantages for most individuals.

The audio is offered by a pair of downward-firing “Tremendous-linear” audio system that Asus says improve the diaphragm’s amplitude by 50% and quantity by 2.25 occasions. They positively get loud, however at full quantity, there was appreciable distortion and highs had been manner too vivid. It sounded rather a lot higher at round 50% quantity, the place distortion disappeared, whereas nonetheless being loud sufficient. The bass was even capable of make an look, and dialogue sounded snappy. Now, the audio didn’t match the wonderful system within the MacBook Professional, but it surely was definitely pleasing for streaming YouTube and Netflix, which shocked me.

The Zenbook 14 Q425 is just like another Asus 14-inch laptops, but it surely’s not an identical. It’s cheaper than the corporate’s different latest fashions and cuts a nook in show decision.

Nevertheless it shares the standard Asus construct high quality, has an excellent keyboard and touchpad, and its battery life matches its glorious efficiency. For those who’re on the lookout for a 14-inch laptop computer that received’t break the financial institution, the Zenbook 14 Q425 comes advisable.

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