Written By Manik Berry
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED review: When speed and power skip the basics
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED follows in the footsteps of Zenbooks of the past. It is a military-grade tough laptop that is around 1 cm thin and 1 kg light.
Published By: Manik Berry | Published: Feb 26, 2024, 07:26 PM (IST)
Highlights
- ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED comes with Intel's Core Ultra 7 processor.
- ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED comes with a 14-inch touchscreen display.
- ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED comes with a 75Wh battery.
For the unaware, ASUS Zenbook laptops are the Windows equivalent of MacBook. High-performance machines in thin and light chassis. The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED 2024 is no different. It is a military-grade tough laptop that is around 1 cm thin and 1 kg light. 
Also Read: ASUS Vivobook S16 Launched In India With Snapdragon X Processor, Priced At Rs 67,990: Check Specs, Offers And More
While all the performance and slimness are good, there are some things that ASUS could improve in this laptop. It has a reflective screen, goes only 180 degrees, and still has a clunky charger. That said, the last sentence is an oversimplification, so let me take you through my user experience review of the ASUS Zenbook 14 2024. Also Read: Lenovo Legion Go 2 Leak Reveals 144Hz OLED Panel, Ryzen Z2 Extreme Ahead Of IFA 2025
ASUS Zenbook 14 2024 specifications
| Specifications | ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155-H processor Intel Core Ultra 5 125-H processor |
| Graphics | Intel Arc Graphics |
| Display | 14-inch 16:10, 3K (2880 x 1800) 120 Hz OLED touchscreen 87% screen-to-body ratio 550-nits peak brightness 100% DCI-P3 DisplayHDR 500 True Black14-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 60Hz OLED (non-touch) 87% screen-to-body ratio 600-nit peak brightness 100% DCI-P3 DisplayHDR 600 True Black |
| Audio | 2 built-in speakers, Harman Kardon-certified Dolby Atmos compatible |
| Memory | Up to 32GB LPDDR5x |
| Storage | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Keyboard | ASUS ErgoSense keyboard |
| Webcam | FHD webcam with Windows Hello Additional features: Auto-framing, Eye tracking, and background blur |
| Connectivity | Dual-band Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.3 |
| I/O | 2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 + charging ports (5–20 V) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1 x standard HDMI 2.1 (TMDS) 1 x combo audio jack |
| Battery | 75 Wh lithium-polymer battery |
| Power adapter | 65W USB-C AC adapter |
| Dimensions and weight | 312.42 x 220.05 x 14.9 mm 1.2 ~ 1.28 kg |
| Colours | Foggy Silver, Ponder Blue |
| Price | Starts at Rs 96,990 |
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED review: Display and build
The display is one of the strongest areas of the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED. It has a bright, colourful, vibrant screen that’s equally good for day-to-day use and long binge-watching sessions. This 3K panel is also a touchscreen, which adds to the overall functionality.
On the downside, it could’ve been better. For starters, it is highly reflective, so if you have a light source directly behind you, it’ll hamper your experience. We tested the HP Dragonfly G4 last year, and that had a privacy screen to limit viewing angles only to the user. A feature like that would be a welcome addition to this panel.
One more place I feel missing is a 360-degree form factor. This laptop is military-grade tough and has a good touchscreen and stylus support. In a nutshell, this is a clear and bright display with a responsive touchscreen. But it should’ve been less reflective and should’ve had a 360-degree hinge for a full tablet mode experience.
On the bright side, the Harman Kardon speakers are loud and have clear sound with enough bass to enjoy a movie or play music as you work.
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED review: Keyboard and trackpad
On a work laptop, typing is something that has to be spot on. The Zenbook 14 OLED has an ErgoSense hinge that slightly lifts up the keyboard deck when you open the laptop. While it doesn’t seem like much, this incline makes it easier to type faster on the Zenbook. It is also less straining on the wrists, which is good.
This is a silent, well-laid-out keyboard with decent key travel. There’s no chassis flex so you can type fast without much screen or chassis wobble. However, it misses out on a fingerprint sensor, which should’ve been an option for users who want to keep their webcam shutter closed.
Onto the trackpad, things are large and smooth. Again, this is a responsive trackpad with multi-finger gestures. It also doubles up as a number pad, which is handy in case you’re working on Excel or any other data entry tools. My only complaint is that the button that turns on the trackpad has a little lag at times.
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED review: Benchmarks and performance
| Benchmark | ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED |
|---|---|
| Geekbench Single-core | 2351 |
| Geekbench Multi-core | 12700 |
| Cinebench R23- n thread | 11040 |
| Cinebench R23 1 thread | 1595 |
| PC Mark 10 | 6600 |
| 3D Mark Night Raid | 27000 |
It is an Intel Ultra machine, and that shows in the benchmarks too. The Zenbook 14 OLED performs okay in single-core tests, but multi-core benchmarking is a whole different story. Intel’s latest chips seem to make a major performance leap while keeping the power consumption in check.
Light games like Angry Birds 2 are no sweat. Multiple Chrome windows with Photoshop are also easy job for the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED. You can try and play AAA titles like Farcy 6, but you’ll end up with a jittery experience since there are no dedicated graphics.
So what is it good for? The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED can handle light video editing, Photoshop, and light games like Angry Birds 2 really well. It also managed to give me close to 14 hours of battery backup on mixed-use. This laptop will struggle if you run heavy games, and that’s when you’ll also see the battery drain away.
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED review: Battery and heat management
Zenbooks have had decent heat management in the past, and this one is no different. You can use it on a table, on your lap, or top of a pillow, and the heat management remains pretty much the same. The MyASUS app is also clever software that lets you control fan profiles and manage battery performance to get the right balance for you.
It has a 75Whr battery that fast charges at 65 watts via USB-C. I got between 12 and 14 hours of battery backup from it, and even if you’re running more demanding tasks like Photoshop or Premier Pro, you should get between 6 to 8 hours of runtime before you need to plug it in.
But like a chink in the armour, we have the ASUS charger. The Zenbook 14 OLED is priced close to the Apple MacBook, so we expect both to offer similar goodies. But where MacBooks deploy clean, easy-to-carry chargers, ASUS still has a rather clunky brick.
This has been my constant complaint from all manufacturers, be it ASUS, HP, or even Lenovo. While all of them have managed to make ultra-slim and superbly portable laptops, the charging bricks seem to not evolve at all. So, it’d be great to see ASUS make a difference here.
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED review: Verdict
I showed this laptop to a friend who uses a MacBook Pro, and he too gave it a serious thought. While Windows is a major factor when considering something other than a MacBook, it is time we admit that Windows machines are getting pretty good too.
Spec for spec, feature for feature, ASUS is giving you a touchscreen laptop with a 3k OLED display, really good speakers, a solid battery life, and a durable chassis. But then as I said in the headline, it is skipping the basics. It still ships with a clunky charger and no 360-degree mode.
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The bottom line is if you’re someone who frequently travels, or needs a light and powerful laptop, the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED is a good choice. It has great specs and a good display for work and multimedia consumption. You’ll just have to live with the occasional glare under direct sunlight, and maybe use a lighter third-party charger.
