Asus used this year’s CES to introduce the latest generation of its popular ZenBook 14. As befits a ZenBook, this model also comes in a cool designed case that is not only beautiful but also extremely light. But Asus promises even more than a high-quality exterior. The UltraBook’s innards are also supposed to be convincing. For example, the hardware expert talks about a maximum battery life of an impressive 16 hours. The combination of a large battery and an energy-efficient AMD Ryzen 5000U APU is supposed to make it possible.
Powerful Ryzen processors
The Ryzen 5000 from AMD is a real boon for notebook manufacturers. After all, the processor enables unprecedented battery runtimes. At the same time, you don’t have to do without the corresponding performance at all. However, not only the manufacturers profit from this, but ultimately we as buyers do as well. After all, who complains about long-lasting notebook batteries? One example is the Asus ZenBook 14 presented at this year’s CES, where Asus installs the brand-new chip to benefit from these advantages. As a buyer, you should have the choice between different chips in the upcoming ZenBook 14.
In addition to the Ryzen 5 5500U, you should also be able to opt for the Ryzen 7 5700U. While the first offers six cores, the somewhat stronger Ryzen 7 even comes with eight processor cores. However, you have to leave the matter in the village. Asus uses two chips that are based on the now slightly outdated Zen 2 architecture. This cannot quite keep up with the current Zen 3 architecture, which is used in the Ryzen 7 5800U, for example. Nevertheless, the Ryzen processors should be able to provide decent hardware power in the slim ultrabook.
Astonishing battery runtimes and great features
Together with the Ryzen 5 processor, the ZenBook’s built-in battery forms a true dream team. The 67 watt-hour battery is supposed to last up to 16 hours thanks to the energy efficiency of the chip. This is really an amazing value that theoretically fills two average workdays. There is also a choice of different working memory sizes. In the maximum features, 16 GB of RAM are possible. In addition, the most expensive features a PCIe-M.2-SSD with a proud 1 terabyte of storage space. An infrared webcam is installed as standard. We already know this from the ZenBook 13 OLED. Thanks to the infrared camera, a practical unlocking via Windows Hello is possible.
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 speak for a good connectivity of the ZenBook 14. Unfortunately, we look for standard Thunderbolt in vain by now. Instead, Asus installs two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, an HDMI port and a headphone jack. The good connectivity package is rounded off by a microSD card reader. The new ZenBook 14 also offers the option to convert the classic track pad into a practical num pad.
Prices and availability
Unfortunately, we don’t know anything about prices and release dates in Germany yet. In the United States, the Ultra Book is supposed to arrive as early as February 2021.
