The Asus Zenbook 14X OLED is one in every of my favourite new Home windows laptops that I reviewed this yr. It’s an incredible worth, providing a quick CPU alongside a wonderful OLED show.
However can it compete with the MacBook Air 15-inch? The unbelievable construct high quality and incomparable battery life make it a tricky battle for the Zenbook to win, even at its extra budget-friendly value.
Specs and configurations
| Asus Zenbook 14X OLED | Apple MacBook Air 15 | |
| Dimensions | 12.67 inches x 8.88 inches x 0.67 inches | 13.40 inches x 9.35 inches by 0.45 inches |
| Weight | 3.44 kilos | 3.3 kilos |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-13500H Intel Core i7-13700H Intel Core i9-13900H |
Apple M2 (8 cores) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 |
10-core GPU |
| RAM | 8GB 16GB 32GB |
8GB 16GB 24GB |
| Show | 14.5-inch 16:10 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800) OLED, 120Hz | 15.3-inch 16:10 Liquid Retina IPS (2,880 x 1,864), 60Hz |
| Storage | 512GB SSD 1TB SSD |
256GB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD 2TB SSD |
| Contact | Sure | No |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x 3.5mm audio jack |
2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 1 x 3.5mm audio jack |
| Wi-fi | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080p with infrared digicam for Home windows 11 Hey facial recognition | 1080p |
| Working system | Home windows 11 | MacOS Monterey |
| Battery | 70 watt-hours | 66.5 watt-hour |
| Worth |
$800+ |
$1,299+ |
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The Zenbook 14X OLED is on the market in a number of configurations, together with an $800 entry-level mannequin with a Core i5-13500H, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14.5-inch 2.8K OLED show (the one possibility out there). Our assessment unit was the $1,000 configuration with a Core i7-1370oH and 16GB of RAM. You’ll spend $1,500 for a Core i9-13900H, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 as a substitute of built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics.
The MacBook Air 15 is significantly dearer, beginning at $1,299 for an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU M2 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina IPS show. On the excessive finish, the MacBook prices $2,499 with 24GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.
You’ll spend about $500 extra for the MacBook Professional 15 with half the storage, making the Zenbook 14X OLED a extra reasonably priced laptop computer by a substantial margin.
Design
The Zenbook 14X OLED has a extra mundane design in comparison with the MacBook Air 15. It’s constructed of aluminum, however doesn’t have fairly the identical inflexible and high quality really feel because the MacBook Air 15 that’s made out of CNC-machined aluminum. Each laptops are minimalist of their design, however the MacBook Air 15, out there in 4 completely different colours, provides off an class that the Zenbook, out there in only one coloration, doesn’t take pleasure in.
The MacBook Air 15 is a bit wider and deeper than the Zenbook 14X OLED. Each laptops weigh about the identical, however the MacBook is a surprising 0.45 inches thick versus the Zenbook’s 0.67 inches. The MacBook Air 15 is the thinnest 15-inch laptop computer out there at the moment, and that provides it a sleeker and extra moveable really feel.
You’ll additionally love the MacBook’s Magic Keyboard, which it shares with different fashionable MacBooks and is one of the best keyboard out there. It has completely sized keycaps and glorious key spacing, with exact and snappy switches that aren’t deep, however are nonetheless extremely comfy. The ZenBook 14X OLED has a great keyboard with a cushty structure and switches, however it’s not in the identical league. The MacBook’s Drive Contact haptic touchpad can be bigger and extra nice to make use of than the Zenbook’s mechanical model.
Connectivity favors the Zenbook 14X OLED, with a mixture of fashionable and legacy ports. Each laptops have up-to-date wi-fi connectivity. Each even have 1080p webcams, and the Zenbook has an infrared digicam for Home windows 11 Hey facial recognition, whereas the MacBook has a Contact ID fingerprint reader embedded within the energy button.
Efficiency
We reviewed the Zenbook 14X OLED with a 45-watt Intel Core i7-13700H CPU, which has 14 cores (six Efficiency and eight Environment friendly) and 20 threads. The MacBook Air 15 has one CPU possibility, an 8-core CPU/10-core GPU Apple M2.
In our CPU-intensive benchmarks, the Zenbook was significantly quicker. Neither are made for demanding inventive duties or gaming, and for many productiveness customers, each will match the invoice. However the Zenbook 14X OLED could have the next efficiency envelope.
| Geekbench (single/multi) |
Handbrake (seconds) |
Cinebench R23 (single/multi) |
|
| Asus Zenbook 14X OLED (Core i7-13700H) |
Bal: 1,848 / 11,157 Perf: 1,852 / 11,160 |
Bal: 84 Perf: 82 |
Bal: 1,819 / 11,066 Perf: 1,826 / 12,795 |
| MacBook Air 15 M2 (M2 8/10) |
Bal: 2,606 / 10,024 Perf: N/A |
Bal: 144 Perf: N/A |
Bal: 1,596 / 8,020 Perf: N/A |
Show and audio
The Zenbook 14X OLED, as its identify implies, has a wonderful OLED show with extremely deep distinction and inky blacks, broad and correct colours, and enough brightness. The MacBook Air 15 has an excellent Liquid Retina IPS panel that may’t fairly sustain with the Zenbook’s. The Zenbook’s show can be barely sharper given the almost equal resolutions and a smaller display dimension, whereas working at a quicker 120Hz than the MacBook’s 60Hz.
General, the Zenbook 14X OLED’s show is superior and really welcome on the lesser value.
| Asus Zenbook 14X OLED (OLED) |
MacBook Air 15 (IPS) |
|
| Brightness (nits) |
355 | 475 |
| AdobeRGB gamut | 100% | 100% |
| sRGB gamut | 98% | 90% |
| Accuracy (DeltaE, decrease is best) |
1.04 | 1.23 |
Whereas the Zenbook may win the show battle, the MacBook wins in offering significantly better audio high quality. It enjoys six audio system, together with force-canceling woofers, in comparison with the Zenbook’s two audio system, they usually present deeper and richer audio with extra bass than you’ll discover in most audio system.
Portability
We’ve already established that the MacBook Air 15 is extremely skinny, however each laptops are comfortably moveable. Neither will likely be a burden to lug round.
Nonetheless, in terms of battery life, the MacBook Air 15 is a transparent winner. It would final round 18 hours in typical use, in comparison with eight or much less with the Zenbook 14X OLED. You’ll be working nicely right into a second day with the MacBook and plugging within the Zenbook significantly earlier.
| Asus Zenbook 14X OLED (Core i7-13700H) |
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2) |
|
| Net searching | 8 hours, 2 minutes | 18 hours 48 minutes |
The Zenbook 14X OLED is a good laptop computer, however the MacBook Air 15 is best
In case you’re on a decent price range, you’ll love the Zenbook 14X OLED. It’s quick, has a wonderful OLED show, and first rate battery life. It acquired a excessive ranking in our assessment for a cause.
However the MacBook Air 15 with its M2 chip is greater than quick sufficient, has an incredible show of its personal, and affords up unbelievable battery life. It’s additionally the extra elegant and strong design, and whilst you’ll pay extra for it, it’s nicely well worth the value. The MacBook Air affords the higher general expertise, however the further price make it will likely be robust to swallow for some.
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