It is a laptop for everyday use and a little more demanding users. Premium lightweight metal construction, as well as current hardware with an improved battery, make the ASUS Zenbook UX425 a flawless choice.
The thinness of this device (just 13.9 mm) is the first thing that strikes you. You will continue to be amazed by it no matter how much you use it. As we already said, it is quite light, as it weighs only about 1.13 kg, which declares it very portable.
ASUS announced that this device complies with the Military Grade certificate in order to demonstrate the high quality of workmanship to potential buyers. In other words, it meets strict military standards of durability, which guarantee, along with excellent build quality, the longevity of the product.
Display - One of the Main Features of This Device
One of the main features of this device is the 14-inch display. The thin edges on the side of the laptop make the screen really stand out even with Full HD resolution. Although 1080p resolution will not be to everyone’s taste, it should be said that the lighting is excellent, and the colors are accurate enough for the average online content creator who edits or uses Photoshop, covering 92 % of the sRGB spectrum, or 70 % of AdobeRGB. Since the screen that comes on the device is matte, it adapts much better to light reflection. In that way, it is more usable in the sun in outdoor use.
Increasing touchpads on current devices are something we welcome, and this one is usually easy to use and smooth. All gestures work, and there is also a button for quickly turning on the calculator on the touchpad, which will surely come in handy for users in the business sphere.
As for the keyboard, it has a key switch of 1.4 mm, which is better than the competition by 1 mm. Whether that one millimeter is felt in everyday use or not, it is difficult to assess. What is certain is that the keyboard is comfortable to use. Just by looking at it, you can see that it is distributed from edge to edge. Not only is it nice to the eye, but it also has a practical function, because you will not hit two keys at the same time as is the case with smaller keyboards. This makes it harder for your fingers to get tired when typing for a long time. It is necessary to say that the keyboard has its own lighting, which is so lacking on devices from other manufacturers.
ErgoLift Hinge - Something That Makes This Model Stand Out
The recognizability of this model is the ErgoLift hinge, i.e. lifting the back of the laptop from the base when the screen opens over 90 degrees. Aside from looking cool, it is also very practical. It enables better ergonomics and cooling because the air circulates easier due to the larger space under the device, and with more stable performance, this ensures an extended lifespan of the device because the device will not overheat, ASUS announced. Another benefit of this system is a better and louder sound that spreads more easily when the laptop is not resting on the surface with the whole body.
The Zenbook 14 has 1 HDMI port and 2 USB-C Thunderbolt ports on the right, both of which can be used to power the device, and if you want to listen to music via wired headphones, you will surely use one USB-C for the adapter that comes with the computer and through which the UBC-C will be converted into a 3.5 mm input, which is missing on the laptop itself. On the other side is the input for MicroSD cards and one plain USB-A.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Zenbook 14 comes in several options, and we tested the UX425EA model, bringing the latest 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake processor, along with the Intel Iris Xe graphics upgrade. With 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD, such hardware will allow you to perform daily multitasking at lightning speed. And what was unusual until yesterday is no longer - with this model you can also do some easier gaming with current games in HD resolution and on the middle or, rather, lower details.
When you have a lot of power, you need a lot of cooling. Although it can heat up under load, these temperatures do not exceed the level of comfortable use. However, when the fan heats up, that noise can be heard.
ASUS has also installed an excellent battery with a capacity of 67 Wh, which, according to the company, will enable up to 22 hours of use. In our testing, the device failed to last that long, but it is certainly a plus that a one-day charge was enough for normal use during the day: three, four hours of typing text, watching a few episodes of a one-hour series, and browsing the Internet for some online shopping and gambling at new online casinos in Australia, with about 20 % of the battery remaining.
Conclusion
The Zenbook family of gadgets are described as slim, light, powerful, with a material that leaves no marks, and portable. It also applies to the Zenbook 14 UX425 model that was tested with us.
