The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is a new contender in the ever-growing market for ultraportable laptops. It boasts a sleek and lightweight design, a stunning OLED display, and a long-lasting battery, making it an attractive option for professionals on the go. But how does it fare in real-world use? In this in-depth review, we'll take a closer look at the Zenbook 14 OLED's design, performance, display, battery life, and more to help you decide if it's the right laptop for you.
Design
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) exudes an air of sophistication with its premium design. The chassis is constructed from lightweight aluminum, making it both durable and easy to carry around. It comes in two color options: Ponder Blue and Foggy Silver. We got our hands on the Ponder Blue option, and we were impressed by its sleek and professional look.
When you open the lid, you're greeted by a comfortable backlit keyboard and a spacious touchpad. The keyboard offers a good amount of key travel and a satisfying clicky feedback, making it a joy to type on. The touchpad is large and responsive, supporting multi-touch gestures for smooth navigation. Overall, the design of the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is top-notch. It's thin, light, and feels very well-built.
Display
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) shines brightest when it comes to its display. It boasts a gorgeous 14-inch OLED panel with a 3K resolution (2880 x 1800 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate. The OLED technology delivers deep blacks, incredibly vivid colors, and wide viewing angles. Whether you're working on creative projects, watching videos, or browsing the web, the display on the Zenbook 14 OLED is a true pleasure to look at.
The 120Hz refresh rate makes everything on the screen feel smoother and more responsive, especially when scrolling through webpages or gaming. However, it's important to note that not all applications take advantage of the higher refresh rate. Overall, the display on the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is one of the best you'll find on a laptop in this price range.
Performance
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is powered by the latest AI-powered Intel® Core™ Ultra processors, which offer significant performance improvements over the previous generation. We tested the model equipped with the Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 125H processor, which is paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. This configuration tore through everyday tasks like browsing the web, editing documents, and video conferencing with ease.
We also ran some benchmarks to see how the Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) handles more demanding workloads. In Geekbench 6, it scored an impressive 2247 points in single-core mode and 11569 points in multi-core mode. In the PCMark 10 benchmark, which simulates everyday productivity tasks, the Zenbook 14 OLED achieved a score of 6510. These scores indicate that the Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is a capable laptop that can handle most productivity tasks with ease.
While the Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) isn't a gaming laptop, it can handle some light gaming thanks to its integrated Intel® Arc™ Graphic. However, you won't be able to play the latest AAA titles at high settings. Overall, the performance of the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is well-suited for professional users who need a laptop that can handle everyday tasks and some light creative work, with some gaming on the side as well.
Battery Life
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) boasts a long-lasting battery that can easily get you through a workday on a single charge. During our testing, we were able to achieve up to 8 hours of battery life with mixed usage, which includes browsing the web, watching videos, and working on documents. This is excellent battery life for an ultraportable laptop with a high-resolution OLED display.
The Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) also supports fast charging, which allows you to quickly top up the battery when you're short on time. With the included 65W USB-C charger, you can charge up from 0 to 60% in just 49 minutes. And even if you forget the included charger, virtually all USB-C chargers, including smartphone ones, are supported if you need to topup your battery in an emergency.
Connectivity and Audio
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) offers a good selection of ports for connectivity. It comes with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, which can be used for charging, connecting external displays, and transferring data at high speeds. There's also a standard USB-A port for older peripherals, and a HDMI 2.1 port for connecting to external monitors.
The audio system on the Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is decent with the super linear speaker technology. The Harman Kardon-certified speakers deliver clear audio, with slightly better bass extension than usual speakers. For most video conferencing calls and watching videos, the speakers are sufficient. However, if you're an audiophile or enjoy listening to music on your laptop, you'll likely still likely find more joy in a good pair of headphones.
Expandability
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is not designed to be easily upgraded. The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, so you won't be able to add more RAM after purchase. However, the storage is user-replaceable. There's an M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 slot that allows you to upgrade the SSD for more storage capacity.
AI Features
Based on Intel's latest AI processors, the laptop is also equipped with some of the AI features of Windows' own apps, including Copilot, Paint, Snipping Tool, Photos and Clipchamp. At present, Microsoft is gradually rolling out the ability to use Copilot directly on laptops in all regions of the world, and many users in Malaysia have begun to enjoy this feature. The difference from using it on the web is that it is more like a personal assistant on a computer, which can be used in conjunction with your work on your laptop. AI capability has also been integrated Snipping Tool, whereby allows the AI to detect and copy the text in the screenshot through text operations, and also has a quick editing function that allows you to quickly block sensitive information such as email addresses and phone numbers with one click.
Conclusion
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is a compelling option for professional users who need a powerful, portable, and stylish laptop. It boasts a gorgeous OLED display, long battery life, and a comfortable keyboard. The latest AI-powered Intel processors and ample RAM ensure smooth performance for everyday tasks and some light creative work.
One minor drawback of the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is that the display can be quite reflective. This can be annoying when using the laptop in bright light conditions. Additionally, the chassis material is prone to showing fingerprints. The lack of upgradability is also a slight drawback of this ultraportable design, but we can confidently say that all the drawbacks are outweighed by the laptop's strengths.
Overall, the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is a premium ultraportable laptop that delivers excellent value for its price. If you're looking for a stylish and powerful laptop that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, the Zenbook 14 OLED (UX3405) is definitely worth considering.
