For the previous couple of days, Ive been evaluating the ZenBook 14 UX425EA (specifically, the UX425EA-SH74). Eyes are on this specific ZenBook for one factor: the processor.
Asus has many ZenBook 14 models it stresses me out. Theres the UX433, a 2.6-pound slim-bezeled affair. Theres the Flip 14, a stylish convertible. Theres the UX431, a mid-tier $900 choice. And theres the UX425, which Asus quietly presented previously this summertime, that included a couple of tweaks to the traditional ZenBook design. Revealed earlier this month were the UX435, with a tiny secondary display screen in location of the touchpad, and the UX425EA.
You can get it in “pine grey” or “lilac mist.” This is the pine one.
I got to try the flagship Core i7-1185G7 in an Intel reference design earlier this month, and the results I saw from Intels new integrated graphics were excellent. I went into this evaluation with 2 primary questions: does the 1165G7 beat its Intel predecessor (the 1065G7, which powers the most recent Dell XPS 13) and does it beat AMDs Ryzen 7 4800U (part of Lenovos IdeaPad Slim 7)?
The appeal of the ZenBook remains in its mobility
Good Stuff.
No audio jack.
No fingerprint sensor.
Not-great cam.
A fast ZenBook 14 crash course. The appeal of this line (and the UX425 in specific) is in portability over performance. The UX425 is light for a 14-inch laptop computer at 2.49 pounds (1.13 kg) and thin at 0.54 inches (13.72 mm). Asus has handled to work the display screen into a chassis that doesnt feel excessive larger than that of most 13-inch rigs– theres a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio, thanks to the thin (2.5 mm) bezels on the sides of the display screen. (The top and bottom bezels are more noticeable than those of the Dell XPS 13, but theyre not horrible– 6.2 mm and 10.9 mm, respectively.).
Bad Stuff.
Strong integrated graphics efficiency.
Light and portable.
Touchpad becomes a numpad.
1W screen alternative.
2 other features assist separate the UX425 from the field. The first is a 1W screen choice, which must in theory help to extend battery life– Asus states it consumes 63.6 percent less power than a lot of laptop screens do.
And, naturally, this isnt a laptop you d buy for severe video gaming. Shadow of the Tomb Raider was not playable in 1080p, averaging 29fps on the most affordable settings. This is, again, much better than the Ice Lake XPS 13, which balanced 17fps, and worse than the 1185G7 recommendation platform (I wouldnt, of course, suggest utilizing any of these to in fact run this title).
Two USB-C and an HDMI on the left.
The display screen reached 349 nits in our screening.
The system did fine on simple titles, averaging 200fps on League of Legends and 92fps on Rocket Leagues maximum settings. Thats better than the XPS and the Slim 7 but still closer to those than to the 1185G7 recommendation design (which averaged 59fps on Epic and 89fps on Ultra).
And then theres the processor. Yes, it does provide the best video gaming efficiency weve seen from integrated graphics beyond a test style. Its an action forward, rather than the leap forward the 1185G7 appeared to be– and offered the benefit that AMD has in multicore performance, Im not sure thats enough to crown Intel the new ultraportable king. Tiger Lake is definitely a more formidable competitor than Ice Lake was– but the fight isnt over.
The ZenBook carried out sturdily throughout my workday, and pages packed a bit faster than they have on Ice Lake systems that Ive evaluated recently. The bottom of the laptop got hot at times (concentrated on the left side), but the keyboard, touchpad, and wrist rests stayed cool throughout my screening– and I never ever heard the fans. During video gaming, the CPU didnt pass 95 degrees Celsius.
microSD slot and USB-A on the right.
The port selection is good, with one unusual omission. You get 2 Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (you can thank the 11th Gen chip for those), one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one HDMI 2.0, and one microSD card reader. Notification something missing? Yep, theres no audio jack; Asus nixed that for the UX425. If youre fully transitioned to cordless headphones and microphones, pay this no observe– however that could reasonably be a deal-breaker for folks who still desire to utilize wired equipment. The ZenBook does ship with a dongle, but the idea of needing to use up a valuable USB-C port to plug headphones into a laptop simply makes me sad.
The chassis and lid are made from aluminum alloy.
It completed an export of a five-minute, 33-second 4K video in 11 minutes and 28 seconds, which is much faster than Iris Plus systems like the Surface Laptop 3, the XPS 13 2-in-1, and the LG Gram 17. There was a significant performance distinction between this system and the Core i7-1185G7 recommendation design, however– that device finished the same task in 8 minutes.
There are a couple of other tidbits to note. Design-wise, the UX425 is as ZenBook as they come, with Asus signature concentric swirl design on the cover and a familiar visual that I can best describe as “commercial trendy.” Asus states the UX425 meets the MIL-STD-810G screening standard, which indicates its passed a barrage of drop tests, temperature tests, vibration tests, and elevation tests. There is a fair little bit of flex in the cover, and a smidge in the keyboard, so Im not floored by the develop quality. The chassis does feel durable enough that Im not stressed about damaging the thing around.
Photography by Monica Chin/ The Verge.
For authentication, theres a cam that supports Windows Hello however no finger print reader. The web cam isnt great for video calls– I wasnt rinsed in brilliant areas, however there were likewise times when my face was entirely dark although I wasnt in a really dark setting.
The ErgoLift hinge tilts the deck up at a small angle.
The ErgoLift hinge is supposed to offer a more ergonomic typing position (and likewise more space for heat dissipation).
This ZenBook setup will cost $1,099. In addition to the 1165G7 with Intels Xe incorporated graphics, it has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, a 67Wh battery, and a 1920 x 1080 panel screen (with the 1W power draw). Theres likewise an $899 model, which has 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. The extra storage might deserve the premium for folks who desire to play games– 512GB can fill quickly– and Ill constantly recommend buying as much RAM as you can manage.
In other words, these results are an improvement over Ice Lake and Ryzen 4000. Theyre a reputable action forward. But theyre also a suggestion that not all Tiger Lake systems (and not all chips) are created equal– and this setup isnt as far ahead of Lenovos 4800U system as I d hoped it would be.
Asus has so numerous ZenBook 14 designs it worries me out. And theres the UX425, which Asus silently rolled out previously this summer, that consisted of a couple of tweaks to the traditional ZenBook style. Eyes are on this particular ZenBook for one reason: the processor. One thing I didnt expect is that you can still utilize the touchpad to browse and click on things while the numpad is up– the ZenBook never ever mistook my swipe for a tap or vice versa. The ZenBook performed sturdily throughout my workday, and pages loaded a bit much faster than they have on Ice Lake systems that Ive evaluated recently.
Asus states the ZenBook has a new “camera algorithm” to remedy exposure and color balance in selfies.
The ZenBooks battery results didnt blow me away. Our test involved running the system through my daily workload (using around a lots Chrome tabs, downloading, submitting, copying files, Google Sheets, Zoom calls, and other office stuff) on the Better Battery profile around 200 nits of brightness– it lasted seven hours and 20 minutes. Thats similar to the outcome we saw from the Dell XPS 13, however it doesnt come close to the gigantic life period of Lenovos IdeaPad Slim 7, that made it 13 and a half hours. Charging speed was also fine, however not astonishing– it took 58 minutes and 40 seconds to energize to 60 percent (throughout light usage).
At $800, I d call this ZenBook an outright take. At $1,100, Ill state its a fine purchase. Its functional and portable, as ZenBooks tend to be. On the outside, theres no category where its terrible and no classification where its the finest in its class (apart from the NumberPad, which is legitimately very cool but wont be helpful for everybody).
The keyboard has an extra column of keys on the far best including Home, PgUp, PgDn, and End. There are various hotkeys, consisting of one that turns off the web cam, one that locks the entire system, one that disables the touchpad, one that lets you take a snip screenshot, and one that raises Asus command center.
Theres no classification where its dreadful and no category where its the very best in its class.
The second is NumberPad 2.0. An LED numpad appears if you tap a little icon in the leading right corner of the touchpad. (This does need a remarkably firm press– I usually had to thunk it a couple times.) This is a creative idea (how typically do you see a number pad on a 14-inch laptop?) and it worked as marketed. One thing I didnt expect is that you can still use the touchpad to click and navigate on things while the numpad is up– the ZenBook never ever misinterpreted my swipe for a tap or vice versa. I could even rest my palm on the numpad while clicking around with no issue. You can also swipe down from the top left corner of the touchpad to bring up the Calculator app (despite whether the numpad is on or off).
Mentioning gaming, Intels greatest bet with Tiger Lake is on its Xe integrated graphics, which it declares offer up to two times the graphics performance of previous generations. While the ZenBook did beat both the 1065G7-powered XPS 13 and the 4800U-powered IdeaPad Slim 7, it didnt provide the sound drubbing the reference design led me to expect.
