With the rise of Arm processors in laptops, x86 chip makers are not sitting idly by and watching their market share being stolen. AMD shows its capabilities with the new Kraken Point series, which has impressive battery life control, not inferior to MacBooks.
Thanks to improvements in power technology, chips and many other components, a 1.2 kg computer like the ZenBook 14 still has 8-10 hours of continuous use. On the other hand, this is still a "traditional" Windows machine, compatible and running well with millions of applications and games, without any compatibility concerns.
x86 stereotype
When Apple introduced its M-series processors based on Arm architecture in laptops, users were first introduced to the energy-saving potential of this technology. The way of handling calculations separately allows laptops to operate efficiently even on small battery capacity for long periods of time. From then on, x86 was considered an outdated, weak and power-hungry solution.
However, the potential of this ancient architecture has not been fully exploited. The Asus Zenbook 14 OLED model with the newly released AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 chip can still play video continuously for 15 hours. With mixed tasks, this product works 8-10 hours until the battery runs out. These numbers are achieved with a basic 75 Wh battery, in a body less than 2 cm thin and weighing 1.2 kg.
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Zenbook 14 uses AMD chip, has energy efficiency not inferior to Arm architecture. |
Compared to when plugged in, the machine also achieves almost constant performance for the first 25% of battery capacity, which is something that not many Windows laptops can do. It shows the careful optimization from Asus and AMD. In this condition, the performance returned per watt of the Zenbook 14 is equivalent to the MacBook Air M4.
In addition, somehow, even on multi-threaded tasks like video rendering, the machine automatically reduces power consumption to 8 W or even as low as 5 W. This helps Asus's ultrabook achieve nearly 7 hours of work on heavy tasks, an unimaginable number for Windows.
In terms of overall performance, the AI 7 350 has better multi-threaded performance than Lunar Lake as Intel has removed hyper-threading. The single-core performance of this chip is no longer a weak point. However, overall, the Apple M4 still leads when tested on Cinebench R24 with only 12 W. The AI 7 350 is ranked lower but higher than Lunar Lake in the same segment.
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50 TOPS AI core helps the machine run Recall, the new artificial intelligence tool on Windows. |
However, AMD still has some issues with optimizing Adobe apps. Rendering videos or running batch tasks in Photoshop Lightroom on the Zenbook 14 still doesn't feel as stable as an Intel processor, despite significantly better performance. Gaming isn't what the manufacturer is aiming for on this model either. However, the Radeon 860M GPU runs well enough for eSports or AAA games at the right settings.
However, heat dissipation is a point to note when the product only has one fan and the thin body is not optimal.
Ultrabook standard
At 30 million VND, the Zenbook 14 is more advanced than the Vivobook S but lower than the Zenbook S series. However, the quality of this product is not inferior to other Windows competitors. The frame is mainly made of aluminum, the C-side that comes into contact with the hand has an additional magnesium alloy.
The only problem I had with using it was that the black version showed fingerprints easily, requiring frequent cleaning to maintain a clean appearance. The product has good rigidity, except for the screen, which still has a little wobble because the hinge is handled in a soft direction.
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Asus' Zenbook 14 has an OLED display and a magnesium chassis. |
The OLED screen is a big plus for this product. At a price of less than 30 million VND, users have 3K resolution with a 120 Hz scan speed. Without having to play games, mouse movements and daily app opening tasks are also displayed smoothly. The product's OLED panel meets HDR standards, with deeper and more brilliant blacks than its competitors.
However, the maximum brightness is not too high, along with the lack of a matte coating, making it less than optimal for outdoor viewing. This is also a common weakness of many laptops using OLED screens: It looks good and very impressive indoors, but the quality drops a lot when outdoors.
The machine has deep key travel, bouncy typing, the trackpad is not large but is covered with glass and supports direct sound and light control functions. The webcam also supports FullHD resolution, can open the machine with Windows Hello.
Overall, Asus's model targets office and business users who need products with good performance, a minimalist appearance, and stable battery life. Compared to MacBooks or Snapdragon laptops, AMD's processors are still not as energy-efficient. The outstanding advantage of Zenbook 14 lies in not being as picky about applications as the new architecture.
Source: https://znews.vn/laptop-windows-gio-pin-trau-nhu-macbook-post1563852.html
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