ASUS ZenBook S 14" 3K Zumaia Gray 2025 Review

The ASUS Zenbook S 14 is a 1.2kg ultraportable that makes a strong case for itself with a few standout features. It's packing 32GB of DDR5 RAM, which lands in the 93rd percentile, and a 3K OLED touchscreen that's in the 89th percentile. That's a lot of memory and a gorgeous display in a very light package. But it's not trying to be everything to everyone. Its gaming score is a low 24 out of 100, and its CPU performance sits at the 54th percentile, which is just above average. This isn't a speed demon. It's a sleek, well-connected machine built for portability and media.

Performance here is a mixed bag, but that's by design. The Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU puts it right in the middle of the pack at the 54th percentile. It'll handle your daily tasks, office work, and video calls without a sweat, but don't expect it to blaze through heavy video encodes. The integrated Intel Arc graphics, while decent for an iGPU, land at the 59th percentile. You can play some older or less demanding titles, but that 24/100 gaming score tells the whole story. Where this machine shines is in its supporting cast. That 32GB of RAM is future-proof and fantastic for having dozens of browser tabs open while running other apps. And the 1TB SSD, while only at the 61st percentile, is still plenty of fast storage for most people.

At $1250, the value proposition is interesting. You're paying a premium for that ultra-light chassis, the excellent OLED screen, and the generous 32GB of RAM. You're not getting top-tier CPU or GPU performance for that money, so it's a trade-off. If your priorities are portability, a beautiful display, and lots of memory for multitasking, the price makes sense. If raw speed is your main concern, you can find faster machines for similar cash.

Compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 14", you're getting way more ports and a touchscreen for less money, but the M4 chip will run circles around the Core Ultra 7 in both speed and efficiency. Next to the ASUS Zenbook Duo, you lose the second screen but gain a more traditional, lighter single-screen design. Against gaming beasts like the MSI Vector or Gigabyte AORUS, there's no contest in performance, but you're carrying less than half their weight. This Zenbook carves its niche by being one of the most portable and well-equipped 14" laptops, not the most powerful.

The Zenbook S 14 is a specialist. If you need a supremely portable laptop with a stunning OLED screen, tons of RAM for multitasking, and every port you could want, it's a fantastic choice, especially at this price. But if you need serious CPU power, plan on gaming, or absolutely need all-day battery life, look elsewhere. The data shows it excels at being compact and entertaining, and it does those jobs very well.