ASUS likes to retain the model names of the laptop series, so consumers have to study the model number carefully to determine which generation or variant is the laptop. Here I am reviewing the Zenbook 14 UX3405CA, which is essentially the 2025 refreshed version running on the Series 2 (255H) of the Intel Core Ultra processor. This latest refresh model retails in Singapore at S$2199.
On the whole, this latest model is similar to previous-generation model. At 1.28kg, 14.9mm thin, and all-metal body, the Zenbook 14 feels well-made and solid, though the frame is a magnet for grease. It comes with a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, a full-sized HDMI port, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), and 3.5mm audio jack.
The AC adapter is a 65W USB-C PD charger and it charges the 75WHr battery in less than 2 hours. For my kind of usage of content creation and web browsing, the laptop delivers an average of 9 hours before getting low-battery warning of 20%.
The keyboard is back-lit, and the key travel is comfortable to type in, the touchpad doubles as a numeric keypad, and there are shortcut gestures like numberpad brightness control and calculator. The laptop supports facial recognition login to Windows, which is very convenient. But occasionally, it poses inconvenience as you need to face the laptop to login. With fingerprint, there is no such problem, but that also means you need to lift your fingers to touch the sensor everytime you need to login. Obviously, it would be perfect if a laptop offers two biometric login options.
The 3K 120Hz OLED display is touch-enabled, but it seems to have some form of power-saving mechanism where the initial touch is not responsive. After the touchscreen sort of “wakes up”, the subsequent touches will be highly reactive. I find the default display profile to be slightly on the cool side and not artificially saturated like Lenovo.
Audio quality is tuned by Harman Kardon and supports Dolby Atmos, so the speakers can deliver pretty big sound for simple joys. Of course, the sound is highly processed and not audiophile-grade, containing highly compressed sound that generally lacks the wide dynamic range that discerning listeners will look for. But for general consumers, they just want audio to be audible, good feel in the lower-mid frequencies and sparkling upper frequencies. It’s pretty much similar to other ASUS laptops with the Harman sound design.
Compared to the Zenbook S 14 I reviewed 2 months back, I can appreciate the premium price that the S14 commands. Besides the more unique Ceramic Aluminum finishing, the S14 is better in heat management and in battery life. The S14 also has proximity sensor which is absent on the Zenbook 14. The only drawback is the shorter keyboard travel, but other than that, I enjoy using the Zenbook S 14 better than the Zenbook 14.
Verdict
The ASUS Zenbook 14 2025 refresh running on Intel Core Ultra 7 Gen 2 starts at S$2,199 in Singapore. It is still the same solid-build laptop in the Zenbook 14 series with a new-gen Intel processor. The upgrade is worth it because of the newer AI NPU that will improve the processing speed of AI tasks, and improved power performance over the Gen 1 and all previous Intel chips.
Likes
- Solid build
- Relatively lightweight and portable
- Good key travel for efficient typing
- Touch screen
- Includes standard-size ports
Dislikes
- Fingerprint and grease magnet
- Personally I prefer more than one USB-A port
