ASUS Zenbook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC: Comprehensive Review
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Pros
- Excellent Display
- Touch Screen Display
- Strong Performance
- Ultra-Portable Design
- Impressive Battery Life
- Wi-Fi 7
- Robust build quality
Cons
- Price
- Lack of ports
- Stylus is not included
- Lack of ports
Introduction: ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC
ASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406SA) is an AI-powered laptop that is ultra-slim and comes with Microsoft’s Copilot+ feature. Today’s laptop users face a common problem – managing powerful performance and smooth workflow. While handling multiple projects, multitasking between multiple windows, and maintaining efficiency despite wanting portability, it gets difficult. This frustration affects productivity and defeats the convenience purpose of a laptop.
Zenbook S 14 (UX5406SA) is the perfect solution to these problems. It has integration of AI, which makes your work smart and easy. Due to which this laptop is best for students and professionals. Its Copilot+ feature understands your needs and helps you proactively. This laptop is not just a device but a smart partner that lightens your workload.
Design and Build Quality
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Design and Build Quality Specification
- Thickness: 1.1 cm (ultra-slim)1
- Weight: 1.18 kg (lightweight)
- Materials: High-tech ceramic and aluminium (Ceraluminum)
- Colours: Scandinavian White and Zumaia Gray (both with a silver finish)2
- Design: Sleek and sturdy, with a modern pattern on the top lid (signature ZenBook look)3
- Durability: MIL-STD-810H military-grade certified (resistant to altitude, vibration, and extreme temperatures)4
- Hinge: Smooth mechanism, one-hand opening
- Lid: Opens up to 110 degrees, minimal screen wobble
- Keyboard: Flex-free5
- Top Lid: Fingerprint-resistant, smudge-proof, scratch-resistant (light matte finish)
Build Quality & Materials
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC is an ultra-slim, lightweight laptop. It is 1.1 cm thick and weighs 1.18 kg, making it thinner and lighter than a MacBook.
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC is available in two colour variants: Scandinavian White and Zumaia Gray, which come with a beautiful silver finish, a sleek and sturdy design and a modern pattern on the top lid. This is the signature look of the ZenBook, but I found this design of the ASUS ZenBook S14 quite attractive.
The build of the ASUS ZenBook S14 is made of high-tech ceramic and aluminium (Ceraluminum), which gives it a premium feel and impressive durability. Additionally, it is MIL-STD-810H military-grade certified, which makes it durable even in tough conditions like altitude, vibration, and extreme temperatures.
Hinge & Lid Performance
The hinge mechanism of the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC is quite smooth. Despite the laptop’s light, I was able to open it easily with one hand. The lid opens up to 110°, which gives a comfortable viewing angle. Screen wobble is very minimal but a little noticeable. The top lid and keyboard are flex-free, which makes the laptop feel sturdy.
Fingerprint & Smudge Resistance
The top lid of the ASUS ZenBook S14 is fingerprint-resistant and smudge-proof, which keeps it clean even after heavy use. Also, its light matte finish is scratch-resistant, which keeps the laptop looking new for longer.
Specification
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Specification
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (4 P-cores, 4 LP-cores, eight threads)
- Graphics: Intel Integrated GPU (iGPU) with 8 Xe-cores, 64 vector engines, and ray tracing support
- AI Performance: Dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with 47 TOPS1
- Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X RAM (8533 MT/s)2
- Storage: 1TB Gen 4 SSD (single M.2 slot, upgradeable to 2TB)3
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.44
- Other Features: Dedicated media engine for video encoding and editing, Copilot+ AI features (Live Captions, Automatic Super Resolution, Windows Studio Effects: Background Blur, Auto Framing, AI Noise Reduction), Compact motherboard and large battery, Thin and lightweight design (implied).
- Operating System: Windows (with Copilot+ AI integration)
Performance & Features
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC we have is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor. It comes with eight cores and eight threads; there is no hyper-threading in it like we see in CPUs with eight cores and 16 threads.
But there is the concept of P-core and LP-core in it. It has 4 P-cores (Performance Cores) and 4 LP-cores (Low Power Cores). There are no efficiency cores. Due to having next-gen P-cores, it can easily handle high-performance tasks. LP cores are quite useful for background tasks and low-power workloads.
If P-cores always run at full power, then battery backup will be less, that’s why LP-cores are used. In the ASUS ZenBook S14, when there is normal multitasking, light browsing, or running apps in the background, the system assigns LP cores, which provides better battery efficiency.
Power Consumption & Thermal Efficiency
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC Despite being such a thin and lightweight laptop, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor can draw up to a maximum of 28W of power. The motherboard size is compact, but the battery is quite large. Still, it delivers high performance.
Since this is a premium ultrabook, it should have the latest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth versions. And that is what is available as well – it supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
Graphics Performance & AI Features
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) comes with Intel Integrated GPU (iGPU), which comes with 8 Xe-cores and 64 vector engines. Apart from this, ray tracing is also supported, which is quite useful for gaming and content creation.
But the biggest thing is the dedicated media engine. This makes the video encoding and editing workflows smooth. When you do video editing, the timeline experience feels quite buttery smooth because of the hardware-level acceleration.
NPU (Neural Processing Unit) – AI Performance
The biggest upgrade in the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC is its NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Earlier, we used to see NPU with 10-12 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second), but due to Copilot+ certification, here we have been given NPU of 47 TOPS – which is a massive performance jump!
NPU handles AI-based workloads and processes low-power AI tasks efficiently. If we use a CPU or GPU for every AI task, then the battery drains very quickly. NPU plays a very big role in optimizing battery backup in thin & light laptops.
Today, 100+ applications support AI features, and in the future, AI will be used more. Features like AI automation, real-time translations, background blur, super-resolution, and live captions will not be possible without NPU.
Memory & Storage – Speed & Expandability
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC has 32GB LPDDR5X RAM, which works at a blazing-fast speed of 8533 MT/s. The iGPU also uses shared VRAM, which helps with gaming and content creation.
Talking about storage, 1TB Gen 4 SSD has been given, which offers high read & write speeds. Only one M.2 slot is given, but you can upgrade up to 2TB. But if there is a MicroSD card slot, it would be more convenient. But if you want to expand storage, then an external SSD would be the best option.
Battery Life & OS Features
The ASUS ZenBook S14 uses an Intel chipset based on x86 architecture. It is not as battery-efficient as Snapdragon ARM-based AI PCs, but Intel’s latest optimizations provide better battery backup.
The AI-enhanced features that come with Copilot+ AI PCs will also come to X86 laptops, such as:
- Live Captions
- Automatic Super Resolution
- Windows Studio Effects (Background Blur, Auto Framing, AI Noise Reduction)
These features are going to be officially rolled out with Windows updates.
Performance, Benchmarks & AI Integration with Copilot+
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Performance
Performance & Benchmarks:
- Processor: Intel Core™ Ultra 7 (Series 2)
- RAM: 32GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Power Modes: Performance (28W), Standard, Whisper (varying power draw)
- Battery/Plugged-in Performance: Consistent performance across both modes at full speed.
Benchmark Scores:
- WS2 24: Multi-Core: 612, Single-Core: 114
- Geekbench 6: Single-Core: 2283, Multi-Core: 10002, OpenCL: ~28,712
- CrossMark: ~1744
- Geekbench AI: Single-Precision: 2097, Half-Precision: 665, Quantized: 3570
- PCMark 10: 6351
- VRMark: ~5200
- Cinebench R23: Multi-Core: ~10,600, Single-Core: ~1758 (Performance varies across modes: Full-speed > Performance > Standard > Whisper)
- 3DMark Time Spy: GPU: 4000+, CPU: 6500+
- Blender (BMW Render): ~3000+
- Davinci Resolve: ~3000+ (Good for Entry to Medium level Editing)
- PhotoShop: ~6400+
- Premium Pro: ~3000+ (There are some lags in 4K video editing)
Real-world Performance: Handles entry-level to mid-level video editing, productivity tasks, and multitasking effortlessly.
- Gaming: Capable of casual gaming. VR performance is not optimal.
- Touchscreen: Yes, it supports touch input for smoother workflow.
AI Integration with Copilot+:
- AI Assistant: Copilot+ integrated into the Windows 11 taskbar.
- Capabilities:
- Scheduling and setting reminders
- Information summarization
- Creative content generation
Benefits: Streamlines workflow and boosts productivity for students, professionals, and creatives. Leverages the Intel Core Ultra 7 processor for AI tasks.
Performance – Benchmarks & Real-World Usage
All the benchmarks we have tested on the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC were done in full-speed mode, which has a maximum power draw of 28W. By the way, there are different performance modes under it:
- Performance Mode
- Standard Mode
- Whisper Mode
Each mode has a different power draw. If you need more battery backups or your tasks are heavy or light, then you can change the power mode.
Battery vs. Plugged-in Performance
The biggest question was whether performance drops in battery mode or not. On Snapthethe seven battery, the performance of full-speed mode and plugged-in mode is the same. This means that even if you use the laptop unplugged, the performance will be almost the same!
CPU Performance
We ran a 1-hour stress test on Prime 95 and tracked temperature, clock speed and power consumption. The maximum temperature reached ~89°C while the average temperature was ~82°C, which is pretty good for an ultra-slim laptop. The maximum core clock speed reached ~4,787.7MHz, while the average core clock speed was recorded at ~2,912.1MHz. Talking about power consumption, the max CPU package power reached ~37.55W while the average power draw was ~27W. Overall, the laptop maintains stable performance even under long-duration loads.
Benchmark Scores
- WS2 24 Benchmark: Multi-Core score is 612 & Single-Core score is 114
- Geekbench 6: Single-Core Score is 2283, Multi-Cores Score is 10002
- Geekbench 6 (OpenCL): ~28,712
- CrossMark Benchmark: ~1744
- Geekbench AI Benchmark: Single-Precision Score is 2097, Half-Precision Score is 665 & Quantized Score is 3570
- PCMark 10: 6,351
- VRMark: ~5,200
VR gaming is quite heavy, and this laptop won’t deliver the best VR performance, but the IGP scores are impressive!
Cinebench R23 Scores
- Multi-core: ~10,600
- Single-core: ~1,758
Real-world performance and benchmark numbers may vary slightly. I tested the Kinbech R23 in different modes:
- After the full-speed mode, the scores in Performance mode came down slightly, but there was not much difference.
- A little more drop was observed in Standard mode, and ~10-15% performance drop was observed in Whisper mode.
3DMark & Blender Performance
3DMark Time Spy:
GPU Score: 4,000+
CPU Score: 6,500+
Blender (BMW Render): ~3,000+
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC can easily handle entry-level to mid-level video editing. There are zero issues in productivity tasks and multitasking.
And yes, the ASUS ZenBook S14 also comes with a touchscreen! This means that if you want to use scrolling, gestures, or finger-touch, then productivity will become smoother.
Copilot+ Performance
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC comes with the latest Intel Core™ Ultra 7 (Series 2) processor, which, along with 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, handles multitasking, casual gaming and light video editing effortlessly.
AI-Powered Productivity- Copilot+
What sets ZenBook S14 apart is the Copilot+ integration – a smart AI assistant built directly into the Windows 11 taskbar.
Copilot+ is not just limited to voice commands! It smartly assists in:
- Scheduling and setting reminders
- Summarizing information
- Generating creative content
i.e. streamlines workflow and boosts productivity for students, professionals, and creatives.
Battery Performance
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Battery Specification
- Battery Capacity: 72Wh
- Battery Life (claimed): Up to 27 hours (Intel Evo certification)
- Battery Life (real-world usage): 25-26 hours (browsing and streaming), up to 20-23 hours (heavy workload)
- Battery Life (YouTube streaming test): 13-14 hours (60% brightness, keyboard backlight off, 80-90% speaker volume)
- Standby Performance: Only 1% battery drop in 15 hours
- Charging: Fast charging, 60% charge in less than 50 minutes. Type-C charging support
- Power Efficiency: CPU and power management are highly efficient.
Battery Life & Power Efficiency
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC has a 72Wh battery. According to Intel Evo certification, it can give up to 27 hours of battery backup. In real-world usage, it gives approximately 25-26 hours of backup in tasks like browsing and streaming.
If you do a heavy workload, you can easily get up to 20-23 hours of backup. We tested YouTube streaming with 60% brightness, keyboard backlight off, and 80-90% speaker volume and still got 13-14 hours of backup. This means that if you are travelling and want to watch movies or OTT, then this will not leave you!
Power Efficiency & Standby Performance
The best thing is that there was only a 1% battery drop during 15 hours of standby, which clearly shows that its CPU and power management are quite efficient.
Charging Speed
Battery life is a little less than Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Air M2, but fast charging is its plus point. 60% charge is done in less than 50 minutes! There is Type-C charging support, so you can charge it with a power bank as well.
It handles 4K level video editing smoothly even in battery mode. Yes, it may feel a little lag or stutter at times, but overall performance is solid! If you need long battery backup + fast charging + power-efficient CPU, then ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC is a solid option!
Ports
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Ports Specification
- 2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports: These ports offer high-speed data transfer, charging, and display connectivity.
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port: This is a standard USB port for connecting peripherals like mice, keyboards, and external drives.
- 1x HDMI 2.1 port: This port allows you to connect the laptop to an external display, such as a monitor or TV, with support for high-resolution and high refresh rate output.
- 1x 3.5mm audio jack: This is a standard headphone jack for connecting headphones or earphones.1
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) CAopilot+ PC has multiple port options including two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, one HDMI 2.1 port, and one 3.5mm audio jack. It also has cutting-edge wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.2, allowing for seamless streaming of high-quality videos and crystal-clear video calls. Wireless connectivity is top-notch too! Enjoy seamless video streaming and crystal-clear video calls with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.2.
If we compare it with the Dell XPS 13 & MacBook Air M2, the MacBook Air M2 only has 2x Thunderbolt ports, while the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) also has an option of extra USB-A & HDMI 2.1. So ZenBook gets a slight edge in connectivity.
Keyboard & Trackpad Experience
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Keyboard & Trackpad Specification
Keyboard:
- Key Travel: 1.1mm1
- Backlighting: Single-color white LED with pass-through lighting
- Brightness: Adjustable, visible in dark environments
- Arrow Keys: Small
- Function Access: On-screen functions accessible via Z, B, VIP1 + F key combinations
Trackpad:
- Material: Glass
- Size: Large (especially for a compact laptop)
- Features: Multi-gesture support, fully clickable2
- Gestures:
- Right swipe: Brightness adjustment
- Left swipe: Volume control
- Top swipe: Video scrolling options
- Potential Issue: Accidental triggering of brightness/volume gestures due to hand contact.
Keyboard Experience
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC keyboard has a 1.1mm key travel, which provides a comfortable typing feel. It is a single-colour backlit keyboard with white LED lighting, and pass-through lighting is also available. The keyboard’s brightness is quite sharp and is visible even in dark environments. This means it is perfect for night-time typing; it feels premium!
The arrow keys are small, but you can toggle on-screen functions using the Z, B, VIP1 + F key combinations. This feature seems quite handy.
Trackpad Experience
The trackpad size of the ASUS ZenBook S14 is quite big, especially considering it is a compact laptop. This is a glass trackpad that supports multi-gesture and is fully clickable. Extra gestures have also been given in the trackpad, such as:
- You can adjust the brightness with a right swipe.
- Volume control is available with a left swipe.
- Top swipe gives video scrolling options, which is useful when editing or watching YouTube.
One small thing I noticed is that sometimes, while using it, my hand accidentally gets touched, and the brightness or volume gestures get triggered. This doesn’t happen too much, but it can be irritating at times. Overall, the typing and trackpad experience feels premium, and the gestures are quite useful!
Display Quality
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Display Specification
- Display Size: 14-inch
- Resolution: 3K (3072 x 1620)
- Panel Type: Lumina OLED²
- Refresh Rate: 120Hz
- Aspect Ratio: 16:10
- Colour Gamut:
- 100% DCI-P3
- 100% sRGB
- 100% AdobeRGB
- 100% NTSC
- Brightness:
- 400 nits (typical)
- 500 nits (HDR content)
- Features:
- Touchscreen (10-point multi-touch)
- Stylus support (stylus sold separately)
- Low blue light emission
- 90% screen-to-body ratio
- Ultra-thin bezels
- Screen burn-in prevention features (Pixel Refresh, Taskbar Auto-Hide, Transparency Effects, Flicker-Free Dimming)
- Turn off my device when I leave the feature.
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC features a 14-inch 3K resolution (3072 x 1620)Lumina OLED² display. It offers a 120Hz refresh rate and has a 16:10 aspect ratio. It provides extra vertical space, making it perfect for productivity, content consumption and creative work.
ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC’s display colour accuracy of 100% DCI-P3, 100% sRGB, 100% AdobeRGB and 100% NTSC coverage ensures that colours look vibrant and true-to-life. The OLED panel results in deep blacks and high contrast, which provides a better visual experience than the MacBook Air M2’s Liquid Retina display, especially for streaming, graphic design, and video editing. By tuning the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC’s display, you can also adjust your colour gamut preferences to get the best experience for your use case.
Brightness is also quite good! Regular usage gets a peak brightness of 400 nits, but it can go up to 500 nits when watching HDR content. It emits less harmful blue light, which makes it comfortable for long usage. With a 90% screen-to-body ratio and ultra-thin bezels, one gets an immersive viewing experience.
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC also gets Touchscreen and Stylus support. Though the stylus doesn’t come in the box, you can buy one separately. The 10-point multi-touch makes navigation and scrolling feel even smoother. Since this display is OLED, ASUS has also provided screen burn-in prevention features like Pixel Refresh, Taskbar Auto-Hide, Transparency Effects and Flicker-Free Dimming, which improve the longevity of the panel.
There is also a bonus feature -“Turn off my device when I leave”, in which if you move away from the laptop, it automatically goes into sleep mode and auto-wakes up when you come back. This not only saves battery backup but also addresses screen burn-in issues and privacy concerns.
My ASUS
The display and software experience in ASUS laptops is almost the same as seen in other ASUS premium models. It has dedicated software for battery, audio, visual and input settings, in which the option of system updates and BIOS updates is also available, which is quite smooth and convenient.
A GlideX application is also available, with which you can connect your phone and easily do tasks like file transfer, communication calls, camera sharing and remote access. This is a part of the whole ecosystem that makes multi-device connectivity even easier.
Apart from this, a ScreenXpert feature is also given, in which you can easily mute/unmute the mic and customize the control centre and window management. Cursor management is also handled by it, which makes multitasking more efficient.
There is also a StoryCube application that smartly organizes the data after importing it. It automatically arranges your memories, locations and categories, just like Google Photos. Through this, you can easily manage and sort your data, which is a very useful feature.
Speakers
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Speaker Specification
- Audio System:
- It features a “Smart Amp Technology” audio system.
- It has built-in speakers and a built-in array microphone.
- The audio is “harman/kardon (Premium)” certified.
- It also has a powerful four-speaker audio system.
- Key Features:
- These specifications indicate a focus on providing a high-quality audio experience.
Webcam Specification
- Resolution: Full HD (1080p)
- Frame Rate: 30 frames per second (30FPS)
- Features:
- Windows Studio Effects (Automatic Framing, Eye Contact, Background Effects) powered by the AI-based NPU.
- IR sensor for Windows Hello face unlock.
Finding impressive speakers in any thin laptop is difficult, but the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC has quite remarkable speakers. It has a down-firing setup, but there are two speakers on one side, a total of 4 speakers, which give a full-filling sound. The bass is felt, and the sound is crisp and quite loud, too. It is Dolby Atmos certified, so by going to the Dolby Atmos app, you can customize different sound modes according to your content.
Other than that, different sound modes are also available in the laptop’s MyASUS app, which gives different audio experiences. I liked the Dynamic mode the best!
Webcam Experience
Both the webcam and microphone of the ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC are quite impressive. It provides a Full HD 30FPS webcam, which gives a very sharp and professional look for meetings and video calls. Its microphone also records crystal-clear audio, which helps in minimizing background noise.
The laptop also gets Windows Studio Effects, such as Automatic Framing, Eye Contact feature, and Background Effects, which run on the AI-based NPU. This makes these effects work efficiently without putting too much load on the CPU/GPU, which is a reason for battery drain in normal Windows laptops.
And yes, it also has an Ambient Light and Color Sensor, which adjusts the screen brightness and colour temperature according to the lighting conditions. This feature auto-adjusts in any environment, be it night, day, office or home, so there is no need to manually set the brightness again and again.
For extra security, an IR sensor has also been provided, which supports Windows Hello face unlock. As soon as Copilot+ certification is enabled, Windows Studio’s blurred effects and extra AI features will be unlocked!
Comparison
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Conclusion
The ASUS ZenBook S14 (UX5406SA) Copilot+ PC is a great laptop. Its thin and light design, brilliant OLED display, and powerful Intel Ultra 7 processor make it a perfect choice for students, professionals, and creative people. With Copilot+, AI features make your work even easier. Battery life is also great, and fast charging makes it even more convenient. If you are looking for a premium, portable, and powerful laptop, then this is a great option for you.
Which feature of the Asus ZenBook S14 did you like the most? Comment below and share your opinion! If you liked this review, share it with your friends! If you want to buy it, click on the ‘Buy Now’ button below. To read about which laptop is the best for gaming under 60000, click here.
