ASUS Zenbook S 14 (UX5406AA) review

I haven't used this laptop. I'm working from the ASUS eShop spec page and from Notebookcheck's page on a different configuration of the same model. That's why there's no score. No outlet has published a test of the Zenbook S 14 with the Core Ultra 7 356H, which is the version sold at the link below.

The price on the ASUS eShop is $1,999.99Not verifiedNot verified, checked November 1, 2026.

What the money buys, per ASUS

The base configuration is generous. You get 32GB of LPDDR5X and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, plus Windows 11 Pro. Dell's XPS 14 ships with Home. The screen is a 14-inch 3K OLED, 2880 x 1800 at 16:10, running at 120 Hz.

All of that weighs 1.20 kg with a 77 Wh battery inside. Dell's XPS 14 carries 70 Wh at 1.36 kg, per Dell, so ASUS fits more battery into less weight.

The memory is soldered on board. I'm fine with that at 32GB, since I can't think of a thin-and-light job that needs more. At 16GB it would bother me.

One thing is missing from the page: ASUS doesn't list a brightness figure for the OLED. For a screen-led laptop that's an odd gap.

The one test that exists, for a different chip

Notebookcheck has a page on the UX5406AA, but its unit ran the Core Ultra 9 386H, not the 356H sold here. Its headline reads "Brighter OLED, but a slow Panther Lake iGPU". Notebookcheck also calls the battery life improved. Neither claim comes with a nit figure or a runtime on that page.

The chassis, screen and battery match. The processor and graphics don't, so I won't carry Notebookcheck's performance verdict over to the 356H. If the faster chip's graphics already drew the word "slow", I wouldn't buy this for games or video work until someone tests the cheaper chip.

Notebookcheck lists the weight at 1.205 kg. That's 5 g off ASUS's figure. Nobody will notice.

Where it sits in the line-up

The S 14 is the premium thin-and-light model above the Zenbook 14 range. The closest step down is the Zenbook 14 (UM3406), currently $1,099.99Not verifiedNot verified. The obvious rival from another brand is the Dell XPS 14, currently $1,989.99Not verifiedNot verified.

The gap between the S 14 and the Zenbook 14 is what you pay for the S badge, the 3K 120 Hz OLED and the 77 Wh battery. I can't yet tell you whether the 356H makes that gap worth it, because I have no battery or performance numbers for it. I found no release date from ASUS, so I can't say which model this one replaces.

What I'd do

If you need a laptop this month and your work is documents, browsers and video calls, the spec sheet covers you. 32GB and 1TB at this weight is a sensible machine to own for years.

If you can wait, wait. A battery test of the 356H version would settle whether that 77 Wh actually turns into a long day away from a charger, and that's the main reason to pay for this model over a cheaper Zenbook. I'll score it when a test lands.