ASUS presented new laptops based on Intel Core Ultra (series 2) processors at IFA 2024 in Berlin. In this report, I will tell you what new products the manufacturer showed and what they can offer users.
Zenbook S 14
The company was the first to present its compact flagship laptop Zenbook S 14. Last year, we already tested the Zenbook S 13, a very thin and light laptop with an interesting design, in which the display cover is made of a new material - Ceraluminum, patented by ASUS. Zenbook S 14 is an ideological continuation of this model, but with new Intel Core Ultra processors.
Thanks to the more compact design of Intel's new processors and the integration of RAM directly onto the chip, ASUS has managed to significantly reduce the size of the motherboard for the Zenbook S 14. It's 27% smaller than other 14-inch laptops and the same size as 13-inch models.
Thus, Zenbook S 14 is quite compact, with a thickness of 1.1 cm at the thinnest point and 1.29 cm at the thickest. The weight is also not very large - only 1.2 kg.
At the same time, the case uses an active cooling system with two coolers, which allows the processor to have a TDP of up to 28 watts, which is cool considering the thickness. Let me remind you that in Zenbook S 13, the chip's heat package was up to 20 watts. And the more heat the cooling system can dissipate, the less the processor performance drops in heavier tasks.
With the features of the model a little bit figured out, let's now take a look at its characteristics. Zenbook S 14 has a 14-inch 3K (2880x1800 pixels) Lumina OLED display with an aspect ratio of 16:10, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a response time of 0.2 ms, and fairly thin bezels. The peak brightness of the screen reaches 500 nits, it is capable of reproducing 100% of the DCI-P3 color space and has HDR True Black 500 certification. In addition, the display is touch-sensitive and supports stylus input.
As mentioned above, the laptop uses new Intel processors - it can be either the Core Ultra 5 226V or the more powerful Ultra 7 256V and 258V, as well as the flagship of the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V laptop line.
Depending on the processor, because the RAM is now on the board, the user can get 16 GB of LPDDR5X (Ultra 5 226V and Ultra 7 256V) or 32 GB of LPDDR5X (Ultra 7 258V and Ultra 9 288V). All new Intel processors have built-in Intel Arc graphics.
Drive configurations will start with a 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, and the manufacturer will offer a maximum of 1TB of storage. But even in such a compact laptop, ASUS has retained the ability to increase storage space, so there is also an M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4 slot available on the motherboard.
Zenbook S 14 has Wi-Fi 7 for connecting to wireless networks, and Bluetooth 5 for peripherals and headphones.
Due to the small thickness of the case, this model doesn't have a lot of ports, but all the main ones are there. On the right side you can find USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A.
On the left: HDMI 2.1 TMDS, two Thunderbolt 4, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Above the screen of Zenbook S 14 is a Full HD webcam with an infrared sensor for face recognition and Windows Hello login. The camera doesn't have a shutter, but it can be turned off via the F10 function key.
Despite its small size, the laptop has a 4-speaker system configured with harman/kardon speakers, which are quite loud and even surround.
The surprises don't end there, as the Zenbook S 14 also manages to fit a 72 Wh battery, which is quite a lot, as the Zenbook S 13 has a smaller 63 Wh battery and lasted almost 13 hours in the PCMark 10 test. With the new Intel platform and bigger battery, the S 14 should deliver very good battery life.
The laptop is charged via a USB-C port and comes with a 65W compact charger.
ASUS Zenbook S 14 has already started selling in Europe, with the model starting at 1499 euros. In Ukraine, we are waiting for it this fall, but ASUS will announce the availability and price later.
Along with the Zenbook S 14, the manufacturer also showed a version of the Zenbook S 16 with Intel Core Ultra (2 series) processors, and we previously reviewed this model on the AMD platform, so you can read about its features here.
Vivobook S 14
Another new laptop in the ASUS lineup with new Intel processors. It also has a thin, all-metal body, but the thickness and weight are slightly higher: 1.39 cm and 1.3 kg. However, the laptop will still be very easy to carry.
The minimalist design of the model is complemented by an ergonomic ASUS ErgoSense keyboard with customizable single-zone RGB backlighting and a large ErgoSense touchpad.
Like the Zenbook S 14, this Vivobook has a fairly wide range of possible configurations with a processor from Intel Core Ultra 5 228V to Ultra 7 258V. Accordingly, the graphics also remain built-in Intel Arc, and the amount of RAM varies depending on the processor and can be up to 32 GB LPDDR5X. Storage will also be available only in 512GB or 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD versions, but it is possible to install another SSD in the M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4 slot. Other platform features include the latest versions of Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless modules.
The ASUS IceCool laptop cooling system with two IceBlade fans, each with 97 blades, and two groups of vents should provide stable operation under high loads, at least the manufacturer claims a maximum TDP of 35 watts.
Vivobook S 14 is equipped with a 14-inch OLED display with an aspect ratio of 16:10, 3K resolution (2880x1800 pixels), 600 nits peak brightness, and 120 Hz refresh rate. There will also be a version with a resolution of 1920x1200, but the same specifications.
The laptop's audio system has two speakers located on the bottom of the case, supports Dolby Atmos technology, and is certified by Harman Kardon. The sound is worse than in Zenbook S 14, but it will be enough for video.
The Vivobook S 14 has a wide range of ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, two Thunderbolt 4, one HDMI 2.1 TMDS, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and a microSD card reader.
The laptop is equipped with a 75 Wh battery, which, according to the manufacturer, provides up to 22 hours of battery life. A 65 W power supply is used for recharging.
Vivobook S 14 will start selling in Europe in October, and its price will start at EUR 1,299.
Vivobook 14 Flip and 16 Flip
ASUS has also introduced the new Vivobook 14 Flip (TP3407) and Vivobook 16 Flip (TP3607) notebooks. Thanks to a special hinge, the screens of these laptops can open 360°, turning them into tablets with support for the ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus.
Vivobook 14 Flip is made in a 1.7-cm-thick metal case and weighs 1.5 kg. The design here is also "complete minimalism". On the dark gray lid of the display unit you can find only a barely noticeable inscription ASUS Vivobook.
The 14-inch Vivobook 14 Flip OLED touchscreen display has a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio, 0.2 ms response time, 60 Hz refresh rate, 500 nits peak brightness, is capable of displaying 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, and is certified Display HDR True Black 500.
The laptop's audio system consists of two speakers, is certified by Harman Kardon and supports Dolby Atmos technology. Above the screen is a Full HD webcam with a privacy curtain.
This model so far has only one version with an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor (12 MB cache, 4.8 Hz, 8 cores, 8 threads) with a built-in NPU module with a performance of up to 47 TOPS, which speeds up artificial intelligence programs. Accordingly, the amount of RAM is unchanged and amounts to 32 GB LPDDR5X. For storage, you can count on a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD. And like the aforementioned models, there is an additional M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4 slot, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
All of the model's connectors are located on the side and include one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (up to 5 Gbps), one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (up to 10 Gbps), one Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 TMDS, 3.5 mm headphone and microphone jacks, plus a microSD card reader.
The device is equipped with a 70Wh battery, which should provide a good level of autonomy, ASUS says up to 25 hours.
The Vivobook 16 Flip features a larger 16-inch OLED display with 3K (2880x1800) resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 120Hz refresh rate, and 500 nits of peak brightness.
In addition, it has a larger 75 Wh battery, larger dimensions of 35.50 x 24.43 x 1.69-1.75 cm, and a weight of 1.8 kg.
Otherwise, the model's characteristics are the same as those of the Vivobook 14 Flip.
ExpertBook P5
For several years now, ASUS has been actively developing its ExpertBook series of business laptops, and we have just recently tested the flagship ExpertBook B9 OLED (B9403). Apparently, the manufacturer's business in this niche is going well, because at IFA 2024, the company announced the expansion of the ExpertBook series with a new P line, the flagship of which is the ExpertBook P5.
The model appeals to a wider range of business consumers, such as small and medium-sized businesses, so in addition to reliability, ASUS was concerned with the design and overall perception of the new product. Therefore, the ExpertBook P5 uses an all-aluminum body with a thickness of 1.49-1.64 cm and a weight of 1.29 kg.
The laptop keyboard with a 1.5 mm key travel is quite comfortable, has adequate backlighting, spill protection, and a dedicated key block for controlling the sound and microphone. ASUS noted that these are very important buttons during video calls and presentations, so they decided to highlight them, and LED indicators were also added to the mute and microphone keys so you can quickly see if they are activated. The touchpad in the ExpertBook P5 is also quite large with a glass cover and gesture support.
The model's 14-inch IPS display has a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio, anti-glare coating, and a peak brightness of 400 nits.
Above the screen is a 1080p webcam with an infrared sensor for face recognition via Windows Hello. If necessary, the camera can be covered with a mechanical shutter.
The ExpertBook P5 has a fairly wide range of configurations with Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 228V, and Ultra 7 258V processors. All of them have built-in Intel Arc graphics and an NPU module that provides AI performance of up to 47 TOPS, and the total system performance can be up to 120 TOPS. The amount of RAM is 16 GB for the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, and 32 GB for the Ultra 5 228V and Ultra 7 258V.
For data storage, an M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD with 512GB or 1TB of storage is used. In addition, there are two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4 and M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0x4 slots available for storage expansion. Wireless modules include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
According to ASUS, the active cooling system allows the ExpertBook P5 processor to have a TDP of 30 watts, and it works equally well when the laptop is open and when the lid is closed. This means that the performance level should be the same even when the notebook is closed and connected to a monitor.
The ports on the ExpertBook P5 are scattered along the sides, where you can find two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, two Thunderbolt 4, one HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
The laptop has a 63 Wh battery and, according to the manufacturer, offers exceptional battery life: up to 28 hours of video playback or 20 hours of office applications.
This allows you to work throughout the entire working day without the need to recharge, which, of course, is what we want to believe. But let's wait for the opportunity to test the autonomy ourselves.
Interestingly, ASUS has made it easy to replace the battery in this model: it is not glued, and no special tools are needed to remove it. The battery is attached to special fasteners. Thus, to replace it, you only need to remove the case cover. I hope that ASUS will gradually transfer this feature to its other models.
The price of the ExpertBook P5 in Europe will start at 999 euros, and its sales will begin in October.
On another interesting note, the ExpertBook P5 comes with ASUS AI ExpertMeet tools that provide additional AI-powered capabilities. Among them:
- Translation and subtitles - automatic translation of speech and display of subtitles in real time.
- Meeting summaries - automatic creation of short reports after the conference.
- Noise reduction - filters out background noise for clear communication.
- Watermarks for business - adding corporate logos or other marks to documents and presentations.
ExpertBook P series notebooks also offer layered security features that extend down to the BIOS level. Secure Boot and a separate Trusted Platform Module (TPM) provide protection against unauthorized interference during startup. Additionally, the SafeGuard Backup tool allows you to back up important data with encrypted content.
Starting in September 2024, all ASUS ExpertBook P series laptops will come preinstalled with McAfee+ Premium Individual Unlimited software with a one-year free license.
In addition to the flagship ExpertBook P5, ASUS also introduced the ExpertBook P3 (P3405/P3605) and ExpertBook P1 (P1403/P1503). They use previous Intel processors like the Core i3-1315U, but have a similar design and cooling system. ASUS will tell more about these models later, but for now, we know that the ExpertBook P1 will start at 599 euros.
In general, ASUS plans to expand its commercial lineup with devices in other form factors, including desktops and all-in-ones. These products are scheduled for release in 2025.