In the evolving landscape of gaming laptops, the Asus Zenbook S 14 emerges as a noteworthy contender, equipped with Intel’s Core Ultra 7 258V processor. This eight-core chip, featuring a blend of Lion Cove P-cores and Skymont E-cores, is complemented by the new Arc 140V integrated graphics unit (iGPU). While traditionally, gaming enthusiasts might overlook such low-power processors in favor of more robust desktop counterparts, the rise of handheld gaming PCs and ultra-portable laptops is shifting this paradigm.
The Zenbook S 14, designed with the productivity-focused professional in mind, surprisingly delivers a commendable gaming experience. Testing the device across various titles at 1080p reveals its impressive capabilities, especially when compared to other models like the Asus Zenbook 14 with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the Asus Zephyrus G16 powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. All devices were set to performance mode, ensuring a level playing field for comparison.
Performance Comparisons
Both the Zenbook S 14 and Zenbook 14 boast similar form factors and specifications, with their Ultra 7 chips operating at approximately 28 W in performance mode. During intensive workloads, both laptops maintained a power draw of around 40 W, aligning closely with the 37 W maximum noted for the 258V. The primary distinction lies in the architecture of the chips, particularly the enhanced iGPU in the 258V, which lacks Hyper-Threading—a feature present in its counterparts.
While the Zephyrus G16 diverges from the 200V-series test machine, it still provides valuable insights. With its AMD HX 370 chip capable of reaching a maximum of 70 W, it serves as a benchmark against which the Intel offerings can be evaluated. Despite the power disparity, the performance metrics favor Intel’s latest 200V-series, showcasing its architectural advancements.
Gaming Test Results
The Arc 140V iGPU significantly outperforms the Intel Arc Graphics found in the 155H across all tests, highlighting the benefits of the new architecture. Despite a lower clock speed of 1.95 GHz compared to the 155H’s 2.25 GHz, the 258V manages to compete effectively against AMD’s HX 370 in various gaming scenarios. In particular, it outpaces the AMD chip in titles like Hitman 3, demonstrating a 5% performance advantage.
In more demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077, the 258V closes the gap, although it doesn’t quite match the performance of the AMD chip. However, in Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, both processors perform similarly, achieving 27 fps, with Intel slightly ahead in the 1% low frame rate metrics.
Specifications for the Zenbook S 14 include:
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
- Graphics: Integrated (Intel Arc 140V)
- RAM: 32 GB LPDDR5X-8533
- SSD: 512 GB (Gen4)
- Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800 OLED
- Refresh Rate: 120 Hz
- Battery: 72 Whr
- Weight: 1.2 kg
- Price: ~$1,499 | ~£1,499 (1TB)
Battery Life Insights
Battery performance is another strong suit for the Zenbook S 14, which achieves an impressive 155 minutes of gaming in 3DMark’s battery life test. This outshines the Zenbook 14’s 125 minutes and significantly exceeds the Zephyrus G16’s 70 minutes, despite the latter’s larger battery capacity. Such efficiency indicates the potential of the 258V chip in handheld gaming PCs, suggesting a promising future for portable gaming devices.
While the Zenbook S 14 faced some compatibility issues with specific titles like F1 24, these may stem from early driver releases rather than inherent flaws in the hardware. Overall, the 258V processor demonstrates a remarkable ability to balance power consumption and performance.
