Asus Zenbook A14 vs Microsoft Surface Computer 7: a extraordinarily narrow accumulate for Microsoft

The Microsoft Surface Computer 7 has been indubitably one of many most real looking laptops you would possibly per chance aquire, along with the most real looking example yet of the recent wave of Windows on ARM laptops. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X lineup has been the driver of this motion, and the Surface Computer 7 makes immense expend of the platform.

However it undoubtedly’s no longer alone. The Asus Zenbook A14 combines the Snapdragon X with a delicate-weight chassis and a pretty ambiance friendly OLED display for a immense earn and battery life. Can it compete with Microsoft’s most real looking laptop?

Specs and configurations

The Zenbook A14 most real looking has two available configurations. There’s the $1,000 depraved mannequin with a Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14.0-lag FHD+ OLED display. For another $200, you web 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

For the an identical $1,000, you would possibly per chance web the Surface Computer 7 depraved mannequin wit ha Snapdragon X Plust, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 13.8-lag 2304 x 1536 IPS display. You can upgrade to a 512GB SSD for an additional $200 and to 1TB for $400 extra. The Snapdragon X Elite americathe depraved tag to $1,400 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and then you would possibly per chance desire 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for a immense total of $2,400.

That makes the Surface Computer 7 the costlier laptop by a dazzling margin, at the absolute most real looking configuration.

Beget

The Surface Computer 7 is the fruits of a total lot of generations of refinement, ensuing in a laptop that’s incredibly successfully-constructed — as are all Surface devices — and enjoys a rather iconic magnificent. It’s all-aluminum and is available in a total lot of excellent colours, with appropriate the proper blend of tones to present the laptop a latest, dapper appreciate. The exiguous display bezels framing a taller 3:2 aspect ratio stands out, and handling the Surface Computer 7 attests to Microsoft’s attention to factor in its premier hardware lineup. All the pieces appropriate feels immense, in conjunction with the hinge that allows opening the lid with one hand and retains it firmly in position.

However, Microsoft isn’t the most real looking company that makes quality Windows machines. Asus Zenbooks hold long rivaled Surface in the case of achieve quality, with all-metal designs that undoubtedly feel as sturdy. The Zenbook A14 makes expend of a recent materials that Asus developed, known as Ceraluminum, which puts aluminum by contrivance of a assignment that creates a diversified, ceramic-love undoubtedly feel that’s also incredibly solid. That makes it incredibly light at 2.4 kilos versus the Surface Computer 7’s 2.96 kilos. And, it does so without sacrificing a solid undoubtedly feel, with a warm touch that feels irregular within the origin appreciate but grows on you the extra you expend it. My one complaint is with the Zenbook A14’s hinge, which is honest too loose and allows the lid to flop around a bit. Aesthetically, the Zenbook A14 is extra minimalist and doesn’t feature the huge form of color ways.

The Surface Computer 7 is appropriate a little better in the case of its earn and aesthetics. However you would possibly per chance’t hobble defective with the Zenbook A14, both.

By manner of their keyboards, it’s one other discontinuance fight. The Zenbook A14 has a colossal structure with astronomical keycaps, and its switches are light and fleet. The Surface Computer 7 has an equally joyful structure, and its switches are less assailable and deeper. I’d give Microsoft’s keyboard the nod right here, given the Asus switches’ bottoming motion that I didn’t rather salvage as right. Each and each are very supreme, but all over again, the Surface Computer 7 comes out on high.

The Zenbook A14 has a a little bit of bigger touchpad than the Surface Computer 7, but it’s a mechanical model. I are liable to desire haptic touchpads, and the Surface Computer 7 has a extraordinarily supreme example with all of the customization alternate strategies that the abilities affords. Here’s an even bigger earnings for the Surface Computer 7 than we’ve considered up to now.

I’d give the Zenbook A14 the nod in the case of connectivity, basically given its inclusion of an HDMI 2.1 port. However, the Surface Computer 7 has a Surface Connect strength connection that retains each snappy USB4 ports available for expend. That’s a plus. The Surface Computer 7 also has the latest wireless connectivity, whereas the Zenbook A14 is one generation within the back of.

At closing, each laptops hold 1080p webcams that provide up wonderful video quality. And, each hold the an identical 45 tera operations per second (TOPS) Neural Processing Unit that powers Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC AI points. You’ll web corpulent enhance for the total lot Microsoft has to give in the case of ambiance friendly on-plot AI processing, though Asus does add in some additional AI-enabled points.

Performance

Each and each laptops are constructed around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipset, however the Surface Computer 7 provides the Snapdragon X Elite with 12 cores and the fastest available speeds. The Zenbook A14 makes expend of the 8-core Snapdragon X Plus with appropriate eight cores and working at a slower flee. The Adreno integrated graphics on the Snapdragon X Elite is also faster than the Plus mannequin.

Overall, that makes the Surface Computer 7 a faster laptop overall. I’m providing results from the bigger 15-lag mannequin, but efficiency will be an identical on the smaller Surface Computer 7. This can even be faster for basically the most tense productivity users, though gamers won’t salvage a immense difference in efficiency and neither will creators.

Designate and audio

The Zenbook A14 has 14.0-lag 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) OLED display that has the abilities’s standard incandescent, dynamic colours and inky blacks. Asus compromised with a lower resolution to set on battery life, so even as you desire a terribly involving display, it won’t face as much as the Surface Computer 7. That laptop has a 13.8-lag 3:2 IPS display working at 2304 x 1536. So, it’s sharper, and it’s also a extraordinarily supreme IPS panel with its earn very supreme colours. Each and each laptops appreciate immense for most makes expend of, and the Surface Computer 7’s display advantages from a faster 120Hz refresh rate that makes the Windows user interface flee extra without problems.

In accordance with our colorimeter, the Zenbook A14 has wider and additional ethical colours that will be better for inventive work, and it has reach-most real looking blacks and undoubtedly excessive contrast. The Surface Computer 7 has a brighter display with a little bit of narrower and never more ethical colours. Its contrast is wonderful for an IPS display, but can’t match the Zenbook A14.

Whilst you desire OLED and don’t solutions seeing extra pixels, then you’ll love the Zenbook A14’s display. The Surface Computer 7’s display is also very supreme, and it’s sharper and faster. Some would possibly per chance well hold in solutions this to be a map.

The Zenbook A14 has twin downward-firing speaker which would possibly per chance be appropriate ok, compared with the Surface Computer 7’s audio plot that tasks sound up from speaker within the back of the keyboard. It has louder and clearer audio and additional bass, and so you’ll be less liable to reach for a pair of headphones.

Portability

Each and each laptops are very portable, with the Surface Computer 7 being a little bit of narrower and shallower however the Zenbook A14 being thinner and lighter. You’ll doubtless worship the Zenbook A14’s lighter weight extra than anything else.

Despite the incontrovertible truth that it’s lighter, the Asus packs in an even bigger 70 watt-hour battery that helps offset the extra strength-hungry OLED display. The Surface Computer 7’s smaller 54 watt-hour battery advantages from the extra strength-ambiance friendly IPS panel.

I checklist the battery take a look at results for the bigger 15-lag Surface Computer 7, which would possibly per chance be an hour or so less with the smaller machine. So, it’s doubtless that it’s going to closing around the an identical time because the Zenbook A14, making them each a few of the longest-lasting Windows laptops ever. We’re talking multi-day battery life when doing lighter productivity duties.

It’s very discontinuance, however the Surface Computer 7 comes out forward

These are two very supreme laptops. They’re successfully-constructed, hold immense efficiency and even bigger battery life, and so that they’re excellent sufficient. In many ways, they’re very closely matched.

However, the Surface Computer 7 appropriate has some finer points, love a more in-depth haptic touchpad, an overall extra joyful carry out, and faster efficiency that provides it the threshold. Designate, though, that you just’ll pay a tag. Whilst you would possibly per chance love the least pricey laptop, then the Zenbook A14 is successfully worth your consideration.