I stress-tested the Asus Zenbook 14 for college — it’s a great fit, but Windows on 8GB RAM is a problem
The Asus Zenbook 14 is another great MacBook Neo competitor with a vibrant colorful design, gorgeous OLED display and stellar ergonomics with a good performing chip inside. Just stick to the base model, as the price goes out of control with more RAM.
College studies have remained fairly consistent over the years, with one constant being the need for ample RAM. In this regard, the Asus Zenbook 14 has proven to be a fitting choice for students, thanks to its Snapdragon X chipset that ensures swift single-core speeds. However, I decided to push the laptop to its limits by capping Windows 11's RAM usage to 8GB.
While the system performed adequately for basic tasks, it struggled with larger workloads like running multiple Chrome tabs or engaging a local chatbot with coursework. This discrepancy in performance highlights the RAM requirements for different tasks on Windows 11 compared to macOS. Despite being a budget-friendly alternative to the MacBook Neo, the Asus Zenbook 14 is best suited for students with relatively simple workloads, such as essay writing and light research.
For those with more demanding needs, it is recommended to consider the 16GB RAM option for a more robust and efficient experience.
Written by urgent.news from Tom's Guide's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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