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Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) vs ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against laptops at a similar price

The Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) scores 7.3/10 overall, ahead of the ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407) at 6.1/10.

The Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) leads on performance, display, ports and linux support.

They score the same on memory and storage, battery life and keyboard and build.

The biggest difference is performance, where the Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) scores 7/10 to the ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)'s 4/10.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)

7.3/10verdict: buy

The MacBook Pro 14-inch with M5 is for buyers who are happy to work on macOS and want a sharp screen and long battery life. It suits people who will pick the right memory size on day one, since memory is set at purchase. It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs native Linux or sustained heavy compute.

Typically about £1,599 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

6.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The ASUS Zenbook A14 UX3407 is for people who want a light 14-inch Windows laptop with very long battery life and an OLED screen. It suits everyday office, web and admin work where the software runs on Windows on Arm. Developers and homelabbers who need x86 tools, VMs or Linux should look at the limits before buying.

Typically about £649.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightApple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)
Performance25%7/104/10
Memory and storage20%6/106/10
Display15%9/107/10
Battery life15%9/109/10
Keyboard and build10%7/107/10
Ports10%8/107/10
Linux support5%3/102/10
Overall7.3/106.1/10

Specifications

SpecApple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)
CPUApple M5, 10-core CPU (4 performance, 6 efficiency), 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 153GB/s memory bandwidthVaries by variant: Snapdragon X1-26-100 (8 cores), Snapdragon X Plus X1P 42 100 (8 cores), Snapdragon X Elite X1E 78 100 (12 cores), Snapdragon X2 Elite X2E88100 (18 cores)
Memory16GB, 24GB or 32GB unified memory, set at purchase16GB or 32GB LPDDR5X, soldered on board (not user-upgradeable)
Storage512GB or 1TB SSD, configurable to 1TB, 2TB or 4TB512GB or 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD; one M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0x4 slot listed on some variants
Display14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 3024 × 1964 at 254 ppi, 1,000,000:1 contrast, 1,600 nits peak HDR, P3 wide colour, True Tone, ProMotion up to 120HzVaries by variant: 14.0-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED 120Hz; 14.0-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) OLED 60Hz; 14.0-inch WUXGA IPS-level non-touch 60Hz; 400 nits typical
Battery72.4 Wh lithium-polymer; Apple rates up to 24 hours video streaming70 Wh (some lower-tier variants 48 Wh); rated up to 32 hours of sustained battery in ASUS 1080p video playback test
PortsSDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports2x USB 4.0 Gen 3 Type-C with display/power delivery (up to 40Gbps), 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1x 3.5mm combo audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS
Weight1.55 kg (3.4 lb)2.18 lb (0.99 kg) claimed; PCWorld measured 2.16 lb; sub 2 lb (0.9 kg) on 48Wh battery variants
Operating systemmacOSWindows 11 Home (ASUS recommends Windows 11 Pro for business)

Strengths and weaknesses

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5)

  • + Very long battery life in reviewer video tests
  • + Sharp 3024 × 1964, 120Hz display
  • + HDMI, SD slot and three Thunderbolt 4 ports
  • − Memory is set at purchase, up to 32GB
  • − Single fan may struggle under sustained heavy loads
  • − Small generational change from the M4 model

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want Linux as the main operating system
  • Anyone running sustained heavy compute for hours
  • Owners of the M4 model looking for a big upgrade
Read the full Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M5) review ›

ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407)

  • + Long rated battery life, praised by several reviewers
  • + Light, sturdy build at a claimed 0.99kg
  • + Two 40Gbps USB4 ports plus HDMI and USB-A
  • − Low-end Snapdragon X chip called slow by reviewers
  • − Windows on Arm limits app compatibility
  • − Memory soldered on board; base OLED panel only 60Hz

Skip it if:

  • Developers and admins who rely on x86-only software or VM images
  • Anyone who wants to run Linux as their main operating system
  • Buyers who need upgradeable memory
Read the full ASUS Zenbook A14 (UX3407) review ›

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